Consistency is hard to come by with fantasy defenses. Some leagues are scrapping the position. Many fantasy coaches that use them will wait until the last round to select them. There are few reliable choices.
But consider the Buffalo Bills. At a position with little year to year stability, Sean McDermott's group has been on a heck of a roll.
Sacks and takeaways are the drivers with most fantasy defenses. And the Bills over the last five years have been the league's best defense for takeaways, and one of the better ones -- 11th -- for sacks. Different personnel, different assistant coaches, but McDermott's oversight has been a constant. It's a trend worth investing in.
Tables show defensive performance in takeaways and sacks over the past five years, sorted by average total over that span.
NFL DEFENSES, TAKEAWAYS, 2020-2024 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Defense | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | Avg |
Buffalo | 26 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 29.0 |
Dallas | 23 | 34 | 33 | 26 | 22 | 27.6 |
Pittsburgh | 27 | 22 | 23 | 27 | 33 | 26.4 |
Indianapolis | 25 | 33 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 25.6 |
Minnesota | 22 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 33 | 25.2 |
Tampa Bay | 25 | 29 | 20 | 26 | 18 | 23.6 |
Green Bay | 18 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 31 | 23.4 |
San Francisco | 20 | 20 | 30 | 28 | 17 | 23.0 |
Houston | 9 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 29 | 22.8 |
Cincinnati | 17 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 22.6 |
Miami | 29 | 26 | 14 | 27 | 16 | 22.4 |
New England | 22 | 30 | 30 | 18 | 12 | 22.4 |
New Orleans | 26 | 25 | 14 | 29 | 17 | 22.2 |
Baltimore | 22 | 15 | 25 | 31 | 17 | 22.0 |
Denver | 16 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21.8 |
Chicago | 18 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 24 | 21.8 |
NY Giants | 22 | 22 | 19 | 31 | 15 | 21.8 |
Kansas City | 22 | 29 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 21.6 |
Philadelphia | 19 | 16 | 27 | 18 | 26 | 21.2 |
LA Chargers | 19 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21.2 |
LA Rams | 22 | 25 | 22 | 15 | 20 | 20.8 |
Seattle | 22 | 18 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 20.4 |
Arizona | 21 | 27 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 20.4 |
Detroit | 12 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 20.0 |
Cleveland | 21 | 19 | 20 | 28 | 12 | 20.0 |
Tennessee | 23 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 18 | 19.4 |
Washington | 23 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19.0 |
NY Jets | 19 | 14 | 16 | 27 | 17 | 18.6 |
Atlanta | 21 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18.4 |
Jacksonville | 17 | 9 | 27 | 27 | 9 | 17.8 |
Carolina | 22 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 17 | 16.6 |
Las Vegas | 15 | 15 | 13 | 22 | 13 | 15.6 |
Buffalo hasn't been quite as impressive in terms of pass rush, but they've been a top-12 group twice, and finished below-average only once.
NFL DEFENSES, SACKS, 2020-2024 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Defense | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | Avg |
Pittsburgh | 56 | 55 | 40 | 47 | 40 | 47.6 |
Baltimore | 39 | 34 | 48 | 60 | 54 | 47.0 |
Tampa Bay | 48 | 47 | 45 | 48 | 46 | 46.8 |
Philadelphia | 49 | 29 | 70 | 43 | 41 | 46.4 |
Dallas | 31 | 41 | 54 | 46 | 52 | 44.8 |
LA Rams | 53 | 50 | 38 | 41 | 38 | 44.0 |
Miami | 41 | 48 | 40 | 56 | 35 | 44.0 |
Denver | 42 | 36 | 36 | 42 | 63 | 43.8 |
Seattle | 46 | 34 | 45 | 47 | 45 | 43.4 |
Kansas City | 32 | 31 | 55 | 57 | 39 | 42.8 |
Buffalo | 38 | 42 | 40 | 54 | 39 | 42.6 |
New Orleans | 45 | 46 | 48 | 34 | 39 | 42.4 |
Washington | 47 | 38 | 43 | 39 | 43 | 42.0 |
San Francisco | 30 | 48 | 44 | 48 | 37 | 41.4 |
Cleveland | 38 | 43 | 34 | 49 | 41 | 41.0 |
Minnesota | 23 | 51 | 38 | 43 | 49 | 40.8 |
Indianapolis | 40 | 33 | 44 | 51 | 36 | 40.8 |
Green Bay | 41 | 39 | 34 | 45 | 45 | 40.8 |
Houston | 34 | 32 | 39 | 46 | 49 | 40.0 |
NY Jets | 31 | 33 | 45 | 48 | 43 | 40.0 |
Arizona | 48 | 41 | 36 | 33 | 41 | 39.8 |
LA Chargers | 27 | 35 | 40 | 48 | 46 | 39.2 |
NY Giants | 40 | 34 | 41 | 34 | 45 | 38.8 |
New England | 24 | 36 | 54 | 36 | 28 | 35.6 |
Tennessee | 19 | 43 | 39 | 45 | 32 | 35.6 |
Chicago | 35 | 49 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 34.8 |
Detroit | 24 | 30 | 39 | 41 | 37 | 34.2 |
Cincinnati | 17 | 42 | 30 | 44 | 36 | 33.8 |
Las Vegas | 21 | 35 | 27 | 46 | 38 | 33.4 |
Carolina | 29 | 39 | 35 | 27 | 32 | 32.4 |
Jacksonville | 18 | 32 | 35 | 40 | 34 | 31.8 |
Atlanta | 29 | 18 | 21 | 42 | 31 | 28.2 |
It's early, the NFL Draft is yet to come, and there will be more roster movement. I'm not sure where the Bills will show up on my board. But they're going to be one of the better -- definitely safer -- selections at the position.
--Andy Richardson