The fantasy football playoffs are on the horizon with Week 12 of the season already underway after Thursday Night Football. That makes it all the more important to know who to start and sit this week. The defense and special teams (D/ST) position can be especially difficult to make sense of throughout the season.
In fact, it is not always enough to simply look at the rankings and pick the best team. Especially when most of the top teams have already been claimed.
There are four teams (Broncos, Dolphins, Chargers, Commanders) on bye this week, which means many fantasy teams will likely be searching for a backup option.
Thankfully, we've got you covered.
Below we'll explore three of the best streaming options at D/ST for Week 12 of the 2025 fantasy football season.
Pittsburgh Steelers (at Bears)
The Steelers have been a streaky D/ST unit for fantasy football this season.
They've had tremendous highs (22 points in Week 11) and terrible lows (-4 points in Week 7) per ESPN's scoring system. But there are a few reasons why they're a valid streaming option in Week 12.
First, splash plays are one of the most reliable ways to generate points for a defense in fantasy. The Steelers thrive at this, generating multiple sacks most weeks and contributing other turnovers on top of that.
Additionally, when the Steelers dominate on defense it gets ugly for the opposing team. So if Pittsburgh is a hit in Week 12, they could easily win your matchup for you.
However, their matchup against the Bears is a big question mark. Chicago has played one or two big games on offense this season. As long as that doesn't happen on Sunday, Pittsburgh is a great play. But there's definitely some risk here.
The biggest issue with Pittsburgh this week could actually be availability. The Steelers are already rostered in 63.6% of ESPN leagues, which suggests they may not be available in your league.
Pittsburgh is still a solid streaming option if you can get them. But you may need to rely on one of the next two teams if you're in a very competitive league with an active waiver wire.
New Orleans Saints (vs. Falcons)
This pick is less about the Saints and more about their matchup against the Falcons.
Atlanta's offense is in shambles ahead of Week 12. QB Michael Penix has already been ruled out for the season as he'll need season-ending ACL surgery.
That puts veteran Kirk Cousins back in a starting role. And he has not looked great when given the opportunity in 2025.
Cousins has 250 passing yards with zero touchdowns through three games played this season. That is not a great starting point, even against a lackluster unit like New Orleans.
Oh, and don't forget that Drake London won't play in Week 12 either. That means that Cousins won't have much to work with, making a bad situation even worse.
Unlike the Steelers, the Saints should be incredibly easy to pick up in most leagues. New Orleans is only rostered in 3.2% of ESPN leagues, suggesting they should be available almost everywhere.
The Saints are a great streaming option because of their great matchup and wide availability. They should provide a high floor for fantasy points, but might not come with a high ceiling.
But our next option has both a high floor and ceiling.
Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Browns)
Once again, this is less about the Raiders and more about the Browns. Specifically, rookie QB Shedeur Sanders.
Dillon Gabriel is out with a concussion, opening the door for Sanders to get his first NFL start on Sunday.
Sanders looked awful when filling in for Gabriel in Week 11. He went 4-of-16 passing for just 47 yards. He also had one interception and suffered two sacks.
Sanders will have received a full week of reps with the first-team offense, so he may not play quite as bad in Week 12. But there is plenty of evidence suggesting he's prone to making rookie mistakes.
That is great new for the Raiders D/ST.
Las Vegas is an incredible choice because there's a high likelihood that Cleveland doesn't score many points on Sunday. Beyond that, Sanders could be responsible for multiple turnovers and plenty of sacks.
And unlike the Saints, the Raiders have at least one superstar player in Maxx Crosby. His presence makes it easier for me to believe that this could get ugly for the Browns.
Las Vegas is rostered in 37.4% of ESPN leagues, but that figure has grown by 10.4% ahead of Week 12. If you want to take advantage of this juicy matchup, you'll need to get on the waiver wire quickly.
Start the Raiders ahead of almost any other D/ST unit in Week 12 if you can get them.
