Week 14 is the final regular season week for many fantasy leagues. Unfortunately, six teams are on bye, leaving many fantasy football managers short-handed in their final push for a playoff spot.
Below we rank all 26 D/ST units in action in Week 14, highlighting the best options to stream and start.
All stats are entering Sunday of Week 13 and courtesy TruMedia.
1) Philadelphia Eagles (vs. CAR)
The Carolina Panthers aren’t the cupcake matchup they were earlier this season. Still, the Eagles have been a top-two defense this season and passed much tougher tests in recent weeks.
Bryce Young has improved but is still a bottom-10 quarterback by EPA per play since retaking his starting job in Week 8. Young particularly struggles against zone coverage, ranking 32nd since Week 8 in EPA per play. The Eagles play zone at roughly a league-average rate and excel at it, having allowed four touchdowns with five picks this season.
2) Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)
The Pittsburgh Steelers generated three takeaways and held the Cleveland Browns to 1-of-10 on third downs in their first matchup two weeks ago. That wasn’t good enough to win the game, but now at home instead of on the road on a Thursday night, the Steelers are an elite fantasy option.
Pittsburgh’s pass rush has disappointed this year, but a better game script against the turnover-prone Jameis Winston should allow the Steelers to generate multiple takeaways again. If managers dropped Pittsburgh with the Steelers facing the Cincinnati Bengals this past week, pick them right back up.
3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. LV)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank near the bottom in many defensive metrics for the season. However, the Bucs are healthier now and get an incredibly juicy matchup at home against the reeling Las Vegas Raiders, making Tampa an elite option for Week 14.
The Bucs are still owned in only about half of ESPN and Yahoo leagues, so go out and make this D/ST one of your top waiver claims if you have a unit like the Denver Broncos or Houston Texans on bye.
4) New Orleans Saints (at NYG)
The New York Giants might be the best matchup for D/ST’s the rest of the season. Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito are both in the conversation for worst current starting quarterback. In his Giants starting debut on Thanksgiving, Lock took six sacks and threw a backbreaking pick six vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
Whether it’s DeVito or Lock, the Saints pass rush should be able to generate numerous sacks and a takeaway or two. New Orleans is available in over 70% of ESPN and Yahoo leagues, making this unit one of the best waiver adds of Week 14.
5) Minnesota Vikings (vs. ATL)
Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota could be a rough time. Cousins has had a solid first season with the Atlanta Falcons, but his immobility has led to one of the 10 highest sack rates in 2024. Now, Cousins faces a Vikings defense that boasts the ninth-best sack rate.
Atlanta is also a below-average offense when it comes to turnovers per drive, while the Vikings continue to rank in the top five in takeaways per drive. That keeps the Vikings in the top five despite the Falcons’ higher offensive upside.
6) Detroit Lions (vs. GB)
The Detroit Lions lead the NFL in defensive success rate since Week 7 and have been a top-10 unit in terms of takeaways as well. That gives the Lions a solid ceiling against Jordan Love, who has the second-highest interception rate behind Will Levis.
Still, this ranking is a little tenuous due to the litany of defensive injuries the Lions suffered on Thanksgiving. Detroit won’t have the advantage of the long rest that typically follows a Thursday game since this is on Thursday night as well, so keep an eye on the injury report to see how many starters the Lions will have.
7) Cleveland Browns (at PIT)
While the Cleveland Browns are significant underdogs in Week 14, there’s reason to believe they could provide value from a fantasy perspective. The Browns’ greatest strength is their Myles Garrett-led pass rush, as they rank first in pressure rate and fifth in sack rate.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is notorious for holding the ball. Wilson has the fourth-longest average time to throw this season, which has consequently led to the fourth-highest sack rate as well.
The Browns should be able to generate enough sacks to make them a worthwhile starting unit in Week 14.
8) Buffalo Bills (at LAR)
After a few extreme weeks, the Buffalo Bills now lead the NFL in takeaways per drive. The underlying numbers aren’t quite as favorable, as the Bills still rank 29th in punts forced per drive, as well as the bottom half of the league in yards allowed per drive.
Still, the Los Angeles Rams have had inconsistent weekly offensive outputs this season, thanks largely to their shaky offensive line. The Bills aren’t an elite pressure unit which is why they don’t rank higher, but keep starting Buffalo so long as the takeaway streak continues.
9) Tennessee Titans (vs. JAX)
The Tennessee Titans continue to have the strange dichotomy of a defense that ranks in the bottom five in points per game but in the top five in yards per game. Of course, that’s mostly the fault of their offense, which turns the ball over at a higher rate than any unit in the league.
