32 Teams - DST Rankings

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMs – 32 Teams Rankings – Tuesday, August 31, 2010

32 Ranking Team Name – (2009 Pos Rank – 2009 Fantasy Pts) 2010 Projection – ADP by round

1. DST1 San Francisco 49ers (4-134) 147.5 – 11th round
SAN FRANCISCO – Two big reasons that I have the 49ers as my #1 DST is their superiority on Special Teams and their division is easier to navigate than the Jets. They are also relatively healthy, with no major injuries to their starters (at the time of this writing). The return game ranks 2nd, the D-Line ranks 4th and their secondary ranks in the middle of the pack at 14. WRs Ted Ginn Jr. and rookie WR Kyle Williams will handle the Punt & Kick Return duties this season. Tougher opponents on their schedule include home games vs. NO, PHI, ARZ and road games @ CAR, GB, ARZ, SD

2. DST2 New York Jets (8-118) 137.5 – 8-9th round
NEW YORK JETS – It’s hard not to like the Jets DSTs, with the #1 ranked D-Line and Secondary. The real knock on them is the special teams, and while I like Mike Westhoff and he does a great job, he lacks the sheer numbers and bodies to be able to keep specialists on the roster. The Special Teams ranks 24th. Rookie CB Kyle Wilson figures prominently in the preseason story about this unit. He will start if there is no Revis, with Cromartie on the other side. It looks like a deal with Revis is happening soon, so Wilson can get back to returning punts. The team wants WR Brad Smith to be the main KR guy, but others like WR Jerricho Cotchery and Jim Leonhard will be back there when the weather is tough. They’re the “hands” team. Quality opponents on their schedule include home/away vs. MIA, NE, then home dates vs. BAL, MIN, GB, CIN and away @ PIT. Only 9 quality opponents make this an attractive unit as well as away games vs. CLE and DET in weeks 9-10.

3. DST3 Cincinnati Bengals (19-108) 135.5 – 15th round
CINCINNATI – I’m very high on this unit mainly because of balance: the D-Line is ranked 11th, Secondary ranked 9th, Special Teams ranked 6th. They are moving toward a multiple front defense to confuse offenses, they added Adam Pacman Jones to a very good secondary and it looks like he’s making the most of his opportunity as a nickel corner. A concern is the recent injury of S Gibril Wilson, and that would bump this unit down a bit for me if he were lost for the season. Chris Crocker and Robert Geathers are banged up right now, but otherwise the unit is relatively healthy. RB Bernard Scott is on kickoffs, with WR Andre Caldwell & Pacman Jones as the backups. WR Quan Cosby is fighting to make the roster as the KR specialist, with Jones and rookie WR Jordan Shipley as his main competition. Dave Rayner v. Mike Nugent is the kicking battle. The Bengals’ schedule includes home/away v. PIT & BAL, home vs. MIA, NO, SD and away @ NE, CAR, IND, NYJ. 11/16 quality opponents.

4. DST4 Philadelphia Eagles (2-160) 133.5 – 11th round
PHILADELPHIA – This group has a bunch of strong LBs, maybe the best of Andy Reid’s tenure as head coach. Akeem Jordan, Stewart Bradley and Ernie Sims may become household names in the City of Brotherly Shove before we know it. The strength of this DST is the D-Line and Special Teams, with the Secondary more in the middle of the pack – they finished as the #2 fantasy DST in 2009. Rookie additions at DE and S (Brandon Graham & Nate Allen) look to contribute right away, adding to a rotation of very capable guys. They could be the best fantasy defense out there, if it weren’t for their brutal schedule. Home and away games vs. all their division foes are brutal as none of the teams are pushovers, then tougher opponents include visits from GB, IND and MIN as well as road games @ SF and TEN. That’s 10 quality opponents out of 16 on their schedule, if you’re scoring at home. Kickoff returns will be handled by a DB – either Ellis Hobbs, Macho Harris, or Quinton Demps. Punts will be covered by WRs DeSean Jackson and/or Jeremy Maclin – Jason Avant has also been added to the mix, for depth purposes.

