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
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