Hi everyone! Welcome to Herman’s analysis series for team defenses. In this series, I will go over each team’s additions and losses on the defensive side of the ball, their strength of schedule, and finally, I’ll tie in their fantasy value. I hope you enjoy it! Today’s talk is about the New England Patriots D/ST.

Although the majority of the offseason ruckus surrounding the Patriots was about Tom Brady, New England’s D/ST reminds solid. Last season, the Patriots defense outscored many position players weekly. This is a prime example of why D/ST shouldn’t be overlooked. After allowing a league-low 12.2 points per game, can the Patriots repeat last year’s dominance or will they fall back down to reality?

Key Additions:

Adrian Phillips, FS

Brandon Copeland, LB

Beau Allen, DT

Key Losses:

Kyle Van Noy, LB

Jamie Collins, LB

Danny Shelton, DT

Nate Ebner, FS

Elandon Roberts, LB

Herman’s Analysis: Strength of Schedule

AFC East:

Assessing the Patriots schedule is interesting. Since their defense is so dominant, it’s hard to bench them against any team. Within the AFC East, the Patriots have some tough opponents. The Bills and Dolphins both have improved their offenses in the offseason, which doesn’t make New England’s job any easier. I’ve said this in past articles and I’ll say it again. I don’t like the Jets offense going into this season. The drama between Le’Veon Bell and Adam Gase and a lack of an experienced WR1, doesn’t give me confidence in New York’s offense. The AFC East is improving and the Patriots can no longer take their division rivals lightly because they are becoming more lethal every year.

Rest of NFL:

Repeating last season’s performance will not be an easy task. Not only has the AFC East improved, but the Patriots face some high powered offenses. The Chiefs, Ravens, Broncos, Cardinals, and Seahawks stand out as difficult matchups for the Pats D/ST. Although these opponents may be very difficult to defend, the Patriots have one of the best, if not the best defense in the league. Some matchups will favor the Patriots D/ST more than others, however, I would start the Patriots D/ST almost every week. I would only bench them if I have a solid bench D/ST or a D/ST on waivers, who has a much better matchup than the Patriots that week.

When the Patriots aren’t playing one of the teams listed above, you shouldn’t think twice about starting the Patriots D/ST. Last season, when the Patriots played below average offenses, they shut them down, literally. In the 2019-20 season, the Pats posted two shutouts and held their opponent under 15 points 11 times. New England’s D/ST is for real and they should be a top-three defense this season.

Herman’s Analysis: Fantasy Value

After one of the most dominant fantasy season by a D/ST in recent memory, New England looks to have an encore of the 2019-20 season. The Patriots lost a few key players on defense in Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins, but that shouldn’t stop them from being successful. Stephon Gilmore is the best CB in the NFL. Whoever Gilmore is matched up against never seems to touch the pigskin many times. The McCourty twins are great at intercepting the QB, and with the ball in their hands, they can take it for six. New England’s defensive line looks to repeat their 47 sack total from last season, which they are certainly capable of. A combination of a lockdown secondary and an outstanding defensive line is a formula for lots of turnovers.

In terms of the special team game, New England may not have the flashiest kick and punt returner, but as a team, they are one of the best in the NFL. The Pats blocked an extremely high amount of punts last season, which is just another reason to draft the Pats D/ST. Along with New England’s amazing defense, they also have one of the best special teams in the league. The Patriots are set to have another great year on defense, and they can give your fantasy team the extra push it needs, to win a championship.

Stay tuned as I wrap up the AFC East with my D/ST analysis on the New York Jets!

My D/ST Analysis on the Bills and Dolphins are out! Be sure to check those out!

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