5. DST5 Baltimore Ravens (6-120) 130.5 – 11th round
BALTIMORE – If you draft the Ravens as your #1 DST, you will have some baggage that will come with it. A litany of injuries: CB Domonique Foxworth (torn ACL) is out for the year, Ed Reed could start the year on the PUP list & miss the first 6 weeks, rookie Sergio Kindle may miss the season due to a fractured skull, and Cary Williams is suspended for the first two games just to name a few obstacles to this unit being elite. They still have Ray Lewis, though, and Terrell Suggs is blowing everybody up that he sees. Dawan Landry and Tom Zbikowski are emerging leaders and a couple of hard-hitters from the safety positions. There is an interesting mix of young players with the old, and the front seven should be fine. It’s the CB position that is question at this point – monitor closely. They will still be a good defense, maybe not an elite one. Returning kicks are RB Jalen Parmele, CB Prince Miller, WR David Reed, S Tom Zbikowski, WRs Mark Clayton and Donte Stallworth. The D-Line is ranked 2nd, the secondary ranked 6th, but the special teams are ranked 25th in the league. Shayne Graham v. Billy Cundiff – the schedule includes home/away vs. PIT & CIN, then home vs. MIA & NO, away games @ NE, ATL, HOU – not a terrible schedule, really, which is why I have them in the top 5.

6. DST6 Green Bay Packers (3-143) 130 – 10th round
GREEN BAY – You wouldn’t know by looking at this unit in the wild card game vs. Arizona last year, but the Packers have a very highly ranked fantasy defense - #3 last season. They have a super talented OLB in Clay Matthews, although he’s going to miss a couple of weeks with a pulled hamstring. He should be fine once the season nears. Atari Bigby is nursing an injury as well, but the real concern is CB Al Harris’ knee – both started camp on the active PUP list, but Harris is a candidate for the inactive PUP and his status for Week 1 is in question. Having said that, the D-Line ranks 3rd in the league, the secondary 7th – the real struggle for this unit has been on Special Teams (ranked 26th). Return specialist CB Will Blackmon is still coming back from offseason knee surgery. WR Jordy Nelson has picked up the slack in his absence, but now there’s some competition: RB Brandon Jackson has been working on kickoffs as well as CB Tramon Williams, although he seems less likely to stick due to his defensive role. Two undrafted rookies have also been working on returns: RB Quinn Porter and CB Sam Shields, with Shields being the more heralded of the two. Quality opponents include home/away vs. the Vikings, road games @ PHI, WAS, NYJ, NE, and home games vs. DAL, SF, and NYG. (9 out of 16).

7. DST7 Dallas Cowboys (25-102) 129 – 12th round
DALLAS – Last season, the Cowboys did not allow a 100 yard rusher all year long. They had a slow start and a strong finish, from dealing the Saints their first loss in Week 15 into the playoffs. They finished as the 25th fantasy DST last year. They are an aggressive unit, led by DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. Gone is Ken Hamlin and in is Alan Ball, the new starter at FS, who should bolster a big weakness in the secondary, ranked 25th in the league. The strength is up front on the D-line and in the LB corps (ranked 7th), with the Special Teams in the middle of the pack (15). The return game should get a boost from rookie WR Dez Bryant (when healthy) and the team likes what they see out of rookie CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (say that 5x fast), who’s recently recovered from shoulder surgery in March. In the meantime, it will be RB Felix Jones and WR Miles Austin on kickoffs and WR Patrick Crayton on punts. These regulars, however, probably won’t see much action in the preseason. Lesser names looking to make the team will be given most of the return duties in the first few games. Quality opponents on their schedule includes home/away games in their division – again, no pushovers there – home games vs. TEN, NO, and away games @ MIN, GB and IND (11/16 quality opponents).

