Discussion 2022 NFL RDT Dream Team Discussion
- Thread starter mvdi
- Start date
So, is this good for Fantasy points? I mean, I read it that they will be on the field more, to receive more passes, so likely to get more points? 
e.g. Josh Jacobs:
in 2023 he was in the last yr of his 4yr rookie contract. LV increased his workload: from 214, 273 and 217 carries in his first three years to 340 last year.
with him now locked in to a one year contract LV are unlikely to care about how long he lasts beyond this year
so if they can win by running him into the ground they likely will
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There are a lot of decent RBs still out of contract, aren't there?
I'd be surprised if Zeke, Dalvin and Kareem stay out of contract.
Unless they are prepared to sit the year out a la Le'veon Bell. But if they do there would be no guarantee they would get a better contract next year.
Another interesting comparison from the regulated franchise payments:
RB: 2017 - $12.1m; 2023 - $10.1m -> down $2.0m
WR: 2017 - $15.6m; 2023 - $19.37m -> up $3.77m
QB: 2017 - $21.2m; 2023 - $32.4m -> up $11.2m
CB: 2017 - $14.2m; 2023 - $18.1m -> up $3.9m
DE: 2017 - 16.9m; 2023 - $19.7m -> up $2.8m
Now that is just wrong. In my opinion.
I'd be surprised if Zeke, Dalvin and Kareem stay out of contract.
Unless they are prepared to sit the year out a la Le'veon Bell. But if they do there would be no guarantee they would get a better contract next year.
Another interesting comparison from the regulated franchise payments:
RB: 2017 - $12.1m; 2023 - $10.1m -> down $2.0m
WR: 2017 - $15.6m; 2023 - $19.37m -> up $3.77m
QB: 2017 - $21.2m; 2023 - $32.4m -> up $11.2m
CB: 2017 - $14.2m; 2023 - $18.1m -> up $3.9m
DE: 2017 - 16.9m; 2023 - $19.7m -> up $2.8m
Now that is just wrong. In my opinion.
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Yes, people do say it has become more of a passing league but that's not true for every team.
Chicago had the biggest run v pass ration last year: 558 rush attempts to 377 pass attempts
Atlanta was next with 559 rush attempts to 415 pass attempts.
Philly: 544 rush v 536 pass; Tennessee: 487 rush v 456 pass; Washington 538 rush v 554 pass; Cleveland 532 rush v 540 pass
Dallas had a 531 rush v 556 pass season and, according to report, McCarthy sacked their OC K Moore because he didn't call enough run plays.
I have read McCarthy quoted as saying that he wanted to give the Dallas defence more time off the field. Run plays eat up the clock in a way pass plays cannot.
And it's not that Dallas didn't score in the four years Moore was OC. Their 27.7 points per game over that period were second only to KC's 28.8.
Who sacks an OC with that sort of record?
Now consider that most teams rely on one main RB but tend to spread the targets among 2/3 receivers.
A top WR will still only average a 35% target share at most. A top RB can average up to 80% of his team's rushes.
e.g. LV: Adams 32.2%; Jacobs 79.4%
Admittedly LV is an extreme case but even so, the point stands.
Chicago had the biggest run v pass ration last year: 558 rush attempts to 377 pass attempts
Atlanta was next with 559 rush attempts to 415 pass attempts.
Philly: 544 rush v 536 pass; Tennessee: 487 rush v 456 pass; Washington 538 rush v 554 pass; Cleveland 532 rush v 540 pass
Dallas had a 531 rush v 556 pass season and, according to report, McCarthy sacked their OC K Moore because he didn't call enough run plays.
I have read McCarthy quoted as saying that he wanted to give the Dallas defence more time off the field. Run plays eat up the clock in a way pass plays cannot.
And it's not that Dallas didn't score in the four years Moore was OC. Their 27.7 points per game over that period were second only to KC's 28.8.
Who sacks an OC with that sort of record?
