Fantasy Football Rankings: Five Must-Start Defenses For Week 12 Of Season
Good luck topping last weekend, Week 12.
The Week 11 slate gave us some incredible performances out of fantasy defenses, as four D/ST units — the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles — topped 20 points in standard-scoring leagues.
That kind of stat sheet stuffing doesn’t happen every week, but fear not: There are plenty of juicy fantasy defense options this Thanksgiving weekend.
Here are our top five fantasy defense plays for Week 12.
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Chicago Bears)
The red-hot Eagles defense has posted 53 fantasy points over the last three weeks. Expect the points to pile up again in Week 12 when Philly takes on a Bears offense that’s allowed nine points or more to opposing D/STs in five straight games.
Seattle Seahawks (at San Francisco 49ers)
This NFC West matchup actually might be closer than some think, as the Niners always play Seattle tough. But the Seahawks’ defense has racked up 13 sacks amid a solid three-week stretch and should at the very least have a high floor against an underwhelming San Francisco offense.
Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Cleveland Browns)
The Browns really are a marvel: Opposing D/STs have tallied nine or more fantasy points against them in all but one of their 10 games this season. Cincinnati is fresh off a solid performance against the Denver Broncos and should feast on Cleveland, just like every other defense has this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars (at Arizona Cardinals)
Jacksonville’s massive effort against the Browns in Week 11 proved it’s a must-start every weekend. That won’t change when the Jags take on Blaine Gabbert and the free-falling Cardinals in Arizona.
New England Patriots (vs. Miami Dolphins)
The Pats continue to be a steady D/ST option, averaging 11.2 fantasy points per game over their last five contests. It shouldn’t matter if Jay Cutler or Matt Moore starts in Week 12 — New England once again will be a strong play Sunday.
