Fantasy Football might be the only thing that defense isnt the most important aspect of it. That being said, if you can grab a top notch defense, it will make a difference. One of the biggest changes in value year to year comes at the Defense position. With so many new staffs bringing in better talent, defenses jump and fall every fantasy football season. Take the Tennesee Titans and New York Jets. The Titans have lost Albert Haynesworth and could possibly fall out of the top ten production wise. Their defensive coordinator has taken on the challenge in Detroit (poor guy). However, they do return all of their starters but Haynesworth. The Secondary is thin, but this is a defense that should remain in the top five. The Jets are a defense to watch after Rex Ryan took over as head coach. Adding Lito Sheppard alongside Darelle Revis automatically gives the Jets an impressive CB corps. Bart Scott and David Harris could instantly become the best ILB duo in the league. The Jets will do a lot of blitzing, so the weakness around the edges will be taken care of in that sense.
Some defenses on the rise include the Carolina Panthers and San Fransisco 49ers. Jon Beason is a freak. The middle pass rush up front is possibly the best in the league. Richard Marshall is a better corner than his replacement. Early in the off-season I had the Panters ranked right in the middle. Now, with Julius Peppers at 100% and Everette Brown looking good I am up on the Panthers as a starting defense. The 49ers are an interesting defense going into 2009. After the firing of Mike Nolan, the defense switched to the 3-4 and knocked ten points per game off of the scoreboard for the rest of the season. This is a defense you want to start, but they could be a very good backup for your bye week.
One defense that I am down on is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year they finished ninth in yards allowed and tenth in points allowed. This year they take the field without Derrick Brooks, Cato June, Jovan Haye and Phillip Buchanon. The defense doesn’t have the staff to run a solid tampa 2. This is something that could cause issues under new coach Raheem Morris. Sure Gaines Adams is a solid force up front, but Ronde Barber is getting older, and up the middle the Buccaneers will struggle against the run. Especially in the NFC South, where Michael Turner and the Carolina Gang can get it done on the ground.
There are a lot of questions about the defenses ranked in teh bottom half of the top ten. Will the Cowboys’ secondary hold up in 2009? Are the eagles going to be a force after all of the peices they lost this off-season? Especially with the passing of defensive mastermind Jim Johnson. The Green Bay Packers have brought in two solid peices to help a squad that allowed 131 rushing yards a game. Dom Capers is in town to install the 3-4, and if Aaron Kampman has trouble adjusting to the OLB position, this already weak pass rush could get worse. With that being said, Green Bay could still be a sleeper defense.
(For More Defensive Rankings and Fantasy Football Coverage, tune into Fantasy CPR Live with Joe Dexter this Saturday at 12 PM ET on the Fantasy Sports Channel!)
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