8. DST8 Minnesota Vikings (12-115) 127.5 – 9th round
MINNESOTA – There were a lot of high expectations for this unit last season and they were mostly met, but fantasy-wise, they weren’t as effective down the stretch for the fantasy playoffs. A big factor was the loss of MLB EJ Henderson in Week 13. Well, the Vikings got some good news in that Henderson is back on the field less than 8 months after breaking his femur. He is being worked back in a rotation with Jasper Brinkley until he’s 100%. Another concern for the defense is the status of CB Cedric Griffin (torn ACL) – he’s on the PUP right now. They’re rotating Lito Sheppard, Asher Allen and rookie Chris Cook, who’s turned some heads in camp with 3 interceptions in one practice. As good as the pass rushing D-Line and LBs are, the secondary is in the bottom half of the league and the special teams rank among the league’s worst. I was surprised to read about the special teams because I thought Percy Harvin solved a fair bit of that last season. He’s had time off because of the death of his grandmother and he’s been bothered by migraines again. Harvin is the main Kick Returner and once he returns, they want to work him into the rotation for Punt Returns as well. The main PR is Darius Reynaud, who has a sprained ankle right now. There is also talk of WR Bernard Berrian fielding some punts as well. Guys you will see in preseason games on kickoffs and punts: WR Jaymar Johnson, WR Ray Small, RB Ian Johnson and RB Albert Young. Their schedule includes very strong road opponents. It’s a good thing Minnesota can run the ball. Away games @ NO, NYJ, GB, NE, WAS, and PHI – Home games vs. DAL, GB, ARI, NYG. If you believe in the Chicago Bears being more than what they were, you can have as many as 12 out of 16 quality opponents on the Vikings schedule this year.

9. DST9 Pittsburgh Steelers (20-108) 126.5 – 11th round
PITTSBURGH – I have the Steelers ranked 9th overall based on their schedule, overall health of the unit and the healthy return of Troy Polamalu. Ziggy Hood has been the early talk of camp, DC Dick LeBeau’s induction into the Hall of Fame last week, and now it’s more focused on Polamalu and what the defense is actually doing. Last season, the Steelers found a return specialist in RB Stefan Logan, but he’s being pushed by rookie WRs Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, who have both showed enough speed & ability on returns to make Logan a camp casualty – stay tuned. The schedule includes home/away v. BAL & CIN, then home dates v. ATL, NE, NYJ and away @ TEN, MIA & HOU. They will miss Roethlisberger for the first 4 weeks, but this defense may take that as a challenge to take matters into their own hands and get out to a stingy start: ATL, @TEN, @TB, BAL are the first 4 opponents.

10. DST10 New York Giants (21-105) 125 – 16th round
NEW YORK GIANTS – I probably should have the Giants ranked a little lower than #10 since their neither the D-Line, LBs, secondary, nor the Special Teams rank in the top 15 in any category. I am putting this ranking on the overall health of the unit, new DC Perry Fewell, and the favorable non-divisional schedule they have. Kenny Phillips is back, which is the biggest news for Big Blue. He’s not 100% yet and they are working him back slowly, but when he is back at Safety, there is more success for the defense as a whole. The additions of Keith Bulluck and Antrel Rolle give this unit more accountability, something that was horribly missing last season. Perry Fewell has been experimenting with formations and position changes for players (Kiwanuka & Chris Canty at OLB, Dave Tollefson at LB, etc.), as well as D-linemen intentionally not putting a hand on the ground at times to give the offense a different look. He’s more vocal than Bill Sheridan, and he seems to have the players’ attention. The schedule, even though it includes away/home vs. the NFC East only has 4 other quality opponents: @IND, TEN, @MIN, @GB. An issue that will need to be resolved is the loss of return specialist WR Domenick Hixon, then his possible replacement Chad Jones was in a car accident, leaving who to return kicks and punts? CB Aaron Ross, WR Mario Manningham, RB Danny Ware, and WR Sinorice Moss will all see time on return duty this preseason. We’ll see how it shakes out.

11. DST11 New Orleans Saints (1-168) 123.5 – 14-15th round
NEW ORLEANS – The Saints scored 9 DST touchdowns and had double digit fantasy points in ten games last season. Now, it’s not possible to predict that many TDs again, the unit remains mostly in tact with the re-signing of Darren Sharper, who recently came off the active/PUP list. It’s the loss of LB Scott Fujita they may feel more, as Clint Ingram (knee injury) has been mostly a disappointment as his replacement. The Saints will address the LB situation with more of a committee approach. The Saints’ D-Line ranks 8th, the secondary 3rd, and the special teams are middle of the pack at 17. Courtney Roby is the main KR, along with Rod Harper, who also sees time on punt returns. RB Reggie Bush, WR Lance Moore and DB Tracy Porter are the punt returners. The schedule is tough – duh, they won the Super Bowl – with several tough away games @ SF, ARI, DAL, CIN, BAL and visits from MIN on opening night and PIT after Roethlisberger is back. These are on top of the NFC South home/away schedule. The Saints traditionally have had a hard time with the Bucs, of all teams, and there has never been a repeat winner of the NFC South since the division was formed.

