It is tough enough to understand NFL defenses. Stunts, the zone blitz, eight men in the box, nickel, dime, and even quarter coverages grow more and more complicated with each genius appointed a defensive coordinator position. Trying to figure out which defense will score well in your fantasy league is often like flipping a coin. The best advice I can give you is to scout the personnel as well as you can and pick a talented defense from a team that has a quality offense and hope it works out.

Oh, don’t you have time to scout NFL defenses in that sort of detail? Do not worry we have done it for you and ranked each defense in the order they should be taken in a typical fantasy draft.

1.      Minnesota Vikings - in 2007, it was nearly impossible to run against the Vikings (74.1 YPG). Not one team in the league could boast of having a better pair of DTs than Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. Now add the league leader in sacks: DE Jared Allen and the Vikings' defensive line is easily the best in the NFL. Last year's rookie starter DT Brian Robison will provide excellent depth. E.J. Henderson has become one of the best linebackers in the NFL. He led the Vikings with a career high 119 tackles last season. SS Darren Sharper, and CBs Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin are joined by former Bengal, S Madieu Williams, to form one of the best tackling backfields in the league.

Wide Receiver Aundrae Allison and free agent acquisition, RB Maurice Hicks, should handle the vast majority of the kickoff returns and should provide solid production. Allison averaged 28.7 yards on 20 returns in 2007. The Vikings will occasionally send RB Chester Taylor or possibly even RB Adrian Peterson out to return kicks under certain circumstances but expect this to be a very rare occurrence as the Vikings cannot afford to lose them to injury. Rookie Wide Receiver Jaymar Johnson and veteran WR Bobby Wade are competing for the punt return duties if everything goes as planned. The Vikings have plenty of options for kickoff and punt returns and should see some improvement in this area during the 2008 season.

2.      New York Giants - Losing DE Michael Strahan is definitely going to have an impact, but this team has a depth of defensive talent that should fill the gap. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck are both extremely talented and should anchor the defensive line. They will collect double-digit sacks working with DT Fred Robbins and NT Barry Cofield. Mathias Kiwanuka has made the transition from defensive end to linebacker. Kiwanuka is ready to become an elite NFL star in Steve Spagnuolo's aggressive scheme. FS James Butler, SS Sammy Knight, CB Sam Madison, and CB Aaron Ross form a solid veteran backfield. The Giants think that rookie safety Kenny Phillips can step right into the starting lineup ahead of Butler, but he will have to prove it in training camp. This is an elite defense that should only get better and better, and it is a top fantasy choice.

The Giants have a number of good options to return kicks but towards the end of the 2007 season and in the playoffs it was clear that they favored WR Domenik Hixon as their primary returner. Hixon finished 2008 with 8 returns, a 27.6 average, and 1 touchdown. Ahmad Bradshaw will get his fair share of returns, at least until he takes over as the primary running back. Bradshaw averaged 24.2 yards in 38 returns.

3.      Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys have a very strong group of young players on defense. Those young players should continue to improve in their second season in defensive coordinator Brian Stewart's aggressive defensive scheme. One of those talented young players is linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who may be the best linebacker in the NFL. The Cowboys signed Zach Thomas to man the weak-side inside linebacker spot over the disappointing and now departed Akin Ayodele. The Cowboys have also dramatically strengthened their cornerbacks with the acquisition of Adam "No longer Pac-Man" Jones (assuming he is reinstated) and first round draft pick Mike Jenkins.

Wide receiver Miles Austin has been a solid return specialist for the Cowboys (25.5 average). This year Austin will face a challenge for the primary return role from CB Mike Jenkins who averaged 26.7 for South Florida, and RB Felix Jones who averaged 29.6 for the University of Arkansas. 

4.      San Diego Chargers - The Chargers ranked number one on many preseason evaluations of team defense. San Diego has a quality starter at every position and excellent depth. They led the league in takeaways during the 2007 season with 49 and provided fantasy leaguers with 40 sacks. Linebacker Shawn Merriman is one of the best pass-rushers in the league. Corner back Antonio Cromartie led the league with ten interceptions, imagine what he might have done had he been the starter for the entire season. This team ranks higher if they controlled the opposing teams' yardage a little better, even if it sacrificed a few of their big plays.

Darren Sproles handles the vast majority of kickoff and punt returns for the Chargers and does a good job of it. In 2007, he averaged 27.2 yards on 37 kick returns and 9.5 yards on 24 punt returns.

