Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Most fantasy football owners wait until the last round to draft a defensive unit, so it is important to know which defenses are worth waiting for. One of these underrated defenses to look at the end of the draft for this summer is the Arizona Cardinals DEF/ST.
Positives:
The unit was 14th in receiving yards against (233 yards/game) and shockingly first in the entire league in rising yards against (84.4 yards/game). They were wrong across the board and the Cards showed that they can be a legitimate fantasy producer.
The Cards have a very underrated pass rush. Veterans John Abraham (11.5 sacks in 2013) and Calais Campbell (9 sacks) will once again led the pass rush, but the team also has Frostee Rucker, Daryl Washington, Matt Shaughnessy, and Larry Foote ready to contribute in 2014. They will once again consistently be attacking opposing quarterbacks.
Arizona also has a star-studded secondary. Corners Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie are at the top of their field, while S Tyrann Mathieu quickly proved that he was capable of holding down a starting safety spot. The secondary will much better this season and will finish within the top-10 in the league.
Negatives:
The overall defense is starting to age. The team has several star defenders that are already over the age of 30 and it is only a matter of time until their age starts to catch with them. If the unit suffers any injury setbacks this season, they could be in serious trouble.
The Cardinals will always have a brutal schedule, as they are forced to play the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers twice each season. Unfortunately, the team also has to play the Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Atlanta Falcons this season. These are some of the most productive offense in football and will likely keep Arizona’s defense reeling all year long.
Final Verdict:
Arizona is an outstanding sleeper defense to target this season. They will get to the quarterback plenty and will add an extra dimension on special teams as well. The Cards will be a decent defense to look for after the top-five options come flying of the board.
Bye Week: 4
Projected Round: 16
Auction Value: $1
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
