#Fantasy football: Creating your own defense/special teams consistency

The Madman has previously discarded kickers from our methods of madness. But we still are clinging to defense/special teams.

We like fantasy football to reflect real football, and leaving out defenses entirely disagrees with that disposition. Yet, we feel obligated to admit we use the word “clinging” for a reason.

The broad unpredictability – not only from game to game but season to season – of D/ST units can be frustrating. How many times have you lost a fantasy matchup you should have won because some also-ran D/ST unit ran into a pick-six or found a gap in a punt return? It only takes one to give you a point of complaint for the rest of the year.

Schedule analysis only goes so far – it is hard to forecast when the Patriots get to face a parade of backup quarterbacks thanks to injury as they did in 2019. Performance varies wildly from season to season. Since the early 2010s Seahawks, year-to-year consistency in D/ST performance has been tough to find.

The Broncos vaunted unit only lasted a couple of seasons near the top of fantasy rankings. That incredible defense the Jaguars rode to the AFC Championship game just a few years ago already is ashes.

The point being, wait to draft a D/ST. Take what’s there. When considering the schedule, just look at the first couple of weeks, and find a unit facing some bad offenses or teams with new QBs, coaches or coordinators – especially this year when there has been virtually no offseason.

The Eagles face a Washington Football Team in QB turmoil and with a new coach; then Jared Goff and the Rams, who don’t scare anyone anymore; followed by rookie Joe Burrow and the Bengals, before having to face a bit of a cauldron beginning with the 49ers. So you get three good weeks before you start streaming.

The Giants get the Steelers with a rusty Ben Roethlisberger, a Bears team in QB limbo and a tough matchup against the 49ers before their own encounter with Goff and the Rams. The schedule has some pitfalls thereafter.

The Bears still have some talent despite not performing to potential recently. In the first seven weeks, the best offense they face is the Falcons, and they also have a Week 5 meeting with Tom Brady’s Buccaneers. Otherwise, the opponents are the Lions, Giants, Colts, Panthers and Rams.

After an opener against the 49ers, the Cardinals have games against Washington, the Lions, Panthers and Jets.

The lesson: Pick a defense late. Choose one with an easy schedule of bad offenses. And be ready to dump and stream week-to-week until you find a stable option once the cake portion of the schedule for your original selection is done.

Or in other words, the best fantasy defense is to focus on offense.