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To learn more about our privacy policy Click hereIt gets tougher and tougher to write thefantasy football defense rankings article every year. Why? Because preseason D/ST rankings seem to matter le s and le s every year. It's easy to sit here in the summer and say the Bears are "the best" fantasy defense -- but it was easy last summer to put the Jaguars at the top of your draft cheat sheet,and we all know how that turned out. If you took Jacksonville in the middle rounds, you were likely heading to the waiver wire and looking for streamers and matchup-based sleepers by Week 5.
Defense, more than any other position, is all about that week's opponent. Sure, Kirby Puckett Jersey you might opt for the Rams in a mediocre matchup over the 49ers in a great one, but for the most part, there aren't many "every-week" D/STs. As such, the rankings below should be viewed as more of a general guide. The teams with more talent or ones that exhibited a general knack for sacks and takeaways last season are ranked higher, but we all know takeaways (particularly fumble recoveries) and D/ST touchdowns are, at best,inconsistent, and, at worst, completely fluky. And even just one more TD can vault a D/ST five or more spots in the Kyle Gibson Jersey end-of-season rankings (and potentially sway your weekly matchup.)
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On top of that, matchups are impo sible to predict at this point. We reference some matchups that look favorable/unfavorable, but that's largely based on the experience/track record of the projected starting QBs. Once the season starts, injuries strike, and young players get more experience, everything changes.
2019 STANDARD RANKINGS:|||||
Our standard recommendation is to wait on defense until one of the final few rounds. Most won't do that, but be careful about investing too much draft capital in a position that is sure to change hands at least once and a pain to devote two roster spots to. Even the "sure things" aren't so sure, both in the short and long term.
Our D/ST rankings will be updated throughout the preseason, so check back for updates and additional analysis.
2019 PPR RANKINGS:|||
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Fantasy Football 2019: Defense rankingsRankings based on standard scoring leagues
1. Chicago Bears. Khalil Mack's presence seemed to transform the Bears D/ST from "promising" to "otherworldly" last year. Chicago ranked tied for third in sacks (50) and first in INTs (27), total takeaways (36) and D/ST touchdowns (6). It was also third in total Harmon Killebrew Jersey defense (299.7 yards per game) and first in scoring defense (17.7 points per game). Almost all of Chicago's key defensive players return, so unle s the lo s of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is too much to overcome, there's no real reason to expect a bigdropoff. Of course, as the consensus No. 1 fantasy D/ST, the odds areagainstChicago finishing in that position for a second straight season, so be careful not to overdraft. Chicago has some brutal matchups this year (Saints, Chargers, Rams), as well as a fantasy playoff schedule of the Cowboys, Packers, and Chiefs that could prove difficult. As much as you want to think they're an every-week start, you might be forced to play matchups more often than you'd like.2.Los Angeles Rams.The Rams were the No. 2 fantasy D/ST last year thanks in large part to 30 takeaways (third) and four D/ST touchdowns (tied for sixth). Ndamukong Suh and Lamarcus Joyner are gone, but Clay Matthews and Eric Weddle have been added to hopefully bring a stabilizing veteran presence. Either way, with playmakers in Jonathan Schoop Jersey the secondary and All-World DT Aaron Donald, the Rams figure to be a top defense once again.3.New England Patriots.The Pats always seem to find a way to finish as one of the top D/STsregardle s of what the personnel looks like on paper. Last season, they were No. 4 fantasy D/ST, and this offseason they added Michael Bennett. The lo s of Trey Flowers will hurt, but, again -- New England always finds a way. The biggest worry this year is how much last season's 28 takeaways regre s, but there's still plenty of upside here.4.Los Angeles Chargers.How much difference does a healthy Joey Bosa make? Last season, Bosa was limited to seven games because of a foot injury. He still racked up 5.5 sacks and a fumble recovery, but considering he had 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 16 games in 2017, we know how much more he can do. The additions of veteran LB Thomas Davis, first-round pick Jerry Tillery, and second-rounder Na sir Adderley should help strengthen a unit that finished eighth in scoring defense (20.6 ppg) and ninth in total defense (333.7 ypg) despite relatively mediocre sack (38) and takeaway (20) totals. Look for the Chargers to finish closer to where they did in '17 when they were the No. 7 fantasy D/ST.(Update: Star Chargers' safety Derwin James has a stre s fracture in his foot and is expected to mi s the start of the season.)5. Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh seems to be the poster child for "good real-life defense, mediocre fantasy defense". Last year, the Steelers finished second in sacks (52) and sixth in total defense (327.2 ypg), but they were only the No. 13 fantasy D/ST. That's what a paltry 15 takeaways will Jose Berrios Jersey do. Rookie linebacker Devin Bush figures to be an impact playmaker from day one, and new CB Steven Nelson is coming off a four-INT season in Kansas City. Even just a few more takeaways will vault the Steelers into the top 10, and a bigger improvement will have them even higher. Also, a fantasy playoff schedule of the Cardinals, Bills and Jets looks appealing right now.FANTASY SLEEPERS: | | | | |
6.Kansas City Chiefs.Kansas City finished31stin total defense (405.5ypg) and24thin scoring defense (26.3ppg) last year, but it still managed a No. 7 fantasy finish thanks to a league-leading 53 sacks, 27 takeaways (tied for seventh), and five D/ST TDs (tied for second). The Chiefs followed up that up with a busy offseason that saw them jettison Justin Houston (nine sacks), Dee Ford (13 sacks), Ron Parker (twoINTs, TD), and Steven Hunter (fourINTs) and bring in Frank Clark (13 Jason Castro Jersey sacks), AlexOkafor(four sacks),TyrannMathieu (twoINTs, three sacks),BashaudBreeland(twoINTs, TD in seven games),and rookie JuanThornhill(sixINTsatUVA). Perhaps most importantly, Kansas City fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton and brought in SteveSpagnuolo. How much is all of this going to change things? It's tough to say, but with Chris Jones and Clark, you know the Chiefs will put pre sure onQBs, and withplaymakersin the secondary, you know they will pop off for some big plays. If they can limit points at even a slightly better clip, the Ch