By Zack Cimini
Lopsided wins in fantasy football usually come from one of two places. Running backs having career days, or defenses just playing stout wrecking havoc and scoring multiple touchdowns. Points add up quick in terms of defensive fantasy points. Defensive coordinators preach and teach extra drills now on stripping the football. Last year the football seemed to touch the ground more than the norm.
It’s not good enough just to pounce on the ball either. Defenses turn into a rugby style attack once they have possession. They’re freelancing running for daylight and patient at the same time waiting for a block or two to free them for six. If snatching running backs so quickly is the main tactic in fantasy football drafts, than why do owners still neglect to draft a sure fire defense? If you end up with a semi decent and inconsistent defense you might as well subtract double digit points from your squad. Make up points of that magnitude are not easy. So do yourself a favor and get at least a top eight defense.
1. Baltimore Ravens- Comparable to the Boston Celtics of the NBA. Aged and predicted too slide a bit. Their front seven is lethal and with Ed Reed still in the fold their ball hawking style will not diminish.
2. New York Jets- Rex Ryan’s team is geared for a good season. It all starts of the defensive side of the ball where they have unquestionably the best corner in the game. When offenses can’t even throw to one side of the field that just perpetuates the aggressiveness that Ryan has to work with.
3. San Francisco 49ers- Not many people were able to watch this west coast team due to the fact that they were not prime time friendly. Things are changing upward for the 49ers who have built up the best young defense in the NFL. Giving up the big play may happen from time to time, but they’re as loaded as can be.
4. Dallas Cowboys- For a team that’s always been super talented on both sides of the ball it baffles us that they experience such let downs. Jerry Jones has stayed very quiet as Ed Werder has not reported a thing. That’s extremely awkward. Maybe Dallas is keeping things internal for a change and going to play up to their personnel standards.
5. Cincinnati Bengals- Often times last season the spotlight was shined on Chad Johnson and Cedric Benson. They both had productive years but the main reason Cincinnati was competitive and made the post season was because of their defense. Can they keep that going forward?
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Philadelphia Eagles
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Houston Texans
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
12. Miami Dolphins
13. Chicago Bears
14. Cleveland Browns
15. Denver Broncos
16. New England Patriots
17. San Diego Chargers
18. New York Giants
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Indianapolis Colts
21. Atlanta Falcons
22. Kansas City Chiefs
23. Arizona Cardinals
24. Buffalo Bills
25. Washington Redskins
26. Seattle Seahawks
27. Tennessee Titans
28. Detroit Lions
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Oakland Raiders
31. Carolina Panthers
32. St. Louis Rams