The top-ranked fantasy defenses may change from year to year, but that isn't to say there's not some reliability. Over the last three seasons, in fact, the teams who have had the best fantasy defenses aren't quite as surprising as you might think.
Bears, Patriots, Seahawks -- those are the three top fantasy defenses over the past three years (using a scoring system that awards 1 point for sacks, 2 points for turnovers, and 6 points for all defensive and special teams touchdowns). Also showing up in the top 10: Cincinnati, Denver, San Francisco, Green Bay, St. Louis.
People will say that choosing a fantasy defense is all about luck, but I disagree. Sure there are surprise teams who sneak in to the top units or disappoint, but there is some year to year consistency.
Top fantasy defenses from the last three seasons, organized by their average over that time, are presented below.
| TOP FANTASY DEFENSES, 2011-2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Avg |
| Chicago | 9.4 | 11.8 | 8.1 | 9.8 |
| New England | 8.3 | 10.2 | 7.8 | 8.7 |
| Seattle | 7.9 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| Cincinnati | 7.2 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 8.3 |
| Denver | 6.7 | 9.5 | 7.7 | 8.0 |
| San Francisco | 8.6 | 6.8 | 8.1 | 7.8 |
| Buffalo | 8.4 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 7.8 |
| Arizona | 6.5 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| Green Bay | 9.2 | 7.3 | 6.6 | 7.7 |
| St. Louis | 5.7 | 7.9 | 9.3 | 7.6 |
| Baltimore | 8.1 | 7.3 | 6.6 | 7.4 |
| NY Giants | 7.5 | 7.6 | 6.9 | 7.3 |
| Tennessee | 6.1 | 8.9 | 6.5 | 7.2 |
| Kansas City | 5.8 | 3.8 | 11.6 | 7.1 |
| Carolina | 5.6 | 6.6 | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| Detroit | 9.6 | 4.4 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| Minnesota | 6.5 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| Washington | 5.6 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 6.8 |
| NY Jets | 7.9 | 6.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 |
| San Diego | 5.8 | 9.4 | 4.7 | 6.6 |
| Tampa Bay | 6.1 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 6.6 |
| Dallas | 6.0 | 5.6 | 7.9 | 6.5 |
| Houston | 6.9 | 8.4 | 4.3 | 6.5 |
| Atlanta | 6.8 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| Cleveland | 4.9 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 6.3 |
| Philadelphia | 7.8 | 3.9 | 7.2 | 6.3 |
| Indianapolis | 5.1 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 6.1 |
| New Orleans | 5.6 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 6.0 |
| Miami | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 6.0 |
| Jacksonville | 6.9 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| Oakland | 6.6 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 5.7 |
| Pittsburgh | 5.1 | 5.2 | 6.3 | 5.5 |
--Andy Richardson