It’s already time to look ahead for the fantasy football managers that keep their leagues running through Week 18. Here are my early DST Rankings to help guide you as you set your starting fantasy lineups!
Which DST Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
1) San Francisco 49ers | SF | (vs. LAR)
2) Cleveland Browns | CLE | (@ CIN)
3) Kansas City Chiefs | KC | (@ LAC)
4) New York Jets | NYJ | (@ NE)
5) Baltimore Ravens | BAL | (vs. PIT)
6) Philadelphia Eagles | PHI | (@ NYG)
7) Dallas Cowboys | DAL | (@ WAS)
8) Jacksonville Jaguars | JAX | (@ TEN)
9) New England Patriots | NE | (vs. NYJ)
10) New Orleans Saints | NO | (vs. ATL)
11) Denver Broncos | DEN | (@ LV)
12) Green Bay Packers | GB | (vs. CHI)
13) Buffalo Bills | BUF | (@ MIA)
14) Chicago Bears | CHI | (@ GB)
15) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TB | (@ CAR)
16) Houston Texans | HOU | (@ IND)
MORE: Week 18 Positional Rankings — QB | RB | WR | TE | K
17) Indianapolis Colts | IND | (vs. HOU)
18) Miami Dolphins | MIA | (vs. BUF)
19) Seattle Seahawks | SEA | (@ ARI)
20) Las Vegas Raiders | LV | (vs. DEN)
21) Atlanta Falcons | ATL | (@ NO)
22) Minnesota Vikings | MIN | (@ DET)
23) Detroit Lions | DET | (vs. MIN)
24) Pittsburgh Steelers | PIT | (@ BAL)
25) Carolina Panthers | CAR | (vs. TB)
26) Arizona Cardinals | ARI | (vs. SEA)
27) Tennessee Titans | TEN | (vs. JAX)
28) Los Angeles Chargers | LAC | (vs. KC)
29) Los Angeles Rams | LAR | (@ SF)
30) Cincinnati Bengals | CIN | (vs. CLE)
31) New York Giants | NYG | (vs. PHI)
32) Washington Commanders | WAS | (vs. DAL)
The Top DSTs To Start in Week 18
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DST (at CAR)
Sometimes, advanced analytics are needed, and other times, they are not. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a pass funnel defense that excels at stopping the run — not exactly how you want to build a defense in this era, but one that offers fantasy upside when the opposing quarterback is inconsistent.
We get that in Carolina! Bryce Young was banged up against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it really doesn’t matter. Whether it is the struggling rookie or Andy Dalton under center, if the Bucs can force this offense into a pass-heavy script, I’m happy to take my chances!
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
The Panthers are a bottom-five offense in yards per pass this season, and without game-breaking options, the Bucs can mask their below-average secondary by bringing pressure and forcing quick decisions. Against good QBs, that’s a problem — against below-average QBs, it’s a way to produce fantasy numbers in bulk.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!