Although it’s always ill-advised to draft a defense/special teams unit in the early to mid rounds of your fantasy football draft, having a dependable D/ST without having to worry about streaming your options every week is a luxury that any manager should consider. Listed here are the top five teams that have the best D/ST’s heading into the regular season that could very well shift the tides in your favor week-in and week-out.
*Note that the 2015 stats and fantasy points are all from ESPN
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2016 Defense/Special Teams (D/ST) Fantasy Points Projections
1. Seahawks D/ST
2015 Stats: 37 sacks, 14 interceptions, 8 fumble recoveries, 5 defensive TDs, 277 points allowed
2015 Fantasy Points: 140
2016 Fantasy Points Projection: 136
The outstanding core of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas III, Bobby Wagner, Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett remains intact, meaning the Seahawks won’t be showing signs of regression anytime soon, let alone this upcoming regular season.
2. Broncos D/ST
2015 Stats: 52 sacks, 14 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries, 6 defensive TDs, 296 points allowed
2015 Fantasy Points: 182
2016 Fantasy Points Projection: 133
Like a broken record player, we always keep mentioning the fact that the Broncos’ defense is what won them last year’s Super Bowl and not Peyton Manning’s (aged) arm.
Although this imposing squad saw key departures in the offseason (Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan), there’s still reason to believe that Super Bowl MVP Von Miller and Co. are in line for another monstrous campaign.
Contrary to popular opinion, Denver appears to have the best secondary in the league right now (not Seattle) to support its already stout front seven, with the likes of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart all itching to confound opposing passing offenses once more.
3. Panthers D/ST
2015 Stats: 44 sacks, 24 interceptions, 15 fumble recoveries, 4 defensive TDs, 308 points allowed
2015 Fantasy Points: 155
2016 Fantasy Points Projection: 131
The loss of prolific cornerback Josh Norman does indeed hurt, but the Panthers D remains as intimidating as ever.
Carolina had the most disruptive defense last season, causing more turnovers (39) that any other team in the league for an NFL-best plus-20 giveaway/takeaway differential. And for as long as perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Luke Kuechly stays smack-dab in the middle of this unit, the Panthers are are in very goods hands of a complete defensive leader.
4. Cardinals D/ST
2015 Stats: 36 sacks, 19 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, 7 defensive TDs, 313 points allowed
2015 Fantasy Points: 157
2016 Fantasy Points Projection: 126
There’s no question that Arizona’s defense was one of the best from the previous season, but the team didn’t cause much pressure in the trenches to threaten opposing QBs into mistakes. After making some deft maneuvering and drafting in the offseason, though, there’s reason to believe that this unit will become much better in 2016.
The Cards now have a bona fide edge rusher in Chandler Jones, who was acquired from the Patriots for just a second-round pick and an underachieving offensive lineman. To further strengthen their front seven, they drafted coveted defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche from Ole Miss with their first round pick as well.
Add those two players with the likes of standouts Tyrann Mathieu, Calais Campbell and Patrick Peterson, and the Cardinals truly have a terrific recipe for defensive success.
5. Chiefs D/ST
2015 Stats: 47 sacks, 22 interceptions, 7 fumble recoveries, 6 defensive TDs, 287 points allowed
2015 Fantasy Points: 162
2016 Fantasy Points Projection: 124
Not only does Kansas City’s defense perform with resolve, it also plays with a ton of heart and grit. Safety Eric Berry fought with lymphoma before the 2015 season, and veteran linebacker Derrick Johnson was coming off a torn-Achilles injury of his own. And yet, the Chiefs defense became much stronger as a group, allowing the second-least amount of points to the opposition last season trailing only the mighty Seahawks.
Ball-hawking will still be this defense’s calling, especially with breakout rookie cornerback Marcus Peters (who was tied for a league-best eight picks last season) ready to pilfer away possessions once more. And with that, the Chiefs D/ST is definitely one pickup you wouldn’t want to miss out on in your draft.
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