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Fantasy football rankings - updated defense (DST) Week 12 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football DEF rankings for NFL team defenses.
D/STs in fantasy football are often overlooked, but this close to the fantasy playoffs, a defense boom or bust could determine whether you qualify for the postseason. Use our updated Week 12 fantasy football defense (DST) rankings for 2025 to pinpoint the best team defense for your lineups. In the rankings below, you will see where the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, and Pittsburgh Steelers defenses stand, among all other D/STs.
Our defense fantasy football rankings for Week 12 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find key fantasy football outlooks from our RotoBaller staff, as well as the "Who to Start?" tool. Also, be sure to check our fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
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Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings:- Overall fantasy football rankings
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Week 12 Defense (DST) Rankings for Fantasy Football
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| D/ST Tier | D/ST Rank | D/ST Name | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 2 | 6 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 4 | 11 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 5 | 15 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 5 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 6 | 21 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 6 | 24 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 7 | 26 | New York Giants | DST |
| 7 | 27 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 7 | 28 | New York Jets | DST |
Week 12 Defense (DST) Rankings Outlooks
New England Patriots D/ST
The New England Patriots D/ST continues to be a strong fantasy option for Sunday's Week 12 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have been a very favorable matchup for D/ST units this year, although defenses' results have varied depending on Cincy's quarterback situation. Defenses feasted the most when Jake Browning was starting, and they continued to fare well after the Joe Flacco acquisition. In fact, the Bengals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses in 2025.
With that being said, Joe Burrow (toe) is questionable for Week 12, and his potential return would certainly elevate the Bengals' offense. Regardless of whether Burrow plays, the Patriots D/ST is a top-12 option for Week 12. However, their current rank as the #6 D/ST in RotoBaller's rankings might drop a little if the Bengals confirm that Burrow is back for Sunday's game. On a more positive and confirmed note, Ja'Marr Chase (suspension) will miss this weekend's contest, leaving the Patriots' secondary with one less headache to contain.
Green Bay Packers D/ST
The Green Bay Packers' defense and special teams unit have a chance to bounce back in a major way when the Minnesota Vikings come into Lambeau Field for their Week 12 matchup. While the Packers' D/ST hasn't been too productive this season for fantasy, they get a gift-wrapped matchup against the Vikings and J.J. McCarthy.
In his last three starts, McCarthy has five interceptions to just four touchdowns with a three-game average of 180 passing yards. His last two games have been at 50 percent completion percentage or lower, so he's not even hitting his receivers when he's dropping back to pass. It's a great spot for the Packers D/ST, and despite the Packers' defense not being productive in takeaways, there's a good chance to force a turnover or two at home. Green Bay is a recommended start this week in a good matchup.
Cleveland Browns D/ST
The Cleveland Browns defense turned in an admirable effort in a Week 11 loss to a quality Baltimore Ravens offense. Cleveland scored a defensive touchdown on a pick-six while sacking Lamar Jackson five times and forcing three turnovers in the loss. They have a good shot at staying hot in an excellent Week 12 road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders have been a team to target with D/STs in fantasy this season, as Geno Smith has been extremely turnover-prone. Overall, the Raiders are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to fantasy defenses. Cleveland's defense is in an excellent spot in a game with an extremely low 36-point over/under. Treat them as a top-six fantasy D/ST for this weekend.
San Francisco 49ers D/ST
The San Francisco 49ers D/ST stepped back into the fantasy football spotlight in Week 11. Their success was fueled by their two interceptions and one fumble recovery in the team's 41-22 win over the Cardinals. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit again, this time striking linebacker Tatum Bethune (ankle), who sprained an ankle during the game and will be sidelined for multiple weeks as a result.
Working in the 49ers' favor is Carolina's propensity for miscues. The Panthers have the league's sixth-highest quarterback pressure rate, which could make it easier for the 49ers to get to Bryce Young. Carolina is also one of the NFL's more turnover-prone teams. Their 15 giveaways are tied for fifth-most in the league. San Francisco's D/ST isn't without its faults, but considering their matchup, they make for a viable streamer in Week 12.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding defense options like the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, and Pittsburgh Steelers. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12.
Week 12 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 12 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 12 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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