Picking your fantasy defense isn't always the most exciting moment of the draft, but it is often the difference between wins and losses. What you want to do is either draft one of the top rated defenses or pick up a new defense every week based on match-ups. Hey, maybe one of the defenses on the waiver wire emerges as a top five defense for the year and you scoop them up — you never know. Here are my rankings heading into the 2015 season.

1) Seattle Seahawks: Despite the departure of Bryron Maxwell, Seattle still has the top secondary in the league. They brought in veteran cornerback Cary Williams to fill his vacancy, and 25-year-old outside linebacker Bruce Irvin is playing for a new contract. Also keep in mind the division they play in. Last season, they held their division rivals to under 10 points in five out of their six games.

2) Buffalo Bills: The Bills All-Pro defensive line helped lead the team to 54 sacks in 2014, tops in the NFL. And with new head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, that number has the potential to go up. Their schedule also seems friendly as the face the Brady-less Patriots in week 2, the AFC South throughout the season (ignore that week 1 matchup against the Colts), and the Washington Redskins during week 15, when most fantasy teams are trying to get into the finals.

3) St. Louis Rams: The Rams could be one of the scarier defenses in the league if Chris Long and Will Hayes can stay healthy. Their defensive line is already strong without them thanks to Pro Bowlers Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald. 2nd year defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should be able to take a step in the right direction with so many familiar faces returning from last season.

4) Houston Texans: The addition of Vince Wilfork makes their defensive line one of the toughest to run on. Stevie Brown, who recorded eight interceptions with the New York Giants in 2012, also joins the team, so look for him and Jonathan Joseph to be their top playmakers in their secondary. Last season, they finished fourth in fantasy points among defenses, and recorded a league best 34 turnovers.

5) New York Jets: Todd Bowles helped the Carson Palmer-less Cardinals to an 11 win season as defensive coordinator in 2015. With a defense that looks better on paper than the Cardinals of 2014, he should be able to work his magic as head coach. The defensive line and secondaries are both amongst the best in the league, and the linebacker position has some depth to it.

6) Denver Broncos: Former head coach of the 1993-94 Broncos Wade Phillips was hired as defensive coordinator to implement his 3-4 defense for 2015. The combination of ROLB's Shane Ray and DeMarcus Ware are a good compliment to LOLB Von Miller, who was responsible for 14 of the teams 41 total sacks in 2014. Unlike many of the previous teams mentioned, the Broncos best assets come from their linebackers and secondary.

7) Miami Dolphins: Ndamukong Suh told reporters "I don't have a problem saying this, but I think personally that we have more talent than we had on the No. 1 [run] defense last year in Detroit." There is tons of potential in Miami with their defensive line consisting of Suh, Cameron Wake, Earl Mitchell and Oliver Vernon. They also have the luxury of facing the Jets and Bills offenses.

8) Arizona Cardinals: They were a team not afraid to blitz six guys last season, and that in part is because of the trust they put in their secondary to man up the receivers. Cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Tyrann Mathieu are the top two playmakers in their secondary. The depth they possess at the linebacker position is also a long term plus. However, their weeks 15 and 16 matches against the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers might make this defense not worth starting during playoff time.

9)Baltimore Ravens: The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best linebacker units in the league, and finished last season third in sacks with 49. Their best work came at home last season, when they held the Steelers to six points, the Panthers to 10, the Falcons to seven, the Titans to seven, the Jaguars to 12, and the Browns to 10.

10) Minnesota Vikings: The strength of this defense comes in their depth at the cornerback position with youngster Xavier Rhodes, Captain Munnerlyn, Terence Newman, Josh Robinson, and first round pick Trae Waynes. The one thing you would like to see more of out of a fantasy defense is force more takeaways, and I believe they are in position to improve upon their 18th best finish from 2014. Their second round pick, outside linebacker Eric Kendricks, should also make an impact this season to help stop the run.

11) Kansas City Chiefs: They gave up the second fewest points per game last season and recorded the fifth most sacks as well. No major players on defense were lost and they used their first round pick on cornerback Marcus Peters, who should start right away.

12) Philadelphia Eagles: Yes, the defense that gave up the 22nd best points per game total (25.0) in 2014, also scored the second most fantasy points. That's because they were able to score a league leading 11 touchdowns while also tying for second in sacks. Don't be expecting for them to repeat their touchdown total in 2015, but they should still be a good defense to own for their big play potential.

13) Detroit Lions: It is at this point in which I believe the defenses from here on out should be drafted as backups (if you're into that sort of thing) at most. The Lions will take a step back this year, losing Ndamukong Suh to the Dolphins. They replaced him with Haloti Ngata, but Suh will still be missed on the defensive line. On a positive note, the team signed their star outside linebacker DeAndre Levy to a contract extension through 2019. Levy was ranked as a top three 4-3 linebacker last season by Pro Football Focus.

