Fantasy Football Week 12: Everything You Need to Know for Sunday's Action

Thanksgiving week is always an odd one in the fantasy football realm. Not one but three Thursday games compress decision-making into a pre-turkey frenzy.

Hopefully, you avoided the land mines. But there are plenty of more decisions to be made with bye weeks in the rearview mirror and Sunday games getting closer on the horizon.

Let's take a look at the fantasy football landscape for Week 12.

Week 12 Rankings

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Check out this week's rankings.

The 100

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU	vs. NO
2	T.J. Yeldon, RB, JAC	vs. SD
3	Todd Gurley, RB, STL	at Cin
4	Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN	at Atl
5	Odell Beckham Jr., WR, NYG	at Was
6	Doug Martin, RB, TB	at Ind
7	Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI	at SF
8	Julio Jones, WR, ATL	vs. MIN
9	Delanie Walker, TE, TEN	vs. Oak
10	Chris Ivory, RB, NYJ	vs. Mia
11	Thomas Rawls, RB, SEA	vs. Pit
12	Allen Robinson, WR, JAC	vs. SD
13	Carson Palmer, QB, ARI	at SF
14	Mike Evans, WR, TB	at Ind
15	Mark Ingram, RB, NO	at Hou
16	Antonio Brown, WR, PIT	at Sea
17	LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF	at KC
18	Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN	vs. NE
19	Latavius Murray, RB, OAK	at Ten
20	Eli Manning, QB, NYG	at Was
21	Lamar Miller, RB, MIA	at NYJ
22	Javorius Allen, RB, BAL	at Cle
23	Jordan Reed, TE, WAS	vs. NYG
24	Amari Cooper, WR, OAK	at Ten
25	Tevin Coleman, RB, ATL	at MIN
26	Alfred Blue, RB, HOU	vs. NO
27	Charcandrick West, RB, KC	vs. Buf
28	Brandin Cooks, WR, NO	at Hou
29	Eric Decker, WR, NYJ	vs. Mia
30	Drew Brees, QB, NO	at Hou
31	Jimmy Graham, TE, SEA	vs. Pit
32	Chris Johnson, RB, ARI	at SF
33	LeGarrette Blount, RB, NE	at Den
34	A.J. Green, WR, CIN	vs. StL
35	Calvin Johnson, WR, DET	at Phi
36	Russell Wilson, QB, SEA	vs. Pit
37	Brandon Marshall, WR, NYJ	vs. Mia
38	Tom Brady, QB, NE	at Den
39	Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA	at NYJ
40	Martavis Bryant, WR, PIT	at Sea
41	T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND	vs. TB
42	Michael Crabtree, WR, OAK	at Ten
43	Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT	at Sea
44	Matthew Stafford, QB, DET	vs. Phi
45	Frank Gore, RB, IND	vs. TB
46	Danny Woodhead, RB, SD	at Jac
47	Allen Hurns, WR, JAC	vs. SD
48	Steve Johnson, WR, SD	at Jac
49	Sammy Watkins, WR, BUF	at KC
50	Blake Bortles, QB, JAC	at SD
51	Antonio Gates, TE, SD	at Jac
52	Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE	at Den
53	Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN	at StL
54	John Brown, WR, ARI	at SF
55	Danny Amendola, WR, NE	at Den
56	Tyler Eifert, TE, CIN	vs. StL
57	Antonio Andrews, RB, TEN	vs. Oak
58	Stefon Diggs, WR, MIN	at Atl
59	Jeremy Maclin, WR, KC	vs. Buf
60	DeAngelo Williams, RB, PIT	at Sea
61	Derek Carr, QB, OAK	vs. Ten
62	DeSean Jackson, WR, WAS	vs. NYG
63	Marcus Mariota, QB, TEN	vs. Oak
64	Heath Miller, TE, PIT	at Sea
65	Brandon LaFell, WR, NE	at Den
66	Philip Rivers, QB, SD	at Jac
67	Travis Kelce, TE, KC	vs. Buf
68	Vincent Jackson, WR, TB	at Ind
69	Ronnie Hillman, RB, DEN	vs. NE
70	Brian Hoyer, QB, HOU	at Ind
71	Nate Washington, WR, HOU	at Ind
72	Kamar Aiken, WR, BAL	at Cle
73	Rishard Matthews, WR, MIA	at NYJ
74	Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN	vs. StL
75	Andy Dalton, QB, CIN	vs. StL
76	Duke Johnson, RB, CLE	vs. Bal
77	Cecil Shorts, WR, HOU	vs. Ind
78	Shaun Draughn, RB, SF	vs. Ari
79	Tavon Austin, WR, STL	at Cin
80	Crockett Gillmore, TE, BAL	at Cle
81	Matt Jones, RB, WAS	vs. NYG
82	Matt Ryan, QB, ATL	vs. MIN
83	Michael Floyd, WR, ARI	at SF
84	Karlos Williams, RB, BUF	at KC
85	Marvin Jones, WR, CIN	vs. StL
86	Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN	vs. NE
87	Melvin Gordon, RB, SD	at Jac
88	C.J. Anderson, RB, DEN	vs. NE
89	Willie Snead, WR, NO	at Hou
90	Rashad Jennings, RB, NYG	at Was
91	Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA	vs. Pit
92	Spencer Ware, RB, KC	vs. Buf
93	Rueben Randle, WR, NYG	at Was
94	Charles Clay, TE, BUF	at KC
95	Kirk Cousins, QB, WAS	vs. NYG
96	Shane Vereen, RB, NYG	at Was
97	Charles Sims, RB, TB	at Ind
98	Donte Moncrief, WR, IND	vs. TB
99	C.J. Spiller, RB, NO	at Hou
100	Ben Watson, TE, NO	at Hou

