Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 12, 13, 14, 15) - Defense Streamers and Starts

It's crazy to think we are almost done with the fantasy football season. With most playoffs starting in Week 15, there are just three regular season games left until the postseason. That means, if you stream defenses in fantasy, you have come to the right place.

Now is the perfect time to start lining up your fantasy defenses for the final stretch run. If you are still fighting for a playoff spot, start looking ahead to Week 13 and Week 14 to secure those top matchups. If you already clinched a playoff spot, look ahead to Week 15, Week 16, and even Week 17.

Sometimes securing those defenses could be the difference later in the season. Here are some D/STs that you should be targeting down the stretch.

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

D/ST Strength Of Schedule Overview

There's a lot that goes into what makes a good defensive option in fantasy. Does the opposing team score a lot? Do they give up a lot of sacks? Do they give up a lot of turnovers? Who's the starting quarterback? There's a lot to determine when considering a defense.

My colleague Scott Rinear did this type of article for most of the season, and I've taken it over since. But I am going to keep the same process for determining which D/ST to pick up in Week 12 and beyond.

• “Temporary” Streamer: D/ST with a good matchup in Week 12
• “Part-Time” Streamer: D/ST with multiple nice matchups in a row.
• “Recruit” Streamer: D/ST with an easy schedule upcoming that you pick up earlier to stash on your bench. 
• “Fool’s Gold” Streamer: D/ST that on paper looks like a good option but should be avoided 

DST Strength of Schedule: Weeks 12-15

In this article, I will give you several defensive options to target in Week 12 and beyond. Some defenses will just be good for this week, while there will be defensive options that are good for the next few weeks. With the first round of the playoffs beginning in Week 15, also keep an eye on which defense to target then -- if you already clinched a postseason berth.

Last week, the Miami Dolphins D/ST was on this list as a streamer that you could use in fantasy for the next couple of weeks. In Week 11, they had 12 points against the Las Vegas Raiders and then followed that performance up with over 20 fantasy points against the New York Jets in Week 12.

They probably aren't available in your league still. But if they were, I would be bidding to get them. They have plenty more great matchups upcoming. But, don't worry if you didn't land the Dolphins D/ST in fantasy because there are other great options you could target in Week 12 and beyond.

Week 12 D/ST Streamers

Minnesota Vikings D/ST (Part-Time Streamer)

• Week 12 Opponent: Bears (28th)
• ESPN Rostership: 60.4%
• Over-Under: 43.5 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 20

There aren't many part-time streaming defensive options for Week 12. The Dolphins and Steelers are two D/ST that fall under this category, defenses that have multiple good matchups in a row. However, both those teams are rostered in over 80% of ESPN leagues, so they are likely not available.

The next best option is the Minnesota Vikings. They have a strong matchup in Week 12 against a Bears unit that has given up the sixth most sacks this season (32). On top of that, Chicago's quarterbacks have turned the ball over a combined 20 times this season. That makes the Vikings a nice option on Monday night.

The Week 13 bye might be hard to not drop them. But after the bye, they'll face rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell and the Raiders, and in Week 15, Minnesota will be up against a Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals offense. The Vikings D/ST could be a strong fantasy option down the stretch.

New England Patriots D/ST (Temporary Streamer)

• Week 12 Opponent: New York Giants (32nd)
• ESPN Rostership: 57%
• Over-Under: 33.5
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 15.25

If you have not picked up the New England Patriots D/ST in fantasy, you probably should. They are a great option this week against a Tommy Devito-led New York Giants team. They are likely only good to use in Week 12 and then can be dropped. But having the lowest over/under of the week could be great news for this defense.

The Giants offense had a surprise showing last week after scoring 25 offensive points with no turnovers. However, the Commanders still finished with eight fantasy points following a nine-sack showing. New York has one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and New England should total plenty of sacks in this one.

Houston Texans D/ST (Borderline Part-Time Streamer/Recruit Streamer)

• Week 12 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars (21st)
• ESPN Rostership: 7.7%
• Over-Under: 47.5
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 24.5

The Houston Texans D/ST is not so much a strong start in Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They are ranked 14th on ESPN this week and 20th on RotoBaller's ranking. So, they are about middle of the pack on Sunday and could be started if there aren't any better options.

But the upcoming schedule for the Texans' defense is what I most like about this unit. In Week 14, they will face the New York Jets, and in Week 15, they'll have the Tennessee Titans. Both are almost must-starts for the Houston defense. Then, if you look further ahead, they get the Cleveland Browns in Week 16 and the Titans again in Week 17.

They have a fantastic upcoming schedule and are a group that is really coming along. They have three-plus sacks in three of the past four games. They also have scored at least seven fantasy points in seven contests this season.

Recruit Streamers

If you have Week 12 already figured out, let's look ahead at some defensive options that you could start in Week 13:

• Atlanta Falcons (16.2% rostership)- Week 13 opponent: 29th-ranked Jets
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14.8% rostership)- Week 13 opponent: 31st-ranked Panthers
• Los Angeles Chargers (11.7% rostership)- Week 13 opponent: 30th-ranked Patriots

Fool’s Gold Streamers

New Orleans Saints D/ST

• Week 12 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons (22nd)
• ESPN Rostership: 67.5%

On paper, this is a great matchup for the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons will be going back to Desmond Ridder at quarterback, and their offensive line has allowed 30 sacks on the year. But the Saints' defense hasn't been as strong this year. They have feasted on turnovers this year with 12 interceptions and six fumbles. But their 18 sacks also rank bottom four in the league.  

New Orleans hasn't had over two sacks in a game since Week 2 and might not be a strong option in Week 12. There are likely better defenses to start this weekend.

DST Streaming Action Plan

If you don't have a set-it-and-forget-it defense like the Cowboys, Eagles, 49ers, or even the Browns, planning out your fantasy defenses is something that you should do. Here is how I would attack the waiver wire over the next few weeks to make sure I get the best matchups. 

• Week 12: Stream the Patriots against the 32nd-ranked Giants.
• Week 13: Stream the Chargers versus the 31st-ranked Patriots.
• Week 14: Stream the Texans versus the 29th-ranked Jets.
• Week 15: Stream the Saints versus the 32nd-ranked Giants.

Rest of Season DST Rankings: Strength of Schedule

This chart below was created by my colleague Scott Rinear in Week 6. I thought this would be handy for those who wanted to access it and see which matchups are best to target. It might not be 100% accurate, especially with Burrow out for the year. But I wanted to leave this for those who might be looking ahead to the fantasy playoffs in Weeks 15-17.

More Fantasy Football Analysis