The latter part of the fantasy football season brings with it some tough decisions at the DST position, as managers decide whether to stick or twist with who they have or search the waiver wire. The early Week 17 DST rankings can hopefully help shed some light on that as many people embark on their fantasy championship week(s).
This week, defenses such as the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Chicago Bears are intriguing names, but where do they fall compared to other options in the Week 17 fantasy DST rankings?
Week 17 Fantasy Football DST Rankings?
All rankings are in half-PPR scoring format.
MORE rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | K
1) San Francisco 49ers | at WAS
2) Cleveland Browns | vs. NYJ
3) New York Jets | at CLE
4) Kansas City Chiefs | vs. CIN
5) Philadelphia Eagles | vs. ARI
6) Buffalo Bills | vs. NE
7) Dallas Cowboys | vs. DET
8) Baltimore Ravens | vs. MIA
9) New England Patriots | at BUF
10) Denver Broncos | vs. LAC
11) Los Angeles Rams | at NYG
12) Chicago Bears | vs. ATL
13) Green Bay Packers | at MIN
14) Indianapolis Colts | vs. LV
15) New Orleans Saints | at TB
16) Pittsburgh Steelers | at SEA
17) Los Angeles Chargers | at DEN
18) Seattle Seahawks | vs. PIT
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | vs. NO
20) Miami Dolphins | at BAL
21) Houston Texans | vs. TEN
22) Jacksonville Jaguars | vs. CAR
23) Detroit Lions | at DAL
24) Atlanta Falcons | at CHI
25) Minnesota Vikings | vs. GB
26) Tennessee Titans | at HOU
27) Cincinnati Bengals | at KC
28) New York Giants | vs. LAR
29) Las Vegas Raiders | at IND
30) Arizona Cardinals | at PHI
31) Carolina Panthers | at JAC
32) Washington Commanders | vs. SF
Top DSTs To Start in Week 17
Buffalo Bills (vs. Patriots)
The Bills defense entered the season as a perceived strength, and we are finally trending back in that direction.
They’ve showcased a reasonable fantasy floor as of late with at least six fantasy points in five of their past six games, including three straight at home. While they battle for playoff seeding, the New England Patriots are just looking to play out the string.
MORE: PFN’s FREE Playoff Predictor
If this Bills offense can apply pressure on the Patriots as I expect, we could see a repeat performance of Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys, a game in which the script allowed the Bills D/ST to overachieve in the fantasy department (11 fantasy points).
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!
