Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Defense Streamers (Week 12)

We will have you covered throughout the 2023 fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top waiver wire targets for the week below. And here’s all of our fantasy football Week 12 waiver wire advice and targets.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

DEFENSES

Denver Broncos: 32% rostered

• Next Opponents: CLE, @HOU, @LAC
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $3
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The Denver defense has played better of late, with an impressive performance against the Bills in Week 10 and a solid effort against the Vikings in Week 11. What’s more relevant than the quality of the Broncos’ defense itself is a Week 12 matchup with the Browns, who are now being quarterbacked by rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. In Cleveland’s 13-10 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, Thompson-Robinson completed 24-of-43 passes for 165 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and one sack. He averaged just 3.8 yards per pass attempt. The Broncos should be able to collect some sacks and/or turnovers this week against the Browns’ young, inexperienced passer.

New Orleans Saints: 46% rostered

• Next Opponents: @ATL, DET, CAR
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $3
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The New Orleans defense has been a solid unit for most of the season, and the Saints get an appealing Week 12 matchup against the Falcons, who are turning back to Desmond Ridder at quarterback after he was briefly benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke. In eight starts this season, the mistake-prone Ridder has thrown six interceptions, lost six fumbles and taken 25 sacks.

Minnesota Vikings: 29% rostered

• Next Opponents: CHI, BYE, @LV
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $3
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Minnesota is in the throes of Dobbs-mania, as the Vikings’ faithful embrace Joshua Dobbs, the trade-deadline replacement for injured QB Kirk Cousins. But the big reason the Vikings are still in the playoff hunt is their overachieving defense. Minnesota’s vastly improved defense entered Week 11 ranked eighth in DVOA and 15th in fantasy points per game. The Vikings have a Week 12 home date with the Bears, who had given up the third-most fantasy points per game to team defenses heading into Week 11. Bears QB Justin Fields is a dangerous playmaker but also a sack magnet. He absorbed an NFL-high 55 sacks last year and has been dropped 26 times in seven games so far this season. Fields has also thrown six interceptions and has fumbled four times.

New England Patriots: 25% rostered

• Next Opponents: @NYG, LAC, @PIT
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $3
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The New England defense is averaging only 5.0 fantasy points per game, but the Patriots will face the Giants and undrafted rookie QB Tommy DeVito this week. DeVito played the game of his life in the Giants’ Week 11 upset of the Commanders, throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. But DeVito was also sacked nine times by a Washington defense that traded its two best pass rushers, Montez Sweat and Chase Young, late last month. DeVito has been sacked 22 times and has thrown three interceptions in four games.

Tennessee Titans: 4% rostered

• Next Opponents: CAR, IND, @MIA
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The Titans were just picked apart by QB Trevor Lawrence in a 34-14 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, and the Tennessee pass defense has been problematic for most of the season. But the Titans are a decent low-budget streaming option in Week 12 thanks to a favorable matchup against the Panthers, who entered Week 11 having allowed 10.1 fantasy points per game to team defenses, sixth-most in the league. Bryce Young, Carolina’s rookie quarterback, was sacked seven times Sunday against Dallas and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.