Fantasy Football Week 12 Rankings: Projections and Matchups to Love
Week 12 got underway on Thursday with a trio of Thanksgiving contests. The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets will battle on Friday afternoon, and all 32 teams will be in action this week.
While no teams are on bye, injuries continue to impact lineup decisions. The fantasy world lost another standout last Thursday when Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury. Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson may or may not return this week.
"He is getting closer," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said, per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano.
Below, you'll find a look at the top players remaining for Week 12 and a few of our favorite matchups. All rankings and picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Quarterback
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QB Rankings
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
5. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
6. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
7. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings
10. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Matchup to Love: Lamar Jackson at Los Angeles Chargers
Mark Andrews' potential season-ending injury could hurt Lamar Jackson's fantasy value in the long term. However, the Baltimore Ravens' quarterback should still be among the top producers in Week 12.
Jackson usually has a high floor because of his scrambling ability. Against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11, for example, he had 54 rushing yards in addition to his 264 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.
Baltimore has a solid backup tight end in Isaiah Likely and a budding star receiver in rookie Zay Flowers. Jackson will also benefit from facing an underwhelming Los Angeles Chargers pass defense.
Only the Washington Commanders have allowed more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Running Back
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RB Rankings
1. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
2. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
4. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
5. D'Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
6. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
7. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
8. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. Breece Hall, New York Jets
10. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Matchup to Love: Derrick Henry versus Carolina Panthers
The floor for Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry isn't as high as it has been in years past. Tennessee's offensive line has struggled to run block consistently, and we've seen several down games by Henry.
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, for example, Henry tallied just 44 scrimmage yards and one reception. He's averaging just 4.2 yards per carry this season—tied for his career low—and has seen rookie Tyjae Spears occasionally cut into his workload.
However, Henry has an extremely high floor in Week 12. The Titans can and should take advantage of a poor Panthers run defense by leaning on Henry early and often.
The Panthers have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs in 2023, and they've only held the opposition below 100 rushing yards once in 10 games. Expect Henry to finish in the top 10 this week.
Wide Receiver
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WR Rankings
1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
2. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
4. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
5. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
7. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
8. Tank Dell, Houston Texans
9. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
10. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
Matchup to Love: Stefon Diggs at Philadelphia Eagles
As has been the case with Henry, Stefon Diggs' dependability hasn't been what managers expect. Josh Allen has started to trust secondary pass-catchers like Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir in addition to Diggs and Gabe Davis.
This has led to a few poor fantasy performances by Diggs. He's had four games this season with fewer than 70 receiving yards, and he had just seven receptions for 61 yards in his last two games combined.
However, managers should love Diggs' matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles defense does a lot well—stopping the run, pressuring quarterbacks and forcing quarterback miscues chief among them—it has struggled to shut down opposing wideouts.
No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing receivers than Philadelphia. Kansas City Chiefs wideout Justin Watson had five receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles in Week 11. That should be Diggs' floor in Week 12.
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Tight End
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TE Rankings
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
4. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
5. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
7. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
8. Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
9. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
10. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
Matchup to Love: Trey McBride versus Los Angeles Rams
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has emerged as a top-tier fantasy option this season and, specifically, after Zach Ertz landed on injured reserve in Week 7.
In his last four games, McBride has caught 26 passes on 35 targets for 291 yards. In that span, he's had no fewer than three receptions or five targets.
McBride is a high-floor play this week against the rival Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, and they had issues containing McBride in 2023's first meeting.
Back in Week 6, while sharing targets with Ertz, McBride caught four passes for 62 yards in Los Angeles. At home and with Kyler Murray working his way back to form, McBride could have an even more productive outing in Round 2.
*Fantasy scoring information via FantasyPros.
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