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Fantasy Football 2015: Should you pick defense of the Jets?

By Jonathan Maldonado

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You’re in the later rounds of your fantasy football 2015 draft, $100 down with nearly $1,000 at stake. It’s time to round out the roster and pick a defense. Who do you go with? While defense only accounts for a tiny fraction of your overall points, every little bit counts. ESPN has the New York Jets ranked #5 in their defensive projections.  Should you trust the Gang Green defense?

The answer is absolutely. Depending on where you are in the draft lineup and who’s been selected, the Jets should be one of the best options available. The past couple of seasons haven’t been great for the Jets’ defensive secondary but the front seven have been consistent and should be in 2015 as well. Based on the additions of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Marcus Gilchrist in the secondary, it’s far less likely the Jets will give up so many plays through the air as they have in recent seasons.

Up front the Jets are absolutely solid. There may be some concern with Sheldon Richardson being suspended and now dealing with serious criminal charges but I expect Leonard Williams to fill in that role nicely keeping the defensive line just as tough as ever. There’s also the advantage of defensive minded head coach Todd Bowles who led the Arizona Cardinals defense to a successful season.

There are a few defenses that you may want to consider before the Jets, but I don’t see them gaining a significant point advantage over New York. The obvious leader of the defensive pack are the Seattle Seahawks, but chances are if you’re making considerations, they’re already off the board.

The Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos are all solid picks ahead of the Jets. However, the Jets come in at 18th on the league’s strength of schedule ranking, only the Texans and Bills have weaker schedules.

The schedule ahead for the Jets isn’t chock full of high-powered offenses. Aside from the Patriots twice, the Jets face the Colts in Week 2, the Eagles in Week 3, the Giants in Week 13 and the Cowboys in Week 15.  The Jets will have their hands full in those weeks, but nearly every defense worth picking in front of the Jets have a tougher group of matchups, making the Jets a safe pick on defense.

Next: New York Jets: Sheldon Richardson's career over?

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