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The NFL has kicked off a new season and that means it is officially fantasy football time. Now that HBO’s Hard Knocks are in full swing, it’s only fitting that the Jets take the top spot in our team defense rankings.

Philosophies differ when it comes to taking a team defense.  Of course, it all depends on your league format and scoring.  In some league formats, a team defense can finish in the top 10 in overall scoring.  These types of leagues make team defenses more valuable.  We always preach waiting until the later rounds before selecting one.  Our thought is that you can find an adequate team defense in the later rounds or even off your leagues waiver wire.  However, it’s worth noting that you must start a team defense each and every week.  I’m alright with taking the Jets defense in the 11th round instead of taking my fourth running back or fifth wide out.  I would rather have the top ranked team defense over a player that might never make it off my bench. The flip side of this argument is when the Steelers entered last season as top 5 defense, and owners grabbed them early, only to have the Steelers have an off year, and finish outside of the top ten in team defenses. Defenses are hard to judge because injuries play a large role along with that team’s offense. If an offense is terrible that will put a ton of pressure on the defense. And when a defense is on the field a ton, points will be scored against them. It’s hard to judge a defensive unit since know one knows exactly what you have until the play a few games. Schedules also play an important role, teams facing more lousy offensive teams will have better opportunities to rack up the points.

1) Jets – NYJ – DF

I know this is a “trendy” pick, but I will drink Rex Ryan’s Kool-Aid all day long. The Jets improved in areas they struggled at last year by nabbing Jason Taylor and Antonio Cromartie. A healthy Kris Jenkins will also help solidify this defense and allow underrated linebacker David Harris a chance to wreak havoc. Leon Washington is gone to Seattle, so the return duties will fall on rookie Joe McKnight and Brad Smith.

2) Vikings – MIN – DF

Jared Allen is a beast and if your fantasy league is sack driven, then you can’t go wrong with the Vikings as they racked up 48 sacks last season. Pat and Kevin Williams make this a formidable line and Ray Edwards is a nice compliment to Allen on the other side. The Vikings struggled with pass defense last season as witnessed by 11 interceptions, but they signed first-round pick Chris Cook out of Virginia and also inked Lito Sheppard. Percy Harvin is a special kick returner who solidifies this spot for the Vikings.

3) Eagles – PHI – DF

The Eagles are a defense that are a mainstay in fantasy rankings, they are about as complete of fantasy defense an owner could want. They are balanced when it comes to the defensive stat sheet as they had 25 interceptions last year and recorded 44 sacks. They also scored four defensive touchdowns last year. DeSean Jackson is fun to watch when he gets into open space on punts and Ellis Hobbs isn’t too bad either on kick returns.

4) Packers – GRE – DF

The Green Bay Packers return the core of their defensive unit, minus Aaron Kampman who was shipped to the Jaguars. Charles Woodson had a magical year last year and the Packers racked up 30 interception, which was tops in the NFL. It’s safe to say the Packers defense learned Dom Capers 3-4 defensive scheme well as they suffocated and punished opposing offenses into 40 turnovers on the season. This is a unit that will continue to grow and they just might vault up these rankings. Will Blackmon needs to come back healthy for the return game to shine as he had an ACL injury last year.

5) Ravens – BAL – DF

Ray Lewis is still feared in the middle and steady veterans surround him on the defensive side of the ball. The Ravens have mixed in youngsters Paul Kruger, Sergio Kindle, and Terrence Cody to give this defense a shot at being in the top ranked defenses for years to come. They are a top 10 defensive unit every year and show no signs of slowing. The return duties are unsettled as of this writing.

6) 49ers – SFO – DF

The 49ers are a unit that plays and takes on the attitude that their coach did when he manned the middle for the Chicago Bears in the 1980′s. He demands and expects excellence and he knows the type of players he wants for his defense and he has one of the best in Patrick Willis. The team did much better getting to the quarterback in 2009 as they had 44 sacks, compared to 2008′s 30 sacks there are rapid signs of improvement. Ted Ginn Jr. should help immediately in the return game as the 49ers were just not very good last year in that department.

7) Chargers – SDC – DF

The Chargers are a defense that is in a transition period. They let loose Jamal Williams and Antonio Cromartie was traded to the New York Jets. They are relying on a group of young players to step up and take the reins and return this defense to what it once was. Yes, this ranking may be a little high, but two factors made me slot them here. One is Darren Sproles in the return game and the other is they play in a weak division where they will get to see the Chiefs, Raiders, and Broncos twice a year.