Injury Update

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Probables

Quarterbacks

• Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills (shoulder): It seemed as though Tyrod Taylor might have injured his collarbone last week, but he is gearing up to take on a rising Chiefs team on the road this week.
• Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (groin): There isn't much really wrong with Andy Dalton, but his matchup could sink his productivity this week.
• Brian Hoyer, Houston Texans (concussion): Hoyer makes his triumphant return to the lineup after missing a week with a concussion. He has a great matchup against the Saints.

Running Backs

• Chris Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (knee): It's been a rough few weeks for Chris Johnson and his fantasy owners. Don't let that discourage you from starting him against the woeful 49ers this week, however.
• Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts (knee): It doesn't look like Frank Gore will miss time after hurting his knee last week.
• Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints (shoulder): Ingram's injury forced him from the game last week, but it looks like he will be back against the Houston Texans.

Wide Receivers

• Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (ankle) and John Brown, Arizona Cardinals (hamstring): For a minute there, it seemed the Cardinals would be dangerously thin at wide receiver after the injury bug hit. Thankfully, it seems the corps is getting healthier, not worse.
• Marvin Jones, Cincinnati Bengals (hamstring): This isn't a particularly good matchup for Jones this week.
• Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos (shoulder): Emmanuel Sanders put up a big, fat goose egg the last time he played. He was still dealing with a shoulder issue, though, and it seems there weren't any setbacks.
• Brandon Marshall, New York Jets (toe): Marshall had 128 receiving yards against the Dolphins the last time out.
• Kendall Wright, Tennessee Titans (knee): Wright is back from his injury after missing Week 11. He has a great matchup this week too.

Tight Ends

• Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers (hip) and Ladarius Green, San Diego Chargers (ankle): Both Chargers tight ends are pretty much healthy for the first time in a while. They face a Jacksonville defense that has allowed the fourth-most points to the tight end position in recent weeks.

Risks

Charcandrick West, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (hamstring)

Spencer Ware went nuts last week after Charcandrick West exited with a hamstring injury. It seems that the Chiefs churn out running backs like some college NFL factory.

West might miss some time with that hamstring issue, which would give Ware free rein of that backfield. If West does manage to play this week, though, nobody in that backfield will be particularly trustworthy from a fantasy perspective. 

Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins (knee)

Having Jarvis Landry listed as questionable for a matchup might make you queasy as a fantasy owner, but never fear—head coach Dan Campbell is here to alleviate the worry.

“Today we wanted to sit him to get him feeling good for the game,” Campbell said, according to ESPN.com's James Walker. “We’ll know more tomorrow, but I’d say I feel pretty good about it. I feel like he’s going to be able to play.”

With Darrelle Revis parked this week, Landry is in for a big game against the Jets.

Danny Amendola, WR, New England Patriots (knee)

Getting Danny Amendola on the field would be an immense relief on a Patriots offense that has been decimated by injuries to the wide receiver corps. It didn't look good for him to play against the Broncos earlier this week, but it looks like he is trying to make it out there.

The trouble is his matchup—Aqib Talib and Chris Harris won't make things easy if he does start.

