Which NFL D/ST Will Be Surprisingly Special?

Okay, so we all know how great Chicago's defense and special teams are in fantasy football, and we all knew the defenses and special teams for teams like Tampa Bay and Tennessee would be quite good.

What happened from Weeks One through Eight, however, is in the past, quite literally. The important matter is what happens in Weeks Nine through 17. Which special teams will be special? Which defenses will defend their honor? Let's take a look at some teams that are lurking in the background, which could or should rise up in the second half of the season.

1.  San Diego Chargers

In some sense, the Chargers do not belong on this list because they were highly rated before the season. Many expected the defense, which is laden with talent, to really sparkle this year, even without the services of Shawne Merriman. So, to combine that with the dynamic Darren Sproles in the return game, the Chargers were expected to pile up huge amounts of fantasy points.

Anything but has happened, however. The Chargers have been abysmal on pass defense, particularly. Sproles continues to be a special-teams spark, but he could not come close to making up for the defense's ineptitude. The firing of Defensive Coordinator Ted Cottrell, however, should make a very big difference.

Cottrell was never a good fit with San Diego, and instead of improving, the defense simply got worse and worse. With new coordinator Ron Rivera, look for the Chargers to have a spark on defense. That should lead, at the very least, to fewer points scored against, and Rivera can perhaps help the Chargers to force more turnovers.

With Sproles as the return man, the Chargers are very much worth monitoring to ensure that the defense is, in fact, improving.

Who are the other four potential surprises? Click here to find out.