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Playing the matchups

Seattle defense? Give me whoever's playing Jameis Winston

Didn’t somebody say one time that the best defense is a bad offense? As I try to make sense of the defenses for Week 1, I find myself gravitating not to the elite defenses – Seahawks, Bills, Texans – but to the opponents they’re playing. Most of us seem to agree that Buffalo and Seattle have the best defenses (for fantasy purposes) but I would be willing to bet that the opponents who play against Tampa Bay this year, where Jameis Winston is starting as a rookie, will finish with more sacks, interceptions and touchdowns.

Especially with defenses, we have to look carefully at matchups. Guys like Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Ryan and Roethlisberger simply don’t get sacked often, and they don’t throw many interceptions. The odds get a lot better when your get a youngster or risk-taker behind center on the other side.

Case in point: In the last five years, 24 offenses have ended the year with at least 65 combined sacks and interceptions. (I have those offenses in bold below). But only 18 defenses have hit that threshold.

MOST COMBINED SACKS/INTERCEPTIONS SINCE 2010
YearTeamIntSackTotal
2014Jacksonville Jaguars187189
2013Buffalo Bills235780
2013Carolina Panthers206080
2012Arizona Cardinals215879
2011Arizona Cardinals235477
2010Chicago Bears215677
2013Miami Dolphins195877
2014Washington185876
2014Buffalo Bills195473
2014Tampa Bay Buccaneers205272
2013Seattle Seahawks284472
2013Baltimore Ravens234871
2010Carolina Panthers215071
2013Jacksonville Jaguars215071
2010Green Bay Packers244771
2010Arizona Cardinals195069
2011Chicago Bears204969
2013Cleveland Browns204969
2014Minnesota Vikings185169
2013New York Giants294069
2013New York Jets224769
2010Pittsburgh Steelers214869
2012St. Louis Rams175269
2012Denver Broncos165268
2013Kansas City Chiefs214768
2011New York Giants204868
2012Jacksonville Jaguars175067
2013Arizona Cardinals204767
2013St. Louis Rams145367
2011Minnesota Vikings174966
2012New York Jets194766
2014Tennessee Titans165066
2011Miami Dolphins135265
2011St. Louis Rams105565
2011Washington244165
2010Washington194665
2012Chicago Bears244165
2012Cincinnati Bengals145165
2012Green Bay Packers184765
2013New England Patriots174865
2011Philadelphia Eagles155065
2011San Francisco 49ers234265

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index