12. DST18 San Diego Chargers (10-116) 121.5 – 20th round
SAN DIEGO – The Chargers have the easiest Strength of Schedule in the NFL this year, with a strong start for all players on offense expected. The same should go for the defense, although the D-Line is ranked 25th and the 16th ranked secondary lost starting CB Antonio Cromartie to the Jets. The real value is the 9th ranked Special Teams on this unit – RB Darren Sproles (nursing a bum shoulder right now) is an excellent return specialist and he does a good job on 3rd downs in the offense as well. They have home games v. ARI, NE, TEN, SF and away games @INDY & CIN. If you count DEN as a quality opponent in their division as well as ARI, that’s 8/16 quality opponents – easily the least on this list.

13. DST13 New England Patriots (22-105) 121 – 17th round
NEW ENGLAND – The Pats are really focused on improving on defense and running the football this preseason. Injuries have slowed some of the progress, with Ty Warren out for the year, CB Leigh Bodden’s knee, and Derrick Burgess’ late report to camp. They’re really high on ILB Brandon Spikes and see big things for him and Pat Chung appears to be in the lead for the starting SS job. Rookie P Zoltan Mesko may be the biggest improvement on special teams. He landed all 5 of his punts inside the 20 vs. the Saints. NE likes to use multiple return men, but here are the main players: WR Brandon Tate, WR Julian Edelman – Maroney, Faulk, Welker, Morris, rookie WR Taylor Price can also see time in addition to guys from the secondary. Their schedule includes home/away vs. MIA, NYJ, then visits from CIN, BAL, MIN, IND, GB and away games @ SD & PIT. 11/16 quality opponents – many of them at home, though.

14. DST14 Indianapolis Colts (24-102) 119.5 – 17-18th round
INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts aren’t a great defense, but they’re not the worst either. They ranked in the middle in all categories last year: 15th D-Line, 12th in the Secondary, and 13th in Special Teams. They’re hopeful about the health and availability of S Bob Sanders (again) this year. He’s looked excellent in camp and appears to be healthy and ready to play. He’s missed so many games throughout his career, though, that it’s hard for me to be as optimistic. If he plays, then there will be an adjustment period since they’re not used to playing with him. The real concern seems to be that they’re hemorrhaging points in the preseason, not playing physical. My sneaking suspicion is that they’re saving it up for the regular season, but it’s cause for concern. The KR/PR duties will be handled by a combination of players: WR Brandon James, DB Ray Fisher, and RB Devin Moore. The schedule for the Colts is no walk in the park: home/away v. TEN, HOU, then home vs. NYG, CIN, SD, DAL and away games @WAS, PHI, NE. 11/16 quality opponents, and possibly a fair amount of them being shootouts for Manning & Co.

15. DST15 Chicago Bears (15-110) 117 – 15th round
CHICAGO – The biggest news for the Bears defensively is the FA addition of Julius Peppers, who for all the talk about his reputation for not giving full effort, has been a model player for Chicago thus far. There is competition all over the defense and DC Rod Marinelli has been pleased with what he’s seen thus far. A valid question about this defense is the pressure applied by the offense’s ability (or inability) to create first downs and stay on the field. If they score as quickly as Mike Martz would like, the defense cannot get a rest, and if they are ineffective, they cannot get a rest. It’s a balancing act that remains to be seen. The real value on this DST may be the Special Teams – ranked #1 last season, even though Devin Hester wasn’t the featured return man. WR Earl Bennett and WR Johnny Knox will share the load along with DB Danieal Manning, with Hester and WR Rashied Davis (if he makes the final roster) available for spot duty.

