LB RANKINGS 1-15
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............10
The Texans were a consistent defense, with a pair of top-10 finishes during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. But last year was a forgettable season for the Texans as they finished with a league-worst 2-14 record, but also finished with a dismal 67 fantasy points. The Chiefs had that many points during the first two weeks of the season in 2013. But things might not be as bleak in Houston as you would imagine. The team is loaded with defensive talent and last year seems like aberration. And to further increase the Texans' fortunes this year, the team added Jadeveon Clowney with the first-overall selection in the draft. The Texans can be one of the those late-round or waiver-wire steals of this fantasy season and are certainly a team to keep an eye out for.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............8
The New York Giants finished in the middle-of-the-pack in terms of defense in 2013, but an entirely revamped secondary could push the unit to new heights this year. The Giants were solid against the run last season, but a new combination of Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond gives the team two established starters at cornerback. Rugged defensive tackle Jay Bromley should immediately add to the depth of the defensive line which includes starters Jason Pierre-Paul and Damontre Moore.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............10
The Redskins will try to improve in 2014 from a dismal performance in the 2013 campaign. Their swiss cheese offense tied for second to last in total points given up and gave up 5.7 yards per play. Washington's defense is not a wise play this season and should remain undrafted and unused for fantasy purposes.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............5
The Dolphins re-signed DT Randy Starks, but Paul Soliai fled to the Falcons. But the line should be fine with Jared Odrick inside with Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon adding the pass rush from the outside. The team also re-signed Brent Grimes and added Cortland Finnegan and Jamar Taylor to bolster the secondary after Nolan Carroll and Dimitri Patterson left.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............12
Defense has long been the backbone of the Steelers, going back to the days of the famed Steel Curtin of the 1970s. But the Steelers defense struggled last year in both fantasy and reality, but the team could turn it around this season. The Steelers aren't traditionally active in free agency but they do have a few players ready to step up. Last year's first-round pick Jarvis Jones looks ready to step up, and the team added LB Ryan Shazier and DE Stephan Tuitt in the draft.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............9
The Titans are going to need to put some more heat on the quarterback if they want to make a significant improvement from last year's fantasy performance on the defensive side of the football. The Titans did add DE Shaun Phillips during free agency to add some punch to a defense which already includes Akeem Ayres, Derrick Morgan and Kamerion Wimbley. The big key will be to replace CB Alterraun Verner who left via free agency. The draft didn't add very man pieces for the Titans attack that will need to show a dramatic improvement under new defensive coordinator Ray Horton.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............7
The fast-break offense of Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles means the defensive unit can spend a lot of time on the field. But it does provide many more opportunities for the club in terms of sacks and interceptions. The Eagles finished in the middle-of-the-pack when it comes to fantasy points on defense in 2013, but there are some upgrades which could have the team trending up headed into this season. The team didn't make a huge splash in free agency, but Malcolm Jenkins should be a nice addition to the unit. And the Eagles surprised some when they selected OLB Marcus Smith out of Louisville. He didn't have many first-round grades from the mock drafts, but the Eagles were excited about his athleticism and ability to rush the passer. Something the team needs with Trent Cole being on the wrong side of 30.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............10
But the Colts aren't as poor defensively as you might imagine. The Colts allowed the ninth-fewest points in 2013, and more importantly, finished 10th in fantasy points scored. Which is what we care about here. GM Ryan Grigson added some quality players in free agency, MLB D'Qwell Jackson and unsung hero in DE Arthur Jones, who should come in and be an immediate upgrade. But thanks to the Trent Richardson trade, Grigson had his hands tied when it came to the 2014 draft, so the team wasn't able to make a lot of upgrades defensively.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............9
The Detroit Lions were a top-three fantasy defense back in 2011, but the Lions have been near the bottom of the fantasy football rankings the past two years, which is somewhat of a disappointment when you consider the team has one of the most dominant interior linemen in the NFL in Ndamukong Suh. But the Lions don't really have any specific deficiency and should be more consistent this season. And the return game should be pretty good, too.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............11
The Jets have been one of the top defenses in the league since Rex Ryan has manned the sidelines in the Meadowlands. The Jets ranked 11th in total defense in 2013 and were particularly stingy against the run. New York allowed the third-fewest yards on the ground last year. But it didn't equate too many fantasy points. In fact, there were few teams worse than the Jets in terms of fantasy defense as the team managed just 95 fantasy points over the entire season. But there is help on the way. The Jets added hard-hitting safety Calvin Pryor in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft to go along with CB Dexter McDougle in the third-round. They will count on McDougle to handle the corner duties after losing out on both Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Darrelle Revis in free agency.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............6
The defense was long thought to be the Achilles Heel of the Saints, but the unit ranked fourth in total defense last season. The only problem is it didn't quite translate into fantasy points in 2013. But the defense should be solid again, especially in the secondary, with the additions of Jairus Byrd and Champ Bailey.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............11
The Cowboys will have a lot of new faces on the defense, but it might not necessarily be a good thing. The team couldn't afford to keep DeMarcus Ware or Jason Hatcher, but Sean Lee should be healthy for this season. Brandon Carr has vowed that the Cowboys secondary will be much better this year, but put that in the "believe-it-when-you-see-it" category.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............10
There's immediate pass-rush help on the horizon with Dwight Freeney and Melvin Ingram returning to full health. And not a moment too soon for defensive coordinator John Pagano. The Chargers were pretty quiet on the free agency-front, but they did make some moves during the draft. Jason Verrett is the most-complete cover-ready cornerback to enter the NFL this season and should make an immediate impact. Our own Bucky Brooks called OLB Jeremiah Attaochu one of the biggest steals in this year's draft class. And don't sleep on Marion Grice as a returner this year.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............11
The Jaguars are on the cusp of being a pretty good fantasy defense in the coming years, thanks to head coach Gus Bradley, who is from the Pete Carroll coaching tree. The Jaguars finished near the bottom in fantasy points last year, but could be on the verge of something great. The team added DEs Chris Clemons and Red Bryant, who played under Bradley in Seattle. With Tyson Aluala and Jason Babin still around, this team has the depth to compete in the division. Marquise Lee should also provide some punch in the return-game, too.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............9
The Falcons defense scored the second-fewest fantasy points last year, but there is some help this year thanks to some moves made by GM Thomas Dimitroff. The team signed DT Paul Soliali and DE Tyson Jackson. But the biggest coup might be Devin Hester who will be an added threat to the team's return game.
LB RANKINGS 1-15