5.      Chicago Bears - If we based these rankings purely on Special Teams, Chicago would be number one without a doubt. Devin Hester is probably the best Special Teams player in the NFL. Last season Hester returned six kicks for touchdowns and it would have been seven if not for a penalty that eliminated one. Hester could see slightly less return duty as he becomes more of a focus in the passing attack. However, thankfully, their Special Teams ranking is not just about Hester. The Bears blocked a ridiculously good eight kicks; no other team had even five. They were also in the top three in kickoff and punt coverage.

Take away special teams and the Bears defense is not a bad fantasy choice but is closer to middling than great. They have some great IDP players in CB Charles Tillman, Linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, and DE Adewale Ogunleye; but collectively they do not consistently add up the way we expect.

6.      New England Patriots - The Patriots are annually near the top of the list of fantasy defenses. Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Dean Pees have become masters of filling the holes that free agency and age regularly create. This year the Patriots chose to address their problems at linebacker through the amateur draft, by taking Jerod Mayo in the first round, and through the signing of former New York Jet Victor Hobson. They added veteran depth in their defensive backfield by signing cornerbacks Fernando Bryant from the Detroit Lions and Jason Webster from the Buffalo Bills. On paper, the Patriots definitely look weaker, but the team has defied the odds on defense repeatedly. They are still an excellent option for fantasy purposes.

Cornerback Ellis Hobbs was the primary returner in 2007 but he will be limited coming into training camp because of offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum and a sports hernia. Look for WR Wes Welker (25.1 average on seven returns) and rookie WR Matt Slater (29.0 average and 3 touchdowns in 34 returns for UCLA) to take on more of the load.

7.      Seattle Seahawks - Many analysts have the Seahawks ranked in the top five because they held opponents to just 18.2 points per game. Defensive End Patrick Kerney was a beast on the pass rush and finished the season with an NFC best 14.5 sacks.  They were among the best in the league in total sacks (45 of them) and interceptions (45 of them too). The almost 322 yards allowed per game is what prevents them from attaining a higher rank on this list. If that happens again this year, it is doubtful they will be as lucky keeping their opponents out of the end zone.

Nate Burleson is a dynamic return man (27 returns, averaging 21.9) but the Seahawks will be focusing on him a lot more as a starting wide receiver which means the ‘Hawks could be looking for a new return specialist. The favorite has to be cornerback Josh Wilson who averaged 27.5 yards on 14 returns.

8.      Pittsburgh Steelers - Like the Patriots, the Steelers are annually one of the top defenses. They reached the quarterback 36 times and they control the running game and passing attacks equally well (ranked third in both). Linebackers James Farrior, Larry Foote, and James Harrison are the heart of this defense and all three are solid IDP picks. The Steelers need grizzled veteran DE Aaron Smith to stay healthy because without him the run defense just is not the same. Safety Troy Polamanu also needs to spend more time on the field and less in the trainers room because when healthy he is a big boon to this defense and fantasy teams.

The Steelers are holding open auditions for their kickoff and punt return team. You can expect to see frequent changes until someone clicks in the position. However, you do not draft the Steelers for their kick returns; you draft them for their stifling defense.

9.      Green Bay Packers - If the Packers' defense played with the same vigor with which the fans in Green Bay rallied for Brett Farve's return, they would easily be number one on this list. As things stand, they are still an up and coming defense. The team has acted quickly to take advantage of the new rules that allows defensive coaches to radio in their plays through helmet headsets. In addition, were having players at several different positions get accustomed to the voice in their heads during OTAs. If the Pack can see the development, they expect out of young players such as injury-plagued DT Justin Harrell, WLB A.J. Hawk, and FS Aaron Rouse they should be an elite defense this season.

10.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Monte Kiffin's defensive scheme works very well in the NFL, however the Tampa-2 does not really make for a great fantasy defense. The Bucs' defense is however a solidly consistent one. They limit scoring chances with thanks to stud safety Tanard Jackson and a defensive backfield that led the NFC South with 35 takeaways.

11.  Indianapolis Colts - Bob Sanders is the star of this defense, as his Defensive Player of the Year award attests. The Colts are counting on DE Dwight Freeney to make a swift return from lisfranc surgery and so far, every thing is on schedule for the start of the season. Without Freeney, the pass-rush becomes mediocre at best. This defense gets the job done, but is lacking in depth. The Colts cannot withstand any injuries to their few defensive stars and remain effective.

12.  Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars ranked 12^th in total defense last season so its fitting that they are also ranked 12^th as a fantasy defense. This defense is solid but also counts on inexperienced players like DEs Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves to have an immediate impact preventing the oppositions running attack.

