Fantasy Player Projections

After getting four sacks and two interceptions against the Chargers, the Broncos now have 16 sacks, five interceptions and three defensive scores in their past two weeks. The Chiefs are having quarterback problems too, which means the Broncos are a great start once again.

A defensive or special teams touchdown for the average team is considered a pleasant surprise; for the Bears it's become expected.

Last week, the Packers picked off Matthew Stafford twice and sacked him five times without Clay Matthews in the lineup. The Texans are licking their chops.

The Jaguars are scoring the fourth fewest points in the league (16.4) and expect to be without star Maurice Jones-Drew for at least another week. Suddenly, Tennessee's defense looks a lot better.

The Patriots harassed rookie Andrew Luck into three interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. They also scored on a punt return for their biggest fantasy day of the year. The party should continue against the Jets on Thursday.

After the Rams' five-sack performance against the 49ers in Week 10, they followed up with three more sacks in Week 11 against the Jets. They had an amazing nine sacks against the Cardinals in Week 5, so they're lined up to be a good fantasy defense once again.

The Seahawks' defense has been pretty good all season, and it had one of its best games in Week 10 against the Jets. Seattle now has six interceptions in its past five games, with 11 sacks in the past four games. The Seahawks should terrorize rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, so keep them active.

The Ravens' D/ST scored its fifth touchdown of the season in Week 11, returning a punt for a score. The Chiefs are the only team to throw more interceptions than the Chargers, which bodes well for the Ravens' defense this week.

The Cardinals gave the Falcons fits in Week 11, but the Arizona offense just wasn't obliging. The Cardinals registered one sack and five interceptions against Matt Ryan and Co. This could be a nice sleeper defense to play against the Rams in Week 12, especially after allowing only 242 total yards to the Rams in Week 5.

The Panthers allowed 27 points in an overtime loss to the Buccaneers, while recording one sack, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. While they have 12 sacks in their past four games, they have just two in their past two games. They could force some turnovers, however, with the Eagles dealing with injuries to their starting quarterback and running back.

The New York secondary is going to get beat a time or two -- that's a given playing against Green Bay. But the Giants' front line will overpower a Packers offensive line peppered with second-team talent.

No matter the opponent or situation, Tony Romo is prone to give the ball away a time or two. The Redskins are among the NFC leaders in giveaway-takeaway ratio. That could spell trouble for Big D.

The Bengals are averaging three sacks and 1.6 turnovers per game, making them one of the surprise fantasy units of 2012. They should perform well against a Raiders team using mismatched parts.

It's a tale of two defenses: one with Joe Haden in the lineup, and one without. If Haden is healthy enough to go this week the Browns could do well for fantasy owners against a buttoned-up Steelers offense.

The Falcons registered three sacks and scored a touchdown on a fumble return against the Cardinals in Week 11. They'll face a Buccaneers team that has protected the ball and is red-hot offensively. They should get some sacks, but turnovers might be tough to come by.

The Buccaneers forced one turnover and sacked Cam Newton twice in Week 11. The Falcons' offense is much better than Carolina's, making the Buccaneers' defense one to avoid in Week 12.

Despite giving up 30 points to Peyton Manning and Co., the Chargers' defense still had three sacks, a safety and an interception return for a touchdown. The Ravens don't turn the ball over much, but they aren't hitting on all cylinders either, making the Chargers' defense a borderline fantasy starter.

The 49ers' defense has not been as strong from a fantasy perspective as it was last season, but it still gets to the quarterback and keeps the opponents' scores down. Despite a trip to high-scoring New Orleans, the Niners still deserve to be starting in fantasy play.

The Saints' defense scored against the Raiders on a 55-yard interception return and it also posted three sacks and two forced turnovers. With Alex Smith still dealing with a concussion, the Saints' defense could see more turnover opportunities in Week 12.

The Eagles were able to sack Robert Griffin III twice in Week 11, but they couldn't force any turnovers, and RGIII threw for four touchdowns against them. The Panthers have a similar athlete at quarterback in Cam Newton, so consider this a borderline fantasy defense in Week 12.

Two problems for the Vikings: 1) They do not have a cornerback able to hang with Brandon Marshall and 2) they are all but assured of turning the ball over to a defense leading the league in takeaways.

We simply cannot recommend a defense giving up 32.2 points (most in the league) and sitting at a minus-five in turnover ratio. Evel Knievel wouldn't start this unit.

The Browns give up 23.4 points per game, but as Dallas found out last week they are not as bad as their record suggests. Stopping the Browns means stopping Trent Richardson, which is easier said than done.

A date with Ryan Fitzpatrick will feel like a picnic after getting picked apart by Tom Brady. Even so, the Colts aren't a recommended play for fantasy owners.

Things might be looking up for the Jacksonville offense these days, but not for the defense. Opponents have averaged 31.3 points during Jacksonville's seven-game losing streak.

The Packers would like to see Clay Matthews back for this game, but that seems unlikely; instead, the team must rely on the collection of no-names that has held up just fine so far in November.

The last time the Jets and Patriots met up, Tom Brady and Co. scored 29 points, and the Jets were only able to register one sack and one turnover. Look elsewhere for fantasy help in Week 12.

The Chiefs had two sacks and no forced turnovers against the Bengals in Week 11. This defense has just four sacks and two interceptions total since Week 6, and Peyton Manning and Co. will make matters worse in Week 12.

The Dolphins rebounded a bit against the Bills after getting manhandled by the Colts and Titans. With five sacks and no forced turnovers in the past three games, this defense is too erratic to use in fantasy play right now.

This is no easy task for Dallas, especially after the defense tripped up against Brandon Weeden and the Browns. The secondary should hold up fine, but the front seven will have all it can handle trying to contain Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris.

Detroit's defense has picked it up a notch, with five sacks in the past two games, but this week it faces its toughest test to date. Matt Schaub has been sacked 13 times all season, and the Texans have given the ball away just 11 times.

The Patriots beat up on Andrew Luck last week, but it'd be a stretch to say they "exposed" anything about the rookie quarterback. Instead, the sharp first-year signal caller will take out his frustrations on a Bills defense giving up 29.9 points per game.