FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT

There was little reason to see last year’s outburst coming, as the Cardinals’ league-leading nine defensive touchdows were more than twice as many as the previous two seasons combined. The team’s biggest big-play defender, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, was traded to Philadelphia for quarterback Kevin Kolb, but in top pick Patrick Peterson and free agent signee Richard Marshall the Cards did well in restocking the playmaking pantry. Last year was flukish, yes, but don’t be surprised if Arizona’s D is still a fringe fantasy helper this season as well.

Bringing John Abraham (fifth in the NFL in sacks) off one edge and free agent jewel Ray Edwards off the other only means more opportunities for an Atlanta secondary that ranked fourth in interceptions last season, paced by Brent Grimes and William Moore--both of whom ranked in the top 10 in picks. If your league’s scoring system includes return TDs, Eric Weems gives the Falcons’ D/ST a boost.

No longer are the Ravens a no-brainer fantasy defense; despite a cache of Pro Bowlers that still includes Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Ed Reed they finished 29th in sacks and 28th in fumble recoveries last year. Despite missing six games Reed led the NFL with 8 picks; as long as he’s on the field, Baltimore remains a fantasy threat.

Replacing Paul Posluszny with Nick Barnett isn’t exactly a wash, but if Barnett can stay healthy it will certainly lessen the sting. Buffalo used its first two draft picks to address the defense; third overall selection Marcell Dareus will team with Pro Bowler Kyle Williams to upgrade the line, while second-rounder Aaron Williams joins a secondary whose play dropped off dramatically last season as they finished with just 11 interceptions.

Carolina did a better job of keeping its own talent around this offseason, re- signing Charles Johnson, Thomas Davis, and Pro Bowler Jon Beason. Charles Godfrey cracked the top 10 in INTs, but the one Panther to escape, Richard Marshall, will be missed.

Da Bears have always been known for their defense, and a lineup stocked with Pro Bowlers--Urlacher, Briggs, Peppers--rarely disappoints. The return game lost the underappreciated Danieal Manning to free agency but still boasts Devin Hester, who single-handedly jumps Chicago’s fantasy ranking if your league counts his special teams TDs.

The Bengals raided Bay Area rosters in hopes of replacing corner Jonathan Joseph and end Antwan Odom, who missed 16 games over the past two seasons. Heading east are linebackers Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard and corner Nate Clements to join pass rusher Carlos Dunlap and head case Pacman Jones. Maybe Marvin Lewis can coach these guys up.

Much like its offense, the Browns’ D is thin on playmakers. Cornerback Joe Haden finished fifth in the league in INTs, and the hope is that first-round pick Phil Taylor and second-rounder Jabaal Sheard create some havoc up front. Josh Cribbs is one of the more dynamic return men in the NFL and gives Cleveland’s D/ST a bump in leagues that include special teams touchdowns.

Wade Phillips is out and Rob Ryan in as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator; and you thought they brought pressure before! DeMarcus Ware returns to defend his sacks crown, part of the pressure that produced the third-most defensive touchdowns in the league last year. There are still questions in the secondary, but expect Ryan to throw enough at opposing defenses for the ‘Boys to be a solid fantasy option again this season. Don’t worry about Dez Bryant being less involved in the return game; Bryan McCann and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah are underrated in that regard.

It can’t get much worse than last season for the Broncos, who lost pass rusher Elvis Dumervil for the entire season and ranked at or near the bottom of the league in sacks, fumble recoveries, and interceptions. Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins aren’t getting any younger, but at least Dawkins has second-round pick Raheem Moore to train in. Second overall selection Von Miller will be asked to contribute immediately. There’s enough individual talent in this unit to put last season’s debacle in the rear view mirror, but they’re a deep, deep fantasy sleeper at best.

After drafting Ndamukong Suh last year and Nick Fairley in 2011, the Lions’ front is formidable. Free agency upgraded their linebacking corps, and adding Eric Wright to a secondary that already includes Alphonso Smith (ninth in the league in INTs last year) helps as well. There’s plenty of playmaking talent here, making the Lions’ defense almost as much of a sexy fantasy sleeper as their offense.

The defending Super Bowl champs finished second in both sacks and INTs last season, paced by top-five performers (Clay Mathews and Tramon Williams) in each category. Losing Cullen Jenkins and Nick Barnett takes a bite, but B.J. Ryan is a budding star and Charles Woodson is still a threat to take any pick all the way back. If your league’s scoring system includes special teams touchdowns, rookie Randall Cobb threatens to be a difference-maker.

