Byes don’t have a big effect on our rankings. The Chiefs and Cardinals are off, and while the Cardinals have been a solid D/ST this year, getting two decent offenses off the board should theoretically create fewer bad matchups. It doesn’t.
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
The reason? Two of the best matchups – the Jets and Texans – play each other. Unfortunately, both have such bad D/STs that we don’t rank either very highly. You could certainly trust the matchup trends, use one of those defenses, and hope for a sloppy, sack-filled game, but you’d be taking a big risk. The Falcons and Jaguars are similar to the Jets and Texans – two great D/ST matchups facing two of the worst fantasy defenses. Again, you can try to play one of them, but good luck. Throw the Bears-Lions game in this category, as well, at least from the Lions side.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
We know any defense can pay off in a given week, but we’d rather trust talented D/STs like the Rams (@ Packers), Steelers (@ Bengals), Colts (vs. Buccaneers), or Packers (vs. Rams) despite tough matchups. The Rams have had some turnover issues lately – something the Packers excel at creating – so Green Bay has the most boom-or-bust upside. The Colts have also been on fire, and we’ve seen the Bucs struggle recently (against New Orleans), so the Colts have a decent floor playing at home.
WEEK 12 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
As far as streamers, the red-hot Eagles (@ Giants), Dolphins (vs. Panthers) and Bears (@ Lions) look like your best bets, but you could also try your luck with Seattle against Washington. The Panthers aren’t quite as good of a matchup now that Sam Darnold is on the sidelines, but Miami still has enough talent to limit Carolina.
WEEK 12 DFS: Best values | Lineup Builder
Overall, many fantasy owners will be taking a risk at D/ST this week, whether it’s by starting a defense with a low ceiling or one with a low floor. Figure out what makes the most sense for your team and hope for the best.
WEEK 12 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
Note: We’ll be updating these D/ST rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest analysis and player movement.
