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

Even if Thanksgiving didn't go your way for your fantasy football team, you can still make up ground by making the right calls on some tough choices.

While some of the top options from earlier in the year have slowed down and are now risky picks against tough matchups, there are always new sleepers capable of helping your team win. Whether they are deep down your bench or you need to pick them up off waivers, help is on the way.

Here is a look at some advice to give you the best chance for Week 12.

Sit 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp
QB	Andy Dalton	Cincinnati Bengals	STL
QB	Tyrod Taylor	Buffalo Bills	KC
RB	Latavius Murray	Oakland Raiders	TEN
RB	Lamar Miller	Miami Dolphins	NYJ
RB	Ronnie Hillman	Denver Broncos	NE
WR	Sammy Watkins	Buffalo Bills	KC
WR	Amari Cooper	Oakland Raiders	TEN
WR	Danny Amendola	New England Patriots	DEN
TE	Travis Kelce	Kansas City Chiefs	BUF

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Norm Hall/Getty Images

Andy Dalton hasn't quite been as consistent in recent weeks as he was earlier in the season. After scoring at least 17 fantasy points in standard leagues in each of the first six weeks of the season, he now has single digits in two of the last four.

While he doesn't necessarily deserve all of the blame for the two-game losing streak, the numbers have certainly quietened down in recent weeks.

This isn't good news heading into a matchup with the St. Louis Rams, which have had one of the top pass defenses in the league this year. Per ESPN.com, the defense has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season and will likely make things difficult on the Bengals.

Dalton has plenty of upside, but the risk is too great here to start him in most leagues.

Latavius Murray, RB, Oakland Raiders

The entire Oakland Raiders offense has been quiet over the last couple of games, and Latavius Murray has been a big part of that. The running back finished with only 28 rushing yards on 13 carries in Week 11 for his lowest yardage of the season. Even with a touchdown he managed just eight fantasy points, the third game in a row he failed to reach double figures.

Meanwhile, the score only came after two missed opportunities at the goal line for Marcel Reece.

Murray still has a big role in this offense, but after getting just 25 combined carries over the last few games, he is tough to trust as an every-week starter. Against a surprisingly solid Tennessee Titans defense, you might want to look for better options.

Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

At times Monday night it was hard to know if Sammy Watkins was even on the field. He struggled to get open and when he did, Tyrod Taylor never seemed to be on the same page. 

Head coach Rex Ryan said during the week the team will try to force the ball to the talented receiver, per ESPN.com's Mike Rodak:

"

I think Sammy is such a talent that you can probably force the issue a little bit there. And obviously if there's one-on-ones across the board, then let's take our best shot. We'll throw up our best against your best and see what happens. Because I truly believe Sammy is that good. 

So we got to look at that. As we're moving forward, start taking advantage of this young man.

"

The problem with this strategy is the Kansas City Chiefs will do their best to take Watkins out of the game, and they have the ability to do it. With a quality secondary that is only getting better and a pass rush that will force the ball out of Taylor's hands quickly, downfield passing will not be easy.

This will not likely end up being the best game for Watkins.

Start 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp
QB	Brian Hoyer	Houston Texans	NO
QB	Josh McCown	Cleveland Browns	BAL
RB	James White	New England Patriots	DEN
RB	Melvin Gordon	San Diego Chargers	JAX
RB	Spencer Ware	Kansas City Chiefs	BUF
WR	Stevie Johnson	San Diego Chargers	JAX
WR	Michael Floyd	Arizona Cardinals	SF
WR	Nate Washington	Houston Texans	NO
TE	Vernon Davis	Denver Broncos	NE

Brian Hoyer, QB, Houston Texans

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

Although he still isn't heavily owned in most leagues, Brian Hoyer represents a great fantasy option for his Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

Hoyer missed some time with a concussion, but before that he was playing extremely well with multiple touchdowns in five straight games. He has talented receivers to throw to, most notably DeAndre Hopkins, and he has a chance to put up big numbers in every game.

As J.J. Zachariason of NumberFire noted, that is mostly true Sunday:

The Saints have allowed the most points and yards per game in the NFL this season and the Texans have a chance to continue this trend by lighting up the scoreboard this weekend.

James White, RB, New England Patriots

It is obviously difficult to trust the sustainability of a player who scores two touchdowns on just four touches, but there is always an opportunity for points when you play on the New England Patriots offense.

The running back finished with 20 snaps last game, per Pro Football Focus, with his best one coming on this catch-and-run into the end zone:

He certainly looked like Dion Lewis on that play, and the team will probably need much more of White with Tom Brady running out of healthy targets. If he can get enough touches, he could turn in another big-time performance.

Stevie Johnson, WR, San Diego Chargers

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Philip Rivers has played well for most of the season, but he doesn't have many trustworthy targets still in the lineup. This leaves Stevie Johnson as the top remaining option and he has turned this into decent production.

Over the last two games, Johnson has 14 catches on 18 targets. The yardage hasn't been great, and he hasn't gotten into the end zone since Week 2, but as long as he remains a big part of the offense he will eventually turn his role into fantasy points.

Facing the inconsistent Jacksonville Jaguars defense will be a great place to start.

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