"Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships."

Paul "Bear" Bryant’s quote is as infamous today as it is cliché. While the adage isn’t necessarily a conclusive one in the NFL, it’s a phrase that you’ll hear spouted by announcers, analysts, and coaches time and time again. However, there’s some truth to Bryant’s words; for most fantasy football leagues, particularly of the standard re-draft flavor, offense remains the primary draw. Defense and special teams are largely an afterthought - often times rightfully so. For instance, the difference between the top fantasy defense in 2016 (Kansas City Chiefs) and the seventh (New York Giants) is marginal in the grand scheme of things (23 points total in most scoring formats).

With that said, it’s understandable that many league managers wait until the double-digit rounds of their draft to select their defense. It may not be in your interest to reach on your defense early, but it’s important to note the value of reliability. The Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and the aforementioned Chiefs have held onto a top-five position over the past two years for instance. If you are able to grab a dependable defense once your roster is fleshed out to your satisfaction, our rankings are here to help you with your (ideally) late-round pick.