Unless most of the teams in your league carry a backup defense, more than half of the league should be available to you every week. Perhaps instead of playing one above-average defense every week, regardless of matchup, we should instead target the widely available waiver wire defenses with the best matchups in any particular week? You can always make exceptions if your rent-a-defense gets hot - heck, you might find a team worth starting all year by accident. Even if you don't, good matchups will continue to get greater in number as more QBs get injured or yanked as the season goes on. You can steal some points from bad weather come December. Each week, I'll list the startable fantasy defenses on most waiver wires and rank them.
**Dallas, San Francisco, Kansas City, Miami, and Pittsburgh are assumed to be rostered**
Week 12 Results
Miami (at NY Jets) - 7 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Sometimes, a plan comes together when a first-half ending Hail Mary is returned for a pick-six. We'll continue to target the Jets when choosing a rent-a-defense, that is, if we weren't lucky enough to have the Dolphins.
A Look Ahead: @WAS TEN NYJ - Here's your D/ST for at least the next three weeks.
Kansas City (at Las Vegas) - 1 sack
Aidan O'Connell was safe with the ball and played at a very high level, considering he is a rookie fourth-round pick.
A Look Ahead: @GB BUF @NE - Jordan Love is playing well, but we have to at least consider the Chiefs D/ST because of how consistent they were before Week 12.
Pittsburgh (at Cincinnati) - 4 sacks, 1 INT
Jake Browning was better than expected, although this wasn't a dud by D/ST fantasy standards.
A Look Ahead: ARI NE @IND - The pass rush will chase Kyler Murray around, but will it result in D/ST stats? It's probably worth playing the Steelers this week to get them vs. whoever the Patriots trot out there at quarterback in Week 14.
Indianapolis (vs Tampa Bay) - 6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
The Colts D/ST has had three straight great weeks, and they continue to be one of the D/ST surprises of the season. Hats off to Gus Bradley.
A Look Ahead: @TEN @CIN PIT - If you have the Colts, they will be your D/ST going forward.
Denver (vs Cleveland) - 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 safety
Vance Joseph is the comeback coordinator of the year.
A Look Ahead: @HOU @LAC @DET - The Broncos D/ST has been good to us, but it could be time to get off the train.
New Orleans (vs Atlanta) - 2 INT
An early Derek Carr pick-six took this game out of a good script for the Saints D/ST.
A Look Ahead: DET CAR NYG - We may come back to them in Week 14, but New Orleans is banged up right now.
New England (at NY Giants) - 6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
NY Giants (vs New England) - 2 sacks, 3 INT
This one paid off no matter which side of it you were on
A Look Ahead NE: LAC @PIT KC - See you next season, Patriots D/ST
A Look Ahead NYG: BYE GB @NO - See you next season, Giants D/ST
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Green Bay (at Detroit) - 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 DEF TD
Rashan Gary was a one-man wrecking crew in this one.
NY Jets (vs Miami) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
The Jets had a pick-six in this game, and it was still a blowout.
Chicago (at Minnesota) - 2 sacks, 4 INT
The glass slipper doesn't fit Joshua Dobbs anymore.
Atlanta (vs New Orleans) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Jessie Bates III's 92-yard pick-six was basically the difference in this game.