16. DST16 Carolina Panthers (11-115) 115 – 21st round
CAROLINA – Gone is Julius Peppers, and one can wonder where the pass rush will come from in Carolina this season. Injuries have depleted the D-Line: Louis Leonard is on the PUP list with an injured knee, and Tank Tyler is recovering from a knee injury he suffered in Week 12 last year. The LBs are being reshuffled: Jon Beason is being moved from MLB while Thomas Davis is completing his recovering from a second ACL injury. There have also been a rash of injuries that have slowed the defense’s progress at the start of camp. The strength of this unit is the 4th ranked secondary, though, and they will have to be sharp as 4 of the first 5 teams they play have strong passing offenses. The punt and kick return duties will be handled by any combination of players, as there is open competition for all slots. Here are the possible return men, by position, in no particular order: WRs Kenneth Moore, Dexter Jackson, rookie WRs Armanti Edwards, Trent Guy, RBs Tyrell Sutton, Mike Goodson, CBs Captain Munnerlyn, Brian Witherspoon, and rookie CB Robert McClain. The schedule includes home/away vs. NO, ATL as well as home games vs. CIN, SF, BAL, ART and away games @NYG and PIT. 10/16 quality opponents.

17. DST17 Houston Texans (16-110) 115 – 21st round
HOUSTON – The Texans have built their team around defense and in the game v. the Cowboys over the weekend, they showed their promise. Mario Williams was a force and seems fully recovered from a hip injury that kept him out earlier in the preseason. The LBs and secondary were running to the football, and frankly, they looked more physical than the Cowboys. This unit will miss LB Brian Cushing for the first four games of the regular season due to violation of the league’s banned substances policy. The team appealed the suspension, but it was upheld by the commissioner. It may cost him his Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Stay tuned. The DLine is ranked 9th, the secondary is ranked 11th (although they lost Dunta Robinson), but the special teams is ranked 28th. The Texans were hopeful that WR Trindon Holiday could be their return specialist, but he was lost for the season after suffering ligament damage to his thumb. WR Jacoby Jones may have to resume PR/KR duties, but he’s the #2 WR. WR Andre Davis, CB Brice McCain, and FB Vonta Leach are still in the mix for return duties. The schedule includes home/away vs. IND, TEN, then home games vs. DAL, NYG, SD, BAL and away games @WAS & NYJ. 10/16 quality opponents.

18. DST18 Denver Broncos (5-123) 112.5 – 15th round
DENVER– The biggest disappointment is the loss of OLB Elvis Dumervil, the main pass rusher of the group. They’re hoping that if all goes perfectly with his rehab that he can be back in December – highly optimistic thinking, I’d say. The Broncos couldn’t stop the run last year, so they revamped their D-Line, ranked 16th in the league last year. The secondary is a top ten unit, anchored by Champ Bailey and last year’s addition S Brian Dawkins. The special teams are a strength (ranked 7th), and along with the schedule, are the only reason to draft this DST. Eddie Royal was the main KR/PR last year, but the team is hoping that CB Perrish Cox can assume that role. If he can’t, then Royal can do it again, but with more of a committee approach with WR Kenny McKinley & CB Alphonso Smith. Their schedule isn’t bad, mainly because of their division. Home/away vs. SD, home dates v. IND, NYJ and away @ BAL, SF, ARI.

19. DST19 Miami Dolphins (18-109) 110 – 18-19th round
MIAMI – The biggest addition to the Dolphins defense has to be ILB Karlos Dansby. In fact, the LB group as a whole has experienced the biggest upgrades this offseason, as they are very high on rookie OLB Koa Misi as well. Rookie DL Jared Odrick is fitting in nicely along the D-Line, where there will be a rotation including Charles Grant and Marques Douglas. The Fish have lost DL Phillip Merling and LB AJ Edds for the season and CB Will Allen just got his knee scoped, so they are looking for guys to step in and make plays. The secondary is a real mess, ranked 31st last year, the real strength is on special teams. WR Davone Bess is the main return guy, but now he’s being pushed by WR Brian Hartline and Ryan Grice-Mullen. Other guys are getting a shot to return as well. We’ll let you know if anyone stands out. Miami’s schedule includes home/away vs. NE, NYJ, then home games vs. TEN & PIT, away @ MIN, GB, CIN & BAL. 10/16 quality opponents.

20. DST20 Tennessee Titans (17-110) 107.5 – 18th round
TENNESSEE – The Titans D had real issues in the secondary last season and need CB Cortland Finnegan to be healthy for this unit to rank better than 28th in the league. The strength of the defense is the D-Line, even though they’ve lost Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosh over the past few years, they haven’t skipped a beat and have gotten younger in the process. The Special Teams are a bit of a mess, though, ranked 31st in the league, and they’re trying all kinds of guys on kickoffs and punts – too many to mention here. Keep an eye on the box scores if you’re in a league that rewards kick/punt return yardage to see if one of the offensive skill players emerges, making them more valuable. Their schedule includes home/away vs. IND, HOU, then home dates vs. PIT, PHI, WAS and away games @NYG, DAL, SD, MIA – 11/16 quality opponents.

