Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 12: Smart Sleepers to Exploit and Lineup Advice

Injuries have an odd way of affecting a fantasy team.

On one hand, they can devalue the players around the injured figure and create questions about their ability to produce; on the other, they can offer opportunities for those who may not have had as many chances previously.

Such is the case in Week 12, where one of the best running backs in the NFL finds himself in the unfamiliar "sit" category and one of the best young receivers has the chance to make an even greater impact as a must-start.

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All stats from FantasyPros unless otherwise stated.

Start 'Em: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

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INGLEWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 19: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) reacts after a pass completion in the fourth quarter during an NFL regular season game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams on November 19, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Rams lost Cooper Kupp to a sprained ankle in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

And while that is a major disappointment for a player who has had his fair share of injuries over the last two seasons, it does give quarterback Matthew Stafford the opportunity to spread the ball around more in the absence of his favorite target.

That is likely to prove beneficial to Puka Nacua, who is ninth in the league with 69 receptions and sixth with 897 yards.

The BYU product saw his fantasy production fall off considerably following Kupp's return to the lineup, but he has managed five double-digit scoring performances in 10 games.

As Stafford's primary target against a poor Arizona Cardinals defense, expect Nacua to put up big numbers and hopefully jump-start a Rams offense that has struggled of late.

The rookie is averaging nearly seven catches per game, according to Pro Football Reference, with a 67 percent catch rate and 8.7 yards per catch.

Nacua will have plenty of opportunities to exceed those seven catches and that per-play yardage against a Cardinals team giving up 29.5 fantasy points to opposing wideouts.

Sit 'Em: Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

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CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 12: Cincinnati Bengals Half Back Joe Mixon (28) warms up for the NFL football game between the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals on November 12, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Joe Mixon might be the most underappreciated running back in the game today, but that doesn't mean he should be considered an automatic starter for the Cincinnati Bengals in their Week 12 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Star quarterback Joe Burrow has been ruled out for the season with a wrist injury, and the Bengals will turn to Jake Browning to lead them against the vaunted Steelers pass rush.

With all respect to the backup signal-caller, Pittsburgh employs a 33.3 percent blitz rate, per Pro Football Reference, and has gotten home 28 times this season.

That number may rise against a quarterback making his first professional start.

Mixon will be asked to pass protect and even when he gets his carries or receptions out of the backfield, he will face a Pittsburgh defense that will be keyed in on stopping him specifically.

The Steelers are giving up 20.7 fantasy points per game to opposing backs, so there will still be potential for the 2021 Pro Bowler to contribute, but it is not a matchup or position on your team worth sacrificing points for potential.

Look to your bench or the waiver wire (hello, Devin Singletary) for a replacement this week.

Sleeper: Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 05: Gardner Minshew #10 of the Indianapolis Colts rolls out to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the game at Bank of America Stadium on November 05, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Gardner Minshew may not be a prototypical fantasy starter, especially considering he has failed to crack double-digit scores in his last two outings, but he's a prime sleeper in Week 12.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are giving the fourth-most points to opposing quarterbacks (20 per game), and they were picked apart by Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers Sunday.

The second-year quarterback threw for three scores against a Bucs secondary that looked ill-equipped to contain the Niners.

The Colts are not San Francisco offensively, but they are not without their own weapons.

Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs have the potential to be one of the best one-two punches in the league, and they have the opportunity to exploit the back end of a Buccaneers defense that may be without cornerback Jamel Dean this weekend.

The plays will be there for Minshew to make an impact on the game.

The 27-year-old had his best game of the season from a fantasy perspective against a stellar Browns defense in Week 7, scoring twice through the air and twice on the ground for 28.1 points.

It may be tough to replicate that, but there is no reason why Minshew won't be able to pick apart the Buccaneers' secondary and break the 20-point threshold for just the second time this season.