Reading the Defense: Week 12

Reading the Defense is a weekly column that considers the effects of player deployment and schematic trends on individual defensive players' fantasy value. While analytics take hold in NFL front offices and sidelines, data-driven decision-making also benefits fantasy gamers.

Reading the Tea Leaves

The preseason version of this column, Reading the New Defense, offers analysis of how defensive scheme changes could affect players' statistical output and fantasy values. Recent editions of Reading the Defense have provided players rising or falling in value as the season progresses.

The work of Reading the New Defense for 2025 can begin now, as two teams have fired their coaches, and at least two more seem certain to follow. Anticipating scheme-induced changes in value provides gamers opportunities to strengthen their rosters now or over the winter. Unrestricted free agency and the NFL draft will wreak havoc on fantasy rosters next spring.

Dynasty gamers must focus roster construction on durable assets. Quality pass rushers almost always find work regardless of front-office tumult and sideline turnover. Pro Football Focus' top two graded pass rushers are T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett – two fantasy cornerstones.

Some of the league's lowest-graded linebackers played rotationally for much of their careers but are now in expanded roles. The current utility of Jahlani Tavai, Kyzir White, and E.J. Speed to fantasy gamers belies their reliability.

While a good pass rusher can often reach the quarterback regardless of scheme or team, a linebacker can be more severely influenced by situation. Two of 2023's DE1s, Danielle Hunter and Andrew Van Ginkel, changed teams this year. Each has continued to produce.

Two of last year's top three fantasy linebackers entered new situations in 2024. The immortal Bobby Wagner has hardly slowed down, but Foyesade Oluokun has been knocked clear off his perch as the perennial top linebacker in a new defensive scheme.