There are a couple of common approaches to addressing the team defense position in fantasy drafts.
- Draft a top defense fairly early.
- Draft a couple of defenses fairly late with the intention of streaming your way to production that is on par with a top defense.
Well, actually, there is another common approach. Draft a mediocre defense, drop it when it underproduces, and hate the team defense position all season long.
Let's avoid that third approach.
Going After a Top Defense
Simply put, you're in the wrong place for a top defense. But we have multiple avenues for you to take here.
- Use the Draft Dominator. With it, you'll be able to get fully customized rankings. You'll know exactly which top defense you should target.
- Go straight to our Defensive Team rankings. These are customized, but you'll get a general feel for which defenses are highly rated.
If you're having trouble deciding on a top defense or you want one with an easy schedule, take a moment to check out our SOS for defenses.
Now, let's find a DTBC.
Starting-Level Defenses
If we have a DTBC, that means we won't be taking an early defense. And that means we won't start the season with a single starting-level defense.
- Pittsburgh Steelers - 123.1
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 120.4
- Washington Football Team - 118.3
- Los Angeles Rams - 117.0
- New England Patriots - 112.2
- San Francisco 49ers - 109.6
- Kansas City Chiefs - 109.5
- Baltimore Ravens - 107.8
- Los Angeles Chargers - 106.5
- Miami Dolphins - 106.1
- Chicago Bears - 105.4
- Indianapolis Colts - 105.0
- Denver Broncos - 103.5
- Buffalo Bills - 103.2
Beat the Dolphins
The goal of creating a DTBC is to compete against starting-level defenses. To get a Top 10 unit, we need to outscore the Miami Dolphins.
Let's beat the Dolphins.
Finding DTBCs
Finding the right committee will be based on three things:
- Bye week compatibility - This seems obvious, but your two defenses can't have the same bye week.
- Projected fantasy points scored - Defenses projected to score more fantasy points this season will generally rank higher in the list of possible committees.
- Strength of schedule - Defenses with easier opponents will generally rank higher in the list of possible committees.
So let's get to it.
Looking through the 137 possibilities, a whopping 90 of them are projected to beat the Dolphins. And three of them are projected to beat the Steelers.
Yes, tons of quality options with a good deal of variety.
Rank
|
Defensive Team 1
|
Defensive Team 2
|
Fantasy Points
|
1 | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | 125.97 |
2 | Seattle Seahawks | New York Giants | 125.63 |
3 | New York Giants | Arizona Cardinals | 125.12 |
4 | Minnesota Vikings | Cleveland Browns | 121.89 |
5 | New York Giants | Carolina Panthers | 121.72 |
6 | Dallas Cowboys | Arizona Cardinals | 121.38 |
7 | Dallas Cowboys | Carolina Panthers | 121.38 |
8 | Seattle Seahawks | Cleveland Browns | 121.38 |
9 | New York Giants | Green Bay Packers | 121.38 |
10 | Dallas Cowboys | Cleveland Browns | 121.21 |
11 | Minnesota Vikings | Arizona Cardinals | 121.04 |
12 | Dallas Cowboys | Green Bay Packers | 120.70 |
13 | Carolina Panthers | Philadelphia Eagles | 120.53 |
14 | Minnesota Vikings | New York Giants | 120.36 |
15 | New York Giants | Cleveland Browns | 120.02 |
16 | Atlanta Falcons | Arizona Cardinals | 119.51 |
