It’s the home stretch of the regular season for fantasy football. Whether you are vying for a top seed in the playoffs or just playing for pride at this point, be sure to set your lineups for Week 12.
Below are some good plays for this week, as well as some other NFL players you should consider avoiding based on matchups, injuries and trends.
Reminder that the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings are on bye this week. If you need a bye week fill-in, check out Week 12 waiver wire pickups.
Who to Start
— Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (QB): It hasn’t exactly been pretty, but Winston has been cranking out reliable fantasy production since Week 3. He completed 30 of 51 passes for 313 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions against the Saints and faces another divisional rival in Week 12. The Falcons defense has been awful most of the season and this game is shaping up to be a shootout. Winston is a QB1 this week.
— Jaylen Samuels, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (RB): James Conner re-injured his shoulder in Week 11 and there is a good chance he sits out in Week 12. Samuels had five rushes for 26 yards and caught five of six targets for 19 yards and a touchdown. Trey Edmunds will also see some snaps, but Samuels is expected to be the starter this week going up against the Bengals. He is a RB2 with upside in a fantastic matchup.
— Bo Scarbrough, Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins (RB): A popular Week 12 waiver add after he stormed onto the scene in his NFL debut and eclipsed both J.D. McKissic and Ty Johnson in snaps and production. Scarbrough had 14 rushing attempts for 55 yards and a touchdown and shouldered 49 percent of the workload out of the backfield. He has borderline RB2 value in a great matchup against the Redskins, whose defense just allowed 34 points versus a struggling Jets team.
— D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles (WR): Metcalf has scored five times this year, which ranks ninth among wide receivers. He had a quiet Week 10 against the 49ers due in part to a fumble at the 1-yard line, but he faces a soft Eagles secondary in Week 12. He is also averaging 6.4 targets per game in an offense led by MVP candidate Russell Wilson. Metcalf is a high-end WR3 with upside this week.
— DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns (WR): Parker overcame a tough matchup against Tre’Davious White last Week and caught seven of 10 passes for 135 yards. He is quietly having a nice season for fantasy and has at least 55 yards in eight of 10 games this year. The Dolphins pass-catcher has low-end WR2 value this week.
— Ryan Griffin, New York Jets vs. Oakland Raiders (TE): Griffin is inching into TE1 territory now that Chris Herndon is done for the year. He had a fantastic game in Week 11 and caught all five of his targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. The Jets tight end should have another chance to rack up points against the Raiders, who rank 24th in the league in average points allowed.
— Cleveland Browns D/ST vs. Miami Dolphins: The Browns defense had their best game of the year by allowing seven points and picking up four sacks and four interceptions against the Steelers last Thursday. They will look to make it two straight solid fantasy performances against Miami, who came back down to earth against the Bills in Week 11. They will have to do it without the suspended Myles Garrett, though.
Who to Sit
— Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys (QB): A feeble Eagles secondary stymied Brady in a Super Bowl LII rematch. He completed 26 of 47 passes for 216 yards and threw fewer touchdowns than Julian Edelman. Once a reliable fantasy quarterback, his value has dwindled over the past few weeks and his frustration with the offense is palpable.
— Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (RB): Williams matches up against a stout 49ers defense this week that has quelled most of their opponents’ rushing attacks. The matchup, and the workload split with Aaron Jones should give pause to Williams owners. He falls into RB3 consideration this week.
— Frank Gore, Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos (RB): Rookie running back Devin Singletary has had more carries than Frank Gore in each of the last three weeks. Gore’s involvement in the passing game is almost nonexistent, and he faces the Broncos in Week 12. Denver’s defense has been lights out against running backs not named Leonard Fournette this year. Gore’s waning workload and matchup downgrade him to RB4/flex territory.
— Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys at New England (WR): Gallup goes from one of the easiest matchups to the toughest in the league this week. He had a monster Week 11 game and crested the 100-yard mark for the third time this season. However, temper expectations against the Patriots’ defense, which is allowing a paltry 8.4 points per game. Gallup is a risky WR2 play this week.
— Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Seattle Seahawks (WR): Even without competition from targets from DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffrey, Agholor put up lackluster numbers in Week 11 against the Patriots. He caught four of nine passes for 40 yards and has not been reliable for fantasy since Week 3. Seattle is a much easier opponent than New England, but Agholor is a WR4/flex with a low floor this week.
— Noah Fant, Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills (TE): Fant is seeing the volume from quarterback Brandon Allen, but he caught only four of his 11 targets on Sunday for 60 yards. Drops have been a significant problem this year and aside from the two games in which he scored, his stat lines have been unremarkable. He is a touchdown-dependent TE2 this week against a formidable Bills defense.
— Los Angeles Rams D/ST vs. Baltimore Ravens: The Rams defense is currently averaging the fourth-most fantasy points per game and has held opponents to less than 12 points in each of the last four games. However, they face a Ravens team looking to make it seven straight wins on Monday night who are averaging almost 30 points a game since Week 7. It would be prudent to sit any defense playing against Lamar Jackson at this point.