21. DST21 Washington Redskins (30-74) 106 – 21st round
WASHINGTON – The Redskins could be a sleeper DST in fantasy this year. The offense should be improved and with all the talent that Washington has gathered over the years will be utilized differently under new DC Jim Haslett and the switch to his 3-4 scheme. The story has been Albert Haynesworth and the conditioning test, but really, the story should be how the defense is ahead of the offense in camp. If Haynesworth, Maake Kemoeatu and Adam Carriker can get it together, this would be a strong front against the run, to be sure. The LBs should benefit from a step forward by Brian Orakpo and the potential for a strong year from Andre Carter making the switch from DE. The secondary is bolstered by DeAngelo Hall and LaRon Landry, and London Fletcher is the underrated LB on the defense. This group is deep, overall, in drafted talent. The return guys are WR Devin Thomas on kickoffs and CB Philip Buchanon on punts. Two rookies will get a shot at displacing them: WR Terrence Austin and WR Brandon Banks. Many others are also competing, but these are the main players thus far. Out of all the teams in the NFC East, the Redskins have the easiest schedule – they play home/away vs. the divisional foes, then home dates vs. GB, IND, MIN and a road game vs. TEN (10/16 quality opponents).

22. DST22 Buffalo Bills (13-112) 102.5 – 21st round
BUFFALO – This unit could be a sleeper if the whole team was better, but the offense may put the defense in some tough spots this season. They’re switching to a 3-4 scheme in Buffalo, they lost Aaron Schobel (released and will either retire or sign with the Texans, it seems), but there is optimism that this group could stop the run better than last season. The secondary is top notch, ranked 2nd and the special teams are excellent as well, ranked 3rd. It’s the 21st ranked D-Line that is troubling. OLB Aaron Maybin is a focal point this preseason, taking the next step to being more of a pass rushing force, something that this defense sorely lacked last year. The Bills have some excellent returners: CB Leodis McKelvin, Fred Jackson (when healthy), CJ Spiller, RB Chad Simpson, WR Chad Jackson and last but not least WR Roscoe Parrish, now out of the doghouse to try and gain back his role as the main PR option. The schedule includes home/away vs. the AFC East, then home vs. PIT, road games @ GB, BAL, CIN & MIN will be tough ones. 11/16 quality opponents, with 7 of them on the road…ouch.

23. DST23 Arizona Cardinals (7-119) 102 – 20th round
ARIZONA – The Cardinals lost LB Karlos Dansby (Miami) and DB Antrel Rolle (NYG) in free agency, which will hurt this unit. All the Cardinals picks are signed, now that rookie 1st rounder NT Dan Williams is in camp. They have high hopes for the rookie to stuff the run and play in the middle between Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell. The secondary was torched by the Packers in the playoffs, but they escaped that game with an OT victory. They added Kerry Rhodes (Jets) to help out Antonio Rogers-Cromartie. The special teams are a strength of this unit, ranked #10 in the league. RB LaRod Stephens-Howling is the primary KR option, and WR Andre Roberts is the favorite to win the PR job. Arizona would like Steve Breaston to concentrate on being a starting WR rather than get knocked around on special teams, which is understandable. The schedule is favorable, due to weaker opponents in the division. Only 6 quality opponents, by my count: Away games @ SD, MIN, SF and home games vs. NO, SF and DAL.

24. DST24 Tampa Bay Bucs (9-116) 101.5 – 20th round
TAMPA BAY – The youth movement that is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continues with the drafting of DTs Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, but they otherwise stood pat on a unit that was worst in the NFL stopping the run last season. The D-Line is ranked 31st, the secondary 13th, but the real strength is on special teams, ranked 5th in the league. The return game missed RB Clifton Smith, who was plagued by concussions last season. WR Sammie Stroughter stepped in and did well, until he broke his foot. Then, WR Micheal Spurlock was brought back to finish the year. Smith is the favorite to retain his job, with Stroughter as the backup and starting slot receiver. The schedule is a tale of two cities: easier at home, brutal on the road. In addition to the home/away schedule vs. the NFC South, the Bucs will play @ CIN, ARI, SF, BAL, WAS and host PIT without Roethlisberger.

