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Factoid

Saints Defense

Top pass rush makes for strong fantasy choice

The New Orleans Saints won't be one of the first defenses selected in early fantasy drafts. ADP data shows them being drafted outside the top dozen in sack and takeaway-based systems. People tend to focus on their offense, which looks like an oversight.

Mostly, it appears that their pass rush is being underestimated. From 2014-2016, the Saints had just 30-34 sacks; below average totals. But the last three years have been very different.

Cameron Jordan (pictured) has had at least a dozen sacks in each of those seasons; I think he's generally underrated. And their trade up two years ago to select Marcus Davenport seems to have panned out; he has 10.5 sacks over the last two seasons, though he's missed three games each year.

Collectively, the Saints from 2017-2019 have 142 sacks -- an average of more than 47 per season. That's more sacks over that span than anyone but Pittsburgh.

TEAM SACKS, 2017-2019
Defense'17'18'19Total
Pittsburgh565254162
New Orleans424951142
LA Rams484150139
Jacksonville553747139
Carolina503553138
Minnesota375048135
Washington424646134
Kansas City315245128
Arizona374940126
Tennessee433943125
Philadelphia384443125
Chicago425032124
Green Bay374441122
Baltimore414337121
New England423047119
Denver334440117
Dallas383939116
San Francisco303748115
LA Chargers433830111
Seattle394328110
Cleveland343738109
Tampa Bay223847107
Buffalo273644107
Houston324331106
Detroit354328106
Cincinnati413431106
Indianapolis253841104
Atlanta393728104
NY Jets283935102
NY Giants27303693
Miami30312384
Oakland31133276

The Saints have ranked in the top 10 in takeaways in two of those three seasons. Slight improvement there would make them a more desirable fantasy group. For now, they're a little under the radar. I think they make a lot of sense 7-9 defenses into drafts, with top-5 potential.

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index