Sleeper Watch

Team defenses are usually a draft day after thought. Although no one would tell you to spend an early round draft pick on the top ranked Chicago Bears, team defense can be the difference between winning and losing your league title. The ability to wait until the last few rounds of a draft and still pick up a high scoring team defense can be priceless.

Using Yahoo’s default defensive scoring, the difference between the top twelve team defenses last year was nearly 70 points. (Chicago Bears 200 points and the Cincinnati Bengals 134 points). Looking at this on a weekly basis, the difference between drafting the top ranked defense and getting the worst starting fantasy defense is the equivalent of giving up over four points a week! Using the same scoring system, the Seattle Seahawks scored a fourth best 162 points with a rookie middle linebacker, an injury plagued defensive backfield, and boasted a league leading 50 sacks.

Night club connoisseur Ken Hamlin returns to the starting lineup filling the hole at free safety, while another year under the belt of rookie sensation Lofa Tatupu helps the Seahawks plug up the middle. The addition of outside linebacker Julian Peterson, who played for the San Francisco 49ers last year, adds speed to the run defense. The addition of first round pick Kelly Jennings gives the Seahawks the needed depth at defensive back to withstand a full season.

While other owners are using those middle round picks on the likes of the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just remember the Seattle Seahawks finished ahead of each of those teams last year.

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