Everyone and their brother seems to share their fantasy football advice this time of year, and since I'm in leagues with both Brien and Jeremy, I don't want to tip my hand too much. However, I do want to be on the forefront of predicting who will be the top scoring D/ST this coming season. It's not the Pats, Ravens, Bears, Chargers or Raiders, the usual suspects in all the soon-to-be-out-of-date magazines ranking units.
The New Orleans Saints will be rolling in D/ST points this season. Their division contains formidable QBs like Joey Harrington, Chris Redman, David Carr, Jake Delhomme, and the five or six Buccanneer QBs. Add in dates against Jacksonville, Houston, Philly (who knows who will still be standing in Week 16) and Chicago, and the Saints are poised to bring down plenty of picks. Since the Saints have the potential to be nursing plenty of 21-point leads this season, they should be the recipients of plenty of trash time sacks and picks as well.
blalahhblblaThis is not a scene from the impending Michael Vick prison rape movie
Pictures of Michael Vick at a dogfight
The Saints submitted a middle of the road 38 sacks last year, but that number should only go up given the woes of their NFC South division mates. They ranked third from last with only 11 INTs last season and fourth from last with only 8 recovered fumbles, but INTs and FRs are susceptible to odd bounces and QB pressure. Those numbers, too, should go up from last year's deceptive -4 turnover ratio. Much like the Redskins (whose D/ST will continue to suck this year), the Saints had very low giveaway and takeaway numbers, averaging only 1.19 takes/game and 1.44 gives/game. (Compare Ravens at 2.5 takes/game and 1.44 gives/game).
Special teams are difficult to predict, but you could do worse than having Michael "Beer Man" Lewis, Reggie Bush, Terrance Copper, and NFL Europe/TB 3DRB stud Aaron Stecker returning kicks and punts.
Considering you'll likely be able to take the Saints D/ST after you've filled all other starting positions and grabbed a backup QB and RB, you are going to get a real bargain taking the unit in the 8th to 10th rounds. Thank me later. I'll provide an address to mail checks in December.
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