It’s fantasy football championship week. As always, it is crucial to know what players are the preferable starts. Here are my Week 17 rankings for the DST position.
Which DST Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
MORE: Katz’s Week 17 Rankings — QB | RB | WR | TE | K
1) San Francisco 49ers | SF (at WAS)
2) Cleveland Browns | CLE (vs. NYJ)
3) Buffalo Bills | BUF (vs. NE)
4) Kansas City Chiefs | KC (vs. CIN)
5) Philadelphia Eagles | PHI (vs. ARI)
6) New York Jets | NYJ (at CLE)
7) Jacksonville Jaguars | JAX (vs. CAR)
8) Dallas Cowboys | DAL (vs. DET)
9) Denver Broncos | DEN (vs. LAC)
10) Indianapolis Colts | IND (vs. LV)
11) Baltimore Ravens | BAL (vs. MIA)
12) Las Vegas Raiders | LV (at IND)
13) Houston Texans | HOU (vs. TEN)
14) New England Patriots | NE (at BUF)
15) Los Angeles Rams | LAR (at NYG)
16) Chicago Bears | CHI (vs. ATL)
17) Green Bay Packers | GB (at MIN)
18) New Orleans Saints | NO (at TB)
19) Pittsburgh Steelers | PIT (at SEA)
20) Los Angeles Chargers | LAC (at DEN)
21) Seattle Seahawks | SEA (vs. PIT)
22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TB (vs. NO)
23) Miami Dolphins | MIA (at BAL)
24) Detroit Lions | DET (at DAL)
25) Atlanta Falcons | ATL (at CHI)
26) Minnesota Vikings | MIN (vs. GB)
27) Tennessee Titans | TEN (at HOU)
28) Cincinnati Bengals | CIN (at KC)
29) New York Giants | NYG (vs. LAR)
30) Carolina Panthers | CAR (at JAX)
31) Arizona Cardinals | ARI (at PHI)
32) Washington Commanders | WAS (vs. SF)
Top DSTs To Start in Week 17
Dallas Cowboys (vs. DET)
Somehow, the Dallas Cowboys remain rostered in 91% of fantasy leagues. Remember, there is no such thing as an objectively good fantasy defense. It is all about matchups.
The Cowboys were the No. 1 defense when they were obliterating bad teams for the better part of the first two-thirds of the season, but in their past four games, they’ve scored -1, 11, 0, and 1. They’ve been unstartable in three out of those four games, and it was entirely predictable.
I imagine fantasy managers have little interest in starting the Cowboys against one of the best offenses in football. However, this is sneakily a great spot for them.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
I am leaning heavily into narratives here, but sometimes that’s the process you need. The Cowboys are coming off back-to-back losses for the first time all season. Both of those losses were on the road. Now, they are back home and facing a Detroit Lions team that just clinched the NFC North. This is a prime letdown spot for a team coming off two big wins.
We’ve seen Jared Goff put up some real stinkers on the road. Against a ferocious Cowboys pass rush, Goff could be under pressure all day. The Cowboys will be heavily motivated to rebound, and the Lions may experience a bit of complacency knowing they’re locked into a playoff home game. I think the Cowboys pummel the Lions on Sunday.
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. CAR)
I must give credit where it’s due. The Carolina Panthers played far better than anyone could’ve anticipated last week. They made the Green Bay Packers quite the poor start in fantasy, but that doesn’t mean we completely shy away from attacking them
Bryce Young is still taking 3.8 sacks per game. He’s also turned the ball over 14 times.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are at home and desperately need to put a stop to their four-game losing streak.
A big defensive effort against one of the worst offenses in the league coming off an anomalous performance is exactly what the doctor ordered.
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