Greg Zuerlein, K, St. Louis Rams

Kickers don't normally rate injury mentions, but Greg Zuerlein's questionable status could become a problem for fantasy owners this week. It's best to roll with another kicker in Week 12.

Doubtful or Out

Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons

A concussion will keep Devonta Freeman out of the lineup this week. Perhaps rookie Tevin Coleman will shine like he did during the preseason, reclaiming some of the role he'd lost while injured and watching Freeman break out.

Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Carlos Hyde is missing another bad matchup, so all his absence is doing is preventing you from making a bad lineup decision.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Lynch will ostensibly be out through the fantasy playoffs, making Thomas Rawls a championship-caliber difference-maker for whoever picked him up. It also makes him a great option in daily fantasy contests.

Injury updates courtesy of Rotoworld unless otherwise noted. 

Sleepers and Busts

Sleepers

Heath Miller, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

Heath Miller's One Big Game™ has yet to occur in 2015. He's come close—Miller had 10 receptions for 105 yards a couple of weeks back—but the OBG has remained elusive.

Against the Seahawks, it might finally come to fruition. 

Chris Harper, WR, New England Patriots

Next man up in New England?

The Patriots are down to a paperclip, some gum and a long piece of string at wide receiver after a rash of injuries. Brandon LaFell doesn't have a good matchup against cornerback Chris Harris or Aqib Talib, and tight end Rob Gronkowski is sure to draw double-teams as he has in recent weeks.

That means someone else will need to step up for the Patriots. Could that be Chris Harper?

Jermaine Kearse, WR, Seattle Seahawks

The Steelers have given up a ton of fantasy points to opposing receivers. When fantasy football owners think of the Seattle offense, they will gravitate toward Tyler Lockett's recency bias and Doug Baldwin's No. 1 status.

Jermaine Kearse could have the biggest week of them all, though.

Brian Hoyer, QB, Houston Texans

Brian Hoyer can hardly be called a sleeper—everyone will be on him this week in his return from a concussion while going up against that Swiss cheese New Orleans defense.

Busts

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

This isn't your slightly older brother's Denver defense.

The Broncos boast one of the best units in the league, and they are going to make Tom Brady's life miserable this week.

Brady is already coming off a Monday night tilt in which he was hit hard more than a dozen times. Linebacker Von Miller and his pass-rushing buddies figure to do more of the same this week.

Add to that that New England's offensive line is a bit of a mess right now and Brady's pass-catchers are dropping like flies, and we have a recipe for a bad week from the future Hall of Famer.

Start 'Em

Gail Burton/Associated Press

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

You may be tempted to sit Ben Roethlisberger this week as he heads to Seattle. The Seahawks defense has a reputation, after all. If you look closely, however, you will note that reputation is a bit without merit this season. 

Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens

There may not be much reason to invest in the Baltimore offense these days. Its starting quarterback and running back were just lost for the year, and they were floundering as it was.

Javorius Allen replaces Justin Forsett in the lineup and faces a subpar Cleveland run defense.

Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins

Revis Island is closed for repairs.

Darrelle Revis was concussed after being torched by DeAndre Hopkins last week, and he will miss this week's matchup against the Dolphins. Jarvis Landry got 12 targets the last time around against the Jets, but that was a much tougher defense he was facing.

Don't be shy about starting Miami's top receiver this week based on earlier results.

Heath Miller, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Seahawks seem to forget opposing tight ends exist sometimes.

Sit 'Em

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons offense has hit an early winter squall, and things won't get much better this weekend for Matt Ryan and Co.

The Vikings defense hasn't given up a ton of fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, and the Falcons offense is a bit of a mess these days. Starting running back Devonta Freeman will be out with a concussion, too, which could cause issues for the entire offense.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Whereas the Seahawks pass defense has left a lot to be desired this season, the run defense has been up to snuff.

Seattle has allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season—perhaps a function of the pass defense being far more porous than usual. 

Brandon LaFell, WR, New England Patriots

Either cornerback Aqib Talib or Chris Harris will cover Brandon LaFell this week, and the pass rush is going to harass quarterback Tom Brady into oblivion. For once, the Patriots offense is not automatic.

Charles Clay, TE, Buffalo Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs have been playing excellent defense over the past several weeks, and Charles Clay has not exactly been a big part of the Bills offense in that span. If, for whatever reason, you plan to start him, you might want to look for an alternative.

The DraftKings Scoop

Here is the Week 12 rundown for DraftKings, if you are of that persuasion. 

The Chalk

chalk (n.)—a player considered to be a consensus pick or a “must-start” option for a given DFS contest, especially in cash games.

Thomas Rawls, RB, Seattle Seahawks ($4,500)

Hopefully, anyone who had Marshawn Lynch in a lineup last week pivoted to Thomas Rawls once news broke the former was ruled out of the game. Rawls went nuts, and his price stayed depressed because of the late game.

Lynch may be out for the foreseeable future, making Rawls the de facto starter and workhorse for that offense. Against the Steelers, the undrafted rookie could have another field day. At the very least, you will have a lot of company this week in terms of opponents with Rawls on their roster.

Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens ($4,600)

Justin Forsett's arm injury opens up the door for rookie Javorius Allen to shine. He has a nice matchup against a Cleveland defense that Forsett torched earlier this season. Allen had 58 yards on just eight carries last time out against the Browns.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans ($9,100)

He is one of the most expensive players of the week, but DeAndre Hopkins is still a chalk play. That's because he's going up against the New Orleans Saints.

Granted, who knows exactly how that Saints defense will react now that Rob Ryan is gone.

The Cash Plays

cash game (n.)—a contest in which at least 40 percent of the entrants earn a prize. High-floor players are desirable in cash games.

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars ($5,100)

The Chargers have given up a ton of fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Even though T.J. Yeldon hasn't put up particularly big numbers, his matchup is too good to ignore. He is going to get a ton of touches, giving him a high enough floor to make him a cash-game option.

A potential second rushing touchdown would make it a great day for the Jaguars running back.

Chris Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals ($4,600)

The Arizona Cardinals are favored by a cool 10 points. On the road.

That kind of victory of margin is likely given their opponent—the San Francisco 49ers. A big win means a lot of running in the second half, which could mean upwards of 20 touches for Chris Johnson. At $4,600, he is a rather palatable option despite last week's dud.

Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals ($8,100)

Sure, a big second-half lead will probably mean more rushing attempts for the Cardinals running backs. But how will they get that lead?

The Stacks

stack (v.)—rostering two to three players from the same NFL team with the hope that if one player performs extremely well, then the other one to two players will also benefit.

Brian Hoyer, QB ($5,000) and DeAndre Hopkins, WR ($9,100) or Nate Washington, WR, Houston Texans ($3,800)

The Saints have given up 17 touchdown passes in their past four games. That ineptitude got defensive coordinator Rob Ryan fired.

Brian Hoyer makes his return from a concussion this week, hopefully still catching New Orleans on that defensive slide. Pairing him with DeAndre Hopkins is going to be a popular option this week, but Nate Washington could just as easily have a big game as the Saints try to stop Hopkins.

Marcus Mariota, QB ($5,500) and Delanie Walker, TE ($5,400) or Kendall Wright ($4,400), Tennessee Titans

The Raiders have improved defensively over the past couple of weeks thanks to getting healthier in the secondary. That means the Titans offense isn't necessarily in for a big game.

But Marcus Mariota is dynamic enough, and Delanie Walker gets enough targets to make this an interesting pairing, with Kendall Wright lurking for a big game as well in his return from injury.

Kirk Cousins, QB ($5,400) and Jordan Reed, TE, Washington ($5,100) 

As matchups go, Kirk Cousins and Jordan Reed could have few better ones.

The New York Giants have given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and tight ends over the past five weeks.

Reed caught six passes for 96 yards early in the season against New York, while Cousins threw for 316 yards and a touchdown. 

Josh McCown, QB ($5,000) and Gary Barnidge, TE, Cleveland Browns ($4,800)

A week after being handed the starting keys for the rest of the season, Johnny Manziel dropped them down a storm drain.

Josh McCown is now the starter again, having recovered from his concussion a couple of weeks ago. He and Gary Barnidge made sweet fantasy football music for many weeks before breaking a string on that guitar.

The Ravens have been stingy against opposing tight ends this season, but Barnidge still torched them in their first meeting. Granted, that included a between-the-legs touchdown reception, but it was a good game overall for the big tight end.

If McCown goes back to targeting Barnidge a bunch, we could see some great returns from this duo Monday night.

The GPP Plays

GPP (n.)—stands for “Guaranteed Prize Pool.” It is a type of tournament for which the daily fantasy sports site promises a specific prize pool amount to be divided among the winners regardless of entry count.

Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington ($3,600)

While Cousins and Reed might be more obvious plays in Washington this week, Jamison Crowder could be a difference-maker in the fantasy realm.

Crowder looked like he had ascended to a bigger role in that offense, but a bad matchup netted him five yards on one reception last week. The Giants are a far easier test, and Crowder could haul in several passes again this week.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks ($3,000)

Jermaine Kearse, WR, Seattle Seahawks ($3,300)

The Steelers are giving up the seventh-most fantasy points in the league to opposing receivers over the past five weeks. That could mean another nice day for Doug Baldwin.

Tyler Lockett had a huge Week 11, and his minimum price will be rather enticing for Week 12. But Jermaine Kearse could wind up with the big day in the Seattle receiver corps, and he's just $300 more expensive.

Heath Miller, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,100)

At what point will we be touting Heath Miller too much? At this rate, he is going to bust. (But, really, he's going to have a nice game.)

Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals ($3,500)

Chris Johnson is an excellent cash option, but he might not be the only one with a big game coming against the 49ers.

Andre Ellington isn't getting enough touches to be considered a safe starter, but he has proved to be his explosive self at times since his return from injury.

Daily fantasy definitions courtesy of Cracking DraftKings over at FootballGuys.com.

Last-Minute Waiver-Wire Options

Don Wright/Associated Press

Heath Miller, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

We may as well mention Heath Miller one last time here. He's probably still available in your league, after all.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks

He might not be available in most leagues, but why not peek at the waiver wire to check on Marshawn Lynch's status?

His fantasy owner might have been spooked into dropping Lynch after Beast Mode went into surgery this week. He might not be back in time to help your fantasy team, but there is a chance he will be there for your league's championship league—maybe even the semifinals—to provide a boost.

What the Other Experts Are Saying

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Jamey Eisenberg at CBS Sports likes T.J. Yeldon almost as much as I do:

"

T.J. Yeldon is a running back you might have been hesitant to trust this season, but this is a good week to rely on him against the Chargers at home.

Yeldon has some good moments this season with double digits in Fantasy points against the Colts in Week 4, the Buccaneers in Week 5 and the Bills in Week 7. He only has two total touchdowns on the season, but his workload has been consistent with at least 15 touches in eight of nine games.

He's struggled of late with single digits in Fantasy points in three straight games, but he should end that streak this week against San Diego. The Chargers come into this game having allowed 10 running backs to score double digits in Fantasy points, and the only team that failed to have a running back reach that total was Baltimore in Week 8. Last week, Ware came on for the injured West and had 11 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns at San Diego.

"

Bleacher Report's own Chris Roling thinks Ben Roethlisberger should be just fine in Seattle too:

"

What, afraid of a quarterback on the road in Seattle? 

Don't be. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn't even supposed to suit up in Week 10 before a bye, but entered the game and casually went for 27 points.

For those keeping track, Big Ben now has 18 or more points in four games this year, the two exceptions not much to worry about given his in-and-out nature thanks to injuries.

The Seahawks aren't exactly a formidable threat this year, either, especially when their numbers against quarterbacks look inflated thanks to games against St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Carolina, San Francisco twice and Dallas without Tony Romo.

It's going to be another day at the office for Big Ben.

"

Roethlisberger's running back isn't getting nearly those glowing reviews. Nick Mensio at Yahoo is down on him this week too, for example:

"

It’s hard to go and flat-out bench Williams because of his heavy volume, but this matchup isn’t ideal on the road. In four starts without Le’Veon Bell, Williams is averaging 21.25 carries per game for 107 yards with five touchdowns. He’s done the vast majority of his damage in two of those games against the Patriots and Raiders and has faced three bottom-10 run defenses. The Seahawks are No. 1 in fantasy points allowed to running backs and eighth in Football Outsiders’ run-defense DVOA. They’re yielding just 3.61 YPC. Sunday’s Pittsburgh-Seattle matchup pits the league’s top-two ranked fantasy run defenses against each other. Both offenses figure to find success through the air, with Pittsburgh picking on secondary CBs Cary Williams, DeShawn Shead, and Jeremy Lane behind shutdown No. 1 CB Richard Sherman.

"

All fantasy rankings and statistics courtesy of FFToday.com. Snap count data is courtesy of FootballOutsiders.com. Las Vegas odds courtesy of OddsShark.com.

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