Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Kickers and Defenses for Week 12 of Fantasy Football

It’s week 12, friends! It’s time to set those fantasy lineups! Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst games in any given week for fantasy football leagues. Each week I’ll take a look at kickers and defenses that might exceed or fall short of expectations based on their weekly opponent…like Matt Gay and the Lions defense in Week 11!

For your final roster decisions, check out my fantasy player rankings. I update them daily! Also be sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Dirt Podcast with Lindsay Rhodes and I as we break down all things fantasy football five days a week!

All positions: QB | RB | WR | TE | K and DST

Bye : Bengals, Bills, Falcons, Jaguars, Jets, Saints

1. Ka’imi Fairbairn vs. Titans
2. Chris Boswell at Browns (Thursday.)
3. Cameron Dicker vs. Ravens (Monday)
4. Jake Bates with the Colts
5. Wil Lutz with the Raiders
6. Jason Sanders vs. the Patriots
7. Justin Tucker at Chargers (Monday)
8. Zane Gonzalez vs. the Cowboys
9. Jason Myers vs. Cardinals
10. Jake Elliott with the Rams

Complete Kicker Rankings for Week 12 (coming soon)

Start of the week

Wil Lutz at Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Lutz is coming off a solid nine-point game in a win over the Falcons, and I like him this week when the Broncos travel to Las Vegas. Their defense has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to kickers, as eight of the 10 kickers facing them have scored at least nine points. Seven scored in double figures.

Start them

Cameron Dicker vs. Ravens (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Dicker is hot, scoring 21 points in his last two games while scoring at least nine points in five of his last six games. That hot streak should continue in the Harbaugh Bowl against the Ravens, who have given up nearly 10 fantasy points per game to opposing kickers this year.

Jake Bates at Colts (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Bates has scored 12 points in three of his last four games, making him one of the hottest kickers in fantasy football. He is also expected to remain in all starting lineups this week, as he faces a positive matchup in Indianapolis. Their defense has allowed 9.1 fantasy points per game to enemy kickers this season.

Kickers with good matches

Session of the week

Brandon Aubrey at Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Aubrey was the best kicker in fantasy football last season and early 2024, but the loss of Dak Prescott and a struggling Dallas offense hurt his stock. In fact, he’s been held to just 12 points in his last two games. The Commanders also allowed the third fewest points per game to kickers.

Sit them down

Daniel Carlson vs. Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Carlson has been hot lately, as he has accumulated a total of 40 fantasy points in his last four games. Unfortunately, he will have a tough next game against the Broncos. Their defense allowed just 7.2 points per game to kickers, and that limited Carlson to just five points in a Week 5 game.

Cairo Santos vs. Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Santos has seen his stock plummet in recent weeks, as he has scored fewer than seven points in all but two of his last six games. He’s also unlikely to bounce back this week, based on the numbers, as Santos faces a Vikings defense that allows the fewest fantasy points per game to enemy kickers.

Kickers with bad matches

1. Broncos Defense vs. Raiders
2. Vikings defense at the Bears
3. Texans defense against the Titans
4. Steelers defense against the Browns (Thursday)
5. Commanders Defense vs. Cowboys
6. Chiefs defense for the Panthers
7. Lions defense at Colts
8. Buccaneers defense at the Giants
9. Dolphins defense against the Patriots
10. Cardinals defense at Seahawks

Complete Week 12 Defense Rankings (coming soon)

Start of the week

Broncos defense vs. Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): The Broncos defense is one of the best units in fantasy football, and this week’s game in Las Vegas makes it a must-see debut. Their offense allowed 33 sacks and committed 20 giveaways, and defenses averaged the second-most fantasy points against the Raiders’ lackluster offense.

Start them

Texans Defense vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Texans defense is a nice matchup-based unit, and an upcoming matchup with the Titans makes them a solid option. Their line allowed 33 sacks and the offense committed 18 giveaways on the season. Additionally, defenses averaged the most fantasy points against the Tennessee offense.

Chiefs defense at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Chiefs defense hasn’t been great in fantasy terms, but it can be useful when the matchup is favorable. That’s the case this week, as the Super Bowl champions take on Bryce Young and a modest Panthers offense. They committed 16 giveaways and averaged just 16.7 points and 280.7 yards.

Defenses with good matches

Session of the week

Ravens defense vs. Chargers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Ravens defense hasn’t been very fantasy-friendly, and this week’s game against the Chargers makes that difficult. Justin Herbert and the Bolts offense are on fire, averaging nearly 30 points and 366 yards since Week 8. In that span, Los Angeles has also committed just one giveaway.

Sit them down

Cowboys defense at Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox): The Cowboys defense was once one of the best in fantasy football, but it is now a shell of what it was this past season. The Washington matchup isn’t all that favorable either, as defenses averaged the fewest fantasy points against Jayden Daniels and his talented 2024 offensive attack.

Rams defense vs. Eagles (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): The Rams defense put up a nice stat line in last week’s win over the Patriots, but I wouldn’t chase fantasy points when they line up against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. Their offense can be explosive in the stat sheets, averaging nearly 26 points and 380 yards per game. Expect a shootout in Los Angeles.

Defenses with bad matchups