8) Buccaneers – TAM – DF

The Buccaneers are another defense that is currently in transition, but good days don’t seem to far off again. They drafted Gerald McCoy and Brian Price in this year’s draft and both players are NFL ready. They should help in the rush defense which was last in the league last year. The Bucs boast a group of solid linebackers led by Barrett Ruud and Geno Hayes. Tampa Bay is in good hands in the return game as Clifton Smith is one of the league’s best and one of the few who pulls double duty returning kicks and punts.

9) Cardinals – ARI – DF

The Cardinals are a defense full of guys looking to make the big play, something that will make them the “sexy” pick at your draft. The loss of Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle will hurt this team more than it thinks, but they feel like they hit in the draft with Dan Williams and Daryl Washington. The team had 43 sacks on the season last year, in 2008 they had 31, was it a fluke? or are they a unit on the rise? Draft and find out.

10) Saints – NOR – DF

The stars aligned for the Saints last year and the defense forced a league leading 41 turnovers. The truth is the Saints are an average unit at best and at times that defense looked shaky. The real number lies in defensive touchdowns with this team, they had eight touchdowns last season, something that I wouldn’t bet on again. While this is still a good unit, they might be a bit overvalued on draft day and might be a little high in these ranks, although Reggie Bush and Courtney Roby help them hold down this spot.

11) Cowboys – DAL – DF

The Dallas Cowboys are usually overlooked as a solid unit. They have defensive playmakers all over the field and DeMarcus Ware leads a group that knows how to get after the quarterback. In 2009 the Cowboys had 42 sacks, in 2008 they had 59 sacks, and we feel comfortable saying they will land somewhere in between those two numbers. It looks like the team will take return duties from Felix Jones to minimize contact and use rookie Dez Bryant to return kicks and punts, he could be dynamite and the Cowboys could climb up these rankings.

12) Bears – CHI – DF

The Bears are a unit that are banking on Julius Peppers to fix what has gone wrong in the past. There are still playmakers on this unit, Brian Urlacher will be back and healthy, Lance Briggs is steady, Tommie Harris constantly works against double teams, but the red-flag is in the secondary where they have big plans for Major Wright alongside newcomer Chris Harris from Carolina. If there is a coach that can remotivate this squad that would be defensive guru Rod Marinelli. This unit sees a spike in the return game with Johnny Knox and Devin Hester handling kicks and punts, they are lethal.

13) Steelers – PIT – DF

The Steelers are aging and it showed last year. This is typically a unit you see in the top 10, but with the oft-injured Troy Polamalu and the aging defensive line this is a defensive unit that is in decline. The Steelers are a totally different defense without Polamalu and I am not willing to bank on his health that he makes it through a full season, he plays to violent to stay healthy. Then again this unit could have one more run in them and play like the solid veterans they are which is why I think they belong here in the rankings. Stefan Logan had a solid year returning punts and should retain his job.

14) Giants – NYG – DF

The Giants are another unit that has been in decline through injuries. Notably Kenny Phillips, but they are also a team that is stacked with talent. The Giants also do a good job of getting players to fit their system and rookie Jason-Pierre Paul will give this team the athleticism and versatility when injuries happen to Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Osi Umenyiora. The Giants also went out and got Antrel Rolle from the Cardinals in a move that should improve the secondary. This unit had only 32 sacks last year, but we think they will get back to getting after the quarterback and end up with over 40 sacks. Domenik Hixon was lost for the season (knee) so return duties remain an open competition.

15) Bengals – CIN – DF

Cincinnati is a defense on the rise and they have the perfect coach in Mike Zimmer to push the young talent they have collected over the years to perform at a high level. They doubled their sack totals from 2008 where they had 17 to 34 in 2009, that is a marked improvement. They had 19 interceptions last year up from 12 in 2008, so this is a unit that is ready to take the next step. The team is stockpiling young talent in Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, and Carlos Dunlap, they should be on the rise. Bernard Scott will be back returning kicks along with Quan Cosby on punts.

16) Titans – TEN – DF

The Titans are another NFL defense in transition. Defensive stalwarts such as Albert Haynesworth, Keith Bulluck, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Nick Harper are no longer around. The team boasts a no-name defense, but one name you should know is Stephen Tulloch, a tackling machine who had 121 tackles last season. The Titans don’t offer alot in the return game and are hoping the rookie Damian Williams will help in that category.

