Best Week 12 Fantasy D/ST Streamers: Raiders Offer Sneaky Upside
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Every fantasy football manager knows the stress of weekly lineup decisions, but defense and special teams (D/ST) remain one of the trickiest positions to navigate.
Outside of a few elite options, most defenses remain volatile from week to week. This makes the streaming strategy, which rotates D/ST based on matchups, game script and injuries, oftentimes more valuable.
Below are three streamable D/ST options available in many leagues that could help you survive Week 12.
*Percentage denotes roster rate on ESPN and Yahoo*
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints (ESPN: 38% Yahoo: 46%)
The Falcons were projected as a top play last week against the Panthers, but Bryce Young carved up their stout defense by throwing for a career-high 448 yards and three touchdowns. Atlanta scored negative points for the first time all season, but it has an opportunity to bounce back on the road against the Saints. Tyler Shough has flashed talent, but he and the Saints offense are among the worst units in the NFL. They allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs and score an average of just 15.5 points per game on offense, which is third-worst in the NFL. The Saints may be coming off a bye, but the Saints haven’t eclipsed 17 points in a game Shough has started this season.
Chicago Bears vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN: 20% Yahoo: 32%)
Aaron Rodgers missed the entire second half of the Steelers’ game vs. the Bengals after fracturing his left wrist. He’s pushing to play in Week 12 against the Bears, and if he can’t, Mason Rudolph will make his season debut. Either way, I love the Bears D/ST as a streamer. Chicago leads the NFL in takeaways with 22, which is four more than second place. They’ve given up yardage this season, but Pittsburgh isn’t an offense that has eaten up yardage. In fact, it ranks fifth-worst in total yards (286.9) despite scoring a respectable 24.6 points per game. The Bears should have an easier time limiting the Steelers in this one and will look to continue their defensive trend of making plays.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Cleveland Browns (ESPN: 15% Yahoo: 17%)
If you’re looking for a “sleeper” pick, look no further than the Raiders D/ST. Las Vegas hasn’t been the best, nor have they been the worst, defensively this season. However, it has an advantage against a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start. Shedeur Sanders will start for the Browns in Week 12, as Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion vs. the Ravens and was ruled out this week. Putting it bluntly, Sanders was horrific in his relief appearance last week. He completed 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards and threw an interception. In his defense, he had minimal reps with the first team as the No. 3 QB on the depth chart to begin the season. However, that’s precisely why the Raiders are in play this week. Look for them to make life difficult for Sanders in his first NFL start.
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Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.