1. Buffalo Bills: The Bills were the 3rd highest scoring defense in fantasy football last season. The addition of corner back Ronald Darby in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL draft will only help to solidify an already solid secondary. Darby should help Stephon Gilmore and Aaron Williams keep opposing wide receivers at bay while the defensive juggernaut of Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, and Jerry Hughes generates constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks. All of that pressure means a ton of sacks as well as fumbles. The addition of LeSean McCoy adds a brand new dimension to a stagnant offense; McCoy will help keep the defense off the field and fresh.
2. Houston Texans: The Texans scored big when they drafted corner back Kevin Johnson in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. They followed that strong pick with several others including inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney. These players only add to a stellar defense that includes the best defensive player in the NFL JJ Watt, 2014 blockbuster draft pick Jadeveon Clowney (who should be back to full playing strength and health this season), talented corner back Kareem Jackson, veteran corner Jonathan Joseph, safety Rahim Moore, and New England's defensive heart and soul Vince Wilfork. The same drawback you have with the Bills, you have with the Texans. A weak passing game stunts the full potential of this team however Arian Foster should control some clock if he can manage to stay healthy.
3. Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs drafted corner back Marcus Peters to help out Sean Smith and free safety Husain Abdullah. The first round pick should start next to Smith as the season goes on if not entering training camp. The secondary getting better only help the pass rush which currently holds the NFL sack leader Justin Houston. Last season Houston finished with an unbelievable 22 sacks; after signing a mega contract worth over $100 million his production is pretty much guaranteed at this point. Houston is flanked by nose tackle Dontari Poe, left inside linebacker Derrick Johnson, and explosive right outside linebacker Tamba Hali. The Chiefs offense is looking a lot better than both the Bills and the Texans. Running back Jamaal Charles is easily one of the best running backs and fantasy players in the NFL today and when healthy will control the game like few players can. When Charles is off the field, Knile Davis is on and does a tremendous job filling in for the all pro. The Chiefs running back tandem do a great job of controlling the clock but now opposing defenses must focus their attention on Jeremy Maclin and Chris Conley. Alex Smith has no excuses for not throwing a touchdown pass to either one of those guys all season long.
4.St Louis Rams: The St Louis Rams somehow managed to improve on their desperate quarterback situation with Sam Bradford. The main issue was that Bradford was never on the field long enough for the Rams to keep their defense fresh. Now Nick Foles gets a new set of weapons some arguably better than the ones he had in Philadelphia. The Rams running game will get a spark with Todd Gurley entering the mix but it is hard to say just how potent their offense will be. The defense however is stacked from top to bottom with great playmakers. The defensive line made up of Aaron Donald, Chris Long, Robert Quinn, and Michael Brockers will provide a huge challenge for any offensive line they face. The secondary could use some work but should be solid enough to generate some points.
5. Seattle Seahawks: This one is mandatory now; the Seahawks have more than a solid defense they have a Legion of Boom. Safety Earl Thomas, corner back Richard Sherman and safety Kam Chancellor make the Seahawk's secondary one of the best in the league. The addition of Frank Clark on the defensive line will add some bulk and power while Cliff Avril, Brandon Mebane, and Michael Bennett will be able to stop the run and push the offensive line into the quarterback's lap. Linebackers Bruce Irvin, KJ Wright, and Bobby Wagner can both cover and generate a ton of pressure in exotic blitz packages. The Seahawks defense leads this team into every game and is tough to be stopped.
Honorable Mentions:
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys added Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory, and Byron Jones; all high quality defenders with a nose for the ball. Hardy will be available for the Cowboys after week 4 if not earlier due to a looming suspension. Gregory will be look to be as impactful as Demarcus Lawrence has been on the opposite side of the line. Anthony Hitchens as well as the returning Sean Lee have proven to be versatile and productive linebackers. The Cowboy's secondary has improved enough with the addition of Byron Jones and Corey White. The true test for this offense will most likely come during the quarter season battle with the Patriots.
Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins added the biggest free agent on the market Ndamukong Suh to a defensive line that already boasts Cameron Wake, and Jelani Jenkins. Brent Grimes and Reshad Jones also boosts their secondary into a higher plateau, expect them to be a top ten scoring fantasy defense.
New York Jets: The Jets have bought back Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie while adding Leonard Williams in the draft and Buster Skrine in free agency. The Jets will be drastically better on the defensive side of the ball. It remains to be seen if Geno Smith and the Jet's offense can keep the defense well rested and kill some clock but with the addition of Brandon Marshall and Devin Smith the Jet's offense is poised for a serious resurgence.
