1. Green Bay: This is a solid defensive unit across the board. With Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, Tramon Williams, BJ Raji, AJ Hawk, Nick Collins, to name just a few, it’s possible to go on all day on the merits of having this defense. Plus, it’s hard not to want to root for Clay Matthews blowing up quarterbacks every Sunday.
2. San Diego – The Chargers were a solid unit last year and there’s no reason to say otherwise this season. Not to mention, the Chargers’ potent offense should improve a lot with key players coming back from injuries, allowing the defense to stay off the field and fresh for much longer than it did last year.
3. Pittsburgh – You can’t go wrong with the Steelers’ defense. Every year they rank in the top 5 in fantasy defenses and this year will be no different. They play very well together as a unit and are especially good in drafting to fill in holes in what is already a formidable defense. They’re down to three because they play so much better with Polamalu on the field, but he’s been so injury-prone in recent years that he’s guaranteed a few games without him this season.
4. New York Jets: The Jets’ defense continues to improve and with Darrelle Revis getting what he wanted, this team could be someone to watch. This is a well-trained defense that believes in the system. Do not believe me; look what they did to the Patriots in the playoffs last season.
5. Baltimore – The Ravens might be the best running defense in the league, but their secondary is starting to age a bit. Even without a strong secondary, they are still a very strong defense and are quite capable of producing some decent fantasy defense numbers all year long.
sleepers
Philadelphia – The Eagles are a young defense with a lot of potential. They are fast and aggressive and have been getting better every year. Add in the fact that they have a solid secondary, this team could rack up some serious fantasy points if they play to their full potential.
San Francisco – The Niners are similar to the Eagles in that they are young, aggressive and have a big upside. What they don’t have is a decent secondary, but luckily for them they play in the NFC West and have the 28th easiest schedule in the NFL. If you don’t pick one of the good defenses early, it might be worth waiting a couple of rounds and picking the Niners for cheap.