X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Defenses (DEF) to Start in Week 12: Fantasy Tiers & Rankings

For those of you fantasy owners out there who are streaming defenses, RotoBaller Brad Leibfried has got you covered with around-the-league analysis of the Week 12 matchups.  Week 12 is the beginning of the final stretch of the regular season, so you've got to stay on top of the matchups for that playoff push!

Going into Week 12 we have four teams on a bye, including one of the NFL’s best defenses in the Seahawks.  Where do the rest of the teams rank? Check out the tiers below.

 

Week 12 Defenses - Tiers & Rankings

 

Tier 1: Kansas City, Carolina

It should come as no surprise that the first tier includes the top two scoring defenses in the NFL.  The Chiefs and the Panthers have separated themselves on the defensive side of the ball as they are the only two teams to allow fewer than 16 points a game.  Kansas City comes off a game in which they held Denver 14 points under their season average.  They also lead the AFC with 24 takeaways, and they are facing a San Diego team who has a -6 give/take margin this season.  The Panthers have only allowed over 20 points three times this season while forcing at least one turnover in every game and two or more in eight of the ten games.  The team also has at least one sack in every game while also having two plus in eight of the ten games.  This week they face a Miami team that is having offensive line issues which should allow the Panthers to tee off on Ryan Tannehill.

 

Tier 2: New Orleans, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, Baltimore, Tennessee, San Francisco

This group features teams with great matchups going into Week 12.  The Lions, Ravens, Titans and 49ers all face quarterbacks in either their first or second year in the NFL who have been prone to turnovers.  The 49ers play Matt Ryan and a Falcons team that is in disarray having lost four games in a row and struggling on offense without Julio Jones.  The Rams and Bears will match up in a game featuring backup quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Luke McCown.  Chicago enters the game with 22 takeaways on the season and St. Louis comes in with 19, so expect that trend to continue in this game with the potential for a few to go for touchdowns.  The Rams also lead the NFC in sacks at 32 so they could put pressure on McCown early and often.

 

Tier 3: Green Bay, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Miami, New York Jets, Texans, Jaguars, Indianapolis, Arizona

Tier 3 features several teams who may be worth a gamble for a low-price pickup off the waiver wire.  The Packers are fourth in the NFC with 31 sacks and they play a Vikings team that is a mess at quarterback, which allows a defense who gives up 24 points a game a chance to shine.  In Cleveland, the Browns and Steelers face off in a game in which both teams give up 24 points a game and both have a negative giveaway takeaway margin.  The Colts and Cardinals also face off in a game with both defenses have surprised teams and come in both top 10 in scoring defense.  Arizona may give Andrew Lucks fits as Patrick Peterson leads a defense that has 14 interceptions on the year.  The remaining teams (Jets, Texans, Jaguars, Chargers, and Dolphins) are all AFC teams that have provided huge games while also being dreadful.  Of this group, the Chargers give up the fewest points per game (22.2), Miami has the most sacks (31), and Jacksonville leads in fumble recoveries (8).  Expect solid performances from this tier with limited upside, but also less fear of a complete bust.

 

Tier 4: Minnesota, Oakland, New York Giants, Denver

In this group, Denver has the best defense, however they might also face the toughest matchup.  The Broncos head into New England to take on a Patriots team that is finding their rhythm and now appears to have Rob Gronkowski back at full strength.  Also it is worth noting that as teams generally get down big against them, Denver gives up 279 passing yards and 25 points a game.  The Vikings, Raiders and Giants all rank in the bottom third of the league in points allowed with Minnesota at the bottom of the league at 32 points against a game.  What may make the Vikings defense playable this week is Scott Tolzien led Packers team that only scored 13 last week.  The Giants and Raiders do come off solid games in which they punished backup quarterbacks Tolzien and Case Keenum.  The matchups get considerably tougher as the Cowboys face the Giants and the Titans take on the Raiders.  Like the Vikings, both of these teams are sure to give up a ton of points but have the upside to produce turnovers.

 

Tier 5: Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Dallas, New England

The final tier features four teams that are all capable of giving up huge offensive numbers in week 12.  Atlanta comes off a game in which they gave up 41 points to hapless Tampa Bay, Dallas is on pace to give up the most passing yards in NFL history, Tampa Bay is playing on the road against a red hot Calvin Johnson and New England is playing Denver who has scored over 27 in every game this year.  The Patriots have played solid defense this season but the losses of Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly have decimated the interior of their once powerful defense.  The Bucs come in having won two straight games but allow opponents to throw for 240 yards a game, look for Stafford and Johnson to be licking their chops, even against one time top cornerback Darrelle Revis.  If you are looking to gamble in this last group it may be with the Cowboys who face Eli Manning who has thrown an NFL worst 18 interceptions.

 

=============

We have compiled all of our weekly waiver wire recommendations on our famous waiver wire pickups list. If you haven’t seen it yet, the waiver wire pickups are categorized by position. Check it out and bookmark the page – we update it every week, throughout the week! Our fantasy football chat room is also here for you, at any time throughout the day. Our communities of writers and readers are always fielding sit/start questions, talking waivers, and giving live fantasy advice. Let’s win some leagues!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF