Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

The fantasy football playoffs are approaching fast and finishing the regular season strong is imperative to finding success in the postseason.

Breaking down the Week 12 rankings will help owners decipher which players will lead them to the promised land and which are fool’s gold. Starting the wrong player this week could mean the difference between making and missing the playoffs.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 12. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Peyton Manning, DEN	25 Points
2	Aaron Rodgers, GB	24 Points
3	Andrew Luck, IND	23 Points
4	Drew Brees, NO	22 Points
5	Tom Brady, NE	21 Points
6	Matthew Stafford, DET	19 Points
7	Jay Cutler, CHI	18 Points
8	Colin Kaepernick, SF	17 Points
9	Matt Ryan, ATL	16 Points
10	Ryan Tannehill, MIA	15 Points
11	Philip Rivers, SD	14 Points
12	Josh McCown, TB	14 Points
13	Tony Romo, DAL	13 Points
14	Blake Bortles, JAX	12 Points
15	Mark Sanchez, PHI	12 Points

One of the quarterbacks drawing the most attention heading into Week 12 is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Josh McCown. After taking over for the benched Mike Glennon and starting Sunday, he threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions.

With the confidence of the coaching staff and a supporting cast that includes wide receivers like veteran Vincent Jackson and talented rookie Mike Evans, McCown is an intriguing option for fantasy owners dealing with a bye week for Cam Newton or Ben Roethlisberger.

Tampa Bay squares off against the Chicago Bears in Week 12. Chicago is currently ranked 25th in the NFL allowing 256.4 passing yards per game. Fantasy owners taking the educated risk with McCown are hoping the former Bears quarterback can make his old team pay with a big statistical performance.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projection
1	DeMarco Murray, DAL	22 Points
2	Jamaal Charles, KC	22 Points
3	LeSean McCoy, PHI	20 Points
4	Matt Forte, CHI	18 Points
5	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	18 Points
6	Eddie Lacy, GB	17 Points
7	Andre Ellington, ARI	16 Points
8	Alfred Morris, WSH	16 Points
9	Arian Foster, HOU	15 Points
10	Trent Richardson, IND	15 Points
11	Mark Ingram, NO	15 Points
12	C.J. Anderson, DEN	14 Points
13	Ryan Mathews, SD	13 Points
14	Frank Gore, SF	13 Points
15	Rashad Jennings, NYG	12 Points
16	Jeremy Hill, CIN	11 Points
17	Jonas Gray, NE	11 Points
18	Justin Forsett, BAL	11 Points
19	Denard Robinson, JAX	10 Points
20	Shane Vereen, NE	10 Points
21	Lamar Miller, MIA	9 Points
22	Bishop Sankey, TEN	9 Points
23	Fred Jackson, BUF	8 Points
24	Terrance West, CLE	8 Points
25	Tre Mason, StL	7 Points

There are several running backs that have joined the conversation as must-starts, but with favorable matchups and momentum on their side, Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy and San Diego’s Ryan Mathews are two studs in Week 12.

Lacy didn’t have an overly impressive statistical day Sunday against Philadelphia, but his 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown proved he was running strong and he was healthy. The physical nature of his style will make Lacy a force against the Minnesota Vikings' 21st-ranked run defense.

Add in the fact that Lacy is also a big part of the passing attack, catching 17 passes over the last four games and two touchdown passes over the last two weeks. Fantasy owners must be starting Lacy as an RB2 against Minnesota.

Another back worth talking about is Mathews. After missing every game since suffering a knee injury in Week 2, the Chargers' No. 1 RB made his way back into the lineup in Week 11 and amassed 75 all-purpose yards.

Fantasy owners were disappointed by the lack of a touchdown, but as Mathews continues to build confidence with the coaching staff, he will once again get the chance to earn goal-line carries.

The run defense of the St. Louis Rams hasn’t been overly impressive this season. With the team looking to balance the offensive game plan, fantasy owners should start Mathews as a flex in Week 12.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Calvin Johnson, DET	22 Points
2	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	22 Points
3	Jordy Nelson, GB	20 Points
4	Dez Bryant, DAL	20 Points
5	Brandon Marshall, CHI	19 Points
6	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	18 Points
7	Julio Jones, ATL	18 Points
8	A.J. Green, CIN	17 Points
9	Mike Evans, TB	17 Points
10	Randall Cobb, GB	16 Points
11	Andre Johnson, HOU	16 Points
12	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	15 Points
13	Odell Beckham, NYG	15 Points
14	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	14 Points
15	Vincent Jackson, TB	14 Points
16	Roddy White, ATL	14 Points
17	Brandin Cooks, NO	13 Points
18	Sammy Watkins, BUF	12 Points
19	Percy Harvin, NYJ	12 Points
20	Josh Gordon, CLE	11 Points
21	Keenan Allen, SD	10 Points
22	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU	10 Points
23	Brandon LaFell, NE	9 Points
24	T.Y. Hilton, IND	8 Points
25	Michael Crabtree, SF	8 Points
26	Steve Smith, BAL	8 Points
27	Michael Floyd, ARI	7 Points
28	Reggie Wayne, IND	6 Points
29	Julian Edelman, NE	6 Points
30	Golden Tate, DET	5 Points
31	Mike Wallace, MIA	5 Points
32	Eric Decker, NYJ	5 Points
33	Dwayne Bowe, KC	5 Points
34	Kenny Britt, StL	5 Points
35	DeSean Jackson, WSH	5 Points

