Top 10 defenses per ADP, with current total points and weekly rate.
| ADP | Current Rank | Team | Total Pts | Pts/Game |
| 1 | 22 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 80 | 6.67 |
| 2 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams | 125 | 10.42 |
| 3 | 5 | Minnesota Vikings | 104 | 8.67 |
| 4 | 16 | Los Angeles Chargers | 91 | 7.58 |
| 5 | 31 | Philadelphia Eagles | 52 | 4.73 |
| 6 | 7 | Baltimore Ravens | 103 | 8.58 |
| 7 | 12 | New Orleans Saints | 95 | 7.92 |
| 8 | 3 | Houston Texans | 120 | 10 |
| 9 | 10 | Denver Broncos | 99 | 8.25 |
| 10 | 1 | Chicago Bears | 151 | 12.58 |
Now, the top ten defenses to date, with their corresponding ADP
| Current Rank | ADP | Team | Total Pts | Pts/Game |
| 1 | 10 | Chicago Bears | 151 | 12.58 |
| 2 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams | 125 | 10.42 |
| 3 | 8 | Houston Texans | 120 | 10 |
| 4 | 17 | Kansas City Chiefs | 111 | 9.25 |
| 5 | 3 | Minnesota Vikings | 104 | 8.67 |
| 6 | 24 | Washington Redskins | 104 | 9.45 |
| 7 | 6 | Baltimore Ravens | 103 | 8.58 |
| 8 | 25 | Miami Dolphins | 102 | 8.5 |
| 9 | 11 | New England Patriots | 101 | 8.42 |
| 10 | 9 | Denver Broncos | 99 | 8.25 |
There is less than a one point per game difference between 19th-ranked Green Bay and 11th-ranked Indianapolis. There’s less than a one point per game difference between 10th-ranked Denver and 4th-ranked Kansas City. Simply put, other than outlier Chicago Bears (picked on average after nine other defenses were taken), and to a lesser extent the Rams and the Texans (picked on average after seven other defenses were taken), there really isn’t a whole lot of difference between any team ranked fourth through 19th.
Full disclosure time: I drafted the Rams in the 10th round of my miserable Primetime league, the Vikings in the 14th round in my league winning satellite league, and the Chargers in the 12th round of my somewhat successful, but not in the playoffs, satellite league.
Streaming based upon opponents lack of offensive ability (think Oakland or Buffalo) is certainly easier and likely significantly more effective than trying to draft the best defense.
So, while finding a diamond in the rough in the latter rounds of a draft may be challenging, finding a defense that will make a significant difference in your fantasy season is nearly impossible. For that reason, next year, I’m taking a hard pass on defenses until the last three rounds and, for once, siding with the so-called experts
Best of luck. Don’t blink.
Buster
Image: Cornerback Steven Nelson is a member of a Chiefs defensive unit that was the 17th D/ST off the board in 2018 but ranks fourth in total points.
