Hello and welcome to the Week 13 waiver wire watch for defense/special teams!
Thanksgiving week is finally here and we’re entering the home stretch of the 2025 NFL season. That means we’re also just a few weeks away from the playoffs starting in most fantasy football leagues and it’s crunch time for managers everywhere. So you better start getting your roster in order before it’s too late.
We’ll go over some D/ST units that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 13 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as a defense that is rostered in 50% of leagues at the max. Every team is in action this week, so there are no byes for you to worry about. You should also keep in mind that there are three games to be played this Thursday for Thanksgiving and one game scheduled for Black Friday, so be extra mindful when setting your lineups this week. You don’t want to get to Sunday and realize that one of these units have already played.
Week 13 byes: None
Los Angeles Rams D/ST (45.9%)
The Rams look like the best team in the NFL right now and they showed that by obliterating the Buccaneers in a 34-7 blowout win on Sunday night. The defense perfectly complemented their fiery offense in this one, racking up 18 fantasy points with 10 passes defended, four sacks, and two interceptions, one of which was housed by cornerback Cobie Durant for a first-quarter pick six.
The Rams have boasted the second-best fantasy defense in the league this season with an average of 9.4 points per game, trailing only the Texans in that category. They’re going up against a Panthers offense that has been hot and cold throughout the year, so there’s a real chance that they can wreck the day of yet another playoff contender from the NFC South.
Week 13 matchup: @ Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals D/ST (18.8%)
The Cardinals came up short in a 27-24 overtime loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, but the defense at least did its part throughout the afternoon. The unit came away with four turnovers in the setback, including three interceptions and a Walter Nolen scoop-n-score touchdown that put the team on the board in the first quarter. If you chose the Cards’ defense for the week, you were rewarded for your foresight with 17 fantasy points, their third double-digit performance of the season.
They’ll visit the aforementioned Bucs this season, a team that is suddenly in crisis mode after Baker Mayfield suffered a left-shoulder injury in Sunday’s loss to the Rams. We’ll find out about Mayfield’s status throughout the week and there’s a chance that Arizona could be going up against veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater in the contest. Fantasy managers should keep their eye on that situation.
Week 13 matchup: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (24.7%)
The Chargers are coming off their bye week and let’s cut to the chase. They’re playing the Raiders this Sunday, an offense that has failed to score more than 16 points in four of their last five outings. A team that just sent offensive coordinator Chip Kelly packing for how putrid they’ve looked. Fantasy managers should be racing to pick up whatever defense Vegas is facing each week, it’s that simple.
Week 13 matchup: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET
