Week 12 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Highlighting Matchups to Exploit and Avoid

The end result of a Thursday Night Football contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders sure got Week 12 off to an ominous start. The Raiders won after being named severe underdogs, and fantasy output across the board was skewed. 

Luckily, Jamaal Charles still managed to deliver a strong performance for his owners; however, Kansas City's defense wasn't as great of a play as it should have been, Mychal Rivera laid an egg for his owners and Latavius Murray racked up 23 fantasy points on several benches.

That's not a good way to start the week.

Unfortunately, things aren't going to get any easier on Sunday. Some fantasy starters are tasked with producing despite receiving poor matchups, and knowing if those players are worthy of remaining in the lineup or are best left on the bench is extremely important. After all, the playoffs are just around the corner.

Before Week 12 continues, let's take a look at some of the most difficult decisions fantasy owners will be dealing with in regards to fringe starters.

Start 'Em

Pos.	Player	Opponent
QB	Eli Manning, NYG	Dallas Cowboys
RB	Denard Robinson, JAX	Indianapolis Colts
WR	Jordan Matthews, PHI	Tennessee Titans
TE	Coby Fleener, IND	Jacksonville Jaguars
D/ST	San Francisco 49ers	Washington Redskins
K	Matt Bryant, ATL	Cleveland Browns

Eli Manning isn't getting a whole lot of love at the moment due to his dismal showing in Week 11 that included throwing five interceptions. However, we've seen quarterbacks bounce back from their worst performances of the year several times this season. Remember how bad Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10? Well, he tossed three touchdown passes the following week.

Fantasy owners should expect to see the same kind of bounce-back showing from Manning this week against a Dallas Cowboys team that isn't allowing a ton of fantasy points this year. Why? Manning found his way around the Dallas defense when these teams met in Week 7, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns en route to 22 fantasy points—the most the Cowboys have given up to an opposing quarterback this season.

Denard Robinson is working his way to must-start status in the fantasy realm. Since his workload increased in Week 7, he's rattled off two 100-yard rushing games and scored four touchdowns in four games. He's coming off a bye this week and faced an Indianapolis Colts defense that's allowing an average of 21.1 fantasy points to opposing ball-carriers—the fourth most in the league.

Rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews has quite the rapport with backup quarterback Mark Sanchez. Over the last three games with Sanchez at the helm, Matthews has eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark twice and scored four touchdowns. The Tennessee Titans are a middle-of-the-road team against the pass, allowing an average of 19.5 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers.

If fantasy owners are ever going to have faith in starting Colts tight end Coby Fleener, this is the time. He put up 144 yards on seven receptions in Week 11 with Dwayne Allen shelved early in the game, and he's poised to do it again this week with Allen ruled out, according to ESPN's Mike Wells:

The Jaguars weren't able to contain these Colts tight ends when they faced off in Week 3, as Allen and Fleener combined for 92 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions. Most of that will go to Fleener this time around.

After a terrible showing in Week 11, the Washington Redskins must travel across the country to face the stingy San Francisco 49ers defense. Robert Griffin III and Co. allowed 21 fantasy points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense just one week ago. Now, imagine what the 49ers will do.

The Cleveland Browns have allowed at least three field-goal attempts to opposing kickers in two of their last three games. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons have been moving the ball better on offense, and kicker Matt Bryant has back-to-back 15-point fantasy performances. Things look good for the veteran to add another.

Sit 'Em

Pos.	Player	Opponent
QB	Russell Wilson, SEA	Arizona Cardinals
RB	Jonas Gray, NE	Detroit Lions
WR	Justin Hunter, TEN	Philadelphia Eagles
TE	Jared Cook, STL	San Diego Chargers
D/ST	Houston Texans	Cincinnati Bengals
K	Blair Walsh, MIN	Green Bay Packers

The Seattle Seahawks' passing attack is limited. We all know this. However, quarterback Russell Wilson has still managed to put up decent fantasy numbers most weeks due to his ability to run. Unfortunately, this signal-caller may not continue that trend Sunday.

The Arizona Cardinals boast one of the league's most well-rounded defenses. The Cardinals have been stellar against the pass lately, allowing seven fantasy points or fewer to opposing quarterbacks in four of their last five games. The Cardinals are also stout against the run, ranking third in the league and allowing an average of just 80.5 yards per game on the ground. There won't be many opportunities for Wilson in Week 12.

New England Patriots running back Jonas Gray took the fantasy world by storm in Week 11, accumulating 201 rushing yards and four touchdowns for a whopping 44 fantasy points. While Gray appears to be a talented back, he's up against a Detroit Lions defense that is allowing an average of just 68.8 yards per game on the ground and 12.6 fantasy points to opposing ball-carriers.

Adding to the ball-carrier's issues this week is his run-in with head coach Bill Belichick after showing up late to practice, via NFL on CBS:

There will be no magic this week.

While the speedy Justin Hunter continues to be an intriguing option with the strong-armed Zach Mettenberger under center, he's the low man on the totem pole right now, accumulating just three receptions over his last two games. Expect Kendall Wright to garner all of the quarterback's attention against the Philadelphia Eagles secondary.

Jared Cook has been a boom-or-bust tight end this season. He delighted fantasy owners with a big game against the Cardinals in Week 10, but he followed it up with a 19-yard showing against the Denver Broncos. He'll face a San Diego Chargers defense this week that's allowing just 4.9 points per game to opposing tight ends, making him a solid option to keep on the bench.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

There's plenty to like about the J.J. Watt-led Houston Texans defense. It leads the NFL with 23 takeaways and is no stranger to pressuring opposing quarterbacks. However, a shaky secondary has led to the team giving up an average of 389.5 yards per game—the third most in the league. That's not good considering a red-hot Bengals team is coming to town.

The Minnesota Vikings offense is having trouble moving the ball this season, and that's led to a down year for kicker Blair Walsh. Things won't get any better this week, as the Green Bay Packers should be expected to run up the score early, leading to few field-goal attempts. Look for a different option at kicker this week.

All fantasy scoring statistics courtesy of ESPN.com and current as of November 21.