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Future
Classes
Player
Rankings
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Fantasy Defensive Lineman Rankings
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1.
Julius Peppers (Carolina) |
WHY: Peppers is the most dominating
defensive lineman in the game, with apologies to Dwight
Freeney who does little against the run. Peppers will
get sacks, tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumbles,
fumble recoveries and interceptions. He is the ultimate
defensive end and one of a kind. He is also supported by
a very good supporting cast that keeps teams from
focusing only on him.
WHY NOT: There are no reasons not to draft
Peppers as your first defensive lineman.
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2004: 64 tackles, 11 sacks, 7 passes defended, 2 Int, 2
TD, 5 FF, 1 recovery |
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2. Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis) |
WHY: Freeney is a terror off of the
edge and as his supporting cast gets every
better, his numbers will improve. He has
gone over 10 sacks his first three years in
the league and there is nothing stopping him
from getting close to 20 this year.
WHY NOT: Off-season shoulder surgery
has some GMs scared about his health and
durability. He is also not much of a
tackler, with only 34 last year.
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2004: 34 tackles, 16 sacks, 3 passes defended, 4
forced fumbles |
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3. Patrick Kerney (Atlanta) |
WHY: Kerney makes tons of plays and
is a great guy to have on your team. He
averages close to 60 tackles a season and is
coming into his own as a pass-rusher.
WHY NOT: His 13 sacks last year were
twice as many as he had in 2003, although
the change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 is largely to
thank. Can Kerney sustain these numbers?
That is a question many fantasy GMs would
love to know the answer to.
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2004: 66 tackles, 13 sacks, 1 pass defended, 1
Int, 2 FF, 1 fumble recovery |
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