25. DST25 Kansas City Chiefs (14-111) 98.5 – 21st round
KANSAS CITY – The Chiefs have a tough time stopping the run and generating consistent pressure on the QB. Both of those situations don’t point to a great deal of success on defense. The D-Line is ranked last in the league. However, the secondary is stellar, ranked 8th in the league. The special teams are also very good, ranked 11th. There has been a real effort to shore up the LB group this preseason. With LB Derrick Johnson in Coach Haley’s doghouse, though, it doesn’t make sense how that’s supposed to help. The return roles are pretty clear: rookie CB Javier Arenas is the return specialist on kickoffs and punts. It’s unclear when rookie WR Dexter McCluster will join Arenas on punts, as was the plan when they were both drafted. The Chiefs schedule includes home/away v. SD, DEN, then home games vs. SF, ARI, TEN and an away game @ HOU. A weak overall schedule, but if you can’t stop the run…??? 8/16 quality opponents.

26. DST26 Cleveland Browns (23-104) 97 – waiver wire
CLEVELAND – The Browns added a lot of bodies to the defense in the offseason, looking to improve: Start-worthy additions include S TJ Ward and CB Joe Haden who were added through the draft, they also signed OLB Scott Fujita as a free agent. The Browns are still waiting for DL Shaun Rogers to be healthy enough to participate in camp – they want to move him around on the line to create favorable matchups and improve the pass rush. He’s expected to be ready for Week 1. The team is set with WR Josh Cribbs at KR/PR/RB/QB – he’s the top returner in the league. But who would spell him if he were injured or couldn’t be on the field for some reason? The backups are WR Syndric Steptoe and CB Gerard Lawson, and the Browns are trying out other options in the preseason as well. The schedule is absolutely brutal, mainly because of the home/away games vs. BAL, PIT & CIN, add to those six home games vs. ATL, NE, NYJ, CAR and away @ NO & MIA and that equals 12/16 quality opponents for the Browns.

27. DST27 Atlanta Falcons (26-102) 95.5 – 21st round
ATLANTA – Perhaps you could use the Falcons DST as a bye week replacement if things work out right for them as the season goes on. Right now, they are pretty good against the run, but they got killed with the pass most of last season. They signed Dunta Robinson to help shore up the pass, drafted OLB Sean Weatherspoon and DT Corey Peters to stuff the run, and John Abraham has participated in an offseason program (Bommarito Performance Systems in SoFla) to improve his pass rush and overall performance. If they can add some speed in the return game and all of the above breaks just right, then the Falcons can be much more effective on defense and worth picking up for more than just that matchup vs. CLE, TB or SEA. After injuries to RB Jerious Norwood and WR Harry Douglas last year, WR Eric Weems stepped in to fill the void in the return game. Neither Norwood nor Douglas are healthy enough right now to take the job away from Weems, but rookie CB Dominique Franks is challenging for the job. There are others with return experience who will appear in the preseason, but Franks seems to be the main competition. The schedule doesn’t do the Falcons any favors, save for the tougher non-divisional matchups are at home vs. ARI, SF, CIN, BAL, GB, then road games @ PIT & PHI – add NO & CAR home/away to the list and that’s 11/16 quality opponents for Atlanta this year.

28. DST28 Oakland Raiders (29-77) 92.5 – 21st roundOAKLAND – The Raiders were 7th in pass defense last year, so that is a positive for this group. There’s a new DC in town as well. John Marshall’s system is a read and react defense. Additionally, CB Nnamdi Asomugha has lobbied to play against the #1 WR no matter where he lines up rather than just play on one side. Is he looking to start his own “Asomugha Land” like “Revis Island”? Either way, it’s a positive sign that he’s motivated and wants to make plays. The Raiders were horrible against the run last year, though, so there are wholesale changes afoot in Oakland that are cause for optimism in the East Bay Area. DL Richard Seymour was brought in not just for his ability, but for his leadership, add a bunch of draft picks on defense and this unit has a chance to be improved up the middle. A lot is going to be expected of MLB Rolando McClain to stop the run this year. At best, they are backup DST – at worst they are the 28th ranked DST as I have them. It wouldn’t surprise me, though, to see the Raiders and Broncos switch places on this list by the end of the year. Rock Cartwright and Johnnie Lee Higgins are slated to handle most of the return duties. The Raiders want WR Jacoby Ford to be a return specialist, but injuries are holding him back this preseason. Their schedule features home/away vs. SD, DEN, then home games vs. HOU, MIA, IND and away games @ TEN, ARI, SF, PIT. 11/16 quality opponents.

