Below are RotoBaller's Week 12 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream, start and target at the end of your 2016 drafts for Week 12 of the NFL and fantasy football season. Our tiered defense rankings are your guide to drafting defenses, making waiver wire pickups/adds to improve your lineups, and to decide which defenses to start, sit, target, avoid or stream for Week 12.

Any and all _____ or ______ questions can be answered by the rankings--whoever I have ranked higher is who I would start. Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker, so we have broken out our defense rankings into tiers with analysis on each matchup.

Some of these Week 12 defenses have good matchups and are not widely owned, representing fantasy scoring opportunities if they are available on your league's waiver wire for a Week 12 pickup or add. Good luck in Week 12, RotoBallers!

Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 12 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

 

Week 12 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Tier 1 Defenses

1. Denver Broncos (vs. KC)
2. Baltimore Ravens (vs. CIN)
3. Seattle Seahawks (@ TB)
4. San Diego Chargers (@ HOU)
5. Buffalo Bills (vs. JAX) 

The Ravens have been playing exceptional defense, this past week notwithstanding. There are none who can stand up to the mighty rookies of Dallas. This week they get a Cincinnati squad that likely won't have A.J. Green for the remainder of the season, meaning Andy Dalton has lost his most significant weapon. The Bengals offense was very underwhelming against Buffalo with Green out, and the Ravens DST has been playing much, much better than Buffalo's. Fire up the Ravens as a DST1 this week. I know that's not a thing, but you get the idea.

Speaking of those Buffalo Bills, they get human turnover-machine Blake Bortles and the lackluster Jaguars offense in what will likely be a cold, miserable game at New Era Field. There is a ton of upside there, especially with Marcell Dareus back in the mix for the Bills' front seven. In the home stretch, I feel very comfortable rolling the Bills out there and trying to chase the big plays that come via excessive Bortling.

 

Tier 2 Defenses

6. Kansas City Chiefs (@ DEN)
7. Detroit Lions (vs. MIN)
8. Minnesota Vikings (@ DET)
9. New York Giants (@ CLE)
10. Miami Dolphins (vs. SF) 

Just when you had counted out the Vikings--WHAM. A huge pick-six and a Cordarrelle Patterson-returned kick in a win over the Cardinals. They draw the Lions this week, who are completely one-dimensional these days--there is no running game to speak of. Xavier Rhodes leads a talented Vikings secondary that could very well get an interception or two out of Matthew Stafford as they did in Week 9.

The Lions themselves merit plenty of consideration this week as they go up against Sam Bradford and the rest of the Vikings offense. Bradford only has six total touchdowns in his last five games, and while he's been good about the turnovers this year that offensive line is still booty. Lions should be able to post two or three sacks, and I don't see the Vikings hanging more than 17 points on the board. Stream the Lions this week. Do it.

 

Tier 3 Defenses

11. Arizona Cardinals (@ ATL)
12. Atlanta Falcons (vs. ARI)
13. Philadelphia Eagles (vs. GB)
14. New England Patriots (@ NYJ)

Prior to their Week 11 bye, the Falcons had 11 sacks in four games. They get the Cardinals in Week 12, who have allowed the fourth-most sacks in the NFL this season. Carson Palmer is also very clearly in the twilight of his career--the bad throws are piling up and he's only thrown for 13 total touchdowns in the 2016 season. The Falcons are a surprisingly solid streamer, but only in deeper leagues.

The Patriots make for a much better real-life defense than a fantasy DST, and even with the Jets on deck (an organization in shambles) the Pats simply don't make enough big plays to merit streaming in anything but the deepest of leagues. They have exactly zero turnovers in the last three games and are 26th in the NFL on the season in that category. It might be Bryce Petty they get in Week 12, it might be Ryan Fitzpatrick--I don't know, and I don't think Todd Bowles does either. Either way, if you do start the Patriots, temper your expectations.

 

Tier 4 Defenses

15. Tennessee Titans (@ CHI)
16. Carolina Panthers (@ OAK)
17. New Orleans Saints (vs. LA)
18. Cincinnati Bengals (@ BAL)
19. Houston Texans (vs. SD)

The Panthers haven't allowed more than 20 points in any game since their Week 7 bye, and in that time they've tallied 18 sacks (they're now tied for the NFL lead). At the same time, the Raiders lead the league in sacks allowed with just 11 so far. Combine that with the fact that Derek Carr should be able to pick apart that secondary and I'm leaving the Panthers on the bench in Week 12.

The Saints defense has been not as abysmal lately, if you can believe that. They haven't allowed 30 points to an opponent since Week 6--not much of an accomplishment, but the bar is set pretty low here. I worship at the Church of the New Orleans Home/Road Splits every Sunday, and with Jared Goff and the rest of the Rams "offense" coming to the Superdome I honestly think you could do worse than the Saints defense in Week 12.

 

Tier 5 Defenses

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. SEA)
21. Oakland Raiders (@ CAR)
22. Chicago Bears (vs. TEN) 
23. Dallas Cowboys (vs. WAS)
24. Los Angeles Rams (@ NO)

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