The good news is that the Jaguars are one of the worst teams at taking the ball away, as only the Las Vegas Raiders have fewer takeaways. Offenses have a better average starting field position vs. the Titans than any defense, but the Jags aren’t as likely to exploit Tennessee’s propensity for giving the ball away.
If the Titans can get the Jaguars’ offense in largely neutral situations, they should be able to keep the scoring output down. That makes the Titans more startable than usual.
10) Miami Dolphins (vs. NYJ)
The Miami Dolphins will get a long week of rest and a much warmer environment after their Thanksgiving night debacle in Green Bay. The New York Jets’ offense has really struggled on the road this season, ranking 26th in PPG and 23rd in EPA per play. Aaron Rodgers has thrown a total of eight touchdowns in six road games, compared to six picks.
The Dolphins’ defense showed it could dominate favorable matchups at home against the Raiders and New England Patriots. Expect a nice bounce-back effort for Miami, which is rostered in fewer than half of ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
11) Seattle Seahawks (at ARI)
Mike Macdonald’s personnel turnover has paid dividends. The Seahawks jettisoned both their starting linebackers while making a pair of changes in the secondary as well (more playing time for Josh Jobe and Coby Bryant), and have thrived since returning from bye.
One of those games was two weeks ago at home vs. the Arizona Cardinals. That day, the Seahawks allowed six points while averaging 0.28 EPA per play, their best since Week 3. Although they’re unlikely to deliver such a stifling performance on the road, the Seahawks are a massively improved unit that can be started in deeper leagues.
12) Cincinnati Bengals (at DAL)
The Dallas Cowboys have shown signs of life in their last two games, so defenses aren’t automatically an elite start against them anymore. The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t a good option against most teams, but they still rank in the top half in a thin Week 14 slate as a boom-or-bust unit.
The key could be the health of CeeDee Lamb, who sat out much of the latter portion of the Thanksgiving win over the New York Giants with an undisclosed injury. Lamb will have an extra-long week going from Thursday to Monday, so it’s possible he’s fully recovered for this matchup. But if he’s limited or out, an already thin Cowboys offense becomes that much easier to defend.
13) Los Angeles Chargers (at KC)
The Los Angeles Chargers dominated a string of lackluster offenses to begin the year, but they have begun to find their new medium amid some tougher matchups. The Chargers allowed at least 27 points to both the Bengals and Baltimore Ravens after not allowing more than 20 points in any of their first nine games, with injuries in the secondary catching up against superior quarterbacks.
There’s no more superior quarterback to exploit those personnel deficiencies than Patrick Mahomes, even if the Chiefs’ weapons aren’t spectacular. Kansas City is as healthy on offense as its been all year with Isiah Pacheco back, however. The Chargers are a dicey start the next few weeks with a string of difficult matchups until a Week 17 visit to Foxboro.
14) Chicago Bears (at SF)
This ranking assumes Brock Purdy is playing quarterback for the 49ers. San Francisco has had its issues this season and is not the fearsome offense it was from 2021-23, but the Niners still have enough weapons to keep the Bears from ranking particularly high.
Chicago ranks second in EPA per dropback for the season but has started to crack in recent weeks. Over their last three games, the Bears have averaged -0.20 EPA per dropback, which ranks 20th.
San Francisco is a below-average offense at taking care of the ball while the Bears are a top-10 unit in takeaways, so there’s a chance for some splash plays here. Still, the Bears’ defense has started to falter a bit and is not an elite play anymore.
15) San Francisco 49ers (vs. CHI)
While the Chicago Bears remain an inconsistent offense, their ceiling has been considerably raised in three games since making Thomas Brown their interim offensive coordinator. Since Week 11, are averaging 30 points per game, with Caleb Williams unlocked as a scrambler and higher-volume passer.
Williams still ranks in the bottom 10 in sack rate over that span, so there are plays to be made. But the 49ers’ pass rush has been middling with Nick Bosa battling through injuries, making San Francisco a mediocre option.
16) Arizona Cardinals (vs. SEA)
Although the Cardinals lost the first matchup in Seattle, their defense played fairly well. Arizona only allowed 16 points while posting a 64.6% success rate, their second best in a game all season. For perspective, the best success rate league-wide this season is the Vikings’ 64.1%.
The Cardinals are also a far different unit at home, allowing 17.0 PPG compared to 26.8 on the road. Arizona hasn’t allowed a touchdown on its home turf since the end of September — that’s only a span of three games mind you, but the Cards are a reasonable unit to play at home if you’re desperate.
17) Kansas City Chiefs (vs. LAC)
The Chiefs have done well in this matchup recently, holding the Chargers to 18 PPG while posting a 57.0% success rate in five meetings since 2022. Of course, the Chargers are a brand-new team with a different coaching staff, and Justin Herbert’s recent form makes this a low-upside matchup for the Chiefs.