17) Patriots – NEP – DF

The Patriots are a defense that is loaded with young talent that hasn’t came to the party yet. They have stockpiled picks and tried to rebuild through the draft, but without a pass rush, the team is asking alot out of their young corners and safeties to stay in coverage. This defense has had trouble getting to the quarterback the last two years as they registered 31 sacks in 2008 and 2009. If they don’t find some sort of pass rush, look for that trend to continue. The team signed Gerard Warren to address this problem. Tully Bunta-Cain led this team in sacks last year with 10, enough said. Brandon Tate and Devin McCourty will handle return duties for the Patriots this year, they could surprise.

18) Dolphins – MIA – DF

The Dolphins are a team that are trying to build their defense through the draft as witnessed by taking seven defensive players out of eight draft selections in 2010. Veterans like Jason Taylor are gone, along with Joey Porter’s act, and Gibril Wilson. The team had one of the best signings of the off-season in Karlos Dansby, he should be a beast in the middle. The Dolphins also have a pair of big corners in Vontae Davis and Sean Smith that are learning as they go, they will be much improved this year. The Dolphins defense is a value defense for sack leagues as they have averaged 42 sacks the last two seasons. Ted Ginn Jr. is off to San Francisco so look for Davone Bess to handle return duties.

19) Broncos – DEN – DF

Denver’s defense started out last year on fire the first three weeks and brought back memories of Karl Mecklenburg and the “Orange Crush” defense. Then they fizzled the rest of the season and Mike Nolan was fired. This is a team that has a nice mix of youth and veterans, notably D.J. Williams and Elvis Dumervil. Brian Dawkins showed he still has some left in the tank and Champ Bailey was Champ Bailey. The Broncos have a nice schedule by drawing the NFC West, so the fact that they play Seattle, St. Louis, and Arizona solidifies this ranking. Eddie Royal will handle both kick and punt returns, he is solid.

20) Texans – HOU – DF

The Texans have a nice nucleus of young players in Mario Williams, Brian Cushing, Bernard Pollard and DeMeco Ryans. They also added Kareem Jackson out of Alabama who should bring help to the secondary. Cushing will be out for a four-game suspension, but this is a unit that is headed in the right direction. The team spent a draft pick on LSU speedster Trindon Holliday, so look for him to pull double duty, he is lightning in a bottle.

21) Colts – IND – DF

The Colts defense has declined with the improvements of league-mates Houston and Tennessee. The team is signing young talent such as Jerry Hughes out of TCU to improve the pass rush. Philip Wheeler should become a star this year. This defense has the Steeler effect, meaning if Bob Sanders isn’t healthy, much like Troy Polamalu this defense loses something. The Colts’ return game is not worth noting, though I just did.

22) Bills – BUF – DF

The Bills are moving to a 3-4 defense this year, so we expect some bumps in the road as they make the transition. We expect the number of interceptions to go down as they had 28 last year, good for second in the league. We also expect their sack numbers to decrease. So why do I have the Bills ranked at 22 you ask? Because of tackling machine Paul Posluszny, ball vulture Jairus Byrd, and Aaron Maybin could actually make the transition smoother than some might think. Here’s to optimism, along with the fact that C.J. Spiller will be handling kick and punt returns.

23) Panthers – CAR – DF

The Panthers defense will take a big hit with the loss of Julius Peppers. Yes, they still have outstanding linebacker Jon Beason, but the defense also took another big hit with Thomas Davis injuring his knee again. They will be awfully young this year and guys will have to learn on the job, something that doesn’t equate to a strong NFL defense. If you play in an IDP league Beason is still number two behind Patrick Willis and he might even see more tackles playing behind an unproven front line. Armanti Edwards looks to be the front runner to return kicks this year, he could be dynamic.

24) Browns – CLE – DF

The Browns defense gave up 389 yards a game last season so there is nowhere to go but up right? This unit has seen alot of changes in the offseason so it is not the defense that had 40 sacks last year. The wildcard this D/ST unit does have is Josh Cribbs, he is the best in the game returning punts and kicks and solidifies this spot for the Browns.

