D/ST

The fantasy football season is almost here, but there’s still a lot to be determined when it comes to the best defenses and special teams in the NFL.

There’s no question who earns the top spot, however, as the Jacksonville Jaguars return most of what was far and away the best defense in 2017. They became the league’s best while breaking in new players like Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, and Barry Church. Along with young emerging stars like Telvin Smith, Myles Jacks, Jalen Ramsey, and Yannick Ngakoue, there’s reason to believe this unit will be even better in 2018 — a scary thought for all 31 other NFL teams.

But if you can’t land the Jaguars in your league’s fantasy draft, the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings both have promising units, but they also faced tough schedules loaded with good offenses.

Sometimes, the best defense is a middle-of-the-road unit with a favorable schedule. One team to keep an eye on is the Baltimore Ravens, who have a very favorable early-season schedule that includes the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, all of whom finished in the bottom 10 in total offense last year.