Now consider that most teams rely on one main RB but tend to spread the targets among 2/3 receivers.
A top WR will still only average a 35% target share at most. A top RB can average up to 80% of his team's rushes.
e.g. LV: Adams 32.2%; Jacobs 79.4%
Admittedly LV is an extreme case but even so, the point stands.
Makes sense, I guess the point is although many team rely on one main back, most have several options to fill that role.
Right now most squad are set, and Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliot, and even Fournette are available. There’s just a lot of good options available. Are the replacements all the same level? No. Are they good enough? Perhaps.
Right now most squad are set, and Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliot, and even Fournette are available. There’s just a lot of good options available. Are the replacements all the same level? No. Are they good enough? Perhaps.
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings 2023: Best D/STs, top sleepers & breakouts in fantasy drafts (msn.com)
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings 2023: Best D/STs, top sleepers & breakouts in fantasy drafts
Fantasy football owners tend to treat D/ST in one of two ways: they care way too much about it or way too little. Seldom do we see owners pay just enough attention to defense and special teams. There will always be the group that reaches for a top-tier D in Round 10 or 11, depleting the value of the defense and robbing themselves of solid offensive contributors that their leaguemates will happily snipe with the next few picks. Others will wait until the last round to pick the best remaining D/ST, a strategy that can also be more risk than reward. Our 2023 fantasy defense rankings will help you find your own D/ST strategy and guide you to the right units at the appropriate segments of your draft.
Anyone can draft a top-tier D like the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, or Bills by pick No. 150, but think about such a decision in terms of WAR (wins above replacement). Did you gain any wins by picking a D/ST at a point in the draft when your opponents will be stashing Kyler Murray, Raheem Mostert, Zay Jones, and Dawson Knox?
No — you played yourself. You passed up on much-needed value and depth elsewhere so you could take a stab at landing the No. 1 defense -- which is rarely where the first defense off the board winds up at the end of the season. Moreover, the difference between the No. 1 D/ST last year, New England, and the No. 13 D/ST, Seattle, was four points per game (10.9 to 6.9). The top seven D/STs averaged 7.9 or more!
We'll always be blunt about this: the first fantasy owner to draft a defense rarely wins their league championship, but the owners who put zero effort into the D/ST position — from draft research to weekly streams — will also have the chips stacked against them. Aim for a happy medium when it comes to D/ST preparation. Just like in real life, defense may not win championships, but terrible defenses will surely fail to get you there in the first place.
In our experience, the most successful fantasy owners tend to select a D/ST within the last four rounds of their draft. If 60-75 percent of the top defenses have already been drafted, it's important to look at schedules and proactively plan for streaming weeks. Certain defenses, like the Chiefs, could be serviceable to start the season (vs. DET, @ JAX, vs. CHI), but you may want to stream when they travel to face the Jets and Vikings in Weeks 4 and 5. Similarly, the Jaguars have Indy, Houston, and Atlanta in three of their four opening weeks but the Chiefs and Bills in Weeks 2 and 5.
Keeping an eye on each team's 2023 schedule and o***eason personnel changes is imperative. On paper, the Steelers might seem underwhelming if you just look at their '22 stats, but remember that they spent half of last season without stud edge rusher T.J. Watt, who suffered a torn pectoral. With Watt back and a schedule that includes the Texans, Rams, Jaguars, and Packers within the first 10 weeks, Pittsburgh should be a solid value.
We can't imagine a better schedule for a D/ST than the Saints', who are led by high-IQ defensive head coach Dennis Allen. It's a marvelous sight for a unit with an ADP of 224, especially when you consider the studs at every level of the D including pass-rusher Cameron Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis, and defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu. In fact, New Orleans' schedule is so pretty we just have to share it: Titans, @ Panthers, @ Packers, Buccaneers, @ Patriots, @ Texans, Jaguars, @ Colts, Bears, @ Vikings, BYE, @ Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Giants, @ Rams, @ Buccaneers, vs. Falcons.
