2011 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings

Why am I even bothering? Heck, I still have kickers to rank… Every year it’s basically the same with a few that step up to be surprises but for the most part the same names will litter the top 10 and the same names will be near the bottom. Guess it’s my job to sort this mess!

1. Green Bay Packers - 2010 finish #2

Returning champs did lose a few players but that offense is going to be even scarier with Finley and Grant back. And a super offense can make the defense extremely nice to own. Big leads cause for some big mistakes from the opponent and the Pack will have more than a few big leads.

2. Pittsburg Steelers - 2010 finish #1

Nuff said.

3. Philadelphia Eagles - 2010 finish #11

It may take the defense a few games to hit their stride with all of the new acquisitions, but I believe they can be #1 for the second half of the season for sure.

4. New York Jets - 2010 finish #4

5. New England Patriots – 2010 finish #3

Love the addition of Haynesworth to the Defensive line. Should help solidify a big concern from 2010.

6. Atlanta Falcons - 2010 finish #8

7. New Orleans Saints - 2010 finish #16

Had a down year in 2010 but I believe a lot of that was Brees throwing so many INT’s. Brees will be better and defense won’t be on the field as much giving them more time to rest. They should regain some of the form they had in 2009.

8. Baltimore Ravens - 2010 finish #9

One of the classic defensive teams in the league, the Ravens should be around the top 10 again in 2011. Seemed like they could fall asleep at times in games but then show up big right when it mattered most. Case in point, the game vs. the Texans last year.

9. Chicago Bears - 2010 finish #5

I was so tempted to drop the Bears out of the top 10 but the name still holds weight in my eyes. Darn legacies!

10. San Diego Chargers - 2010 finish #7

11. Detroit Lions - 2010 finish #13

A reach for sure, but I believe the offense can stay on the field long enough to let Suh and Fairley dominate the defensive side of the ball. The lack of secondary depth is a big concern though.

12. New York Giants - 2010 finish #10

13. Kansas City Chiefs - 2010 finish #17

14. St. Louis Rams - 2010 finish #19

I think Josh McDaniels can take the offense to the next level and the defense was a big surprise last year. If both improve, the Def will look like a starting unit.

15. Dallas Cowboys - 2010 finish #14

16. Oakland Raiders - 2010 finish #6

The loss of Nnamdi is going to hurt more than they know. Should still be stout against the run though.

17. San Francisco 49ers - 2010 finish #15

18. Miami Dolphins - 2010 finish #22

19. Minnesota Vikings - 2010 finish #20

They still have one of the best D-Lines in the league but can the offense spell them enough to let them dominate? Doubtful.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 2010 finish #18

21. Cleveland Browns - 2010 finish #21

22. Houston Texans - 2010 finish #31

With Wade Phillips in tow, the Texans will be better on the defensive side of the ball.

23. Indianapolis Colts - 2010 finish #25

Are still going to be terrible against the run, but hopefully they can improve a bit. Can they be any worse?

24. Carolina Panthers - 2010 finish #26

I truly believe that when Carolina re-signed a lot of their in house talent on the defensive side, they will step up in 2011 with a decent performance. And that offense can’t be worse. I could see them cracking the top 15.

25. Denver Broncos - 2010 finish #32

John Fox will make a difference. Maybe not a ton in year one but it will be noticeable.

26. Arizona Cardinals - 2010 finish #12

27. Jacksonville Jaguars - 2010 finish #30

28. Seattle Seahawks - 2010 finish #23

29. Tennessee Titans - 2010 finish #24

30. Buffalo Bills - 2010 finish #29

31. Washington Redskins - 2010 finish #28

32. Cincinnati Bengals - 2010 finish #27

*2010 Finishes were taken from ESPN 2010 Standard Scoring End Of Year Point Totals.