Early Week 17 Defense Fantasy Rankings: D/ST fantasy playoffs start-sit, with best sleepers, streamers

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The D/ST position in fantasy football ... while easy to overlook, choosing the proper defense can be the key to victory or defeat in your championship.

Refrain from deploying a top NFL defense in difficult matchups, as it may not earn points for the D/ST position. The best strategy is to focus solely on matchups -- even in the fantasy playoffs.

If you have advanced this far in the season, you might've drafted an elite defense or played the streamer game successfully. Which direction should you take in your league's championship?

Here are our Week 17 D/ST fantasy rankings, best starts, sleepers, and some matchups to avoid.

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Week 17 Fantasy D/ST Rankings: Start-sit team defense lineup tips

RkTeam DefenseOPP
1Seattle Seahawks@CAR
2New England Patriots@NYJ
3Pittsburgh Steelers @CLE
4Houston Texans@LAC
5Los Angeles Rams @ATL
6Denver Broncos@KC
7Jacksonville Jaguars @IND
8Green Bay Packers BAL
9Cleveland BrownsPIT
10Tampa Bay Buccaneers@MIA
11Detroit Lions@MIN
12New Orleans Saints@TEN
13New York Giants@LV
14Chicago Bears@SF
15Kansas City ChiefsDEN
16Indianapolis ColtsJAX
17San Francisco 49ersCHI
18Arizona Cardinals@CIN
19Philadelphia Eagles@BUF
20Buffalo BillsPHI
21Baltimore Ravens@GB
22Carolina PanthersSEA
23Atlanta FalconsLAR
24Los Angeles ChargersHOU
25Minnesota VikingsDET
26Tennessee TitansNO
27Dallas Cowboys@WAS
28New York JetsNE
29Miami DolphinsTB
30Las Vegas RaidersNYG
31Cincinnati BengalsARI
32Washington CommandersDAL

🏆 Lock in your D/ST for championship week: Week 17 waiver wire

Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 17?

This game is crucial for the Patriots' playoff seeding. Following their Week 15 loss to the Bills, New England cannot afford to slip up if they want to win the AFC East. The Patriots won't play with their food in this one, and they'll handle the Jets in Week 18.

The Browns' offense is unimpressive, and Cleveland has also struggled with special teams. The Steelers present a formidable defense to face in Week 18.

Who are the top fantasy D/ST sleepers in Week 17?

The Steelers will be favored to win the game; it could be low scoring nonetheless. The Browns could still provide a more than viable start at the D/ST position.

The last time the Vikings played the Lions, Detroit's defense got torn apart. However, a lot is on the line in this one which hopefully means that Lions defensive unit will show up.

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