Should I pick the Jaguars or Rams defense in Week 13? Exploring matchups for fantasy football 

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams' defenses could be inspired picks in Week 13 of fantasy football. As managers attempt to replace players from the six teams on bye weeks, low-scoring games could be decided by the right defense.

Week 13 sees the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants on byes, so managers have to plan accordingly.

A large part of those plans should include the right defense, as we have seen some huge scores from the position this season. With that in mind, let's take a look at the fantasy outlooks for both defenses, starting with Jacksonville:

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Jaguars defense fantasy outlook for Week 13

Jaguars defense fantasy outlook for Week 13

While performing as a middle-of-the-pack defense in fantasy football, Week 13 could be a big day for the Jaguars. Not only is the team firing on all cylinders on offense with the re-emergence of Calvin Ridley, but they face an intriguing opponent.

Jacksonville hosts the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, and there could not be a better time to do so. The Bengals are without Joe Burrow for the rest of the season (unless they make a playoff push) and are struggling with Jake Browning under center.

A once potent Bengals offense now looks an altogether tamer animal, and Cincinnati put up only 10 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Browning fumbled the ball once and threw for 227 yards, one TD and one INT in what was a poor day on offense.

It looks like an opportunity for Jacksonville, who harbor serious playoff aspirations. The Jags defense has recorded 24 sacks, 11 INTs, nine fumble recoveries and two TDs this season for 84.00 fantasy points and aims to add to that on Monday.

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit tool projects the Jaguars D to record 5.8 points in Week 13. That means they should be a solid pick but they could be a risk.

The concern for fantasy managers is that the Bengals might rediscover their offense in what could be a back-and-forth high-scoring game. Backing the Jags D against an inexperienced QB is a logical choice, but it does fall into the boom-or-bust category.

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Rams defense fantasy outlook for Week 13

Rams defense fantasy outlook for Week 13

The LA Rams have had a tough time of it over the last two seasons, being marred by injuries and lacking in early draft picks. However, they are not so far removed from their Super Bowl win in February 2021 and still have some incredible players on both sides of the ball.

Aaron Donald may look to have waned a bit, but without other stars on the pass rush, he's double-teamed on almost every down. Nevertheless, LA has the 31st-ranked defense in fantasy football in terms of scoring, with 50.00 points stemming from 25 sacks, five INTs and four fumble recoveries.

The Rams have a fascinating matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. LA has their offense back at full strength while the Browns are trending in the other direction. Losing their starting RB and QB for the season has taken a toll, and the Browns are nursing injuries to key positions on offense and defense.

WR Amari Cooper is likely to be questionable, as is TE David Njoku and RB Kareem Hunt. Overall, Cleveland has 16 players listed on its injury report and that's why the Rams defense could be an inspired choice. The Browns could suffer on offense and be severely tested on defense, causing the game to spiral out of control.

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit tool predicts the Rams D will record 7.3 points in Week 13, so they are an excellent pick. With a host of injuries and QB issues, the Browns are there to be hit this week.

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Jaguars or Rams defense, which one's the right call in Week 13?

Both defenses could go big against AFC North opponents, but if you are choosing between them, go with the LA Rams. The Browns appear in real trouble offensively, and this could put too much strain on their defense.

Jaguars or Rams defense, which one's the right call in Week 13?

While the Bengals are in a similar position to the Browns, they seem more likely to get it together in Week 13 than Cleveland.

If you have the Jaguars D, this is a great week to start them, but they do come at a risk due to the Bengals' WR and RB weapons. That's significantly less of an issue for LA, and as one of fantasy football's worst-scoring defenses, they should be available as a potentially inspired pickup.