Pushing some numbers around while considering the magazine story on fantasy defenses, one trend stands out. Takeaways are down since the turn of the century, and in fact it's been a steady, somewhat precipitous decline.

Back in 2001, NFL teams averaged 30 takeaways per season. Five years later that number was 28, and five years after that, it was 25. The last two years, teams averaged just 22 takeaways. (Table shows numbers since 2007; any wider and it makes for an ugly web page.)

NFL TEAM TAKEAWAYS, 2007-2017
Team0708091011121314151617
Arizona2930293019333025332821
Atlanta2718283129312128232216
Baltimore2334322726252422142834
Buffalo3022332231213030251825
Carolina3025372924233026392721
Chicago3332283531442824171122
Cincinnati3424252622303126282014
Cleveland2731192820292129211313
Dallas2922213024162831112021
Denver2913301818242625272717
Detroit3520232934172227181432
Green Bay2828403238232227222522
Houston2522271827291134251716
Indianapolis3726262117152726251720
Jacksonville2917251828232120181333
Kansas City2229282326133614293326
LA Chargers4824252221281718202827
LA Rams2726202618212925261828
Miami2230211919162425162515
Minnesota3125242523222019222719
New England3122283834412925212318
New Orleans2322392516261917222125
NY Giants2522243931352926272519
NY Jets2130313031231513301220
Oakland2624202426192214253014
Philadelphia1929383424133128262631
Pittsburgh2529223515202021302322
San Francisco2118332238253029122020
Seattle3420232231313924221925
Tampa Bay3530292824263125232926
Tennessee3431272523242516191821
Washington2418172721312619262023
Average28.524.827.326.825.324.925.423.723.221.822.1

We can run through plenty of theories for the decline. Offenses are placing higher value on taking care of the football than in the past. New rules, with player safety in mind, are reducing the number of big, concussion-causing (and turnover-producing) hits. Probably both are true.

But the results are tough to dispute. Turnovers are down across the league, and should be less of a factor when considering fantasy defenses than in the past. And defenses themselves are less likely to put up difference-making fantasy production than they were just 15 years ago.

--Andy Richardson