RADIO
Thanksgiving week is a time to be thankful. It's a time to be together, appreciative, and watch poorly acted and historically inaccurate 3rd grade plays. As a result, every football analyst and talking head will do a bit about what they are thankful for this week. In fact, all of us with a blog, article, or social media account are culturally obligated to bore you with our thanks for family or friends. Right? So, without further ado, I will do… the exact opposite.
One thing I am not thankful for is injuries. As I stated earlier in the season, the NFL’s constant rule changes to keep players safer haven't seemed to make a huge impact. I noted multiple sources in that article that stated injuries are stagnant or up in recent years. Perhaps the reason is players are contorting themselves into odd positions to avoid penalties? Or perhaps it’s that players sit out injuries they used to play with because player health is a higher priority?
Whatever the reason, fans of defense are in a hard spot. We want NFL players to be safe. As human beings and fantasy managers, we are invested in their health. However, we also want defenses to have a real chance. We don’t want every tackle to be regulated out of the league. While we’re sympathetic to injuries like Mark Andrews’, some of us don’t want the NFL to become a flag football league. If defenders can still tackle in 2030, I will be grateful for that.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
IDP Scoring System for Rankings:
6-points per Defensive Touchdown
4-points per Forced Turnover (FF/INT)
3-points per Sack
2- points per PD, FR, Safety
1-point Solo Tackle
0.5-points Assisted Tackle
Note: These rankings are also based on leagues that start one player at each defensive position (DL, LB, DB) and two DFLEX.
Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
| 1 | Micah Parsons | Cowboys | Commanders |
| 2 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | Bengals |
| 3 | Nick Bosa | 49ers | Seahawks |
| 4 | Myles Garrett | Browns | Broncos |
| 5 | Josh Allen | Jaguars | Texans |
| 6 | Maxx Crosby | Raiders | Chiefs |
| 7 | Jaelan Phillips | Dolphins | Jets |
| 8 | Danielle Hunter | Vikings | Bears |
| 9 | Aidan Hutchinson | Lions | Packers |
| 10 | Brian Burns | Panthers | Titans |
| 11 | Trey Hendrickson (Q) | Bengals | Steelers |
| 12 | Chris Jones | Chiefs | Raiders |
| 13 | Alex Highsmith | Steelers | Bengals |
| 14 | Aaron Donald | Rams | Cardinals |
| 15 | Kayvon Thibodeaux | Giants | Patriots |
| 16 | Javon Hargrave | 49ers | Seahawks |
| 17 | Chase Young | 49ers | Seahawks |
| 18 | Khalil Mack | Chargers | Ravens |
| 19 | Shaquil Barrett | Buccaneers | Colts |
| 20 | Harold Landry III | Titans | Panthers |
| 21 | Justin Madubuike | Ravens | Chargers |
| 22 | Haason Reddick | Eagles | Bills |
| 23 | Christian Wilkins | Dolphins | Jets |
| 24 | Josh Sweat | Eagles | Bills |
| 25 | Byron Young | Rams | Cardinals |
| 26 | Jeffery Simmons | Titans | Panthers |
| 27 | Dexter Lawrence | Giants | Patriots |
| 28 | Jonathan Allen | Commanders | Cowboys |
| 29 | Demarcus Lawrence | Cowboys | Commanders |
| 30 | Bradley Chubb | Dolphins | Jets |
| 31 | Jonathan Greenard | Texans | Jaguars |
| 32 | Will Anderson Jr. | Texans | Jaguars |
| 33 | Cameron Heyward | Steelers | Bengals |
| 34 | Ed Oliver | Bills | Eagles |
| 35 | Jalen Carter | Eagles | Bills |
| 36 | Rashan Gary | Packers | Lions |
| 37 | Denico Autry | Titans | Panthers |
| 38 | Boye Mafe | Seahawks | 49ers |
| 39 | Kwity Paye | Colts | Buccaneers |
| 40 | Deforest Buckner | Colts | Buccaneers |
| 41 | Derrick Brown | Panthers | Titans |
| 42 | Vita Vea (Q) | Buccaneers | Colts |
| 43 | Montez Sweat | Bears | Vikings |
| 44 | Baron Browning | Broncos | Browns |
| 45 | Jonathan Cooper | Broncos | Browns |
| 46 | Harrison Phillips | Vikings | Bears |
| 47 | Carl Granderson | Saints | Falcons |
| 48 | Preston Smith | Packers | Lions |
| 49 | Christian Barmore | Patriots | Giants |
| 50 | Josh Uche | Patriots | Giants |
DL Riser of the Week:
Harold Landry III, Tennessee Titans
Harold Landry III is the 30th most rostered DL in fantasy. One reason for that is his inconsistency. He ranks just 30th amongst fantasy edge rushers in standard IDP points, and he has five games with fewer than three solo tackles and zero big plays (i.e., sacks, forced turnovers, etc.). He has been on a tear of late, though, and he has a plus matchup in Week 12.
