Go and add these Defenses now - 2020 Edition

[mild]

With most of our Rookie drafts in the rear-view mirror but Cut Down dates still approaching, now is the perfect time to fill your expanded roster limits with speculators. For those of us contending in 2020, you can often forget - that means Defenses too! Consider this a healthy reminder to go and check your waiver wire for meaningful defenses right now - who knows what may have shaken loose in the pre-draft cuts.

Feel free to sell me on your candidates below! I'll start:

Top Tier Gotta have it: the Indianapolis Colts
This is a unit that should be on a lot of waiver wires right now, and is a superb add for three easy reasons:
1. Strength of Schedule - the Colts are currently slated for the easiest schedule in the league per Warren Sharp. Two games against the Jaguars is nice to see... plus two against the Titans, and one apiece against the Raiders, the Browns, the Bengals, the Bears, and the Jets. Me. Likey.
2. Game Script - with substantial upgrades at both QB and RB, and tied to a premier offensive line - there is a more than reasonable expectation that the "26th worst offense in 2019" Colts will be building leads and keeping them far more this year - putting the defense into more positive script pass-rushing situations overall.
3. Personnel - Darrius Leonard is entering his 3rd season in the league as one of the best LB's playing the game, the team has gone cornerback in consecutive drafts and GM Chris Ballard has been seeing a borderline-savant level hit rate on his prospects... oh, and DeForest Buckner is here. This unit could far exceed expectation this year.

Two Defenses that could vault higher in the next few weeks - the Titans and the Saints
With the Jamal Adams trade, the Seahawks have effectively bowed out of the Jadaveon Clowney sweepstakes, joining the Browns (who re-structured Vernon). By process of elimination, that means his suitors are most likely just down to two teams: the Titans and the Saints. These units are already very solid (and the Saints are likely owned in your league like they are in mine) but both represent good value, especially if they get Clowney on a short-term "prove it" contract. (Which is likely the only thing teams can afford at this stage of FA)

Put Me In Coach, I'm desperate, I'll do anything - the Washington Football Club
Alright, hold your nose - this one is wild - but if you're playing in a TFL league, then this is a reasonable bet-on-talent. The Washingtons have added Chase Young to an already-stacked line, and Riverboat Ron is a DC at heart. "So you're saaaaying there's a chance..."
If they find any success this year - it's because they're going to be winning very very dirty, and grinding out low scoring games.

[StripesOfKC]

Colts and to a lesser extent Redskins are my big breakout picks for this year

Bucs are up there too with an already elite run D, secondary that improved late in the season with some promising young players, a great D coordinator and the arm punt machine no longer screwing up their field position

[FantasyFreak]

It's the Washington Football Team, not club. Get it together.

[mild]

It's the Washington Football Team, not club. Get it together.

I'll get it wrong every time, and I will LIKE it!

I honestly couldn't be more pleased to clown on a worse name. Are there even any Washington fans left on this forum?

Anyway. That defensive line "might" be good. Hooraaaaay.

[bjd5211]

It's the Washington Football Team, not club. Get it together.

I'll get it wrong every time, and I will LIKE it!

I honestly couldn't be more pleased to clown on a worse name. Are there even any Washington fans left on this forum?

Anyway. That defensive line "might" be good. Hooraaaaay.

They should be getting Reuben Foster back too. He does have the off-field issues and coming off a fairly major knee injury, but he's no doubt a talented football player.

[Pullo Vision]

I'm loving Washington's front 7, with both del Rio and Rivera on the coaching staff. The d line can make pressure in waves. In anticipation of them drafting Chase Young, they were getting called a sleeper team to do what the 9ers did- drafting 2nd over to playoff run.

[FantasyFreak]

Pats D taking a big hit today with Chung and Hightower out.

[Servo]

Right now I'm pretty torn between:

- Washington, picked them up at the end of 2019 but their success is definitely going to be tied to how their offense performs...can Haskins keep WAS in games or actually win games is TBD.

- Colts, weak schedule, and I have to imagine their offense is going to be serviceable...makes them a very enticing choice.

- TB, defense on the rise and we're led to believe that Brady should take much better care of the football...when we consider what TB was used to lol

[QB Browns]

...and the arm punt machine no longer screwing up their field position

The arm punt machine

[DLF3000]

That WAS pick is too bold for me, even as a dark horse. The team overall still sucks too much - give 'em a year though, and I can see that D make a jump in '21... but the team will still suck. They're still 2-3 years away from being respectable.

[StripesOfKC]

That WAS pick is too bold for me, even as a dark horse. The team overall still sucks too much - give 'em a year though, and I can see that D make a jump in '21... but the team will still suck. They're still 2-3 years away from being respectable.

Front 7s make elite defenses from a fantasy perspective and they play in the weakest or 2nd weakest (looking at you NFC North) division in football with solid, experienced defensive minds coming in

If I they had healthy Tua instead of Haskins I'd consider them a sleeper for the 6/7 seed

Lots of risk for sure though and they aren't on many radars so wait and see might be the better approach


Colts though I think are a top 5 unit next year behind the Ravens, 49ers, Steelers and Bills

[mild]

- Colts, weak schedule, and I have to imagine their offense is going to be serviceable...makes them a very enticing choice.

It's easily the Colts for me, for all the reasons I laid out in the first post. Apart from the infusion of talent... you just know that when you see "JAX" or "CIN" or "NYJ" it's an instant start that week, and that's a quarter of their games this year!

When it comes time to actually set a lineup on those weeks, you'll be glad it's you starting them and not the team going against you.