Fantasy Football 2018: Top 20 defense and kicker rankings

Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars and Stephen Gostkowski top UPI's 2018 fantasy football defense and kicker rankings, respectively.

You should not even consider drafting a defense or kicker until the very end of your fantasy draft, meaning you are probably likely to miss out on the top options in each category. But there are plenty of sleepers and great values available later in your draft.

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RANK	NAME	TEAM	BYE WEEK
1	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots	11
2	Will Lutz	New Orleans Saints	6
3	Greg Zuerlein	Los Angeles Rams	12
4	Matt Bryant	Atlanta Falcons	8
5	Harrison Butker	Kansas City Chiefs	12
6	Jake Elliott	Philadelphia Eagles	9
7	Chris Boswell	Pittsburgh Steelers	8
8	Robbie Gould	San Francisco 49ers	11
9	Dan Bailey	Dallas Cowboys	8
10	Brandon McManus	Denver Broncos	10
11	Mason Crosby	Green Bay Packers	7
12	Adam Vinatieri	Indianapolis Colts	9
13	Graham Gano	Carolina Panthers	4
14	Dustin Hopkins	Washington Redskins	4
15	Josh Lambo	Jacksonville Jaguars	9
16	Ryan Succop	Tennessee Titans	8
17	Daniel Carlson	Minnesota Vikings	10
18	Ka'imi Fairbairn	Houston Texans	10
19	Stephen Hauschka	Buffalo Bills	11
20	Randy Bullock	Cincinnati Bengals	9

There are two factors that I consider most when drafting a kicker. The first factor is what type of offense the team has that the kicker plays alongside and how often is that offense in position to score. If you expect an offense to score a lot of points and move the ball well, you are likely to benefit from drafting that team's kicker. A secondary factor to consider is if that kicker plays his home games indoors. This can be big, especially during the winter months. Kickers who play more than half of their games indoors do not have to deal with harsh winds, wet conditions or snow. This can make all the difference between a one field goal day and a three field goal day. Those points can decide a weekly matchup.

With defenses, you want a group that can get to the quarterback. You might also want to consider a defensive unit from a team that has a great offense. As they are likely going to be playing with the lead, making it possible for more fantasy points from sacking the quarterback and turnovers. Look at the early season schedule of prospective defenses if you plan on streaming the slot (picking up a waiver wire defense based on matchup).

Top 20 Defenses

1. Jacksonville Jaguars, Bye Week 9

2. Minnesota Vikings, Bye Week 10

3. Los Angeles Rams, Bye Week 12

4. Los Angeles Chargers, Bye Week 8

5. Denver Broncos, Bye Week 10

6. Philadelphia Eagles, Bye Week 9

7. Houston Texans, Bye Week 10

8. Baltimore Ravens, Bye Week 10

9. New Orleans Saints, Bye Week 6

10. Green Bay Packers, Bye Week 7

11. Cincinnati Bengals, Bye Week 9