It seems that the generally accepted strategy is to wait on a defense and a kicker. However, is there ever a time where it's better to land a stud at either spot? At defense, do you prefer a drafting a committee? What are your thoughts on grabbing waiver wire defenses before they play weak offenses? Or do you simply prefer to go after a top-tier team and essentially plug them in every week regardless of their opponent?
Jason Wood: There are no absolutes. I have a few local leagues that give quite a few points to defenses in order to help make the position more than a throwaway. But in MOST leagues, it really does make sense to wait until the last few rounds. I know everyone feels there are a few elite defenses that 'can't miss' yet every year the shuffle at the defensive position is massive. One of the reasons is because it's entirely possible for a fantasy defense to score well but be a subpar 'real life' NFL defense -- and vice versa. As a result you really are better off grabbing a unit or two in the final three or four rounds and going from there.
It certainly makes sense to use the waiver wire for your defensive lineup, too. You just need to be careful that everyone in your league isn't focused on the same strategy, in which case you'll be scrambling for a unit each week and relying more on luck than skill.
As to the kickers, I generally pick out two or three young kickers on good offenses and wait until the last round or two. Above all else, I keep a mental picture of 12-14 kickers whose situations (job security, team offense) are favorable and then take one from that list -- whoever has the latest bye week.
Kyle Wachtel: A majority of my leagues have the added category of yardage allowed, which makes defenses more valuable. In those, I'm not a big fan of streaming defenses throughout the year. It's more of a strategy that I default to when necessary. Seattle is the clear-cut number one defense and after my starting lineup is filled along with one or two potential starters, they will come into consideration. More frequently, I'm finding myself ending up with St. Louis a couple rounds after Seattle goes off of the board or New England later on. After those defenses, along with Carolina, are off of the board, I would shift my focus to streaming.
The New York Jets are a great option to begin with as they play Oakland at home in Week 1. When streaming, it is recommended to plan at least one week ahead to ensure you're getting the best option each week. This would mean carrying two defenses at once. Miami plays at Buffalo in Week 2, making both defenses viable with a preference to the home team.
In regards to kickers, I prefer to get ahead of the wave and secure a top option, such as Matt Prater or Stephen Gostkowski, that will offer better consistency. This can be achieved in auctions by putting them up to bid at $1 early on. You'll then either get them at a great price or force another owner to pay $2 for their kicker. In a serpentine draft, you can simply look to draft them in the second or third-to-last rounds depending on how deep your league is.
Stephen Holloway: Regarding the kickers, I agree with Kyle in that I would prefer to get a solid kicker on a good offense in the next to last round. I also prefer to get one with a late bye week so if waiver wire moves are limited, you can wait till late in the season to replace them.
I use a similar approach with team defense selections though that pick is usually two or three rounds ahead of picking a kicker. I prefer a defense that attacks and can get sacks, particularly one with a strong secondary. Having a solid return game is a bonus for a potential special team TD or two and again I prefer the late bye weeks to limit waiver wire moves, if restricted.
Maurile Tremblay: Good tip from Stephen about late bye weeks. That's definitely a consideration.
I rarely plan to have a kicker or defense on my roster for more than one week at a time. In any given week, in most leagues, there will be 15+ kickers and 15+ defenses on the waiver wire. I'll probably like at least one of them better for that week than what I've already got. If so, I'll make a switch.
But every once in a while, the defense or kicker I draft ends up being worthy of starting every week. In that case, I won't dump him until his bye week, and the later that is, the better.
Andy Hicks: I would grab a stud defense if it truly warranted the term, as early as the 12th or 13th round, but it would be a rare exception. Seattle is the only one I can think of this year that would justify such a move. Otherwise wait until the last 2 rounds. By then grab the best kicker in the 2nd last round and the best available defense in the last or vice versa, but I prefer the kicker first. If the quality of defenses on the waiver wire is usually less than 6 teams you may have to grab a 2nd one. Look at Chase Stuart's excellent DTBC article for a guide on how to get a good combo.
If your waiver wire has 8 or more defences sitting there every week, look ahead by 2 or 3 weeks and as the season plays out find out the awful offenses and plan accordingly. In preparation for the fantasy playoffs look after week 8. The majority of owners only look at the upcoming week. Be one step ahead and look further.
Jeff Pasquino: Kickers and defenses are often afterthoughts in drafts, but points are points. Scoring systems really matter, for items such as negatives (missed field goals or extra points) or bonuses for long kicks. Defenses usually include special teams, and I would really look at schedules for turnover prone quarterbacks (especially rookies) or just teams that are going to throw a lot, which could lead to more sacks and interceptions. I also really like to consider teams with a good kick returner, as that can add a few touchdowns which can give me an unexpected boost in a given week.
