Defense rankings vary greatly from year to year, especially in the era of free agency when players frequently switch teams and entire defensive squads are overhauled. The dynamic nature of this fantasy 'position' makes it one of the more difficult player rankings to gauge. This uncertainty means the chance of picking a bust similar to that of picking a quality unit. However, this also means that if you screw up big at the draft and choose a bust, chances are you'll be able to find a serviceable unit on the waiver wire.

As with kicker rankings we suggest that you skip drafting a defense altogether and wait until right before the season begins to pick up a defense (if your league allows this). The logic behind this strategy is that defensive production is so unpredictable that you're just as likely to pick up a solid defense on the waiver wire as you are if you select a defense in the later rounds of your fantasy draft.

Once you accept this premise, you'll see that the pick you would use on defense is better used to select one of the skill positions (QB, RB, or WR). Once the regular season arrives, you can simply drop your lowest-ranked skill player and pick up your top-rated defense from the waiver-wire. Putting off the defensive selection means you'll have more skill players to choose from when making your final roster cut. If one of your skill players blows out their knee in the final pre-season game, you'll have an extra player on your roster.

The only exception to the above strategy is if you're able to land one of the top-tier defenses after the 9th or 10th round. Picking the Eagles, Steelers, Ravens, or Vikings in one of the final few rounds wouldn't be a horrible move, but some team will undoubtedly start a run on defenses in the the 7th or 8th round. Don't be one of those teams.