17 | Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | 119.51 |
18 | Minnesota Vikings | Seattle Seahawks | 119.51 |
19 | Seattle Seahawks | Carolina Panthers | 119.51 |
20 | Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | 119.34 |
21 | Minnesota Vikings | Green Bay Packers | 119.34 |
22 | Minnesota Vikings | Carolina Panthers | 118.32 |
23 | Arizona Cardinals | Philadelphia Eagles | 118.32 |
24 | New York Jets | New York Giants | 118.15 |
25 | Arizona Cardinals | Green Bay Packers | 118.15 |
26 | New York Jets | Cleveland Browns | 117.98 |
27 | Arizona Cardinals | Carolina Panthers | 117.98 |
28 | Cleveland Browns | Philadelphia Eagles | 117.98 |
29 | Atlanta Falcons | Seattle Seahawks | 117.47 |
30 | Seattle Seahawks | Green Bay Packers | 117.3 |
31 | Seattle Seahawks | Arizona Cardinals | 117.13 |
32 | New Orleans Saints | New York Giants | 116.79 |
33 | Dallas Cowboys | Seattle Seahawks | 116.79 |
34 | Atlanta Falcons | Cleveland Browns | 116.62 |
35 | New York Jets | Arizona Cardinals | 116.45 |
36 | Seattle Seahawks | Philadelphia Eagles | 116.11 |
37 | Green Bay Packers | Philadelphia Eagles | 116.11 |
38 | New York Jets | Carolina Panthers | 115.94 |
39 | Atlanta Falcons | Philadelphia Eagles | 115.77 |
40 | Dallas Cowboys | Philadelphia Eagles | 115.6 |
41 | Atlanta Falcons | Green Bay Packers | 115.43 |
42 | Minnesota Vikings | Philadelphia Eagles | 115.09 |
43 | Atlanta Falcons | New York Giants | 114.24 |
44 | Arizona Cardinals | Cleveland Browns | 113.73 |
45 | New York Jets | Green Bay Packers | 113.56 |
46 | Detroit Lions | Cleveland Browns | 113.56 |
47 | Detroit Lions | New York Giants | 113.39 |
48 | New Orleans Saints | Carolina Panthers | 113.22 |
49 | Atlanta Falcons | Minnesota Vikings | 112.88 |
50 | New Orleans Saints | Seattle Seahawks | 112.88 |
51 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Carolina Panthers | 112.88 |
52 | New Orleans Saints | Cleveland Browns | 112.71 |
53 | New York Giants | Tennessee Titans | 112.71 |
54 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Seattle Seahawks | 112.2 |
55 | Seattle Seahawks | Cincinnati Bengals | 112.2 |
56 | New Orleans Saints | Arizona Cardinals | 112.03 |
57 | New York Jets | Philadelphia Eagles | 111.69 |
58 | Jacksonville Jaguars | New York Giants | 111.69 |
59 | Detroit Lions | Carolina Panthers | 111.69 |
60 | Atlanta Falcons | Dallas Cowboys | 111.52 |
61 | New Orleans Saints | Philadelphia Eagles | 111.52 |
62 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Philadelphia Eagles | 111.52 |
63 | Seattle Seahawks | Tennessee Titans | 111.18 |
64 | New Orleans Saints | Dallas Cowboys | 110.67 |
65 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Cleveland Browns | 110.67 |
66 | New Orleans Saints | Green Bay Packers | 110.33 |
67 | New York Jets | Minnesota Vikings | 110.33 |
68 | Las Vegas Raiders | Arizona Cardinals | 109.99 |
69 | Arizona Cardinals | Tennessee Titans | 109.99 |
70 | Detroit Lions | Arizona Cardinals | 109.82 |
71 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Arizona Cardinals | 109.65 |
72 | New Orleans Saints | Minnesota Vikings | 109.48 |
73 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Green Bay Packers | 109.48 |
74 | New York Jets | Seattle Seahawks | 109.31 |
75 | Detroit Lions | Philadelphia Eagles | 109.31 |
76 | Dallas Cowboys | Cincinnati Bengals | 109.14 |
