Should I Start the Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST In Week 12? Fantasy Football Team Defenses

As we head into Week 12 of the NFL season, many fantasy managers are left searching for viable streaming options at the DST spot for Sunday, November 27th. The DST position is one of the trickier propositions in fantasy football, but can sometimes be the difference between wins and losses.

Coming off their bye week, the Tampa Bay Bucs travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns in Week 12. The Browns are a slumping squad and enter this matchup with Tampa Bay having lost six of their last seven games.

So, should we start the Bucs' DST this week against Cleveland?

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What Has The Buccaneers DST Done in 2022?

The Buccaneers have been a solid, if unspectacular, DST unit in 2022. Tampa Bay sports a disappointing 5-5 record, but it's tough to lay the blame on the Bucs' defense, as they've held opponents to an average of just 18.0 points per game this season. Tampa Bay ranks sixth in the NFL in pressure rate and has recorded 32 sacks, which is the tied for the fourth-most in the NFL.

They currently stand 10th in the league in average DST fantasy points per game at 7.3.

Should I Start The Buccaneers DST In Week 12 Fantasy Football?

The Bucs head into a Week 12 matchup against the Cleveland Browns off their bye week. After a week to rest and recover, Tampa Bay comes into the week as healthy as they've been since the start of the season.

They now draw an enticing matchup against the 3-7 Cleveland Browns. Despite their underwhelming record, the Browns are averaging 24.0 points per game and rank fourth in the NFL in average total yards per game this season at 390.7.

While Tampa Bay has been a statistically sound DST, this matchup against Cleveland should be considered a middling one at best. Though the Browns sport an ugly record, they have been proficient on the offensive side of the football and their run-heavy attack does limit the fantasy upside of opposing DST units. The Bucs are a solid fantasy start this week for GMs in need of a streamer, though expectations should be held in check.

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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