That, my friends, is a schedule that should result in New Orleans finishing as a top-five fantasy defense. Green Bay, Tampa Bay, New England, Indy, and the Rams are not the scary offenses that they once were. In fact, they will likely be shells of their former dominant selves this coming season. Capitalize on your leaguemates not doing their due diligence, and browse all the schedules and find the diamond-in-the-rough defenses. Several other teams have seemingly favorable Weeks 1 and 2 (Washington, Green Bay, Arizona, Chicago, Atlanta), but we wouldn't bother with the latter three D/STs on that list.
Speaking of the Packers, they continue to flaunt an above-average D/ST from top to bottom. Linebackers Preston Smith, De'Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, and Rashon Gary anchor a strong 3-4 defense, with stud cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas patrolling the airways. The Pack also have a good schedule, with Chicago, Atlanta, and New Orleans kicking off the season and dates with the Broncos, Rams, and Steelers in Weeks 7, 9, and 10.
Of course, we can also use the schedule, past results, and personnel changes to help us pinpoint the fades. The Patriots were awesome last season, but Jack Jones could be facing disciplinary action for a firearms charge and fellow cornerback Joejuan Williams departed for Minnesota in free agency. New England also has a brutal start to the season: Philly, Miami, at the Jets, at Dallas, New Orleans, at Las Vegas, Buffalo, and at Miami. You could try trading for this D/ST in Week 8, as the Pats' second-half schedule is much easier, but do not reach for them on draft day. You're better off looking for value for a top-10 squad with a more favorable schedule like the Ravens or an improved D/ST like the Jets or Dolphins.
Enough chatter for now. You’ve come to see rankings, and rankings are what we’ll give you. Just remember, this is only the beginning. We will constantly tweak, shift, update, and add to our rankings between now and Week 1 of the regular season, so check back frequently for updates.
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings 2023: Best D/STs, top sleepers
Rank Player
1 Philadelphia Eagles
2 San Francisco 49ers
3 Buffalo Bills
4 Dallas Cowboys
5 Baltimore Ravens
6 New England Patriots
7 New York Jets
8 Miami Dolphins
9 Pittsburgh Steelers
10 New Orleans Saints
11 Kansas City Chiefs
12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13 Cleveland Browns
14 Los Angeles Chargers
15 Cincinnati Bengals
16 Washington Commanders
17 Denver Broncos
18 New York Giants
19 Carolina Panthers
20 Jacksonville Jaguars
21 Detroit Lions
22 Green Bay Packers
23 Houston Texans
24 Los Angeles Rams
25 Indianapolis Colts
26 Seattle Seahawks
27 Minnesota Vikings
28 Arizona Cardinals
29 Chicago Bears
30 Tennessee Titans
31 Las Vegas Raiders
32 Atlanta Falcons
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings 2023: Best D/STs, top sleepers & breakouts in fantasy drafts
Fantasy football owners tend to treat D/ST in one of two ways: they care way too much about it or way too little. Seldom do we see owners pay just enough attention to defense and special teams. There will always be the group that reaches for a top-tier D in Round 10 or 11, depleting the value of the defense and robbing themselves of solid offensive contributors that their leaguemates will happily snipe with the next few picks. Others will wait until the last round to pick the best remaining D/ST, a strategy that can also be more risk than reward. Our 2023 fantasy defense rankings will help you find your own D/ST strategy and guide you to the right units at the appropriate segments of your draft.
Anyone can draft a top-tier D like the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, or Bills by pick No. 150, but think about such a decision in terms of WAR (wins above replacement). Did you gain any wins by picking a D/ST at a point in the draft when your opponents will be stashing Kyler Murray, Raheem Mostert, Zay Jones, and Dawson Knox?
