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RotoBallers, the weekend is here, and with four games in the books already, it's time to focus on the rest of Week 12. The Cowboys' DST is the top-scoring defense in fantasy football and continues to lead fantasy managers to victory. However, for fantasy managers who need to stream and don't have Dallas as their main DST, our NFL team's Week 12 fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings are here to guide to in setting the best optimal lineup.
The Titans, Patriots, and Broncos have plus matchups and are ranked in the top 10 in RotoBaller's Week 12 DST rankings. Check out where other defenses, such as the Texans, Falcons, and Giants, rank below this week.
Our Week 12 defense (DST) fantasy football rankings are put together by Nick Mariano, Brandon Murchison, Andersen Pickard, and Scott Engel. In addition to our staff rankings, below you will also find a summary of this week's important fantasy football injury news.
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!
Week 12 Defense (D/ST) Fantasy Football News
- Marshon Lattimore Gets Placed On Injured Reserve
- The Ravens Defense Has A Tall Task In Week 12
- Broncos Defense Firmly On Streaming Radar Against Browns
- MRI Confirms Confirms Torn Achilles For Jaelan Phillips
- Browns A Top-6 Option In Week 12
- Giants DST Just Outside Top-12 Against New England
- Panthers DST In A Good Spot In Week 12
- Arizona Defense Off The Fantasy Radar In Week 12
- Texans Defense A Middle-Of-The-Pack Option In Week 12
- Maxx Crosby Doubtful For Week 12
Week 12 Fantasy Football DST Outlooks and Rankings Analysis
A new feature has been added to our weekly fantasy football rankings article. Below, you will find our fantasy football outlooks for key options in Week 11, which gives readers a matchup preview of that player and advice on whether you should start or avoid for the upcoming week. We provide outlooks for all 32 NFL teams, which can be found on our player profile pages and our fantasy football news desk.
New York Giants DST
Week 12 Defense Rank: 13
The New York Giants defense is a worthy streaming candidate in Week 12 against a New England offense that may or may not be starting Mac Jones at quarterback. Coach Bill Belichick has kept his cards close to his vest. Jones, Bailey Zappe, or even Malik Cunningham could play. Regardless, none of those quarterbacks are good options for the floundering Patriots' offense.
In turn, that means the Giants are right on the fringe of being a starting DST for Week 12. The unit will likely be without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (hamstring). It's a risky start, given the defense's history of underperforming, but they are matched up with a team averaging just over 14 points per game this season.
Denver Broncos DST
Week 12 Defense Rank: 7
The Denver Broncos defense/special teams unit, is definitely a viable streaming option in Week 12 against a Cleveland Browns offense that will be starting rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. Denver's D has allowed the third-most points per game (26.8) in 2023, but that is largely skewed by their 70-point fiasco against the Dolphins in Week 3. They're also extremely vulnerable on the ground -- a league-high 160 rushing yards allowed per game -- but the Broncos' defense has tightened things up during their four-game winning streak.
They haven't allowed more than 22 points in a single game since Week 5 and have, most importantly, forced 12 turnovers in their last three games. Against a Browns offense that could have issues sustaining drives with an inexperienced signal-caller at the helm, there is some upside to be had at home for Denver's D.
Cleveland Browns DST
Week 11 Defense Rank: 6
The Cleveland Browns defense played well in a Week 11 win, limiting the Pittsburgh Steelers to just 10 points while racking up three sacks. They will now head on the road to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 12. D
Denver's offense has been a middling matchup for fantasy defenses in 2023, as they allow the 13th-most fantasy points per game to the position thus far. That being said, Cleveland's defense has been excellent this season, and that is a trend that should continue in Week 12's contest, a game with a low 36.5-point over/under. Treat the Cleveland defense as a top-six option heading into Week 12.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Defense (D/ST) Rankings
Rankings are updated until kick-off. Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard rankings
| D/ST Tier | D/ST Rank | D/ST Name | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 2 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 3 | 9 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 4 | 11 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 4 | 13 | New York Giants | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 4 | 15 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 5 | 19 | New York Jets | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 5 | 21 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 6 | 24 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 6 | 26 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 6 | 27 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 6 | 28 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 6 | 29 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 6 | 30 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 6 | 31 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 6 | 32 | Washington Commanders | DST |
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