The old saying “defense wins championships” doesn’t exactly apply to the world of fantasy football. With that being said, there is an advantage to be gained if you can grab one of the more productive defenses/special teams. As we continue our positional rankings, let’s break down our top-three projected squads, with a little twist thrown in since each of the top three teams are projected to finish within two total fantasy points of each other. Let’s get into some DST fantasy football rankings.
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Awesemo’s Top-Three DSTs | 2020 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers had a potent running attack and received strong quarterback play from Jimmy Garoppolo last season, but their defense was one of the main reasons why they made it to the Super Bowl. They only allowed 281.8 total yards per game, which was the second fewest in the league. They also generated 27 total takeaways, which was the sixth-best mark. To put the icing on the cake, their 48 sacks were tied for the fifth-highest mark.
With Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Richard Sherman and Dee Ford all back in the fold, the 49ers are once again set up to thrive on the defensive side of the ball. They are projected to score 114.1 fantasy points for the season and could get off to a hot start with three of their first five games coming against the Jets, Giants and Dolphins. They are also projected to average 7.44 fantasy points per game during the fantasy playoffs in Weeks 15 and 16, which is our fifth-highest-ranked projection for that time frame. The 49ers are #1 in Awesemo’s 2020 DST Fantasy Football Rankings.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
When Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season after just two games, the Steelers knew that they would have to rely on their running game and defense if they were going to stay competitive in games. They made a trade for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who would go on to help them become one of the best defenses in the league. They allowed the fifth-fewest total yards per game, which included the third-fewest passing yards per game. With T.J. Watt leading their pass rush, they also led the league with 54 sacks. Oh yeah, and they led the league with 38 total turnovers. Need I say more?
The nucleus of the Steelers’ defense is back for 2020 and the unit could be even better with youngsters Devin Bush and Terrell Edmunds continuing to grow. The Steelers are projected to score 113.4 total fantasy points this season and average 7.28 fantasy points across Weeks 15 and 16. Those matchups against the Bengals (who have a rookie quarterback) and the Colts (who have turnover-prone Philip Rivers) could end up being key. The Steelers are #2 in Awesemo’s 2020 DST Fantasy Football Rankings.
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3. Kansas City Chiefs
The team known for Patrick Mahomes and their prolific offense is ranked inside the top three? That’s right, they are, with a projected 115.2 fantasy points, which is actually our highest projection for the season of any team. Despite teams having to throw a lot against them, the Chiefs’ defense was middle of the pack in terms of yards allowed per game (349.6) last season. They mostly did a good job of preventing the yards from turning into touchdowns considering that their average of 19.3 points allowed per game was the seventh fewest in the league. Adding to their appeal is that they ranked 11th in sacks and 13th in total takeaways, which were aided by them facing so many additional passing plays as teams tried to keep pace with their offense.
The reason why the Chiefs come in third despite their top overall projection is their matchups in the fantasy playoffs. They face the Saints in New Orleans in Week 15, which is certainly less than ideal. They do get to play at home in Week 16, but it’s a matchup against Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the Falcons. Once you get to the fantasy playoffs, avoiding the Chiefs might actually be advisable. You could stream a team like the Browns, who will face two turnover-prone offenses in the Jets and Giants during that time frame. The Chiefs are #3 in Awesemo’s 2020 DST Fantasy Football Rankings.
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