Fantasy Football Defense Week 13 Rankings

Written by Darryl DiRocco Thursday, 01 December 2011 06:48

defence Week 12 was your usual bag of tricks, it contained some top tier teams acting like top tier teams but it also had some sweet matchups turn into bad fantasy production and we also had some bad teams turn in some top tier performances. The Steelers, Texans and Ravens were top ranked defenses last week and they all finished in the top 5 with the Ravens finishing in first place with 25 points during their Thanksgiving battle. The Cardinals and the Buccaneers were the pretenders of the week but if you were an owner who was fortunate enough to start them you ended up with top 5 production. The disappointments for the week were in the form of the 49ers and the Jets, they only held 6 and 4 points respectively.

The 49ers had a good matchup against the Ravens and even though the score wasn’t out of whack the 49ers defense wasn’t able to generate any pressure on Joe Flacco which in turn meant zero sacks, forced fumbles or interceptions, it was a bad day for my number 3 ranked defense last week. I liked the Rams defense last week and had them ranked in the top 10, they also didn’t disappoint, they ended up with 17 fantasy points and finished in a tie for 5^th overall for week 12.

49ers (vs. Rams) I am predicting a bounce back for the 49ers in both reality and fantasy this weekend against the Rams. The Rams have been brutal and can’t win home games against bad teams. The 49ers are a great team this year and should have no problem shutting down the slumping Steven Jackson and the sophomore slumping Sam Bradford. If you own the 49ers, start them with confidence.
Patriots (vs. Colts) The Patriots host the winless Colts on Sunday and this is going to be a one sided beat down. I love the Pats this week and when presented with the right matchup this defense has proven over the last month that they can perform for their fantasy owners.
Jets (@ Skins) The Jets won their game last week and they should roll that confidence into the offensively inept Skins. I think this is the week the Jets will perform like a top 5 defense. Start them with confidence and you should be satisfied with the output.
Bears (vs. Chiefs) The Chiefs might be stuck starting Tyler Palko one more time as Kyle Orton gets familiar with the new offense. Palko is one of the worst QB’s to ever score himself a starting gig, hell this guy would be bad in the CFL (Canadian Football League). Look for the Bears defense to destroy the Palko led attack to the tune of top 10 fantasy production.
Ravens (@ Browns) The Ravens were firing last week and I see that trend continuing when they travel to Ohio. The Browns do not score too often but they play good in their division, that being said this is a plus side matchup for Ravens owners and they should be started in every league.
Cowboys (@ Cards) The Cards will get Kevin Kolb back for the first time in weeks, this is good news for Larry Fitzgerald owners. The Cowboys have been good against the run this year which should stop Beanie Wells in his tracks and allow them to concentrate on the rusty Kolb.
Texans (@ Falcons) The Texans defense has been awesome this season and they are a regular in the top 10 almost regardless of who they are playing. The Falcons are a solid offense but I still like the Texans defense this week for top 10 production.
Packers (@ Giants) The perfect Packers look to continue their dismantling of the league one game at a time. The Giants haven’t looked good in over two weeks now and the Packers defense is always a threat to create a turnover and turn it into a score. This could be the last real challenge for the Packers before the playoffs, so look for them to ramp up their game in New York.
Steelers (vs. Bengals) There is a lot on the line in this AFC rivalry game, I think there will be some scoring in a back and forth nature. The Steelers are a good defense any week but with the potential for some scores they are just ranked inside the top 10. If you own the Steelers you probably start them unless you also own a team like the Patriots.
Dolphins (vs. Raiders) The Dolphins defense has been playing like a real club over the last month and they have a home game against a streaking Raiders squad. I like them this week and have a feeling they may even beat the Raiders. If you are in a pinch they would be worth rolling the dice on another spot start.
Chargers (@Jaguars) The Jaguars are one of the lamest offenses in the NFL this year and mighty boring to watch on TV. The Chargers have been a huge mess this season but I think they will perform respectably on the Monday night stage. Look for the Chargers defense to have one of their best games of the year. Now if they could only get Phillip Rivers rolling they could actually be a threat again.
Broncos (vs. Vikings) The Vikings were a make shift offense before Adrian Peterson went down with an ankle injury. The Broncos have been hot and should be able to control this limited Vikings attack. This game has a low score coming and that can only bode well for fantasy owners. If Peterson is active on game day knock this defense down 4 or 5 spots.
Jaguars (vs. Chargers) This one could be ranked higher seeing that the Jags are the home team playing against a struggling Chargers team but I predict the Chargers in this game. This of course means I also feel that they will be able to score on the Jags and knock them down to the 8-12 point fantasy range. If you like the Jags to win in this game you can also bump their defense up a couple of spots.
Eagles ( @Hawks) I am beginning to hate everything Eagles that isn’t named LeSean McCoy. They are an underachieving squad that has a matchup they should be able to exploit. The problem being that they have been terrible on a regular basis this season and Marshawn Lynch is turning into a stud running back. The Eagles have been shredded on the ground this season and the combination of the Hawks home crowd and their tendency to run the ball makes them a top 15 play at best this week.
Titans (@Bills) The Titans were a top unit in week 12 but the Bills showed last week that they can still move the rock without their stud Fred Jackson. Ryan Fitzpatrick had one of his better games of the season last week and he will look to keep that rolling at home in this week’s game against the Titans. I am not in love with this matchup for the Titans but if you are a gambler this could pay off if they are able to force the Bills into some mistakes.
Bengals (@ Steelers) The Bengals lost their best corner for the season and they have only been average over the last month in fantasy production. I think you can pencil them in for 8- 10 fantasy points against the Steelers.
Raiders (@Dolphins) The Raiders are having a great season and if they can put together a spirited performance against the Dolphins they could end up with a better rank than 17.
Falcons (vs. Texans) The Falcons can keep the score lower in this game but they are not known for too many sacks or turnovers this season. The Texans will be rolling with their rookie QB TJ Yates but he will be in conservative game mode and they will be feeding the ball to their rush attack for most of this game.
Vikings (@ Broncos) The Broncos keep winning with their boy Tim Tebow at center but most of their games have been close without huge offensive statistical output. I don’t trust the Vikings this week but if you are desperate for a plug in play you can gamble on the Vikings getting something done for your team from the defensive side of the ball. Hell if they are going to win this game they will need their defense to pull out a great game.
Chiefs (@Bears) The Bears will be starting Caleb Hanie again this week and because of that it is possible that the Chiefs play some good defense again this week. The Chiefs offense is in shambles but their defense held its own last week and they could end up doing the same thing against the now conservative play calling Bears.