Last Minute Fantasy Football Streaming Options for NFL Week 12: D/ST

The fantasy football the playoffs are right around the corner, and Week 12 of the season is already underway after Thursday Night Football. That’s why it’s even more important to know who starts and sits this week. The defensive and special teams (D/ST) position can be especially tough throughout the season.

In fact, it is not always simple enough see the leaderboards and choose the best team. Especially when most of the top teams are already taken.

Four teams (Broncos, Dolphins, Chargers, Commanders) are on hold this week, meaning many fantasy teams will likely be looking for a backup option.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered.

Below, we’ll explore the three best streaming options on D/ST for Week 12 of the 2025 fantasy football season.

Pittsburgh Steelers (at Bears)

The Steelers they were an intermittent D/ST unit for fantasy football this season.

They had huge highs (22 points in Week 11) and terrible lows (-4 points in Week 7) according to ESPN’s scoring system. But there are several reasons why they are a valid option to stream in Week 12.

First, splash plays are one of the most reliable ways to generate points for a fantasy defense. The Steelers thrive on that, generating multiple sacks most weeks and contributing other turnovers on top of that.

Additionally, when the Steelers dominate on defense, they win 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 had one or two big games on offense this season. Until that happens on Sunday, Pittsburgh is a great game. But there is definitely some risk here.

The biggest issue with Pittsburgh this week might actually be availability. The Steelers are already listed in 63.6% of ESPN leagues, suggesting they may not be available in your league.

Pittsburgh is still a solid streaming option if you can get them. But you may have to lean on one of the following two teams if you’re in a highly 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 disarray heading into Week 12. KB Michael Penix is ​​already out for the season as he will need season-ending ACL surgery.

That puts veteran Kirk Cousins ​​back in a starting role. And he didn’t look great when he got his chance in 2025.

Cousins ​​has 250 passing yards with zero touchdowns through three games this season. That’s not a great starting point, even against a weak unit like New Orleans.

Oh, and don’t forget that Drake London will not play in Week 12 either. That means Cousins ​​won’t have much to do, which makes a bad situation worse.

Unlike the Steelers, the Saints should be incredibly easy to pick up in most leagues. It’s New Orleans in only 3.2% of ESPN leagueswhich suggests that they should be available almost everywhere.

The Saints are a great streaming option due to their great matchup and wide availability. They should provide a high floor for fantasy points, but they may not come with a high ceiling.

But our next option has both a high floor and a high ceiling.

Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Browns)

Once again, this is less about the Raiders and more about the Browns. Rookie KB Shedeur Sanders to be exact.

Dillon Gabriel is out with a concussionopening the door for Sanders to make his first NFL start on Sunday.

Sanders looked awful when he replaced Gabriel in Week 11. He completed 4 of 16 passes for just 47 yards. He also had one interception and suffered two sacks.

Sanders will get a full week of reps with the first-team offense, so he might not play as badly in Week 12. But there’s plenty of evidence to suggest it’s prone to rookie mistakes.

That’s great news for the Raiders D/ST.

Las Vegas is an unlikely pick because there’s a good chance Cleveland won’t score many points on Sunday. Plus, Sanders could be responsible for multiple turnovers and a lot of sacks.

And unlike the Saints, the Raiders have at least one superstar player in Max Crosby. His presence makes it easier for me to believe this could get ugly for the Browns.

It’s Las Vegas listed in 37.4% of ESPN leaguesbut that figure increased by 10.4% ahead of the 12th week. 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.