Fantasy football has become one of the largest industries in the sports world. Millions of people play every year. Fantasy experts post weekly rankings for quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, and tight ends, while defenses and kickers are often forgotten. Defenses can score upwards of 30 fantasy points in a given week. But, they may post negative points the next week. In the end, is it all a wash? Do defenses matter in fantasy football?
By the Numbers
You’ve probably heard takes from different experts on which positions matter most. You may have even heard some say to ignore defense altogether. Let’s take a look at the numbers this season to get a clear picture of the impact that defenses can have on your fantasy football team. Through week 11, the Minnesota Vikings rank first among all DST (defense/special teams) units in fantasy football with 11.9 points per game. That number would rank 32nd among quarterbacks, 22nd among running backs, 8th among receivers, and 2nd among tight ends this season. Safe to say that defenses have the ability to make up a significant portion of your team’s scoring.
These numbers don’t quite tell the whole story, though. The difference in average scoring between the top defense and the tenth-ranked defense this season is just 3.9 points per game. That’s the smallest margin of any position by far. You’re much better off seeking out a slight increase in production at receiver or running back compared to rolling with a top defense. When you look at it this way, defenses don’t have much of an impact in fantasy football.
What Should Fantasy Football Managers Do?
Fantasy football managers are better off “streaming” defenses. Streaming refers to the strategy of picking up a new defense off of waivers each week, depending on the matchup that defense has. This season, the Titans have allowed more fantasy points to opposing defenses than any other team, with 15.3 points per game. That’s almost four points higher than the top defense is producing. The difference between the Titans and the tenth-ranked team in this category is almost five points. That gap is similar to those at other position groups. If you play fantasy football, try streaming defenses rather than spending a valuable draft pick on a defense that won’t bring you any significant benefit.
