Should I Start the 49ers Defense in Week 13? Fantasy Football Team Defenses

December 2, 2022

Should I start the San Francisco 49ers DST for fantasy football in Week 13? Is the San Francisco 49ers DST a good start? Read the latest fantasy football outlook.

As we head into Week 13 of the NFL season, many fantasy managers are left searching for viable streaming options at the DST spot for Sunday, December 4th. The DST position is one of the trickier propositions in fantasy football, but it can sometimes be the difference between wins and losses.

The San Francisco 49ers' defensive unit has proven to be an elite crew under second-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryan. They draw a difficult matchup in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, led by former San Francisco offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel.

So, should we start the 49ers' DST this week against Miami?

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) rankings
• Quarterback (QB) rankings
• Tight end (TE) rankings
• Defense (D/ST) rankings
• Kicker (K) rankings
• FLEX rankings
• Dynasty rankings

What Has The 49ers DST Done in 2022?

The 49ers' defense has allowed the fewest points in the league this year, at 15.7 PPG. Led by star defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Arik Armstead, San Francisco sports the best rush defense in the league. Opponents are averaging less than 80 rushing yards per game against the Niner front seven.

Talanoa Hufanga leads San Fran with four interceptions. As a team, they have nine interceptions to nine passing touchdowns allowed. The 49ers DST is currently the fourth-highest-scoring defense, averaging 9.1 points per game. They've forced four turnovers and have allowed 10 total points in their last two games.

Should I Start The 49ers DST In Week 13 Fantasy Football?

Despite their dominance this year, the 49ers' defense will have their hands full with a Miami Dolphin offense averaging 25.6 PPG this year. In fantasy, opposing DSTs are averaging 4.7 PPG against Miami, the fourth-fewest in the league.

Miami has done a great job at mitigating turnovers and sacks this year. The Dolphins have allowed just 23 sacks and have turned the ball over just eleven times this year. Tua has thrown three interceptions on 284 pass attempts this season.

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form arguably the best receiving duo in the league. San Francisco's defense hasn't been battle-tested by an elite offense since giving up 42 points to Kansas City in Week 7. Nonetheless, they're an elite defense and can be started against any offense in the league. Unless you have an alternative with a great matchup, trust the 49ers.

Click here to find out where RotoBaller's own DST expert, Eric Samulski places this DST in his Week 12 DST Rankings!

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