25) Seahawks – SEA – DF

The Seahawks defense was pathetic last year, they registered just 28 sacks and forced only 23 turnovers, something Seattle fans expect is to have a solid defense. They have talent in the second and third levels of the defense, only if they can stay healthy. Aaron Curry, Marcus Trrufant, Lofa Tatupa, Jordan Babineaux and newcomer Earl Thomas will anchor this defense for years to come. They must step up and must remain healthy in order for this defense to rise up the rankings. The Seahawks also need someone to step up on the front four and many think Lawrence Jackson is ready to take the next step, they need a consistent pass rush because 28 sacks is not scaring anybody. The return unit saw a major upgrade in the offseason with the additions of Leon Washington and Golden Tate, they alone could move this unit up.

26) Raiders – OAK – DF

The Raiders are not that bad of unit, no really, please read on. They have a solid front four in Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, and new addition John Henderson. They have a veteran presence in Kamerion Wimbley and rookie Rolando McClain will be a tackling machine in the middle. They liked McClain enough that they let uber-linebacker Kirk Morrison walk. They have a shut down corner in Nnamdi Asomugha and a tackling machine safety in Tyvon Branch who had 124 tackles last year. This defense is not as bad as you think and might even be too low here. The return game is built around track speed, but the results didn’t match up.

27) Lions – DET – DF

The Lions will look to improve on their 26 sacks last season and they are banking that rookie Ndamukong Suh will bring change. They are still a couple of years away and need to continue to build through the draft while bringing in aging vets such as Kyle Vanden Bosch and Julian Peterson. The team traded Ernie Sims in the offseason and are banking on DeAndre Levy and Zack Follett to take the reins. The secondary was atrocious last year and Louis Delmas did his best to carry the load. Derrick Williams looks like the front runner to win both return duties.

28) Falcons – ATL – DF

The Falcons are dead set on rebuilding this defense. They signed Dunta Robinson and selected Sean Weatherspoon with the 19th pick. Weatherspoon will be the cornerstone of this defense sooner rather than later, he is a leader. They have talent spread across the field in Curtis Lofton, Jonathan Babineaux, and Thomas DeCoud so the rebuilding process is moving in the right direction. Atlanta had only 28 sacks last year and they would be wise to find an eventual replacement for John Abraham soon as he is 32 and is nearing the end. He registered only 5.5 sacks last season. This unit is still one to two years away. Eric Weems looks to be the front runner for both return jobs.

29) Chiefs – KAN – DF

The Chiefs defense had 22 sacks last season. That is the same as the record setting seasons of Mark Gastineau (22) and Michael Strahan (22.5) Needless to say this defense was not very good and they didn’t make any changes along the front seven. They added Eric Berry through the draft, but they need some of these top draft picks to step up(Glen Dorsey and Tyson Jackson). Maybe the team knew what it was doing by hiring Romeo Crennel, but he faces a tough task in changing the mindset of this defense that has given up an average of 390 yards a game the last two seasons. Dexter McCluster will look to make a mark returning kicks and Javier Arenas is the early front runner for punt return duties.

30) Redskins – WAS – DF

The Redskins will hope that Jim Haslett can turn this defense around as they switch to a 3-4 scheme. Needless to say King Albert was unhappy and has demanded a trade. What else is new in Redskin territory. Haslett’s system, like any other system will take time to install and he may not even have the players to be successful at it. It is a monumental task and Redskin backers should remain patient. This unit had 40 sacks last season, but we think that number will be down this year as the new system is implemented. It doesn’t help matters that the Redskins play in one of the best divisions in football (NFC East) and get to see the Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants twice a year. OUCH! There is open competition for return duties.

31) Jaguars – JAC – DF

If I am reading this stat line correctly it says the Jaguars had 14 sacks last season. I believe Derrick Thomas of the Chiefs might have sacked Dave Krieg of the Seahawks that many times in one game, I don’t know. For a Jack Del Rio coached team this has to hurt the head man, although they did add Kirk Morrison at middle linebacker. Their top four draft picks went to defensive linemen so they know where to rebuild and they added Aaron Kampman. Justin Durant had 98 tackles in just 13 games last season, IDP guys take notice. The Jags return unit is nothing special. This unit is two to three years away.

32) Rams – STL – DF

The Rams just don’t have enough to get it done on defense and when you choose to play games with your stud safety, O.J. Atogwe , during contract talks it’s hard to build anything and have it last. They have young talent in James Laurinitis, but need players like Chris Long to answer the bell. Leonard Little will proably retire, hopefully he drives around in a golf cart when he drinks to prevent any further “accidents.” Danny Amendola will pull double duty this season.

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