"It's nearly fantasy football playoff time, and you know what that means: Squeezing every ounce of production you can out of each lineup slot. That couldn't be truer than at the team defense/special teams (D/ST) slot, where strategy weighs far greater than raw skill or talent on paper. If you're a believer in the "go with the guys who got you there" approach, you can go with the top three D/STs for the season: the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns."
"Keep this in mind: Top defenses over the season's first 12 weeks don't always remain so in the waning weeks. Using 2022-24 results, among top-10 D/STs through the first 12 weeks, only 40% managed a top-10 average over the final six weeks. Volatility amongst D/STs is as much of a factor at this stage of the season as it is across its first three months."
Fantasy football playoff weeks make the team defense/special teams (D/ST) slot highly strategic, where matchup selection can outweigh raw talent. Top three D/STs for the season are Houston, Seattle and Cleveland, but top defenses through the first 12 weeks often regress: only 40% of top-10 units through Week 12 kept a top-10 average in the final six weeks (2022-24). Recent five-week matchup data lists the Browns, Saints, Raiders, Vikings, Cardinals, Panthers, Chargers, Steelers, Commanders and Bengals as the best offenses to target with streamed D/STs, with point differentials ranging from +7.5 to +1.3.
Read at ESPN.com
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