Projecting outlooks for Fantasy Football defensive/special teams units is always a significant challenge. Personnel changes, injuries and other factors alter the expectations for many defenses from year to year. The Washington Football Team had the 25th-ranked Fantasy defense in 2019, then finished sixth in 2020. San Francisco was the third-best defense in 2019, then fell to 20th last season. 

Scott Engel has fully scouted and examined all 32 Fantasy defensive units for 2020. Engel is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hall of Fame and has been a premier analyst and Fantasy personality for 25 years. He is a four-time FSWA Award Winner and 10-time nominee. In 2020, Scott was a finalist for the FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year Award, which he also won previously. 

In addition to being the Fantasy writer for the Seattle Seahawks' official site since 2012, Engel has appeared on The Athletic, SiriusXM FantasySports Radio, ESPN.com, NFL.com, the Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, SI.com, the New York Post, USA Today, RotoBaller, and of course, CBSSports.com. 

Now Engel has provided his 2021 Fantasy defense rankings with in-depth analysis, exclusively for SportsLine members. He spotlights key personnel changes and pinpoints units on the rise. He also notes favorable early-season matchups for those who prefer to stream defenses right from the opener. 

We can tell you Engel is extremely high on the Washington defense because of their impressive defensive line. And a massive shocker: The Miami defense, which may be the most underrated unit in Fantasy football, is pushing for a spot among the top selections.   

Engel also highlights a defense to watch that is on the rise and could become a frequent starting option! This pick could be the difference between winning and losing in some important weeks of the season. 

So which defenses have good Week 1 matchups? And which surprising unit ranks inside the Top 10? ... Join SportsLine here to see complete Fantasy football defense/special teams rankings, all from a Fantasy Hall of Famer!