No — you played yourself. You passed up on much-needed value and depth elsewhere so you could take a stab at landing the No. 1 defense -- which is rarely where the first defense off the board winds up at the end of the season. Moreover, the difference between the No. 1 D/ST last year, New England, and the No. 13 D/ST, Seattle, was four points per game (10.9 to 6.9). The top seven D/STs averaged 7.9 or more!
We'll always be blunt about this: the first fantasy owner to draft a defense rarely wins their league championship, but the owners who put zero effort into the D/ST position — from draft research to weekly streams — will also have the chips stacked against them. Aim for a happy medium when it comes to D/ST preparation. Just like in real life, defense may not win championships, but terrible defenses will surely fail to get you there in the first place.
In our experience, the most successful fantasy owners tend to select a D/ST within the last four rounds of their draft. If 60-75 percent of the top defenses have already been drafted, it's important to look at schedules and proactively plan for streaming weeks. Certain defenses, like the Chiefs, could be serviceable to start the season (vs. DET, @ JAX, vs. CHI), but you may want to stream when they travel to face the Jets and Vikings in Weeks 4 and 5. Similarly, the Jaguars have Indy, Houston, and Atlanta in three of their four opening weeks but the Chiefs and Bills in Weeks 2 and 5.
Keeping an eye on each team's 2023 schedule and o***eason personnel changes is imperative. On paper, the Steelers might seem underwhelming if you just look at their '22 stats, but remember that they spent half of last season without stud edge rusher T.J. Watt, who suffered a torn pectoral. With Watt back and a schedule that includes the Texans, Rams, Jaguars, and Packers within the first 10 weeks, Pittsburgh should be a solid value.
We can't imagine a better schedule for a D/ST than the Saints', who are led by high-IQ defensive head coach Dennis Allen. It's a marvelous sight for a unit with an ADP of 224, especially when you consider the studs at every level of the D including pass-rusher Cameron Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis, and defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu. In fact, New Orleans' schedule is so pretty we just have to share it: Titans, @ Panthers, @ Packers, Buccaneers, @ Patriots, @ Texans, Jaguars, @ Colts, Bears, @ Vikings, BYE, @ Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Giants, @ Rams, @ Buccaneers, vs. Falcons.
That, my friends, is a schedule that should result in New Orleans finishing as a top-five fantasy defense. Green Bay, Tampa Bay, New England, Indy, and the Rams are not the scary offenses that they once were. In fact, they will likely be shells of their former dominant selves this coming season. Capitalize on your leaguemates not doing their due diligence, and browse all the schedules and find the diamond-in-the-rough defenses. Several other teams have seemingly favorable Weeks 1 and 2 (Washington, Green Bay, Arizona, Chicago, Atlanta), but we wouldn't bother with the latter three D/STs on that list.
Speaking of the Packers, they continue to flaunt an above-average D/ST from top to bottom. Linebackers Preston Smith, De'Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, and Rashon Gary anchor a strong 3-4 defense, with stud cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas patrolling the airways. The Pack also have a good schedule, with Chicago, Atlanta, and New Orleans kicking off the season and dates with the Broncos, Rams, and Steelers in Weeks 7, 9, and 10.
Of course, we can also use the schedule, past results, and personnel changes to help us pinpoint the fades. The Patriots were awesome last season, but Jack Jones could be facing disciplinary action for a firearms charge and fellow cornerback Joejuan Williams departed for Minnesota in free agency. New England also has a brutal start to the season: Philly, Miami, at the Jets, at Dallas, New Orleans, at Las Vegas, Buffalo, and at Miami. You could try trading for this D/ST in Week 8, as the Pats' second-half schedule is much easier, but do not reach for them on draft day. You're better off looking for value for a top-10 squad with a more favorable schedule like the Ravens or an improved D/ST like the Jets or Dolphins.
Enough chatter for now. You’ve come to see rankings, and rankings are what we’ll give you. Just remember, this is only the beginning. We will constantly tweak, shift, update, and add to our rankings between now and Week 1 of the regular season, so check back frequently for updates.
