Pro Football24x7’s Spotlight Fantasy Defense/Special Teams

This is toughest position to project fantasy rankings for. Leagues vary in  their scoring methods for the defense/special teams. My rankings are based on basic scoring, one point for every turnover and sack, six points for every defensive or special teams return for a touchdown. With so many scoring variations for yardage and points allowed it would not be possible to serve every league’s needs in one article.

If your scoring method does involve yardage and points allowed, my rankings would change to some degree but not by much.

In 2006 both the Bears and Ravens defense/special teams dominated, especially early that season. The Ravens accounted for 100 points in turnovers and sacks, the Bears 84 points, the Ravens had six returns for touchdowns, the Bears nine that season. Because both were way ahead of everyone else that year, they both were drafted within the first 7 rounds in most drafts in 2007. As luck would have it for those owners, both dropped, the Ravens went from 100 turnover and sack points to 55 in 2007. There is a lot of risk in taking a defense/special team early. Because of Baltimore’s and Chicago’s dramatic drop back down with the pack, owners drafted this position again in 2008 where they belong, in the last couple of rounds, before place kickers but no higher in most cases than your third to the last choice.

Predicting return scores is impossible, but sacks and total turnovers are easier to get a handle on.

The Ravens, Steelers, and Giants stand ahead of most others. The Steelers have one the best pass rushes and had 51 sacks (Dallas had 59 but had just 22 turnovers in 2008), but the Steelers created just 29 turnovers last year. The Ravens created 34 turnovers and had six return scores but had just 34 sacks. The Giants had forty two sacks but had to do it without injured defensive end Osi Umenyiora. He is healthy again, logic has it that their sacks will increase for 2009, and with a better pass rush they will create more than the 22 turnovers from last year.