Kansas City’s pass rush has had trouble finishing plays. Although the Chiefs are 12th in pressure rate, they’re only 27th in sack rate. Coupled with the fact that the Chargers have turned the ball over less than any offense this year, the Chiefs aren’t a particularly enticing fantasy option this week.
18) Dallas Cowboys (vs. CIN)
One of the worst defenses the first 11 weeks, the Dallas Cowboys have suddenly recaptured their Dan Quinn-era form the last two games. The Cowboys D/ST has scored 37 points the last two weeks, thanks largely to three touchdowns from their defense and special teams.
That rate is unsustainable of course, and the Bengals are a different beast than the Giants or stagnating Washington Commanders. Dallas isn’t really a recommended start given this matchup, but if you can hold on to them for a Week 15 visit to the Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys are worth stashing on the bench.
19) New York Giants (vs. NO)
The Giants have finally seen some regression in their sack rate after leading the league in that category much of the season. New York is still fourth in that category, but only 18th in pressure rate and just saw Dexter Lawrence suffer an elbow injury on Thanksgiving.
The Saints have stabilized since Derek Carr’s return, ranking eighth in EPA per play since Carr returned from his oblique injury in Week 9. That makes the Giants a well below-average unit that you can avoid.
20) New York Jets (at MIA)
The disintegration of this once-elite unit continues. The Jets rank 30th in EPA per play and are a bottom-10 scoring defense since Week 6, their first game since firing Robert Saleh.
The Dolphins have been an elite offense outside of the frigid Lambeau Field game since Tua Tagovailoa’s return in Week 8. Miami tore up the Raiders and Patriots on its home turf prior to its Thanksgiving loss, and the weather narrative always seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy in either direction when the Dolphins are involved. All that makes the Jets a D/ST worth avoiding.
21) Jacksonville Jaguars (at TEN)
This is far higher than the Jacksonville Jaguars would typically rank. Any unit facing the Titans, who turn the ball over at a higher rate than any offense this season, can only rank so low.
Still, the Jaguars are as poorly equipped to exploit Levis as any defense in the league. Jacksonville ranks 29th in takeaways per drive this season and also doesn’t generate many negative plays with its pass rush (27th in sack rate).
The Titans did show the ability to light up the Houston Texans defense in Week 12 when they weren’t turning the ball over, so a similar outcome is entirely possible for the hapless Jags.
22) Green Bay Packers (at DET)
The Green Bay Packers are far better than several units ahead of them on this list. Still, every D/ST in the league will rank near the bottom when visiting the Detroit Lions.
Green Bay is third in takeaways per drive, but the Packers are dependent on that for their fantasy value. On drives that don’t end in a takeaway, the Packers rank 15th in yards allowed per drive. While that’s not horrible, it’s also not promising against a Lions offense that has avoided a turnover in four of their last six games.
23) Los Angeles Rams (vs. BUF)
The Bills allow opposing D/ST’s to score the second-fewest points of any offense this season. Only the Baltimore Ravens are a worse matchup for D/ST units in 2024.
That would be enough to rank virtually any unit low, and the Los Angeles Rams don’t get to be an exception to that rule. The Rams have had strong games against poor offenses in recent weeks but showed that an elite offense like the Eagles can still shred this unit. The Bills qualify as a similarly elite offense, so bench the Rams.
24) Atlanta Falcons (at MIN)
Your weekly reminder that the Atlanta Falcons rank last in sack rate, which would be the third time in four seasons the Falcons bring up the rear in that category.
When kept clean, Sam Darnold averages 8.6 yards per attempt, fifth best of any passer this year. That spells trouble for the Falcons, who also generate takeaways at a bottom-10 rate and aren’t as likely as most defenses to capitalize on Darnold’s mistakes.
25) Las Vegas Raiders (at TB)
The Buccaneers have been a difficult matchup for fantasy D/ST’s regardless of their offense’s health due to their high-volume passing game. Now, Baker Mayfield and the rest of Tampa Bay’s weapons get to take aim at home against the 29th-ranked scoring defense.
This would be a rough matchup for the Raiders no matter what, but there’s the extra factor of a 1 PM Eastern kickoff. The Raiders have played three of those games this season and allowed an average of 32.7 PPG. There’s no reason to doubt that the Bucs will clear the 30-point threshold in this one as well.
26) Carolina Panthers (at PHI)
The league’s worst defense has given up the most touchdowns to running backs this season and now travels to Philadelphia to face MVP candidate and scrimmage-yardage leader Saquon Barkley. How do you think this is going to go?