13.  Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens were a huge disappointment for many fantasy teams last season. Injuries and age were a huge part of the Ravens' problems in 2007. Expect the return to health of cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle to give this defense a boost back up the rankings. The Ravens made depth on defense a priority this offseason and signed veteran cornerback Fabian Washington and drafted safeties Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura. The new depth should prevent one or two injuries from being the disaster they clearly were in 2007.

14.  New York Jets - The Jets defense had a bad year in 2007. They used their first round draft pick, on Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Vernon Gholston, to improve their pass rush. The Jets also used free agency to bring in DT Kris Jenkins and LB Calvin Pace. The Jets are a young team and should continue to show improvement this season.

Running back Leon Washington was a stud on kickoff and punt returns, scoring three touchdowns and averaging 27.5 yards on kickoffs and 9.2 yards on punts.

15.  Carolina Panthers - Everything went wrong for the Panthers in 2007. Their defense fell apart and allowed 21.7 points and nearly 325 yards per game. Defensive End Julius Peppers had the worst year of his career, collecting just 2½ sacks in 14 games. The Panthers think that third year safety Nate Salley and free agent acquisition Terrence Holt, who are battling for the starting job, will strengthen their defensive backfield. This was an elite defense not long ago, so a return to prominence would not be a shock.

16.  Tennessee Titans - The Titans were a top ten defense in 2007 after a lousy 2006 season. The departure of solid DEs Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy would seem to signal another downturn. The Titans have brought back Jevon Kearse to fill one spot. The Titans also signed former Seattle Seahawk Bryce Fisher and. spent a second round pick on DE Jason Jones from Eastern Michigan who should provide quality depth. The Titans were not very good at turning their 34 takeaways into touchdowns but just a bit of better luck could result in a big season.

17.  New Orleans Saints - If MLB Jonathan Vilma's recovery from knee surgery goes well then he should be the defensive playmaker that the Saints' really need. Free agent defensive end Bobby McCray and first round draft pick Sedrick Ellis should do great things for the pass rush, and make the secondary look a lot better. Free agent acquisition and former Patriot cornerback Randall Gay is not great, but he and Aaron Glenn should improve the depth at the cornerback position. The Saints were the 11^th ranked defense in 2006 and it is not difficult to predict a rebound to a similar level.

18.  Cleveland Browns - Wide Receiver Josh Cribbs should be a star for his return prowess alone. Cribbs scored three touchdowns and averaged 30.7 yards on kickoff returns and an impressive 13.5 on punts. The Browns acquired DT Corey Williams from Green Bay and signed DT Shaun Rogers from the Detroit Lions. That duo should make a significant impact on the defensive line. A better pass rush should make solid safeties Brodney Poole and Sean Jones more effective in the defensive backfield. If you need to gamble on a defense making a dramatic improvement, the Browns are a great candidate.

19.  Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals had a few huge games for fantasy owners in 2007 but disappeared in far too many others to rank much higher on this list. The Cards are moving Antrel Rolle to safety from his usual cornerback position. Arizona drafted Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with their first draft pick this year and expects him to pay immediate dividends. This is an improving but still not worthy fantasy defense.

20.  Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles have made a big move to shore up their 2007 weakness in the defensive backfield. They signed cornerback Asante Samuel away from the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, for the Eagles, Samuel cannot fix Philadelphia's Special Teams, which were horrible; the Pass Rush, which was often non-existent; nor can he grant instant experience to a young line-backing unit.

Rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson should have an impact on special teams as a returner. The University of California star averaged 16.6 yards on punt returns for the Golden Bears. Jackson alone makes a better late round flier than the Philly defense.

21.  Houston Texans - Wide receiver Andre Johnson is another great kick returner who may see fewer kickoffs, as he becomes a more significant part of the offense. The Texans have signed former New England Patriot linebacker, Roosevelt Colvin but he may be limited at the start of training camp and cornerback Dunta Robinson is in danger of missing the start of the season with a hamstring injury. If the Texans had the depth to overcome major injuries, they would have finished with a better record. Defensive end Mario Williams is a great young player but he needs more help before the Texans have a defense worthy of your fantasy team.

22.  Denver Broncos - The Broncos' defense is counting on the development of several young players. Defensive ends Tim Crowder and Jarvis Moss, defensive tackles Carlton Powell and Marcus Thomas, linebacker Spencer Larsen, and safety Josh Barrett will all need to step up quickly for the Broncos to field a competitive defense. As you are no doubt thinking, of these rookies and second year players, this is a lot to ask.

