Fantasy Defense rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at D/ST in fantasy football

Sloan Piva

Fantasy Defense rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at D/ST in fantasy football image

Devin Bush, Chris Jones

Thanksgiving week has arrived -- a time to be grateful for family, friends, food, and of course, fantasy football! Just as many will be feasting on turkey and endless sides this Thursday, fantasy owners nationwide will be choosing from a plentiful buffet of options when making start 'em, sit 'em decisions. One of the most difficult (and low-key most important) positions: D/ST. Our Week 12 fantasy defense rankings will help guide you to a defense that will complement your lineup like gravy on top of turkey and stuffing. 

With 11 weeks in the books, you don't need me to belabor the point about the elite defensive options. Fantasy owners fortunate enough to own the Broncos (@ Panthers in Week 12), 49ers (vs. Saints), and Colts (vs. Steelers) will have some holiday cheer, as they have great units with excellent matchups. The Chiefs (vs. Rams) aren't elite, but L.A. has gone from Super Bowl offense to allowing the most fantasy points per game to D/STs -- and it might be starting Bryce Perkins at quarterback this week. Yikes. 

Two of the three New York teams rank in our top 10, with the Bills (@ Lions) playing at Ford Field for the second week in a row and the Jets (vs. Bears) coming off a great defensive game in New England. Buffalo looked rejuvenated in Week 11 against Cleveland's stout running game, holding stud RB Nick Chubb to 19 yards on 14 carries. The Bills should be able to answer the bell against Jamaal Williams and a sparingly used D'Andre Swift. If Buffalo can get healthier in the secondary, then good luck to Jared Goff.

WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers

As for the Jets, they will be watching how Atlanta limited Justin Fields. The Falcons proved he can still be sacked and forced into turnovers, so a superior Gang Green D should make plenty of plays against him at home. New York sacked Mac Jones six times last week and held the Pats to four-of-15 on third downs, so the Jets have a decent floor.

WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers

The Buccaneers (@ Browns) get back into the swing of things after a bye week to prepare for Jacoby Brissett, Nick Chubb, and an inconsistent Cleveland offense. The Cowboys (vs. Giants) get a home tilt with Daniel Jones, who is 1-5 lifetime against the Cowboys with just three TDs, a 76.5 QB rating, and 14 sacks for 95 yards. Micah Parsons and company will definitely eat. So will the Steelers (@ Colts), who tallied two sacks and two interceptions against Cincy and now get to tee off against an Indy squad with a green head coach and gray QB (I'm allowed to say that, Matty Ice -- I'm older and grayer than you). Pittsburgh's ceiling is so much higher with T.J. Watt back in the lineup.

The Eagles (vs. Packers) still make the top 10, but given their recent regression, we aren't expecting a huge game like Philly was posting earlier in the season. The Patriots (@ Vikings) are also still in play despite facing a tough matchup. Dallas showed the Vikings are still vulnerable against top pass rushes, which the Patriots have.

As far as streamers go, there are plenty of interesting options. We already mentioned the Jets, Steelers, and Colts, but going a little deeper, Minnesota (vs. Patriots) should bounce back in a Thursday-night home matchup against the uninspiring Mac Jones. We also like the Dolphins (vs. Texans), who got the bye week to prepare for what should be a beatdown. Houston ranks dead last in total yards (181.8 per game) this season and has the third-worst scoring offense over its past three games (14.3 per game). The Falcons (@ Commanders), Bears (@ Jets), Panthers (vs. Broncos), and Commanders (vs. Falcons) also have favorable matchups and high ceilings. To be fair, they also have low floors, but if you're looking for big points, you can take the risk.

Any of those streams are better than the otherwise-good defenses with bad matchups like the Saints (@ 49ers), Giants (@ Cowboys), Cardinals (vs. Chargers), and Seahawks (vs. Raiders). Sometimes a canned cranberry sauce is more rewarding than your dad's homemade sauce with real cranberries and oranges that's supposed to be a gourmet recipe.

We'll be updating our fantasy defense rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest analysis and player movement.

Week 12 fantasy defense rankings

Rank    Team
1    Denver Broncos @ Panthers
2    San Francisco 49ers vs. Saints
3    Indianapolis Colts vs. Steelers
4    Kansas City Chiefs vs. Rams
5    Buffalo Bills @ Lions
6    New York Jets vs. Bears
7    Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Browns
8    Dallas Cowboys vs. Giants
9    Pittsburgh Steelers @ Colts
10    Philadelphia Eagles vs. Packers
11    Minnesota Vikings vs. Patriots
12    New England Patriots @ Vikings
13    Baltimore Ravens @ Jaguars
14    Miami Dolphins vs. Texans
15    Atlanta Falcons @ Commanders
16    Chicago Bears @ Jets
17    Carolina Panthers vs. Broncos
18    Washington Commanders vs. Falcons
19    New Orleans Saints @ 49ers
20    Cincinnati Bengals @ Titans
21    New York Giants @ Cowboys
22    Seattle Seahawks vs. Raiders
23    Arizona Cardinals vs. Chargers
24    Las Vegas Raiders @ Seahawks
25    Green Bay Packers @ Eagles
26    Los Angeles Rams @ Chiefs
27    Cleveland Browns vs. Buccaneers
28    Los Angeles Chargers @ Cardinals
29    Tennessee Titans vs. Bengals
30    Detroit Lions vs. Bills
31    Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Ravens
32    Houston Texans @ Dolphins

Week 12 defense fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks

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/STs -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!

TRY DRAFT SHARKS FREE: Dominate with exclusive tools, including Free-Agent Finder & Trade Navigator!

Sloan Piva

Sloan Piva Photo

Sloan Piva is a content producer for The Sporting News, primarily focused on betting, fantasy sports, and poker. A lifelong New Englander, Sloan earned his BA and MA in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts and now lives in coastal Rhode Island with his wife and two kids.