With the NFL season flying by, we roll into December and creep ever closer to the fantasy football playoffs. Every lineup decision at this point can make or break the season, so making the right call at D/ST takes on more importance each week. Our Week 13 fantasy defense rankings will help guide you to the right decisions, regardless of whether you have a top D/ST on your roster or you're looking for a waiver-wire streamer to help get you by for one week.
The stud defenses and the best matchups are pretty obvious. The Buccaneers (vs. Saints in Week 13), Bills (@ Patriots), Cowboys (vs. Colts), Seahawks (@ Rams), Browns (@ Texans), and Vikings (vs. Jets) are all auto-starts. The Ravens (vs. Broncos) have become an auto-start since acquiring Roquan Smith, and a home tilt against Russell Wilson looks even juicier than my Thanksgiving ham. Baltimore has averaged 3.7 sacks over the past three games, while Denver has been sacked 4.0 times per game in that same span. Overall, the Broncos have surrendered the seventh-most D/ST points in the NFL this season.
Despite getting run over last week by the Eagles, we also like the Packers (@ Bears), who could conceivably go against a depleted Bears' offense that could once again be without Justin Fields (left shoulder). Even when Fields was healthy, Chicago was among the most heavily sacked team in the league and prone to turnovers, so we like the Packers even if Fields is active. Similarly, we think the Giants (vs. Commanders) will bounce back after having some problems with the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The G-men did force two turnovers in that game, and Washington entered Week 12 in the top 10 in most fantasy points per game allowed to D/STs.
WEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
Some usually solid defensive options get slight downgrades this week. The Eagles (vs. Titans) are still probably a lineup lock for most, but temper your expectations with Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill in playoff form. The Commanders (@ Giants) also must contend with a strong running game, traveling to face Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones, but we still like them as a borderline top-12 unit with Chase Young (knee) expected back in a potentially low-scoring game.
WEEK 13 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
The matchups for the usually stout Patriots (vs. Bills), Broncos (@ Ravens), and 49ers (vs. Dolphins) are much more worrisome. All are talented and could always come through with a big play or two, but we advise you to seek better options. The matchups don't get much worse, and both the Bills and Broncos struggled mightily last week.
WEEK 13 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
We already mentioned the Browns, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Giants, and Commanders as solid options this week, and they're all available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. If you need to go deeper for your streamer, consider the Falcons (vs. Steelers), who just held Washington to 138 passing yards and now face oft-erratic rookie QB Kenny Pickett. We also like the Steelers (@ Falcons) in that game with T.J. Watt back on the edge for Pittsburgh. The Steelers are one of the best rushing defenses in football, and all Atlanta can do at this point is run the ball. The Bears (vs. Packers) are a decent flier at home against either a banged-up Aaron Rodgers (oblique) or Jordan Love, as are the Jets (@ Vikings) with cornerback Sauce Gardner looking like the D-Rookie of the Year.
WEEK 13 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
Need to go even deeper to find a streamer? Consider the Jaguars (@ Lions), who face the turnover-prone Jared Goff. The Lions (vs. Jaguars) have actually looked pretty good themselves as of late, so with an extra few days of prep, they might be a serviceable D/ST at home against an inconsistent Trevor Lawrence. But, again, those are only for very deep leagues, as most owners in 10- and 12-team leagues should be fine with one of the streaming options we mentioned above.
WEEK 13 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
We'll be updating our fantasy defense rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest analysis and player movement.
Week 13 fantasy defense rankings
Rank Team
1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Saints
2 Buffalo Bills @ Patriots
3 Dallas Cowboys vs. Colts
4 Seattle Seahawks @ Rams
5 Cleveland Browns @ Texans
6 Baltimore Ravens vs. Broncos
7 Green Bay Packers @ Bears
8 Minnesota Vikings vs. Jets
9 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Titans
10 Washington Commanders @ Giants
11 Atlanta Falcons vs. Steelers
12 New York Giants vs. Commanders
13 Pittsburgh Steelers @ Falcons
14 Miami Dolphins @ 49ers
15 San Francisco 49ers vs. Dolphins
16 New England Patriots vs. Bills
17 Chicago Bears vs. Packers
18 New York Jets @ Vikings
19 Jacksonville Jaguars @ Lions
20 Kansas City Chiefs @ Bengals
21 Denver Broncos @ Ravens
22 Detroit Lions vs. Jaguars
23 Los Angeles Chargers @ Raiders
24 Los Angeles Rams vs. Seahawks
25 New Orleans Saints @ Buccaneers
26 Las Vegas Raiders vs. Chargers
27 Indianapolis Colts @ Cowboys
28 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chiefs
29 Tennessee Titans @ Eagles
30 Houston Texans vs. Browns
Week 13 defense fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
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