23.  Buffalo Bills - The Bills are probably not as bad as they looked last season, but no one can deny they looked very bad. Adding DT Marcus Stroud and LB Kawika Mitchell makes them look better but it does not do much to improve a talent lacking defensive backfield. First round draft pick, cornerback Leodis McKelvin will have every opportunity to make an immediate impact. The Bills are a favorite sleeper to make a giant step up.

24.  San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers must realize that they have problems on defense because they keep signing mediocre free agents to fix them. The latest addition is Justin Smith who was not quite good enough to remain a Bengal (see Cincinnati, its several more places towards the bottom of this list). Patrick Willis is a stud at linebacker and is a good IDP selection; just do not overrate his teammates.

25.  St. Louis Rams - First round defensive end Chris Long heads straight into the starting lineup and that may be the most positive statement we can make about the defense in Saint Louis. In 2007, this squad allowed the opposition to score an ugly 27.4 points per game. Unless you are in a 30-team league, the Rams defense should not be a consideration.  

26.  Oakland Raiders - The Raiders traded for top cornerback DeAngelo Hall and signed free agent safety Gibril Wilson, and they should improve Oakland's defensive backfield tremendously. Hall and Nnamdi Asomugha should make things very difficult for wide receivers, but the Raiders still have problems all over the field on defense.

27.  Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins had the league's worst run-defense in 2007 and that was with DE Jason Taylor on the roster. New Vice-President of Football Operation Bill Parcells has brought in an entirely new front office and coaching staff and that always makes predicting things difficult. Parcells has also brought in enough new roster filler to staff two teams. Defensive tackle Jason Ferguson has once again followed Parcells to a new team. He is a quality player and a team leader but this team has many holes that will take time to fix. The Dolphins will probably get worse before they get fantasy consideration.

28.  Cincinnati Bengals - Starting cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall are already in love with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's bump and run, aggressive blitzing and in-your-face defensive philosophy. We are pegging both as good IDP picks in 2008. Ninth overall pick Keith Rivers will add the skills and character that this team needs at the linebacker position. Rivers goes right into the fire as a starter, and the Bengals think he not only can handle it but also will excel. Zimmer will also try to coach a rebound out of DE Robert Geathers, as Geathers and free-agent acquisition Antwan Odom attempt to add stability to the defensive line. The Bengals think DT Damata Peko and DT Jason Shirley can be the future anchors for this young defense. Mike Zimmer has his work cut out for him, but there is hope.

29.   Washington Redskins - Considering Pro-Bowl Safety, Sean Taylor was shot and killed early in the season the accomplishments of this team were impressive. A new coaching staff is coming in this season and that in it self is a reason to look elsewhere for fantasy purposes. This team does have some defensive talents but they have not gelled into a cohesive unit yet. The injury to DE Phillip Daniels was devastating to a defense that could not afford to lose their best pass rusher but it was also devastating for the team to have one of their leaders taken off the field on the first day of camp. This made the trade for Miami's Jason Taylor look brilliant. Taylor is an upgrade from Daniels but he will not single-handedly move the defense from bad to good.

30.  Kansas City Chiefs - Jared Allen is going to be tough to replace. The Chiefs are rebuilding their defense around younger players. They drafted defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey as a future anchor of their defense and he will need to get right to work. Second year defensive end Tamba Hali had eight sacks in 2007. Turk McBride had just one start last season and is the favorite to step up this season. Alfonso Boone and rookie Brian Johnston will do battle with McBride for the honor of being an inadequate replacement for Jared Allen. Stay far away from this defense. 

31.  Detroit Lions - The Lions feel they have a solid defensive line with DE Dewayne White, DT Cory Redding, DT Chartric Darby, and DE Jared DeVries. They also hope that LB Paris Lenon can build on his 2007 career year that included 118 tackles. If rookie Jordan Dizon is everything, the Lions expect him to be, he will start in the middle, and the Lions will shift Lenon to the strong side. That should give them a solid line-backing core, with Ernie Sims covering the weak side. The Lions brought in CB Leigh Bodden to be the playmaker in the backfield that the Lions so desperately needed. This is an improving defense with many talented players. 

32.  Atlanta Falcons - New head coach Mike Smith was the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007 and was part of the great Baltimore Ravens' defense when they went to the Super Bowl in 2000. Defense will be a priority and you will not see the Falcons at the bottom of this list next year if Smith has anything to say about it. Veteran additions, safety Eric Coleman and cornerback Von Hutchins will help but the loss of players like cornerback DeAngelo Hall and safety Jimmy Williams will be tough to overcome.

Jon hopes you win your fantasy league this season (unless he is in it) and he is happy to help you in any way he can if you write him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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