Rest of season fantasy football defense rankings feat. Steelers, Eagles, Vikings

Modified Dec 04, 2024 14:45 GMT

Pittsburgh Steelers v Las Vegas Raiders - Source: Getty — Fantasy Football DST rankings ROS

Picking the right fantasy football defense to use in starting lineups each week is largely based on matchups. With the fantasy playoffs begininng next week in most leagues, this will be more important than ever. Managers want to make sure they optimize all of their roster positions for the remainder of the year, including their defenses.

The best defenses in fantasy football are often those who can apply consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This usually helps them generate sacks and turnovers, which are the most reliable fantasy stats for any DST. They get an additional bonus when they are facing off against a weak offense, especially those with quarterbacks that are often sacked or commit many turnovers.

When ranking the best defenses for the rest of the 2024 fantasy football season entering Week 14, it's extremely important to look ahead at the remaining NFL teams on their schedule in addition to how they have performed this year. This can help identify which ones to add for the stretch run as win-or-go-home playoff games are in the near future.

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the best defenses to own in fantasy leagues due to their elite combination of reliable performances this year and a favorable upcoming schedule. They have finished among the top 12 weekly defenses in eight of their 12 game so far and have favorable matchups against the Panthers, Cowboys and Giants in their final five games.

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They are joined by the Minnesota Vikings, who are also in an ideal situation to close out the 2024 fantasy football season. They have finished among the top 12 weekly defenses nine times in 12 games, with six of those being top-five finishes.

They have accumulated a massive 39 sacks and forced at least one turnover in every game this season. They are in a good spot to keep that rolling with the Falcons, Bears and Seahawks being their next three games.

On the other hand is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have been an excellent fantasy football defense this year, but have a tough schedule to finish out the season. They have finished among the top 10 defenses eight times in 12 games, but have to face some of the top offenses in the NFL to close out the season, including the Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs and Bengals.

Managers debating whice defense to use each week would be wise to reference Sportskeeda's Who Should I Start tool. This gives them fantasy projections and lineup suggestions to assist in making better decisions. They can also utilize the following rankings to pinpoint which defenses they want to stash on their rosters for the fantasy playoffs.