In his past five games, Landry is averaging 6.4 standard IDP points per game. That would put him 15th amongst fantasy DLs if he maintained that average all season. He also gets the Panthers this week. Carolina averages the fifth-most pass attempts in the NFL and allows the fourth-most sacks.
DL Disappointment of the Week:
Leonard Floyd, Buffalo Bills
Floyd is having a career season and is coming off his best game of the year. He's tied for eighth in sacks, too. That said, he doesn't make our rankings this week because of his matchup.
The Eagles allow pressure off the edge on just 11.5% of their dropbacks. They are also below average in pass attempts per game, averaging 34 per contest. Floyd plays about half his team's snaps, concentrating almost exclusively on third downs and obvious passing situations. His fantasy volume is also highly sack-dependent. The former Ram may not have many fantasy opportunities in this matchup.
Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
| 1 | Foyesade Oluokun | Jaguars | Texans |
| 2 | Zaire Franklin | Colts | Buccaneers |
| 3 | T.J. Edwards | Bears | Vikings |
| 4 | Roquan Smith | Ravens | Chargers |
| 5 | Jordyn Brooks | Seahawks | 49ers |
| 6 | Terrel Bernard (Q) | Bills | Eagles |
| 7 | Bobby Wagner | Seahawks | 49ers |
| 8 | Logan Wilson | Bengals | Steelers |
| 9 | C.J. Mosley | Jets | Dolphins |
| 10 | Fred Warner | 49ers | Seahawks |
| 11 | Lavonte David | Buccaneers | Colts |
| 12 | Ernest Jones | Rams | Cardinals |
| 13 | Bobby Okereke | Giants | Patriots |
| 14 | Quay Walker | Packers | Lions |
| 15 | Patrick Queen | Ravens | Chargers |
| 16 | Alex Singleton | Broncos | Browns |
| 17 | Quincy Williams | Jets | Dolphins |
| 18 | Elandon Roberts | Steelers | Bengals |
| 19 | Blake Cashman | Texans | Jaguars |
| 20 | Frankie Luvu | Panthers | Titans |
| 21 | Devin Lloyd | Jaguars | Texans |
| 22 | Jamin Davis | Commanders | Cowboys |
| 23 | Demario Davis | Saints | Falcons |
| 24 | Dre Greenlaw | 49ers | Seahawks |
| 25 | Azeez Al-Shaair | Titans | Panthers |
| 26 | Tremaine Edmunds | Bears | Vikings |
| 27 | Micah Parsons | Cowboys | Commanders |
| 28 | Devin White | Buccaneers | Colts |
| 29 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | Bengals |
| 30 | Ivan Pace Jr. | Vikings | Bears |
| 31 | Pete Werner | Saints | Falcons |
| 32 | De’Vondre Campbell (Q) | Packers | Lions |
| 33 | Drue Tranquill | Chiefs | Raiders |
| 34 | Eric Kendricks | Chargers | Ravens |
| 35 | E.J. Speed | Colts | Buccaneers |
| 36 | Josey Jewell | Broncos | Browns |
| 37 | Kenneth Murray Jr. | Chargers | Ravens |
| 38 | Kaden Elliss | Falcons | Saints |
| 39 | David Long Jr. | Dolphins | Jets |
| 40 | Robert Spillane | Raiders | Chiefs |
| 41 | Nate Landman | Falcons | Saints |
| 42 | Divine Deablo | Raiders | Chiefs |
| 43 | Leo Chenal | Chiefs | Raiders |
| 44 | Micah McFadden | Giants | Patriots |
| 45 | Jaelan Phillips | Dolphins | Jets |
| 46 | Nicholas Morrow | Eagles | Bills |
| 47 | Damone Clark | Cowboys | Commanders |
| 48 | Alex Anzalone | Lions | Packers |
| 49 | David Mayo | Commanders | Cowboys |
| 50 | Josh Woods | Cardinals | Rams |
LB Riser of the Week:
Cody Barton, LB, Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders opened Cody Barton’s window to return from IR on Monday. That's great news for IDP managers, since Barton was an LB1 in the right matchups before being injured. While his return could be bad for Jamin Davis, who has finally started to live up to his draft capital, Barton's consistency will be a welcome return.
We aren't ranking Barton this week because it's still too early to tell if he will be active on Thursday. The short window this week suggests it's unlikely. If he is active on Thanksgiving, it should mean Washington is confident in his health since they won't take advantage of the long week afterward. Thus, Barton would jump into the LB2 conversation if active.
LB Disappointment of the Week:
Jack Gibbens, Tennessee Titans
Gibbens is currently the 40th most rostered LB in fantasy, but through Week 8 he was playing like a top 25 LB. However, that production and his playing time have tanked in recent weeks. Gibbens has played on fewer than 50% of Tennessee’s defensive snaps in two straight games, and he’s totaled just nine total standard IDP points across his past three contests.
To make matters worse, this week Gibbens sees a Panthers offense that ranks at the top of the NFL in pass rate. This should mean Gibbens will have a chance at a sack, but you can't trust his role or playing time to be consistent. He's a big boom-or-bust option and is rostered in too many leagues given his recent role on defense.
Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
| 1 | Derwin James (Q) | Chargers | Ravens |
| 2 | Antoine Winfield Jr. | Buccaneers | Colts |
| 3 | Camryn Bynum | Vikings | Bears |
| 4 | Kamren Curl | Commanders | Cowboys |
| 5 | Kyle Hamilton | Ravens | Chargers |
| 6 | Reed Blankenship | Eagles | Bills |
| 7 | Jalen Pitre | Texans | Jaguars |
| 8 | Minkah Fitzpatrick (Q) | Steelers | Bengals |
| 9 | Jevon Holland | Dolphins | Jets |
| 10 | Kyle Dugger | Patriots | Giants |
| 11 | Devon Witherspoon | Seahawks | 49ers |
| 12 | Jaquan Brisker | Bears | Vikings |
| 13 | L’Jarius Sneed | Chiefs | Raiders |
| 14 | Dax Hill | Bengals | Steelers |
| 15 | Kevin Byard | Eagles | Bills |
| 16 | Grant Delpit | Browns | Broncos |
| 17 | Jordan Poyer | Bills | Eagles |
| 18 | Xavier McKinney | Giants | Patriots |
| 19 | Kenny Moore II | Colts | Buccaneers |
| 20 | Paulson Adebo | Saints | Falcons |
| 21 | Julian Blackmon | Colts | Buccaneers |
| 22 | Daron Bland | Cowboys | Commanders |
| 23 | Tre’von Moehrig | Raiders | Chiefs |
| 24 | Kerby Joseph | Lions | Packers |
| 25 | Jessie Bates III | Falcons | Saints |
| 26 | Budda Baker | Cardinals | Rams |
| 27 | Josh Metellus | Vikings | Bears |
| 28 | Justin Simmons | Broncos | Browns |
| 29 | Brian Branch | Lions | Packers |
| 30 | Ryan Neal | Buccaneers | Colts |
| 31 | Rayshawn Jenkins | Jaguars | Texans |
| 32 | Richie Grant | Falcons | Saints |
| 33 | Rasul Douglas | Bills | Eagles |
| 34 | Alohi Gilman | Chargers | Ravens |
| 35 | Jordan Battle | Bengals | Steelers |
| 36 | Taron Johnson (Q) | Bills | Eagles |
| 37 | Marco Wilson | Cardinals | Rams |
| 38 | Rudy Ford | Packers | Lions |
| 39 | Harrison Smith | Vikings | Bears |
| 40 | Nate Hobbs | Raiders | Chiefs |
| 41 | Jayron Kearse | Cowboys | Commanders |
| 42 | Justin Reid | Chiefs | Raiders |
| 43 | Darious Williams | Jaguars | Texans |
| 44 | Andre Cisco (Q) | Jaguars | Texans |
| 45 | Ji’Ayir Brown | 49ers | Seahawks |
| 46 | Geno Stone | Ravens | Chargers |
| 47 | Jalen Ramsey | Dolphins | Jets |
| 48 | Brandon Stephens | Ravens | Chargers |
| 49 | Jason Pinnock | Giants | Patriots |
| 50 | Roger McCreary | Titans | Panthers |
DB Riser of the Week:
Ji’Ayir Brown, San Francisco 49ers
Brown made my list of defenders to add last week. So did YaYa Diaby, who also had a good Week 11. Now Brown finds himself as a likely starter for the 49ers, with Talanoa Hufanga tearing his ACL against Tampa.
With Hufanga out, Brown took on a starter’s role. He was burned immediately for a deep touchdown, but his ball skills took over after that. The Penn State product played less than two quarters, but he deflected three passes and intercepted a ball in the endzone. That production is consistent with a player who tied for the NCAA lead in INTs two years ago.
Even better, Brown should face either Geno Smith with a bruised elbow or Drew Lock on Thanksgiving night. Either of those passers could be ripe for another interception, and both should continue to attack the young rookie. Brown is a big riser in our rankings this week and for the rest of the season.
Note: It was tough competition this week for our DB Riser. Jordan Battle is arguably just as big a riser as Brown, if not higher. I went with Brown because his role is more secure, while Battle could continue to battle (see what I did there?) Nick Scott for snaps. Battle will be covered in our IDP streamers article.
DB Disappointment of the Week:
Nick Scott, Cincinnati Bengals
With Jordan Battle ascending, Scott is descending. The former Ram hasn't been particularly effective on film all year, and against Baltimore he saw his snap share drop to 17%. That's a big fall from a guy with several fantasy-relevant performances early in the year.
While it’s possible Battle’s increased snaps were simply a warning for the veteran, it seems unlikely. The rookie played very well against the Ravens, giving Zac Taylor little reason not to start him next week. Scott cannot be trusted, even in deep formats, this week. That is noteworthy since he logged 34 tackles in his first four games with Cincinnati.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
Win More With RotoBaller
Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
