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Fantasy Football 2016: Top 20 defense and kicker rankings

By Alex Butler
Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Case Keenum for a nine-yard loss in the first quarter during pre-season game three at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on August 27, 2016. Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI
1 of 4 | Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Case Keenum for a nine-yard loss in the first quarter during pre-season game three at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on August 27, 2016. Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI | License Photo

MIAMI, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Most fantasy players know that drafting a fantasy football defense or kicker too early prompts laughter and ridicule from your league-mates.

Doing this, alone, will not ruin your fantasy football season, but it will put you in a hole at key positions and sacrifice the depth of your team. Still, there are several difference makers at these two positions. Some owners choose the later rounds to draft these positions, while others wait until the last two rounds in the draft to fill out their rosters with kicker and defensive/special teams selections.

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SCROLL DOWN FOR TOP 20 KICKER AND D/ST RANKINGS

Don't be afraid to wait here, because the sacrifice usually is not worth it. The landscape of the NFL changes from year to year. You can even be successful if you decided to 'stream' a defense for the entire season. Streaming a defense means that you can pick one up from the waiver wire, depending on its opponent each week. You can also juggle two defenses early on in the season and play based on match up.

With kicker, usually you want a player who is part of a good offense and kicks plenty of extra points, or a kicker with a big leg, capable of putting up four or five points for your squad in a single kick. If you do extra research on the position, you can find out if you're targeting kickers who play indoors or outdoors when at home. You can also figure out how many of their games on the road are at outdoor stadiums. It is also important to monitor cold-weather, outdoor, playing teams for later on in the season when conditions can alter your kicker's ability to produce.

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At UPI, we have ranked our top 20 kickers and top 20 defense/special teams units for your 2016 fantasy football draft kit.

RANK TEAM BYE WEEK
1 Carolina Panthers 5
2 Denver Broncos 11
3 Seattle Seahawks 5
4 Kansas City Chiefs 5
5 Cincinnati Bengals 9
6 Arizona Cardinals 9
7 Houston Texans 9
8 Minnesota Vikings 6
9 Oakland Raiders 10
10 New York Jets 11
11 Green Bay Packers 4
12 New England Patriots 9
13 Los Angeles Rams 8
14 Baltimore Ravens 8
15 Pittsburgh Steelers 8
16 New York Giants 8
17 Jacksonville Jaguars 5
18 Indianapolis Colts 10
19 Philadelphia Eagles 4
20 Detroit Lions 10

For more of our fantasy football rankings, visit the links below.

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RANK NAME TEAM BYE WEEK
1 Steven Hauschka Seattle Seahawks 5
2 Dan Bailey Dallas Cowboys 7
3 Adam Vinatieri Indianapolis Colts 10
4 Stephen Gostkowski New England Patriots 9
5 Mason Crosby Green Bay Packers 4
6 Justin Tucker Baltimore Ravens 8
7 Chandler Catanzaro Arizona Cardinals 9
8 Matt Prater Detroit Lions 10
9 Blair Walsh Minnesota Vikings 6
10 Graham Gano Carolina Panthers 7
11 Mike Nugent Cincinnati Bengals 9
12 Matt Bryant Atlanta Falcons 11
13 Brandon McManus Denver Broncos 10
14 Cairo Santos Kansas City Chiefs 5
15 Robert Aguayo Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6
16 Chris Boswell Pittsburgh Steelers 8
17 Nick Novak Houston Texans 9
18 Josh Brown New York Giants 8
19 Robbie Gould Chicago Bears 9
20 Dustin Hopkins Washington Redskins 9
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