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings 2023: Best D/STs, top sleepers
Rank Player
1 Philadelphia Eagles
2 San Francisco 49ers
3 Buffalo Bills
4 Dallas Cowboys
5 Baltimore Ravens
6 New England Patriots
7 New York Jets
8 Miami Dolphins
9 Pittsburgh Steelers
10 New Orleans Saints
11 Kansas City Chiefs
12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13 Cleveland Browns
14 Los Angeles Chargers
15 Cincinnati Bengals
16 Washington Commanders
17 Denver Broncos
18 New York Giants
19 Carolina Panthers
20 Jacksonville Jaguars
21 Detroit Lions
22 Green Bay Packers
23 Houston Texans
24 Los Angeles Rams
25 Indianapolis Colts
26 Seattle Seahawks
27 Minnesota Vikings
28 Arizona Cardinals
29 Chicago Bears
30 Tennessee Titans
31 Las Vegas Raiders
32 Atlanta Falcons
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Cooper Kupp suffers a hamstring injury Tuesday
Cooper Kupp reportedly suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact
It is never great when any player suffers a hamstring injury. Kupp was able to walk off the field with medical staff during Tuesday’s practice, but the team was not currently able to share a timetable for his return. It is safe to say the Rams will be super cautious with Kupp and not rush him back, especially this early in training camp. For now, Kupp’s status for Week 1 should not be in danger but that could change if he is still impacted by the hamstring injury in the next couple of weeks.
Ari Koslow
Cooper Kupp reportedly suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact
It is never great when any player suffers a hamstring injury. Kupp was able to walk off the field with medical staff during Tuesday’s practice, but the team was not currently able to share a timetable for his return. It is safe to say the Rams will be super cautious with Kupp and not rush him back, especially this early in training camp. For now, Kupp’s status for Week 1 should not be in danger but that could change if he is still impacted by the hamstring injury in the next couple of weeks.
Ari Koslow
I need some clarification please.
Basically, looking at the point scoring below:
Passing Yards, is that what the QB scores after throwing the ball and a player catches it?
Rushing Yards, is that what the RB scores after the QB gives the ball to him?
Receiving Yards, is that what a WR scores when he catches the Ball thrown to him by the QB?
2022 Point Scoring
OFFENCE
Passing Yards
(per 12.5 yards completed) 1 Point
Rushing Yards
(per 5 yards completed) 1 Point
Receiving Yards
(per 5 yards completed) 1 Point
Basically, looking at the point scoring below:
Passing Yards, is that what the QB scores after throwing the ball and a player catches it?
Rushing Yards, is that what the RB scores after the QB gives the ball to him?
Receiving Yards, is that what a WR scores when he catches the Ball thrown to him by the QB?
2022 Point Scoring
OFFENCE
Passing Yards
(per 12.5 yards completed) 1 Point
Rushing Yards
(per 5 yards completed) 1 Point
Receiving Yards
(per 5 yards completed) 1 Point
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I understand and accept what you have written but the box scores quite often contain an adjustment to the pass yds that puzzles me.
e.g. when KC beat Cincinnati in the AFC Championship game last season:
Burrow had 270 pass yds and the Cinci pass catchers had 270 receiving yds in total but the team was listed as having only 238 pass yds
Simlarly, Mahomes and his receivers had 326 passing/receiving yds but the team was listed as having 315 pass yds
Do you know why there is this discrepancy?
I'm guessing the explanation is simple - and obvious once known - but I can't think of one.
e.g. when KC beat Cincinnati in the AFC Championship game last season:
Burrow had 270 pass yds and the Cinci pass catchers had 270 receiving yds in total but the team was listed as having only 238 pass yds
Simlarly, Mahomes and his receivers had 326 passing/receiving yds but the team was listed as having 315 pass yds
Do you know why there is this discrepancy?
I'm guessing the explanation is simple - and obvious once known - but I can't think of one.
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