77 | Cincinnati Bengals | Philadelphia Eagles | 109.14 |
78 | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | 108.97 |
79 | Cincinnati Bengals | Arizona Cardinals | 108.97 |
80 | Cincinnati Bengals | Carolina Panthers | 108.29 |
81 | Cincinnati Bengals | Green Bay Packers | 108.12 |
82 | Las Vegas Raiders | Carolina Panthers | 107.95 |
83 | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | 107.95 |
84 | Atlanta Falcons | Detroit Lions | 107.61 |
85 | Las Vegas Raiders | Seattle Seahawks | 107.61 |
86 | Minnesota Vikings | Cincinnati Bengals | 107.27 |
87 | Las Vegas Raiders | Green Bay Packers | 106.76 |
88 | Minnesota Vikings | Tennessee Titans | 106.59 |
89 | Dallas Cowboys | Tennessee Titans | 106.42 |
90 | Minnesota Vikings | Detroit Lions | 106.25 |
91 | Dallas Cowboys | Las Vegas Raiders | 106.08 |
92 | Tennessee Titans | Philadelphia Eagles | 106.08 |
93 | Las Vegas Raiders | New York Giants | 105.74 |
94 | Houston Texans | Arizona Cardinals | 105.4 |
95 | Dallas Cowboys | Detroit Lions | 105.06 |
96 | Minnesota Vikings | Las Vegas Raiders | 105.06 |
97 | Las Vegas Raiders | Cleveland Browns | 105.06 |
98 | Atlanta Falcons | Cincinnati Bengals | 104.38 |
99 | Atlanta Falcons | Jacksonville Jaguars | 104.04 |
100 | Houston Texans | Carolina Panthers | 103.87 |
101 | Houston Texans | Cleveland Browns | 103.53 |
102 | New York Jets | Dallas Cowboys | 103.19 |
103 | Las Vegas Raiders | Philadelphia Eagles | 102.85 |
104 | Seattle Seahawks | Houston Texans | 102.68 |
105 | Minnesota Vikings | Houston Texans | 102.51 |
106 | Houston Texans | Philadelphia Eagles | 102.51 |
107 | Atlanta Falcons | Las Vegas Raiders | 102.17 |
108 | New York Jets | Cincinnati Bengals | 102 |
109 | New York Jets | Jacksonville Jaguars | 101.66 |
110 | Houston Texans | Green Bay Packers | 101.32 |
111 | New Orleans Saints | Jacksonville Jaguars | 100.98 |
112 | New York Jets | Tennessee Titans | 100.98 |
113 | Atlanta Falcons | Tennessee Titans | 100.3 |
114 | New Orleans Saints | Cincinnati Bengals | 100.13 |
115 | New Orleans Saints | Las Vegas Raiders | 99.79 |
116 | Dallas Cowboys | Houston Texans | 99.45 |
117 | New Orleans Saints | Detroit Lions | 98.94 |
118 | New Orleans Saints | Tennessee Titans | 98.43 |
119 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Detroit Lions | 98.26 |
120 | Detroit Lions | Tennessee Titans | 97.24 |
121 | New York Jets | Detroit Lions | 97.07 |
122 | New York Jets | Las Vegas Raiders | 96.9 |
123 | Atlanta Falcons | Houston Texans | 96.56 |
124 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans | 95.71 |
125 | Detroit Lions | Cincinnati Bengals | 95.54 |
126 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Las Vegas Raiders | 95.37 |
127 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Cincinnati Bengals | 93.84 |
128 | New Orleans Saints | Houston Texans | 92.99 |
129 | Las Vegas Raiders | Detroit Lions | 92.14 |
130 | Cincinnati Bengals | Tennessee Titans | 91.97 |
131 | Las Vegas Raiders | Tennessee Titans | 91.29 |
132 | New York Jets | Houston Texans | 89.08 |
133 | Las Vegas Raiders | Cincinnati Bengals | 87.38 |
134 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Houston Texans | 86.87 |
135 | Detroit Lions | Houston Texans | 84.66 |
136 | Houston Texans | Tennessee Titans | 83.13 |
137 | Las Vegas Raiders | Houston Texans | 80.07 |