We had a “byepocalypse” in Week 9 with six idle teams, so let’s call this week “byemageddon” because we have another six teams taking their mandatory PTO. The Falcons, Bears, Packers, Colts, Saints, and Commanders are out of our rankings, and at least four of those squads are pretty good defenses. If you didn’t read our waiver-wire watchlist article last Thursday, you might be scrambling for a D/ST streamer.
If you’re in that situation, don’t despair. Several viable D/STs can be found in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. Standing out specifically are the Cardinals (vs. Patriots in Week 14), Steelers (vs. Ravens), Raiders (@ Rams), and Titans (vs. Jaguars). Arizona’s pass rush has been heating up (2.3 sacks per game over the past three weeks and four sacks against the Chargers in Week 12) and has an extra week to prep for Mac Jones and the Pats. Pittsburgh might very well be facing Tyler Huntley instead of Lamar Jackson (knee), which worked out pretty well for Denver’s D last week. Las Vegas gets the Rams, who were allowing the most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to D/STs even before John Wolford took over under center, and underrated Tennessee gets a home tilt against a banged-up Trevor Lawrence and friends.
WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
By now you know the stud defenses. The Cowboys (vs. Texans) and Bills (vs. Jets) remain elite and have fantastic Week 14 matchups. The Ravens (@ Steelers) have been superb since acquiring All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith and now draw the rival Steelers with mistake-prone Kenny Pickett under center. The always-stellar Patriots (@ Cardinals) should prioritize the containment of DeAndre Hopkins while harassing the struggling Kyler Murray all over the field, and the Buccaneers (@ 49ers) got an early Christmas present with Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury, as they should have no problem confounding Brock Purdy.
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
Entering the fray with those upper-echelon defenses, the Seahawks (vs. Panthers) get another great matchup one week after beating the brakes off the Rams. The Chiefs (@ Broncos) have steadily improved over the past few weeks and draw a Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett offense that looks more ready to hide than ride. These squads — plus the four streamers we mentioned in the third paragraph — might be better plays than the Eagles (@ Giants) in a divisional slugfest, though Philadelphia got back on track with six sacks last week and should do just fine against Daniel Jones and Co.
WEEK 14 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Often, the defenses you sit are more crucial than the ones you start. Can you really trust the Vikings (@ Lions) at this point? They just allowed a Mike White-led Jets offense to mount 366 passing yards and 23 first downs, one week after Mac Jones amassed 382 and two TDs in Minnesota. Detroit is healthier than it has been all season and could surprise its NFC North rivals this week.
WEEK 14 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
We’re also treading lightly with the 49ers at home against the aforementioned Buccaneers. Tom Brady late in the season is not a good draw, even for a stud Niners D, and Miami proved last week that the Niners are susceptible to chunk plays through the air. In a must-win scenario, we like the GOAT’s chances of limiting mistakes, but San Francisco is still in play as a fringe starting option in 12-team formats.
WEEK 14 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
You’ll also want to shy away from the Dolphins (@ Chargers), Browns (@ Bengals), Rams (vs. Raiders), and Broncos (vs. Chiefs) unless you really have no other options. If you’re stuck with any of the eight squads beyond those, I’ll light a candle for you.
We’ll be updating our fantasy defense rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest analysis and player movement.
Week 14 fantasy defense rankings
Rank Team 1 Dallas Cowboys vs. Texans 2 Buffalo Bills vs. Jets 3 Baltimore Ravens @ Steelers 4 New England Patriots @ Cardinals 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 49ers 6 Seattle Seahawks vs. Panthers 7 Arizona Cardinals vs. Patriots 8 Kansas City Chiefs @ Broncos 9 Philadelphia Eagles @ Giants 10 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Ravens 11 Las Vegas Raiders @ Rams 12 Tennessee Titans vs. Jaguars 13 San Francisco 49ers vs. Buccaneers 14 Miami Dolphins @ Chargers 15 Minnesota Vikings @ Lions 16 Cleveland Browns @ Bengals 17 Los Angeles Rams vs. Raiders 18 Denver Broncos vs. Chiefs 19 Jacksonville Jaguars @ Titans 20 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Browns 21 New York Jets @ Bills 22 Detroit Lions vs. Vikings 23 Carolina Panthers @ Seahawks 24 New York Giants vs. Eagles 25 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Dolphins 26 Houston Texans @ Cowboys
Week 14 defense fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
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