RADIO
They say defense wins championships. While offense gets all the glory in fantasy football, sometimes you can win your weekly matchup with the correct defense and special teams.
The key to picking the correct fantasy D/ST is finding the ideal balance between a talented defense and an appealing matchup. Starting an awful D/ST because they face a poor offense doesn’t always work out for fantasy players.
Similarly, starting an excellent D/ST against an elite offense rarely results in high-end fantasy production. Let’s look at three D/STs fantasy players should consider starting in Week 13.
Should I Start Cowboys D/ST For Fantasy Football?
The Cowboys D/ST was surprisingly good last week against the Washington Commanders, totaling four sacks, three turnovers, and two touchdowns. They have played better since getting Micah Parsons back in the lineup. The former Penn State star is a sack machine, giving the Cowboys D/ST fantasy upside. They face a struggling New York Giants offense on Thanksgiving, making them an appealing streaming option.
LEGENDARY: #Cowboys LB Micah Parsons ranks 5th in #NFL HISTORY with 13 career games of 2+ sacks in his first 4 seasons.
🤯
Only #NFL legends Reggie White and Richard Dent have more than @MicahhParsons11. pic.twitter.com/WPbr7X60eX
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 26, 2024
Should I Start Chiefs D/ST For Fantasy Football?
The Chiefs D/ST hasn’t played well lately. They’ve given up 27 or more points in back-to-back games, including last week to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. Furthermore, the Chiefs D/ST has only one forced turnover over the past four weeks. While Chris Jones hasn’t racked up a ton of sacks, the superstar remains one of the top pass rushers in the NFL. The Chiefs D/ST is a decent streaming option in Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Chris Jones is pretty, pretty, pretty good pic.twitter.com/O9SMzrRggM
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 21, 2024
Should I Start Lions D/ST For Fantasy Football?
The Lions D/ST used to be one of the worst in fantasy football. However, they are the sixth-highest-scoring unit in the NFL despite missing Aidan Hutchinson. Last week, Za'Darius Smith had a massive performance, posting a 21.7% pressure rate. The Lions D/ST face the Indianapolis Colts this week, making them a top-10 unit.
Za'Darius Smith among EDGEs in Week 12:
🦁 88.9 PFF grade (8th)
🦁 21.7% pressure rate (8th) pic.twitter.com/9sWi4wzuA0— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) November 26, 2024
Popular Week 13 Searches - Start/Sit Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 13 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Cowboys D/ST, Chiefs D/ST, Lions D/ST compared to other fantasy football defenses. You can also use the free Who Should I Start tool to run your own start/sit comparisons, up to four players at once:
Washington Commanders or Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Seattle Seahawks or Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys or Detroit Lions
Dallas Cowboys or Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeleschargers
Dallas Cowboys or Kansas Citychiefs
Dallas Cowboys or Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Baybuccaneers
Tampa Baybuccaneers or Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos or Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions or Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions or Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts or Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins or Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys or Los Angelesrams
Dallas Cowboys or Miami Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys or New Yorkgiants
Dallas Cowboys or New Yorkjets
Denver Broncos or Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions or Washington Commanders
Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys
Houston Texans or Kansas Citychiefs
Kansas Citychiefs or Detroit Lions
Kansas Citychiefs or Philadelphia Eagles
Minnesota Vikings or Dallas Cowboys
Minnesota Vikings or Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings or Kansas Citychiefs
Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers or Kansas Citychiefs
Buffalo Bills or Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys or Arizona Cardinals
Dallas Cowboys or Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys or Denver Broncos
Dallas Cowboys or San Francisco49Ers
Detroit Lions or Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions or Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions or Philadelphia Eagles
Houston Texans or Detroit Lions
Kansas Citychiefs or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Minnesota Vikings
Kansas Citychiefs or Philadelphia Eagles
Kansas Citychiefs or Tampa Baybuccaneers
Kansas Citychiefs or Washington Commanders
Pittsburgh Steelers or Dallas Cowboys
Tampa Baybuccaneers or Kansas Citychiefs
Arizona Cardinals or Dallas Cowboys
Arizona Cardinals or Dallas Cowboys
Arizona Cardinals or Kansas Citychiefs
Buffalo Bills or Dallas Cowboys
Buffalo Bills or Kansas Citychiefs
Cleveland Browns or Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys or Buffalo Bills
Dallas Cowboys or Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys or Denver Broncos
Dallas Cowboys or Denver Broncos
Dallas Cowboys or Green Baypackers
Dallas Cowboys or Houston Texans
Dallas Cowboys or Houston Texans
Dallas Cowboys or Houston Texans
Dallas Cowboys or Kansas Citychiefs
Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeleschargers
Dallas Cowboys or Los Angelesrams
Dallas Cowboys or New Orleanssaints
Dallas Cowboys or New Yorkjets
Dallas Cowboys or Seattle Seahawks
Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Baybuccaneers
Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Baybuccaneers
Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Baybuccaneers
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders
Denver Broncos or Kansas Citychiefs
Detroit Lions or Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions or Green Baypackers
Detroit Lions or Houston Texans
Detroit Lions or Tampa Baybuccaneers
Detroit Lions or Washington Commanders
Devaughn Vele or Dallas Cowboys
Green Baypackers or Detroit Lions
Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys
Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys
Indianapolis Colts or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Dallas Cowboys
Kansas Citychiefs or Denver Broncos
Kansas Citychiefs or Houston Texans
Kansas Citychiefs or San Francisco49Ers
Kansas Citychiefs or Seattle Seahawks
Los Angeleschargers or Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins or Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins or Detroit Lions
New Yorkgiants or Dallas Cowboys
New Yorkjets or Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers or Kansas Citychiefs
Pittsburgh Steelers or Kansas Citychiefs
San Francisco49Ers or Detroit Lions
Seattle Seahawks or Dallas Cowboys
Tampa Baybuccaneers or Dallas Cowboys
Washington Commanders or Dallas Cowboys
Washington Commanders or Detroit Lions
Washington Commanders or Kansas Citychiefs
Chicago Bears or Kansas Citychiefs
Detroit Lions or Buffalo Bills
Green Baypackers or Kansas Citychiefs
Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys
Tampa Baybuccaneers or Kansas Citychiefs
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