29. DST29 Seattle Seahawks (28-92) 91 – 21st round
SEATTLE – It’s tough to get excited about the Seahawks defense as a fantasy prospect, but they do play in the NFC West and generally play well vs. the Rams twice a season. There are talented players like Marcus Trufant (who has been resurgent to his 2007 form in camp right now), Aaron Curry, Jordan Babineaux, Lofa Tatupu and rookie Earl Thomas on the roster. We just don’t know what to expect from this unit under the new coaching staff, save for they will struggle. DC Casey Bradley is in his 2nd year in Seattle, so there is continuity of coaching on this side of the football. The special teams unit is in search of a long snapper. After several guys have come through and either got injured or just didn’t stick. They recently picked up Clint Gresham off waivers from the Saints. The return duties have been divided up between rookie WR Golden Tate, RBs Leon Washington, Justin Forsett, CBs Josh Wilson and rookie CB Walter Thurmond. Whoever earns the PR and KR roles will depend on workload and health factors. The schedule has only 7 quality opponents: home vs. SF, ARI, NYG and away @ SF, ARI, SD and NO.

30. DST30 St. Louis Rams (31-69) 87.5 – waiver wire
ST. LOUIS – I have looked at the schedule for at least the past three years to see who is playing against STL in the fantasy playoffs and have targeted players based on those matchups. This year really isn’t any different, save for they might move the ball a little better on offense. Steve Spagnuolo may be a great defensive coach, but he needs more talent. And aside from James Laurinaitis, Oshiomogho Atogwe and Chris Long, the Rams need work on defense. They were also hit with a rash of injuries last week, which doesn’t help, but nothing was of the season-ending variety. The special teams are a strength, with WR Danny Amendola emerging last season as the return specialist. The Rams drafted WR Mardy Gilyard and he will push for time as a return man, as soon as he heals from a wrist injury sustained over the weekend. The schedule, aside from NFC West foes, has 3 quality opponents: WAS & SD at home, NO on the road.

31. DST31 Jacksonville Jaguars (32-64) 86.5 – waiver wire
JACKSONVILLE – The Jags lack a pass rush and there are questions in the secondary. They signed Aaron Kampman to shore up the D-Line, and he’s in the rotation after recovering from ACL surgery. CB Rashean Mathis wants a new contract and he’s missed practices to express his disappointment. The team needs his leadership, though, and so hopefully something will get worked out either before or during the season. Rookie CB Scotty McGee will be the punt returner and rookie RB Deji Karim will be the kickoff returner. I wouldn’t expect too much from the Jags this season. They have home/away vs. IND, TEN, HOU – home games vs. PHI, WAS, and road games @DAL, NYG. Leave them on the waiver wire.

32. DST32 Detroit Lions (22-53) 85 – waiver wire
DETROIT – The Lions are expected to do better this season. They’ve made efforts to improve their D-Line by signing Kyle Vanden Bosch and drafting Ndamukong Suh. If successful, the stronger pass rush should take some pressure off the porous secondary, ranked 32nd in the league. The special teams are improved, although there’s a shakeup in who will be returning punts and kicks this year. WR Derrick Williams was drafted to be the specialist last year, but it never materialized. He’ll get another shot this year, and several players will join in. On kickoffs: RBs Aaron Brown and Jahvid Best, and on punts WR Tim Toone. If Dennis Northcutt and/or Nate Burleson see any work with the return teams in August should be monitored. The schedule is forgiving, though, not as much as the Rams’ schedule because of the strength of divisional opponents. In addition to playing home/away vs. the NFC North, the Lions will host PHI & WAS, and play @ NYG & DAL. 10/16 quality opponents on the schedule…ouch.