Just as it is important to find the best possible start at running back, picking the right wide receivers can make or break your Week 12 matchup. Two intriguing options are Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants and Michael Floyd of the Arizona Cardinals.

Beckham has taken over the role as No. 1 receiver in New York and has thrived in his opportunity. The rookie has been impressive, amassing 31 receptions for 463 yards and three touchdowns in his first six games.

The Giants play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. With Dallas’ pass defense allowing 239.8 passing yards per game and quarterback Eli Manning looking to bounce back from a five-interception performance, Beckham is a borderline WR2/WR3.

Arizona’s move to Drew Stanton at quarterback had led many fantasy owners to discount the Cardinals wide receivers, but Floyd took the opportunity to score two touchdowns. While he only managed two receptions all game, Stanton was looking to him often and will do so even more with Larry Fitzgerald injuring his knee, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.

Floyd had been frustratingly inconsistent this season, but all the stars are aligning for fantasy owners who have stayed loyal and stashed him on the bench. As Stanton continues to develop a rapport with the receivers, Floyd should be a serious flex play, starting in Week 12 against the Seattle Seahawks.

The risk with Floyd against Seattle is worth the potential reward.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Rob Gronkowski, NE	18 Points
2	Jimmy Graham, NO	18 Points
3	Antonio Gates, SD	14 Points
4	Martellus Bennett, CHI	14 Points
5	Julius Thomas, DEN	13 Points
6	Jason Witten, DAL	12 Points
7	Charles Clay, MIA	12 Points
8	Larry Donnell, NYG	11 Points
9	Travis Kelce, KC	10 Points
10	Owen Daniels, BAL	10 Points
11	Coby Fleener, IND	9 Points
12	Mychal Rivera, OAK	8 Points

San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has found the fountain of youth. The 34-year-old star has gone back-to-back weeks without a touchdown, but fantasy owners shouldn’t panic, especially with a favorable matchup against the St. Louis Rams in Week 12.

Gates claims that quarterback Philip Rivers is dealing with a rib injury, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and fantasy owners should be looking for the entire team to bounce back after a lackluster performance against the Oakland Raiders.

Beating Oakland 13-6 is not what many fans would consider a strong victory, and Gates only caught three passes for 32 yards. Expect the veteran to find the end zone this week against St. Louis.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Seattle Seahawks	Arizona	16 Points
2	Arizona Cardinals	Seattle	16 Points
3	Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland	14 Points
4	San Francisco 49ers	Washington	14 Points
5	Green Bay Packers	Minnesota	14 Points
6	Philadelphia Eagles	Tennessee	12 Points
7	Indianapolis Colts	Jacksonville	12 Points
8	San Diego Chargers	St. Louis	12 Points
9	Denver Broncos	Miami	10 Points
10	Buffalo Bills	New York Jets	10 Points
11	Dallas Cowboys	New York Giants	10 Points
12	Houston Texans	Cincinnati	8 Points

The Philadelphia Eagles defense was destroyed by the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, but fantasy owners should take the educated risk and ride with the unit in a favorable Week 12 matchup against the lackluster Tennessee Titans.

Philadelphia has created 16 turnovers this season and will square off against the 25th-ranked pass and 26th-ranked rushing attacks in the NFL. After Green Bay scored 53 points, fantasy owners should expect the Eagles to play angry.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	14 Points
2	Phil Dawson, SF	14 Points
3	Cody Parkey, PHI	13 Points
4	Adam Vinatieri, IND	12 Points
5	Cairo Santos, KC	12 Points
6	Shayne Graham, NO	11 Points
7	Josh Scobee, JAX	10 Points
8	Chandler Catanzaro, ARI	9 Points
9	Blair Walsh, MIN	8 Points
10	Dan Bailey, DAL	7 Points
11	Dan Carpenter, BUF	6 Points
12	Mason Crosby, GB	6 Points

The Arizona Cardinals offensive unit won’t be as dynamic with Drew Stanton under center instead of Carson Palmer, but fantasy owners with kicker Chandler Catanzaro should be expecting an influx of points as the offense continues to find its rhythm.

Developing a red-zone attack is tough for a new quarterback, but Stanton has the ability to get his team into scoring position. As he continues to work on a rapport with his receivers, drives stalling will result in plenty of work for Catanzaro.

*Stats via NFL.com.