Cleveland Browns and 2 Other Must-Start Defenses in Week 12 Fantasy Football

These three defenses, including the Browns, have must-start outlooks in Week 12 Fantasy Football, with the ability to generate many turnovers and sacks.

Nov 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) runs out during player introductions prior to a game against Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

We do a weekly analysis of all the NFL games of the week. The goal of this weekly piece is to find the best three defenses outside of the S tier. I use metrics that include: Sacks per Game, Takeaways per Game, Opponent Sacks Allowed per Game, Opponent Offensive Production per Game, Defensive Production Allowed per Game. I will spare you too many details, just know that these three units have risen to the top and must be used in Week 12 Fantasy Football.

Cleveland Browns (@ LVR)

You get some bad teams that happen to have good defenses. Those units, by default, can fly under-the-radar. The Browns are that team. They are 2nd in Yards Allowed and 18th in Points Allowed. We will defer that to offensive struggles. You can only do so much.

The Browns are 3rd in Sacks per Game and 7th in Takeaways per Game. Shoutout Myles Garrett. The Raiders are allowing >3.0 Sacks per Game and they mark 30th in Total Offense. It is rare that anyone fails to exceed twenty points versus the Cowboys, but the Raiders did it last game.

The Raiders are implied to score (20.0) points, per the current betting odds.

Green Bay Packers (Vs MIN)

The Vikings are on a downslide and we take advantage of that with this selection. The Packers are 5th in Total Defense and 7th in Yards, allowing <20 Points per Game. The Vikings are in the bottom third of all offensive categories, and trending downwards.

The Packers' sole defensive weakness is their ability to gain takeaways, which they rate at the bottom of the league. However, if any day they generate a interception, it will be against JJ McCarthy. The Packers grab (2.4) Sacks per Game while the vikings allow (3.4) Sacks per Game.

The Vikings are implied to score (17.5) points, per the current betting odds.

Buffalo Bills (@ HOU)

The Bills are finally getting fully healthy on defense and that can spell danger for their opponents. They are 15th in Total Defense but 2nd in Pass Defense. They struggle versus the run, but the Texans suggest little threat, marking 23rd in Rushing Offense.

The Bills are Top 10 in Sacks and Takeaways while the Texans are 20th in Sacks Allowed. As an added bonus, the Texans are an awful 31st in 3rd Down Conversion Rate (36%) while the Bills are 4th in 3rd Down defense (45%).

The Texans are implied to score (19.0) points, per the current betting odds.