As far as when to pick kickers and defenses, quite often many teams wait until the last round, but I have found that if I go just one round earlier I usually have a much better shot at getting the players I want and not have to hope that they fall to me. I would only wait on defense if I planned on picking between two or more defenses that are not usually taken in a 20 round draft.
Bye weeks is another fun item to look at, as i do like to get a kicker with a later bye. If I have a short bench, I want my kicker and defense's byes not to much, and quite possibly neither of them to match another one-starter position like QB or TE. That keeps me from needing to go more than once to the waiver wire in a given week.
In Best Ball or exceptionally deep leagues, two or more kickers and defenses can be taken. That changes things, as you do need two here, and the free agent pool can be shallow. This is where Chase Stuart's DTBC can really come in handy. I would get my second kicker first though unless there is someone way off the radar, as solid kickers are not in abundance.
One last point about kickers - a kicker that is on the same team as your top quarterback (or maybe even running back) can help keep your team a bit more consistent. For example, if the Lions are moving the ball well against the Packers but struggling in the Red Zone, a lack of touchdown passes for Matthew Stafford might be eased if you also have Detroit's kicker, Nate Freese.
Ryan Hester: It may be a radical thought, but I’m someone who thinks that if you’re not in an IDP league, there shouldn’t be defenses at all. I also think that there should be no kickers in any league. Last year, I played in one of our FBG Staff Dynasty Leagues. It had no kickers, and I loved it.
I just convinced the commissioner of my favorite “home” league to eliminate the kickers for another flex. The fact that he’s my younger brother made this an easy sell, and the rest of the league seems to enjoy the idea. Picking that fifth receiver or third running back takes much more skill that throwing a kicker into your lineup. This game is impacted enough by luck. Let's infuse some more skill.
But if you must play a kicker and a defense, I recommend streaming both. Use Fantasy Points Against data to select good waiver wire options. No defense is worth taking in the 10th or 11th round – which is where the top-ranked units go – simply due to the unpredictability of the position. Fantasy defenses are very matchup-driven, so get a unit facing a weak offense, playing in a game with a low over/under as set by Vegas, and try to grab a home team that’s favored. Match up as many of those qualifiers as you can, and that’s your defense for the week.
Mark Wimer: I prefer to take one of the better defenses in the league and plug them in each week - one of the units that I have in my top five or so.
I determine this defensive team ranking by assigning points to each defense in the following categories based on the previous year's results: Average Points Against/Points Allowed rank (the points in this category are doubled); Interceptions rank; Sacks generated rank; and Total Yards Against rank. A number 1 ranking in any of the four categories is worth 32 points, while a 32nd ranking is worth one point. Since I weight average points against more heavily (doubling points in that category), the theoretical maximum of this system is 160 points, with a theoretical minimum of 5.
Anyway, over the last 20+ years I've tweaked the formula in various ways, but the above is what I've settled on to get a good overall picture of a team D and their big play capability/lack thereof. You'll note that TDs scored by defensive teams is NOT included - I've found that it is too variable and that TDs scored don't correlate much with how good a defense is as a unit. Defensive returns often wind up stalling in the red zone, and then the offense gets the credit for a score the D set up.
Once I have my list of the top ten units based on last year's numbers, I then tweak the rankings to reflect any major defections via free agency; key defensive players who are suspended; and any relevant major players who are injured. This usually gives me a list of five to six defenses I am comfortable have a reasonable chance to be in the top 1/3 of the fantasy rankings by the year's end.
Then, I wait until two or three defensive teams have come off the board, and pick one off my list to go for in the following round. More often than not, I've got a reliable unit to plug in from week to week, though the injury bug can always strike and decimate a good unit. Don't be shy about dumping an under-performing defensive team as there are usually decent options on the waiver wire.
Regarding kickers - get a reliable guy (85+% field goal conversions, near 100% on extra points) who isn't nursing a leg or groin injury, and who has a good range - I also tend to favor home-dome kickers over outdoor weather kickers as you know the dome guys will have perfect, non-windy conditions to kick in at least eight games a year (and usually more like 10-12). One exception to home-dome is Denver - as Mike Herman has shown, kickers in Denver tend to excel due to the high elevation of Mile High Stadium/the thin air up there. So Matt Prater is a guy I'll go for if he's still on the board when I choose a kicker.