The top of the food chain in regards to fantasy defenses is not what you expected coming into this season.
Fantasy football rankings 2017: Defense/special teams for NFL Week 7
The SB Nation fantasy team reveals which defense/special teams rank in the top 25 for Week 7.
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Entering Week 7, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, and Baltimore Ravens make up the top five fantasy defenses and special teams. Three of those teams finished in the bottom 10 of those same rankings in 2016, and all of them finished in the bottom half of the league.
Suffice to say, you’ve been getting some unexpected production if you’ve relied on any of those defenses thus far, especially the Saints, who’ve had some of the worst defenses in football in recent years.
Which units will step up and perform well in Week 7? Find out with a fresh set of rankings for the top defenses and special teams.
Defense/Special Teams rankings, Week 7
(SK: Scott Kaliska; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
D/ST rankings, Week 7
Rk | Consensus | Opp | SK | JG | DG | AW | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | @ IND | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | vs. CIN | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | vs. BAL | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | @ NYG | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Rams | vs. ARI | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| 6 | Baltimore Ravens | @ MIN | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 7 | Denver Broncos | @ LAC | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| 8 | Carolina Panthers | @ CHI | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 9 | Kansas City Chiefs | @ OAK | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 8 |
| 10 | Tennessee Titans | @ CLE | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 9 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | vs. NYJ | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 11 |
| 12 | New Orleans Saints | @ GB | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 |
| 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | vs. WAS | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 |
| 14 | New York Giants | vs. SEA | 16 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| 15 | Buffalo Bills | vs. TB | 8 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| 16 | Arizona Cardinals | @ LAR | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
| 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | @ PIT | 17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 15 |
| 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | vs. DEN | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 |
| 19 | Chicago Bears | vs. CAR | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 21 |
| 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | @ BUF | 24 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 18 |
| 21 | Washington | @ PHI | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 22 |
| 22 | Dallas Cowboys | @ SF | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 20 |
| 23 | Indianapolis Colts | vs. JAC | 23 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 |
| 24 | Oakland Raiders | vs. KC | -- | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| 25 | New York Jets | @ MIA | 19 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Cleveland Browns | vs. TEN | -- | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| -- | New England Patriots | vs. ATL | 25 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
