Fantasy football overvalued players: Defensive teams/special teams

September 10, 2010 @ 10:40:00

By Cory J. Bonini and Tim Heaney
Edited by KFFL Staff

KFFL.com's analysis of fantasy football overvalued players for the 2010 season will be updated weekly throughout the offseason. We have separated our busts and overvalued players this year, so be sure not to confuse the two.

Busts are also overvalued players in some cases, but the latter usually has a hype machine inflating his perceived value. We have a keen eye for these players and have a strong track record of identifying them. No one likes doing the dirty work, so let KFFL.com do it for you! Be sure to check for weekly updates.

Note: All average draft position (ADP) figures are based on 12-team, non-PPR leagues unless specified otherwise.

Defensive team/special teams

Minnesota Vikings | ADP: 11th round

The Vikings led the NFL in sacks last year with 48, but that is about the end of their fantasy strengths. They finished tied multi-way for 26th in the league in interceptions (11) and their 10 fumble recoveries ranked just 24th (multi-way tie). They recorded just one defensive touchdowns, and anything you get in the return game (two scores) can be considered a bonus.

Star defensive tackle Pat Williams should be safe from suspension, but the 317-pound lineman turns 38 in October. Middle linebacker E.J. Henderson is coming off a severe leg fracture. The Vikings' starting cornerbacks, Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin (knee), are both coming off major injuries - the latter isn't close to coming off the Phyiscally Unable to Perform list. The Vikings drafted cornerback Chris Cook and signed another in veteran Lito Sheppard, whose play has tailed off in a big way.

Fantasy value: Drafting the Vikings as high as their ADP is foolish. You're better off waiting a few rounds and snagging a unit with fewer question marks. Minnesota should not be the second defense drafted. 

Pittsburgh Steelers | ADP: 12th round

The good: Pittsburgh ranked second in the league in sacks (47). The bad: They fell to 25th in interceptions (12) and tied multi-way for 17th in fumble recoveries (10). They will receive a boost with a healthy Troy Polamalu (knee) at strong stafety, but after a career-threatening ligament tear in 2009, how good will he be in '10?

In standard fantasy scoring, the Steelers ranked a pathetic 24th, a long way from their 2008 10th-place finish. How about 2007? Tied for 22nd. The year before? A healthy 13th. You get the point.

Fantasy value: The Steelers' defense is awesome in real football, but virtual owners perennially overvalue this group. They are being drafted as the seventh defense right now. Pittsburgh is very good at limiting opponents' yardage and touchdowns, but they don't rack up enough of the key counting stats to make them a superpower unit for fantasy teams, contrary to popular belief.

Dallas Cowboys | ADP: 13th round

You'll get sacks; Dallas ranked seventh in the NFL last year with 42 QB sandwiches. Elsewhere? Not so promising: tied for 26th in interceptions (11) and tied for 17th in fumble recoveries (10) while serving as an uninspiring option in standard scoring leagues. Wade Phillips' defense can bring it, but they can't create turnovers - in part thanks to their boring safety play. You're relying almost solely on quarterback pressure.

Dallas might again succeed in suppressing opponent points scored (second fewest last season), but takeaways separate great fantasy defenses from the mediocre. Sure, sacks are a stable source of points each week, but on a relative scale, you should rather take a more turnover-friendly defense at this price.

Fantasy value: Because of their sacks, the Cowboys could still be a useful No. 1 defense at times, but the Cowboys' D is tame in scoring fantasy points when compared to cheaper units. The Star blinds many drafters. Don't overpay for Big D's D if you can wait on other options while building up elsewhere.

Also see:

Sleepers: QB | RB | WR | TE | PK | DT
Busts: QB | RB | WR | TE | PK | DT
Undervalued players: QB | RB | WR | TE | PK | DT
Overvalued players: QB | RB | WR | TE | PK | DT

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

---

1

Jack Douglas, at 07:40 on 07/01/10, says: I found this article to be excellent. My problem with drafting defenses like Pittsburgh is that they tend to get drafted by someone year after year ahead of their real fantasy value, largely because of their reputation. When you think of the Steelers, you usually think defense first and I am afraid that influences some fantasy owners to cover them ahead of their actual fantasy value. As it is, you can afford to wait on defenses and get one in the middle of the draft, then go with the flow during the season and pick up a good defense later.

Report!

---

2

Jack Douglas, at 07:47 on 07/01/10, says: Just to expand a little. Every year, some of the top defenses crater (think of the New York Giants in 2009) and some of the lesser defenses really come on early in the season. It will happen this year, too. This might be a good year to grab Miami or Indy and then add a second defense after a few weeks when one comes on strong. It is almost guaranteed to happen.

Report!

---

3

Bob S., at 07:45 on 08/07/10, says: I agree with Jack D on the Indy Def/ST. This is an extremely underrated unit. In previous seasons it lacked depth. This has been addressed during the offseason with a draft that heavily focused on defense (Hughes, Angerer, Mathews, and Connor). Also, the Colts return game should be much improved this season because it became a point of emphasis in the offseason (Ray Fisher and Brandon James). Lastly, this unit comes into camp pretty much healthy for the first time in years. One final point, I suspect Clint Session will finally get some recognition (he has been one of the most underrated talents in the NFL). This unit will surprise and has the ability to finish the year as a top 10 fantasy DST.

Report!

---

4

Bob S., at 07:59 on 08/07/10, says: Not mentioning 3rd round draft pick Kevin Thomas in the list of defensive players drafted this year was not an oversight. I left him off the list because of his season ending injury during camp.

Report!

---

5

Justin, at 09:50 on 08/12/10, says: Could not disagree more with this absurd IND defense talk. Why are the Jets defense so dominant? They run the ball over and over and over, eating up clock in chunks. IND does nothing but score and give the other team another chance to toss up yardage and points. A team that finished so high for so long is unable to use the draft for superstars. They should trade up more.

Report!

---

6

Brad C, at 06:15 on 08/27/10, says: You guys are all idiots. The Panthers have one of the most underrated defenses. Even without Peppers they will stomp everybody.

Report!

Comments 1 - 6 of 6 1

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Cory J. Bonini

Cory J. Bonini is a senior editor at KFFL. In late 2002, Bonini joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst. He vaulted himself into one of the industry's leading fantasy analysts.

Bonini has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, he has been featured in print, on the radio and is also a published writer on scores of sites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors.

Follow him on Twitter @CoryKFFL

See More Articles by Author

Tim Heaney

Since the Boston University alum joined KFFL in 2006, his work has been featured by USA Today/Sports Weekly and Yahoo! Sports, among numerous publications.

Tim competes in Tout Wars and LABR and appears every Wednesday on 1570 AM WNST in Baltimore, as well as frequently on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio.

Follow him on Twitter.

See More Articles by Author

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

Fantasy football: Overvalued and bust players (09/01)
Fantasy football overvalued players: Place kickers (09/10)
Fantasy football overvalued players: Defensive teams/special teams (09/10)
Fantasy football overvalued players: Quarterbacks (09/09)
Fantasy football overvalued players: Tight ends (09/09)
Fantasy football overvalued players: Wide receivers (09/08)
Fantasy football overvalued players: Running backs (09/07)