As we roll into Turkey Day, we often pause and give thanks for the things we might overlook on a day-to-day basis -- friendships, family, and, of course, fantasy football D/STs. We at Sporting News never overlook the last position of our starting lineup (we don't play in leagues with kickers), so we're happy to share our Week 12 fantasy defense rankings so you can focus your energy on food, family, and football.
No matter your opinion on the D/ST position, we can all agree that making the right play with your fantasy defense can swing a matchup. That's why it's important to know the best streamers, the top bust candidates, and the latest noteworthy news before locking a defense into your Thanksgiving weekend lineup.
That's where we come in, providing you with a comprehensive analysis of the D/ST landscape for Week 12. Let's get right to it, so you can go back to researching how to fry a turkey without burning down your house.
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Which fantasy defenses are on bye in Week 12?
None! After four teams had Week 11 off, all 32 squads will be in action for Week 12. That includes three games on Turkey Day, one on Black Friday, and of course the prime-time games on Sunday and Monday night.
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
With such a unique schedule, it's more important than ever to check in with us early and often for updates to our D/ST rankings.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 12?
The Cowboys (vs. Commanders in Week 12) have been rolling in every sense of the word, and they'll enjoy a Thanksgiving date with a Washington squad that has yielded 12 sacks and three turnovers over the past two weeks. Sounds as juicy as a Thanksgiving ham (spiral honey ham beats turkey any day, y'all).
We also like the Browns (@ Broncos) despite the fact that Denver has come alive as of late. Myles Garrett and this Cleveland D make every quarterback look bad, so we can only imagine how ugly Russell Wilson will look in this one. We feel the same about what the Lions (vs. Packers) will do to Green Bay with Aaron Jones (knee) on the shelf. The Pack's o-line has been abysmal, and an Aidan Hutchinson-led Lions' pass rush is vastly different than a Chargers D that lost Joey Bosa early in Week 11.
The Saints (@ Falcons) and Chiefs (@ Raiders) are both high-upside defenses with very strong road matchups, so we actually rank them ahead of the 49ers (@ Seahawks). However, the way Fred Warner is playing right now, we wouldn't want to be a banged-up Geno Smith with no Kenneth Walker III (oblique) in the backfield. If Smith (elbow) is ruled out, we'll move the 49ers up.
We love both sides of the Bengals vs. Steelers matchup, especially after seeing Kenny Pickett get bruised and battered by the aforementioned Browns in a 13-10 dogfight. Cincinnati last played on Thursday Night Football in Week 11 (a rough loss to Baltimore), so Lou Anarumo's unit will have extra time to prepare for its next divisional home game.
Rounding out the top 10, we're targeting two below-average New York offenses with the Patriots (@ Giants) and Dolphins (@ Jets). Bill Belichick coming out of a bye and facing his former team sounds delightful, especially with Tommy DeVito leading the Giants' offense. As for Miami, linebacker Jaelan Phillips and cornerback Jalen Ramsey have been doing it all for the 'Fins as of late, and they should wreak havoc on Tim Boyle.
WEEK 12 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 12?
In addition to the Saints (@ Falcons), Bengals (vs. Steelers), Patriots (@ Giants), and Dolphins (@ Jets), all of whom are available in around 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, there are plenty more D/ST sleepers we like in Week 12.
The Colts (vs. Buccaneers) have been a surprise source of big-time D/ST points recently, and their ground-and-pound offensive scheme should also control the clock against a struggling Tampa Bay defense. With a handful of usually strong defenses drawing tough matchups (Ravens @ Chargers, Jets vs. Dolphins, Jaguars @ Texans, Bills @ Eagles), Indy might be a solid streamer.
We also have to give the Broncos (vs. Browns) their flowers, as Sean Payton finally has this squad playing with purpose. With Cleveland's offense still picking up the pieces since the news of Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder surgery, we love Denver in the mile-high air.
Don't forget about the Giants (vs. Patriots), who get to tee off against either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe. Regardless of who wins this short-term QB contest, the real loser will be anyone forced to watch New England's hapless offense. (How did Bill Belichick think this team would succeed without an offensive line or wide receiver corps?)
Another decent stream is the Vikings (vs. Bears), who have a renewed sense of hope with Josh Dobbs leading the offensive charge. Minnesota hasn't been half-bad defensively for the past month, allowing 21 or fewer points in two straight games and forcing 10 punts during that span. Danielle Hunter has been an absolute beast on the Vikings' pass rush.
The Rams (@ Cardinals) and Buccaneers (@ Colts) round out the top 20, but both those streams have low floors but potentially high ceilings. Once you get into the 21-32 range in the rankings, the ceilings drop in a major way. We might be able to convince ourselves to start the Falcons (vs. Saints) or Titans (vs. Panthers), but we're probably still comfortable with the floor of a more solid overall defense like the Eagles (vs. Bills) or Texans (vs. Jaguars) at home in tough matchups.
Be sure to check in throughout the week for updates and tweaks.
WEEK 12 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Fantasy Defense Rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at D/ST
Rank Player
1 Dallas Cowboys vs. Commanders
2 Cleveland Browns @ Broncos
3 Detroit Lions vs. Packers
4 New Orleans Saints @ Falcons
5 Kansas City Chiefs @ Raiders
6 San Francisco 49ers @ Seahawks
7 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Steelers
8 Pittsburgh Steelers @ Bengals
9 New England Patriots @ Giants
10 Miami Dolphins @ Jets
11 Indianapolis Colts vs. Buccaneers
12 Baltimore Ravens @ Chargers
13 Denver Broncos vs. Browns
14 New York Giants vs. Patriots
15 New York Jets vs. Dolphins
16 Jacksonville Jaguars @ Texans
17 Minnesota Vikings vs. Bears
18 Buffalo Bills @ Eagles
19 Los Angeles Rams @ Cardinals
20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Colts
21 Houston Texans vs. Jaguars
22 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Bills
23 Atlanta Falcons vs. Saints
24 Tennessee Titans vs. Panthers
25 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Ravens
26 Seattle Seahawks vs. 49ers
27 Carolina Panthers @ Titans
28 Washington Commanders @ Cowboys
29 Arizona Cardinals vs. Rams
30 Chicago Bears @ Vikings
31 Green Bay Packers @ Lions
32 Las Vegas Raiders vs. Chiefs
Week 12 D/ST fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
We're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 12 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for D/ST -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!
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