Not only did Houston bring in Wade Phillips to coach up the defense, they addressed the worst secondary in football by adding Jonathan Joseph and Danieal Manning via free agency and Brandon Harris in the draft. Pass rushing rookies J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed should help, as will a full season from former Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing. However, it may be too soon to expect Phillips to mold this unit into a fantasy contributor.

The once-proud Colts pass rush produced just 30 sacks last season—21 of them from the dynamic duo of Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. Indy gave up on oft-injured Bob Sanders, but Melvin Bullitt was a playmaker in his own right in the Colts’ secondary. Speedy but undersized linebacker Ernie Sims is a perfect fit for this defense, and if ex-Bear Tommie Harris plays angry the Colts could be back to causing problems for opponents forced to play catch-up to Peyton Manning’s offense.

The Jags ranked 30th in sacks, 32nd in fumble recoveries, and mustered just one defensive touchdown. They freshened the talent pool with Paul Posluszny, Clint Session, and Dawan Landry, but giving up on massive first-round bust Derrick Harvey underscores how bad this pass rush is. No pressure means no turnovers, and no turnovers means no defensive touchdowns.

Almost half of the Chiefs’ starting defense consists of their former first-round selections, paced by Pro Bowler Eric Berry and pass rusher Tamba Hali, who was second in the NFL in sacks last season. Derrick Johnson stepped up his play last season; now KC needs Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey to do the same. The return game features the dynamic one-two punch of Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas, if your league’s scoring system includes special teams with its defenses.

The Dolphins finished in the bottom three in the league in fumble recoveries, interceptions, and defensive touchdowns. Miami brought back Jason Taylor to help Pro Bowler Cameron Wake (third in the NFL in sacks) apply pressure, and if last year’s top pick Jared Odrick can return from the broken foot that cut short his rookie campaign there’s hope the Phins can turn the defensive tides.

Despite the defection of Ray Edwards to Atlanta, the Vikings defense still has enough playmakers to make some fantasy noise. Jared Allen still cracked the top 10 in sacks in what was for him a down year, but if the StarCaps case finally catches up to Kevin Williams and costs him four games he’ll be back to battling double teams. Linebackers E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway are underrated, but the secondary needs to stay healthy around Antoine Winfield. Expect new DC Fred Pagac to blitz more than his predecessor, new Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier.

The Pats ranked second in defensive touchdowns and first in interceptions en route to leading all fantasy defenses a year ago with 160 points. The unit returns Pro Bowl performers Devin McCourty (second in the NFL in INTs), Jerod Mayo, Brandon Merriweather and Vince Wilfork; add to that mix Albert Haynesworth, the latest malcontent Bill Belichick will surely find a way to motivate. Julian Edelman brings a bonus element in leagues where kick return scores count as well--not that the Patriots need much assistance.

The Saints’ defense took a dramatic step backwards fantasy-wise, primarily because they dropped from 26 picks in 2009 to nine last season. The defensive line lost the underrated Remi Ayodele but added Aubrayo Franklin; anything they get from mercurial Shaun Rogers would be a bonus. Will Smith could be facing a four-game suspension to start the season, but Cameron Jordan will bring pressure off the other side. Jonathan Vilma still patrols the middle, and a healthy Malcolm Jenkins should turn the INT tide back in New Orleans’ favor.

Holding on to Osi Umenyiora (at least for the time being) should keep the G-Men at or near the top of the sacks heap; Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Jason Pierre-Paul assist in that regard as well. That much pressure not only paced the Giants to fifth in the league in sacks, it also helped them lead the NFL in fumble recoveries. And yet somehow the Giants failed to score a defensive touchdown last year; perhaps adding Prince Amukamara and Marvin Austin via the draft will turn those tides.

Rex Ryan’s wrecking crew ranked second in fumble recoveries and fifth in defensive touchdowns, and essentially the same unit that led the Jets to back- to-back AFC title games returns for another run. Darrell Revis shuts down one half of the field, but that doesn’t necessarily lead to much in the way of fantasy scoring--though it did set the table for backup corner Dwight Lowery to score two defensive TDs. And that, in a nutshell, is the Jets’ fantasy defense: no standout performers, but everybody gets the job done.