14) Carolina Panthers: Outside of drafting linebacker Shaq Thompson, not much was improved on the defensive side of the ball for the Panthers. They lost DE Greg Hardy to the Cowboys, leaving Luke Kuechly as the lone star in this defense. If you are into streaming defenses, consider the Panthers as being the defense you pick on draft day. They open the season against the Jaguars and Texans.

15) Cincinnati Bengals: Injuries prevented them from being one of the top defenses in 2014, but with Geno Atkins two years removed from a torn ACL, the defense could get back to starter consideration in 2015. They also added Michael Johnson and A.J. Hawk as veteran talent to help contribute.

16) Green Bay Packers: The Packers defense could be worth starting if they can get Clay Matthews back to rushing off the edge. Last season, they had to move him to inside linebacker, which took away their best pass rusher. If they can get production from their fourth round linebacker selection, Jake Ryan, it would greatly improve the fantasy value of this defense. One positive from last year was their takeaway total, but they do lose cornerback Tramon Williams, who was responsible for three of their 18 interceptions.

17) Indianapolis Colts: The most inconsistent team of 2014 is back again with more question marks. Their brand of high blitzing won and lost many fantasy owners weeks, so pick and chose wisely with them as they remain un-trustable.

18) New England Patriots: The Pats lost too much talent in cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. They can still be a streamer defense since they get to face the Jets and Bills. They have one of the friendlier playoff schedules, facing the Texans, Titans and Jets in weeks 14-16.

19) Dallas Cowboys: When Rolando McClaim comes back week 5 from his four game suspension, this Cowboys defense could be a sleeper. Once a defense you could never trust to start in fantasy, Dallas took strides in 2014, and I expect the same to happen in 2015 if linebacker Sean Lee can stay healthy.

20) Atlanta Falcons: One of the most improved defenses this season, Atlanta was able to draft pass rushing linebacker Vic Beasley, and bring in veterans Adrian Clayborn and O'Brien Schofield to help the pass rush. They are a streamable defense this season and should easily take a big step forward from their last campaign, as they bring along new defensive coordinator Richard Smith, who puts an emphasis on rushing the passer.

21) Cleveland Browns: They are a team who desperately needed help stopping the run, so they drafted the best run stopped the 2015 class had to offer, 340 lb nose tackle Danny Shelton. They have a quality secondary led by Joe Haden, Donte Whitner, Tashaun Gipson, and free agent signee Tramon Williams. Their linebackers are intriguing as well, but don't count on them in the sack department, where they ranked 27th last season and didn't do enough to improve in that category this offseason.

22) Pittsburgh Steelers: They made sure to make improvements on their defense within the draft. Pass rusher Alvin Dupree was expected to go within the top 10 picks, but they got him at 22 overall. Aside from that, there isn't much excitement surrounding the Steelers D. Their secondary is likely going to give up lots of scores while their line doesn't feature enough fire power to get to the quarterback.

23) New York Giants: A lot of questions surround the safety position for New York after not re-signing Antrel Rolle. It's also unclear if Jason Piere-Paul will play at the level he is capable of after losing a finger in a fireworks accident. Steer clear of this defense until they prove themselves worthy of any type of spot start.

24) Oakland Raiders: They acquired nose tackle Dan Williams and linebacker Curtis Lofton to help build around their great rookie linebacker Khalil Mack. It might be surprising, but they might be worth starting on occasion in 12 team leagues.

25) San Francisco 49ers: What could the 49ers have possibly done to deserve what happened to their defense this past offseason? They lost three key players to retirement, released both Aldon Smith and Ray McDonald for their off-field stupidity, and also lost two starting cornerbacks. It's safe to say, 2015 will be a rough year for the 49er defense.

26) New Orleans Saints: A lot was done in the draft to improve upon their defense, which gave up 26.5 points per game last season. They are still not a defense to start unless they get a really favorable matchup, as they cut their top linebacker Junior Galette.

27) Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags took steps in the right direction this offseason, but they are still not a defense to start regularly. Their first round draft pick Dante Fowler, who was arguably the most best player in the draft, is out for the year due to an ACL injury, so look for their stock to rise when he returns next season.

28) San Diego Chargers: GM Tom Telesco worked primarily on the Chargers offense this offseason, and did little to upgrade their lackluster defense. They could have addressed their defensive line, which could use a run stopper.

29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This defense won't be stopping many offenses this year, and as usual, the division they play in only makes them even less attractive. They didn't do much in the draft to improve upon their defense. They ranked in the bottom half in points allowed, sacks, and interceptions in 2014, and that is likely to remain the same for 2015.

30) Tennessee Titans: With little depth and lack of talent on defense, the Titans are going to be in for another rough year. They also didn't improve through the draft by taking a quarterback with their first pick.

31) Washington Redskins: Don't ever start this defense. Their secondary was horrible last year, and they did little to improve anything that was wrong.

32) Chicago Bears: The Bears could be an intriguing fantasy defense in 2017 or 18, but they are virtually un-startable this season. Long time Bear Lance Briggs is no longer there and the team is in the first year of a converting to a 3-4 defense with a rookie year nose tackle.