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RotoBallers, we have another week of fantasy football. While most leagues had their fantasy Super Bowls in Week 17, we are back with more rankings for those managers with a two-week championship, league title, or even a team of the week prize. We are here to help you set that winning line with our Week 18 fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings.
The Jets and Patriots should be a defensive battle with two of the worst league offenses facing each other. Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and Jets has an over/under of 30.5 points. Both teams scored a combined 25 points in their previous meeting in Week 3. Below, you'll find where the Patriots, Jets, and other vital defenses, such as the Buccaneers, Jaguars, and Bears, rank this week.
Our Week 18 defense (DST) fantasy football rankings are put together by Nick Mariano. 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 18 Defense (D/ST) Fantasy Football News
- Ravens Defense On The Risky Side Of Options In Week 18
- Texans Defense A Sneaky Option In Week 18
- Dolphins Ruled Out Xavien Howard
- Cowboys Defense Looks For A Strong Finish In Week 18
- Joey Bosa Won't Play In Week 18
- T.J. Watt Diagnosed With A Torn MCL
Week 18 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 18, which gives readers a matchup preview of that player and advice on whether to 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 England Patriots DST
Week 18 Defense Rank: 4
The New England Patriots defense ranks as a top-10 fantasy option ahead of Sunday's game versus the New York Jets. The most obvious factor here is that the Jets are starting third-string quarterback Trevor Siemian with Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) and Zach Wilson (concussion) sidelined. Siemian has six turnovers over his last three games, and the Patriots defense has forced four turnovers during that same span. Furthermore, inclement weather conditions could lead to low scoring from both teams.
A run-heavy approach will drain the clock faster, giving both teams fewer opportunities to score points and break off big plays. With bad weather and a favorable matchup on their side, the Patriots defense is approaching must-start territory for the season finale.
Denver Broncos DST
Week 18 Defense Rank: 14
The Denver Broncos defense may be worth a low-cost play in DFS lineups in the Week 18 regular season finale on the road in Las Vegas to take on the division-rival Raiders. Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs (quadriceps) will miss his fourth straight game to close out the year, and the Raiders offense has turned the ball over 24 times on the season, which ranks tied for 11th in the NFL.
On the flip side, Denver's D ranks tied for seventh with 26 takeaways in 2023. Despite a rough start, including a Week 3 disaster in which they surrendered 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, the Broncos' defense has become a strength in the second half of the season, and they currently rank 13th in overall fantasy points.
Dallas Cowboys DST
Week 18 Defense Rank: 2
The Dallas Cowboys defense will look for a strong finish to the regular season in a Week 18 matchup against the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys had some really strong defensive weeks earlier in the season, but they've taken a slight downturn lately. Still, in a game they'll need to win to win their division, the Cowboys could have another strong game against Washington.
The last time these two teams faced off, the Cowboys' defense scored 16 fantasy points and finished as the DST3 for the week. They're a top-eight option in the regular season's final week.
Week 18 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 | New York Jets | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 1 | 4 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 3 | 8 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 4 | 11 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 4 | 13 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 4 | 15 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 5 | 21 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 6 | 24 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 6 | 26 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 6 | 27 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 6 | 28 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 6 | 29 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 6 | 30 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 6 | 31 | New York Giants | DST |
| 6 | 32 | Washington Commanders | DST |
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