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

At this point in the fantasy football season, you're trying to coast to the playoffs, stay alive in the hunt or attempting to salvage competitive dignity in a disastrous year. Fortunately, this week's lineup advice will help all those in need of a strong output.

Believe it not, the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins matchup could become a fantasy gold mine. Neither will reach the postseason, but both clubs have inexperienced quarterbacks and defenses that rank 22nd or worse in scoring, which makes for an intriguing mix.

The Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans will battle for first place in the AFC South. As you may already know, running back Marlon Mack fractured his hand Sunday, and he'll miss the upcoming game, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Jonathan Williams will pop up in the adds column after taking over for the injured tailback in the last outing.

If you're low on free-agent acquisition dollars, Williams may be out of your budget range, but that's OK. The Colts have a sleeper to target this week.

Let's take a look at the best matchup plays for Week 12 with a sleeper option for each position.

Smart Matchup Plays, QB:

1. Matt Ryan vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Start 'Em 

2. Derek Carr vs. New York Jets: Start 'Em 

3. Baker Mayfield vs. Miami Dolphins: Start 'Em  

4. Jared Goff vs. Baltimore Ravens: Sit 'Em 

5. Josh Allen vs. Denver Broncos: Sit 'Em

Smart Sleeper: Jeff Driskel vs. Washington Redskins (2 Percent Owned)

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Don't adjust your screen. Jeff Driskel should rank high among streamers at quarterback because of his ability to rack up yards with his legs.

In addition to three touchdown passes and an interception, Driskel has run for 88 yards and a score on 13 rush attempts.

Driskel isn't Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen on foot, but he's athletic enough to evade a defender or two for a first down. The fourth-year veteran has moved the chains on the run six times this season.

In Week 10, Driskel threw for 269 yards against the Chicago Bears' 11th-ranked pass defense and didn't turn the ball over to the Dallas Cowboys in the last outing. In the upcoming contest, he'll face the Redskins, who rank 16th in yards allowed through the air and 22nd in points surrendered. We could see the Lions signal-caller at his best with wideouts Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. on the perimeter.

If you're plugging Driskel into your lineup, do so with the idea that he may not score 25-plus points, but the 26-year-old comes with upside in a favorable situation—his legs propel him into the sleeper category.

Smart Matchup Plays, RB:

1. David Montgomery vs. New York Giants: Start 'Em 

2. Kareem Hunt vs. Miami Dolphins: Start 'Em 

3. Carlos Hyde vs. Indianapolis Colts: Start 'Em

4. Joe Mixon vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sit 'Em  

5. Ronald Jones II vs. Atlanta Falcons: Sit 'Em

Smart Sleeper: Derrius Guice vs. Detroit Lions (54 Percent Owned)

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

We're back to the Redskins vs. Lions game with a focus on Washington's backfield. Derrius Guice appeared in his second regular-season game and reached the end zone for the first time in the pros on a 45-yard reception. 

As his owned percentage suggests, about half of Yahoo managers have bought early stock in the LSU product fresh off knee surgery for a torn meniscus. Managers in need of a flex option should follow suit with realistic expectations. 

Guice will likely continue to share the rushing workload with Adrian Peterson, who logged nine carries Sunday, but they both can post solid numbers against the Lions' 23rd-ranked run defense.

Furthermore, pass-catching running back Chris Thompson remains out with turf toe. Guice's ability to extend a play on receptions should open the pathway for more opportunities in the aerial attack. In point-per-reception leagues, he's a decent option in a game that could yield a lot of scoring.

Smart Matchup Plays, WR: 

1. Calvin Ridley vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Start 'Em 

2. Jamison Crowder vs. Oakland Raiders: Start 'Em 

3. Jarvis Landry vs. Miami Dolphins: Start 'Em

4. Michael Gallup vs. New England Patriots: Sit 'Em 

5. Marquise Brown vs. Los Angeles Rams: Sit 'Em

Smart Sleeper: Zach Pascal vs. Houston Texans (36 Percent Owned)

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The Texans pass defense has been subpar, and that's a mild description for a unit that ranks 29th in yards allowed. Even more worrisome for the group, starting safety Justin Reid suffered a concussion Sunday. On a short turnaround, he may not suit up.

Even if Reid plays, keep in mind, Houston has allowed 256-plus yards in five of the last six contests.

The Texans acquired Gareon Conley via trade with the Oakland Raiders and claimed Vernon Hargreaves III off waivers after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut him. Although both cornerbacks entered the league as first-rounders in their respective draft classes, 2017 and 2016, they struggled before arriving in Houston.

T.Y. Hilton remains out with a calf injury and may sit out a fourth consecutive game. Zach Pascal should be the first in line for plenty of targets. He caught two passes for 17 yards last week, but the 24-year-old had a stellar performance in the first meeting with the Texans (Week 7), logging six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns. 

With a good possibility for another strong performance against a porous secondary, Pascal belongs on the sleeper list.

Smart Matchup Plays, TE:

1. Darren Waller vs. New York Jets: Start 'Em 

2. Jared Cook vs. Carolina Panthers: Start 'Em 

3. Jacob Hollister vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Start 'Em

4. Gerald Everett vs. Baltimore Ravens: Sit 'Em  

5. Jimmy Graham vs. San Francisco 49ers: Sit 'Em

Smart Sleeper: Dallas Goedert vs. Seattle Seahawks (19 Percent Owned)

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

The Philadelphia Eagles have a depleted wide receiver group and lack consistent big-play ability downfield. DeSean Jackson landed on injured reserve with an abdominal injury. Alshon Jeffery missed the last game because of an ankle ailment. Nelson Agholor has dropped catchable balls—including one in the end zone last week.

Even though he's a backup tight end, Dallas Goedert has played 70 percent of the offensive snaps in four of the last five contests as a component to the passing game. The second-year pro has been targeted 16 times over the last three outings, hauling in 10 receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. 

If Jeffery doesn't play Sunday, Goedert has significant upside against the Seattle Seahawks' 28th-ranked pass defense. He still has flex appeal with the eighth-year wide receiver on the field.

Goedert has three touchdown receptions in the last four games. Managers should swipe him off the waiver wire and hope for another score if you're in need of production at tight end or the flex spot.

Smart Matchup Plays, DEF: 

1. Chicago Bears vs. New York Giants: Start 'Em  

2. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Start 'Em 

3. New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers: Start 'Em

4. Los Angeles Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens: Sit 'Em 

5. Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots: Sit 'Em

Smart Sleeper: Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2 Percent Owned)

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Coming out of their bye week, the Atlanta Falcons look like a different squad. They started the season 1-7 but won the last two games, outscoring the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers by a combined 54-12. They have not allowed a touchdown in those contests.

Since their midseason break, the Falcons have logged 11 sacks and four interceptions. In Week 12, they'll face the Buccaneers, who've turned the ball over seven times since Week 10. Quarterback Jameis Winston has accounted for six of those giveaways.

With defensive end Vic Beasley Jr. resurfacing as a productive pass-rusher at the forefront of Atlanta's stifling defense, we could see another mistake-prone performance from Winston.

The Falcons' stingy defense could feast on the Buccaneers' sloppy execution and rack up takeaways for another strong performance. Even if you're skeptical of Atlanta, Winston has shown that he's liable to give the opposing team extra possessions. The fifth-year signal-caller leads the league in interceptions (18).

Player statistics provided by Pro Football Reference unless otherwise stated.