This is part of the 2014 fantasy football preview. A look at the top quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and kickers can be found via the links on each position.
Time is beginning to tick down before the beginning of the 2014 fantasy football season. The defense position is one that can be looked at in two completely different ways. One school of thought is to take the best defense in the NFL fairly early and stick with them the whole year. The other thought is to wait until the final pick of the draft because teams change from year to year with player movement and that the teams will even out mostly. There will be owners who take both approaches this season with neither one being a bad option. It all boils down to personal preference. Here are the top 20 defenses going into the 2014 fantasy football season.
- Seattle- The Seahawks were about as dominant as any team can get last season. They have kept most of the top players around and that means they are fully capable of doing it again. Seattle is one of the few teams worth drafting before the final picks of the draft.
- San Francisco- There has been some issues with the 49ers involving some of their defensive stars with the law and injury. If San Francisco is at full strength, they have the potential to be just as good as the Seahawks this season.
- Denver- The additions of DeMarcus Ware and Aqib Talib move the Broncos up the list. They were terribly erratic last season but now that they have plugged the holes they did have on defense, they could turn into a gem in 2014.
- Arizona- One of the most solid secondaries in the game moves the Cardinals to this spot. While they will be without Daryl Washington for the season, this is still a team that owners must be taking as one of the first five defenses off the board.
- Houston- Does anyone want to deal with the combo of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney? No they don’t and they will wreck havoc on opposing offenses this year. The Texans could be a nice sleeper pick for a savvy owner even at No. 5 on the board.
- St. Louis- The Rams has probably the best front 7 in all of the NFL. They were great for fantasy owners last season and their young squad appears to be just getting better for the year.
- Carolina- Greg Hardy is still there and the Panthers proved to be a very consistent defensive pick last season. While there are some changes here and there, Carolina is still worthy in a tough division to points for fantasy owners.
- Kansas City- The Chiefs used their first round draft pick on Dee Ford and he will help out on the defensive line which will make Kansas City a good pick even though they will see the Broncos and Chargers twice each.
- Detroit- The combination of Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh appear to be in their final year together. The Lions are going to need their defense to be solid and on the field a lot with their high-powered offense to get the job done.
- Cincinnati- If this was the 2013 draft, the Bengals would be higher on this list. The departure of Michael Johnson and Mike Zimmer hurt a lot though. Cincinnati is still worth drafting late as long as the other defenses ahead of them are gone.
- Chicago- There were wholesale changes for the Bears in the offseason after the worst season on defense in team history. Those changes have made Chicago worth considering late in the draft.
- N.Y. Jets- The addition of Calvin Pryor in the secondary adds another dimension to the New York secondary that should improve their stats from last season. The Jets could be worth a pick in a very deep league.
- New England- The Patriots have the potential of being the steal of the draft on defense. They have added Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner and if both stay healthy and on the field, New England suddenly becomes a solid selection.
- Buffalo- They still have Mario Williams and have made some other changes but the loss of Jarius Byrd hurts a lot. The Bills probably aren’t worth taking right now as the 2014 season begins.
- New Orleans- Byrd’s new team is the Saints. It shores up a shaky defense from last season and makes it one that could get some consideration. They should be given a couple games before a free agent pickup though.
- Baltimore- The Ravens used their first two draft picks on great defensive players to help their aging veterans. They may not be the same team from years previous but could be worth a look as the season wears on.
- Tampa Bay- There are still a lot of holes in the Buccaneers defense especially after getting rid of Darrelle Revis. It is going to very hard to start them on a fantasy roster when the season begins.
- Miami- The talent is there for the Dolphins to make some noise. A few free agent pickups have made them a trendy pick in deeper 12 or 14-team leagues. It is quite possible they turn into fantasy gold.
- N.Y. Giants- It is true that the team is getting older and has lost some younger talent. Owners are going to be hard-pressed to select the Giants unless something drastic happens in the preseason.
- Philadelphia- The Eagles made fantasy owners happy during the first week of the playoffs last season with their efforts in the snow. It isn’t going to be doing that all year this season to help them out to be drafted.