Fantasy Football Defenses: Top 15 To Target In 2015

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Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Defense. . Arizona Cardinals. 4. player. 32. 2014 Stats: 111 receptions, 1619 yards, 11 touchdowns

Fantasy Football Defenses Number 4: Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals’ defense finished sixth last season with 5.6 fantasy football points per game, according to FFToday.com. Despite only racking up 35 sacks as a unit, which tied them for 23rd in the NFL, they allowed just 299 points, the fifth-fewest among defenses.

Now, the Cardinals lost some important pieces from its defense a season ago. Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles accepted the New York Jets head coaching position, but the Cardinals promoted from within, naming outside linebackers coach James Bettcher as head coach.

In other words, the Cardinals should run a similar scheme, same philosophy as the one they ran last year, which is good news for fantasy footballers.

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They also lost cornerback Antonio Cromartie, linebacker Sam Acho, defensive end Darnell Dockett and defensive tackle Dan Williams

Personnel-wise, however, the Cardinals still have a lot of talent.

Calais Campbell is the cornerstone. The 6-foot 8-inch behemoth posted seven sacks last season and will anchor the defensive front. He’s a destructive dude. Pair him with third-year rusher Alex Okafor, who tallied eight sacks last season, and the Cardinals have two huge guys coming off the edge.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Tyrann Mathieu are two young playmakers in the secondary who have to make a jump this season. Peterson is one of the elite athletes in the league, but he’s yet to put it together for a full season. The Honey Badger started only six games last season and posted just 37 tackles and one interception. These two will be relied on heavily to replace the production of Cromartie. Newcomer Alfonzo Dennard should help, too.

What I like about Arizona’s defense for fantasy is they play as aggressive as any team in the league. Last season, they blitzed 42.5 percent of dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. That was second most in the league, and it bodes well for racking up fantasy stats.

They added three linebackers in free agency: former MU Tigers linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, LaMaar Woodley and Darryl Sharpton.

With Patrick Peterson returning punts, you could see some TD’s there as well.

Next: The Other Missouri Defense

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