The Raiders’ defense was more than just Nnamdi Asomugha last year, though his blanket coverage certainly helped the likes of Kamerion Wimbley, Matt Shaughnessy, and Tommy Kelly combine for 22.5 sacks. Richard Seymour and Michael Huff are back, but the Silver & Black will definitely have a different defensive feel with Chris Johnson and Stanford Routt manning the corners.

The Philly defense struggled in its first season without legendary defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, and with last year’s first-round pick Brandon Graham still recovering from microfracture surgery things weren’t exactly looking up. Then the lockout ended, and in short order the Eagles added Cullen Jenkins and Pro Bowler Jason Babin to their defensive line and Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to a secondary that finished third in the league in INTs last season. This is a defense chock full of playmakers; add to that special teams coach Bobby April and DeSean Jackson in the return game and you have the makings of an elite fantasy DST unit.

The Steel Curtain was up to its old tricks once again, leading the NFL in sacks and finishing in the top five in both interceptions and fumble recoveries. While Pittsburgh’s defense is a total team effort that consistently plugs in players who succeed, the tone is set by two of the league’s premier defenders: James Harrison, who rushes the passer as well as he runs his mouth; and Troy Polamalu, the playmaking safety who ranked second in the league in interceptions and first in hair. The Steelers defense is a perennial fantasy helper, and this season will be no different.

San Diego brought back Eric Weddle in the secondary, added Bob Sanders via free agency, and overhauled their linebacking corps by signing Travis LaBoy and Takeo Spikes. Oh, and they spent their first three draft picks on the defensive side of the ball as well. Shaun Phillips heads up a pass rush that tied for second in the NFL in sacks, but turnover creation was a problem that the influx of fresh faces should address.

At least the Niners kept Justin Smith and Patrick Willis around; everybody else feels like a new face after San Fran bid adieu to Aubrayo Franklin, Manny Lawson, Travis LaBoy, Nate Clements, and Takeo Spikes. Top pick Aldon Smith will help Justin pressure the passer, while Donte Whitner, Madieu Williams, and Carl Rogers turn over the secondary.

The Seahawks ranked in the middle of the pack or worse in sacks, picks, and fumble recoveries; as a result, they mustered only two defensive scores and a whole lot of apathy from the fantasy community. Lofa Tatupa, whose game had dropped off considerably the past few seasons, was let go; it’s time for 2009 first-round pick Aaron Curry to step up. Earl Thomas cracked the top 10 in INTs as a rookie and is a star in the making. Leon Washington’s prowess in the return game elevates the Seahawks into fantasy consideration in leagues where special teams are lumped in with the defense.

The Rams failed to score a defensive touchdown last season, and a mix of bargain-basement free agents--Quintin Mikell, Al Harris, Zac Diles, Brady Brady Poppinga--offers little in the way of an upgrade. Robert Quinn gives St. Louis bookend first round picks rushing the passer; opposite him, Chris Long almost doubled his career sack total and is starting to live up to his draft pick. Safety O.J. Atogwe will be missed.

The Bucs lost the heart and soul of their defense--linebacker Barrett Ruud--to free agency. But their defensive line could start their first- and second-round picks from each of the past two drafts as they look to improve on their next-to- last ranking in sacks. The secondary can be full of talented playmakers, especially if Aqib Talib avoids suspension from his off-the-field missteps and Tanard Jackson is reinstated from the one-year suspension he received last September.

With Pro Bowler Jason Babin leaving via free agency, the Titans will need last year’s top pick Derrick Morgan to pick up the pass rushing slack. Barrett Ruud upgrades the middle of the defense, and the secondary is still full of playmakers like Michael Griffin, Cortland Finnegan, and Chris Hope. If your scoring system counts returns, Marc Mariani is among the best in the league.

Despite talent such as London Fletcher, Brian Orakpo, and DeAngelo Hall (fifth in the NFL in INTs), the Redskins did little of note, at least fantasy-wise, last season. Albert Haynesworth is gone, which may actually be a positive in DC, and the Redskins revamped their line via free agency (Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen) and the draft (Ryan Kerrigan, Jarvis Jenkins). The addition of Josh Wilson and O.J. Atogwe to the secondary won’t hurt, either, but the Redskins always seem to go down this road: loads of individual talent, minimal results to show for it.