Fantasy Football Preview 2012: Defense

Defense/Special Teams:

John Abraham

1. San Francisco 49ers: The Golden State's front seven could be one of the best in the NFL; players like Justin Smith and Patrick Willis were able to keep opposing offenses from scoring a rushing touchdown up until Week 14. They may have only scored one defensive touchdown, but with 23 interceptions and Jim Harbaugh at the helm, this defense will stay lethal for the next 5 years.

2. Houston Texans: Many will be wondering how this Houston defense will fare without their star linebacker Mario Williams. Just look at least season's numbers, and you will see that Houston does not have a problem. Fantasy wise, the Texans defense scored almost the same amount of fantasy points with Williams as they did without him. In 2012, Brian Cushing, J.J. Watt, Antonio Smith and Jonathan Joseph all need to stay healthy as well as consistent in order for Wade Philips' defense to dominate once again.

3. Chicago Bears: Any team who has Devin Hester at the punt return spot is bound to be ranked highly in fantasy football. However, what makes Chicago even more lethal is their well balanced defense. The run defense ranked 5th overall last season thanks to star linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Juluis Peppers was the sole pass rusher on Chicago with more than 10 sacks in 2011, which led to the drafting of defensive end Shea McClellin in April. If there is one thing Chicago might want to improve, it is their mediocre pass defense. Otherwise, the Bears will finish in the top 5 for fantasy defenses once again. 

4. Philadelphia Eagles: The Dream Team may have been unsuccessful in 2011, but the defense still stood strong. Corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie both had off years, and both will need to bounce back if Philadelphia wishes to fill the hole left by Asante Samuel. The defensive line--dominated by Trent Cole and Jason Babin--helped this defense rank 1st overall in sacks last season. Assuming Philly's pass rush can stay healthy and consistent, this defense might give the 49ers a run for their money at number one.

5.  Baltimore Ravens: Baltimore fans everywhere cringed when they heard reigning Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs will miss most of 2012 to a partially torn achilles, as did those who play fantasy football. Baltimore has always finished among the top defenses fantasy wise, but Suggs will clearly affect this team's statistics. A lot of pressure will be put on 37-year-old linebacker Ray Lewis, who is joined by Lance Brigg, Jameel McClain, and Haloti Ngata. Sure, the Ravens defense will put up great numbers week in and week out, but their stock falls slightly without their star outside linebacker.

6. New York Jets: Last season, it seemed as if the New York Jets defense was unable to catch a break, constantly dealing with injuries and disappointing performances from their stars. Antonio Cromartie, Bart Scott, and Calvin Pace were all nonexistent in 2011, which adds to this team's potential for next season. If these three players were to resurrect their game, they could be scary when alongside Darrelle Revis and David Harris.

7. Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks defense improved substantially ever since Pete Carroll came to town, and not much should change for the next few years. The Seahawks roster may not contain a superstar defender, but overall, they may have one of the most well rounded group of players in the NFL. Chris Clemons is the dominant force for this pass rush, racking up 11 sacks last season. The run defense is great to start with, and the secondary has shown major improvements. Depending on the scoring system for your fantasy football league, the Seahawks are a great choice when teams such as San Francisco and Houston are off the board.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sure, the Steelers ranked first overall last season in pass defense and total defense, but what will come of Pittsburgh without  linebacker James Farrior and defensive end Aaron Smith in 2012? Obviously players like Ziggy Hood and Cameron Hewyard will fill the holes nicely, but if one of their over-30 players (James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Larry Foote, etc.) were to be injured or suspended (James Harrison), will they be enough to lead this defense? There are to many questions for the Pittsburgh squadron, which is why they top out at number eight.

9. Buffalo Bills: As soon as the season ended, it was clear Buffalo was eager to strengthen their defense. Once Mario Williams became a free agent, Buffalo quickly handed him 100 millions dollars through a six year contract. The Bills were not quite finished, signing Mark Anderson do go along with their star defensive end. A lot of weight will be put on this front-seven, but the Bills are capable of consistently helping your team every Sunday.

10. Atlanta Falcons: The Atlanta Falcons were not ones to gain many headlines this offseason, but they did manage to silently pick up star corner Asante Samuel. Samuel brings to the table a knack for getting interceptions, something Atlanta needed to work on. Up front, we have Curtis Lofton and John Abraham, two aging defenders who have high expectations for next season. The Falcons are not one to finish in the top 5, but for a 10 person league or above, they are not a bad choice.