How to Pick a Winning Fantasy Football Defense

No matter the number of fantasy football league drafts a player participates in, there is one thing that never fails to happen. Someone drafts a defense in the fourth round or higher, much to the detriment of the player. A team needs a defense but not at that price. During the draft, there are certain rules to remember when picking a fantasy football league defense.

Instructions

    • 1

      Evaluate the defenses schedule of games. Determine the strengths of the offenses for the teams that play in the same division. Note if they play in divisions where the opposing offenses are very good and note the defenses of any opponents outside their division.

    • 2

      Determine the type of offense the teams runs. If the offense possesses a wide-open offense, the defense will be on the field more than if the offense controlled the clock more with a running game. This gives an opposing offense more opportunities to score.

    • 3

      Wait until the last few rounds to draft a defense. In a traditional scoring system, the difference in points between the number one rated defense and the tenth rated defense was 55 points. Over the course of a fantasy football season, that is fewer than 4 points per game. So draft for other positions first, and then draft a defense.

    • 4

      Identify the worst teams in the NFL. A shrewd fantasy football player can choose different defense for each week depending on which teams they are playing. Simply pick the defense that is playing one of the weaker teams. This system can get expensive if in a league that charges for waiver wire transactions.

    • 5

      Consider what kind of scoring system the fantasy football league utilizes. Some leagues include special teams with the defenses. In this case, a player should evaluate both units. Check if the scoring systems put an emphasis on anything. For instance, note whether a defense get more points for interceptions, sacks or touchdowns.