-2023 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2023 Draft Kit
Cleveland's addition of Za'Darius Smith to a pass rush that already includes superstar Myles Garrett gives the Browns a pretty potent group that can force sacks and turnovers. Combine that with a run defense boosted by the arrival of Dalvin Tomlinson and a secondary that boasts three quality cornerbacks and a good safety duo, and the Browns DST has some appeal. That is, until you see that they play the Bengals in Week 1 before taking on the Steelers and Titans in Weeks 2 and 3. Your best move might be to hope that the Browns DST goes undrafted so you can add them off waivers after Week 1.
The Lions DST actually amounted to a startable unit over the final 10 weeks of last season, averaging a good 10.0 Fantasy points per week. This year's unit should be better after the team altered its secondary with the additions of cornerbacks C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cam Sutton, along with rookie picks Jack Campbell at linebacker and Brian Branch at safety and nickel corner. The worry is that even with Aidan Hutchinson coming into his own, the Lions pass rush won't generate enough pressure to force sacks and turnovers. And if that isn't enough to worry you, then their Week 1 matchup at Kansas City will. Detroit does have some appealing matchups after Week 2, so think of them as a mid-September call-up to your roster from waivers and not as a must-draft unit.
The Chiefs finished second in the NFL in sacks in 2022 and were tied for fourth in passes defensed. They also allowed the most passing touchdowns and the second-highest passing touchdown rate in the NFL last year. Four of their projected starters were drafted in 2022; George Karlaftis, Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook, and Jaylen Watson. If those guys make a Year 2 leap, they could help Chris Jones make this a top-12 Fantasy DST for a ninth consecutive season. We view them more as a streamer-level option and their Week 1 matchup against the Lions is not appealing.
Once again the Chargers defense is coming off an injury-riddled year where it underperformed preseason expectations. Once again, we're expecting this unit to be better than last year, with a consensus ranking inside the top 12. The team added Khalil Mack to rush the passer opposite Joey Bosa and added Eric Kendricks in free agency and Daiyan Henley in the draft to shore up the middle of their defense in front of a star-studded secondary that includes Derwin James and Asante Samuel Jr. The names are there to make this a top-five defense, maybe better. We'll draft this DST in the final round and hope that the game lives up to the names this year.