Updated Week 12 Defense Fantasy Rankings: D/ST lineup tips on who to start, best sleepers, streamers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The D/ST position in fantasy football is often overlooked. However, selecting the right defense can be the critical factor that determines victory or defeat each week.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNever start an elite NFL defense in a poor matchup, as it may not always produce fantasy points for the D/ST position. The best approach is to focus entirely on matchups.
Here are our Week 12 D/ST fantasy rankings, best starts, sleepers, and some matchups to avoid.
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Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at D/ST
📋 Week 12 Fantasy Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | PK | Flex Half-PPR Cheat Sheet
Updated 11/21:
Rk
Team Defense
OPP
Rk Chg
1
Seattle Seahawks
@TEN
2
Baltimore Ravens
NYJ
⬆️ 1
3
Detroit Lions
NYG
4
Green Bay Packers
MIN
5
Cleveland Browns
@LV
6
New England Patriots
@CIN
⬆️ 1
7
Chicago Bears
PIT
8
San Francisco 49ers
CAR
9
Carolina Panthers
@SF
10
Houston Texans
BUF
TNF
11
Buffalo Bills
@HOU
TNF
12
Los Angeles Rams
TB
13
Atlanta Falcons
@NO
14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
@LAR
⬇️ 1
15
Arizona Cardinals
JAX
16
Kansas City Chiefs
IND
⬆️ 1
17
Minnesota Vikings
@GB
18
New Orleans Saints
ATL
19
Pittsburgh Steelers
@CHI
20
Jacksonville Jaguars
@ARI
21
Las Vegas Raiders
CLE
⬆️ 1
22
Tennessee Titans
SEA
23
Philadelphia Eagles
@DAL
24
Indianapolis Colts
@KC
25
New York Giants
@DET
26
Cincinnati Bengals
NE
27
New York Jets
@BAL
28
Dallas Cowboys
PHI
BYE
Denver Broncos
BYE
BYE
Los Angeles Chargers
BYE
BYE
Miami Dolphins
BYE
BYE
Washington Commanders
BYE
Which D/STs have a bye in fantasy Week 12?
Denver Broncos
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
Washington Commanders
BEST PICKUPS: Week 12 waiver wire
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 12?
This week is full of targetable matchups at the D/ST position. You truly could not go wrong with any of the units in the top five of these rankings.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSeattle has been outstanding for fantasy football this season, and it's the best possible matchup with the Tennessee Titans—the Titans average just 14.4 points per game, the lowest in the NFL.
Who are the best fantasy D/ST sleepers in Week 12?
The matchup between the Falcons and Saints is fascinating. Neither defense is that great, but the offenses are inconsistent at best.
If this is a low-scoring game, both units could find opportunities for fantasy points.
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