2014 Fantasy Defense Rankings

I recently discussed the 2014 Fantasy Defense Rankings in an upcoming column over at SI.com, and now it’s time to share it with my readers on my site.

We’ve watched the Seahawks defense wreak havoc over the Fantasy Football world for the past two seasons, and that unit enters 2014 as the top-ranked defense/special teams once again.

But it was only a couple years ago, in 2012, when the San Francisco 49ers entered the season ranked as not just the best Fantasy unit to own, but one of the best Fantasy defenses in a long time. They took a step back, mostly due to a lot of injuries, and even this season, while they are ranked pretty high, they have to endure the knee injury of NaVorro Bowman and the upcoming suspension of linebacker Aldon Smith.

Drafting Fantasy Defenses

Since scoring systems are so different from one league to the next, more than at any other Fantasy Football position, it’s smart to go back and look at your league’s stats for last season. Does your scoring system reward teams that keep points allowed down low? Do teams that get a lot of sacks all stack up at the top of your stats? Is low yardage allowed a key to a defense/special teams ranking high in your league’s stats?

For the most part, you can assume that a defense that forces a lot of turnovers and rushes the quarterback well is one you want to own in Fantasy. Good pass-rush teams usually hurry opposing quarterbacks into mistakes, and a decent secondary should be there to pick off any hurried passes.

2014 Fantasy Defense Rankings

Don’t forget, our rankings are based on standard scoring for 12-team, non-PPR leagues, with rushing and receiving touchdowns receiving six points each, and turnovers losing two points each. I also wrote about 2014 Fantasy Defense rankings over at FantasySports.About.com.

2014 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DST | Top 60 via 3 Expert Mock Drafts
Top 300 Rankings

The 2014 Fantasy defense rankings aren’t exactly the most important piece of draft prep you’ll read this summer, but it’s still important to be ready when, late in your draft, it come time to grab a great defense! We’ll update these rankings throughout the preseason, so check back often!