Fantasy Football Week 12 Rankings: Top Players, Sleepers and Positional Guide

Another slate of NFL games is nearly upon us, though this week is a bit different than most. As has become tradition recently, three games are slated to take place on Thanksgiving. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face off in addition to the more traditional Dallas and Detroit contests.

With the Lions and the Houston Texans set to kick off at 12:30 p.m. ET, fantasy lineups will need to be set much earlier than usual. The question, of course, is who to play.

There are no byes this week, but several players are either injured or on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Therefore, the waiver wire will play a role for many managers in Week 12. Here, we'll dig into some of the top waiver-wire targets, along with the best projected plays at each key fantasy position.

Picks and rankings are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Quarterback

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

5. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

9. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

10. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

11. Cam Newton, New England Patriots

12. Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Waiver-Wire Target: Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

Managers should jump at the chance to add a quarterback with top-10 potential off the waiver wire, and that's precisely what we have with Derek Carr in Week 12. The Las Vegas Raiders signal-caller has been steady through most of the season, but he is rostered in just 36 percent of Yahoo leagues and 49 percent of ESPN leagues.

In Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Carr passed for 275 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He has an even better matchup this week and will have the opportunity to surpass those numbers.

Carr and the Raiders will face off against the Atlanta Falcons, who rank 31st against the pass and 25th in points allowed. Atlanta also ranks fifth against the run, which could force the Raiders to remain pass-heavy for much of the contest.

Managers with Tom Brady or Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback may also want to consider Carr for their Week 13 byes. The Raiders will battle the lowly New York Jets in Week 13.

Running Back

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

1. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

3. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

4. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

5. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

6. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

7. Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

8. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

10. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns

11. Mike Davis, Carolina Panthers

12. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

13. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers

14. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs

15. Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons

Waiver-Wire Target: Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Gus Edwards is likely to be at the center of the Baltimore Ravens rushing attack in Week 12, as fellow backs Mark Ingram II and J.K. Dobbins, have tested positive for coronavirus. This potentially sets Edwards up for his biggest fantasy outing of the season.

Edwards' previous best outing? He had 87 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8.

The Steelers represent a tough matchup, as they rank seventh against the run. However, it's important to note that they rank 17th in yards per attempt allowed, so if the Ravens are willing to commit to running Edwards, the yards should accumulate.

Edwards is rostered in just 29 percent of Yahoo leagues and 14 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wide Receiver

Wade Payne/Associated Press

1. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

2. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

3. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

4. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

5. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals

6. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

7. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team

8. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons

9. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

10. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

11. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

12. Will Fuller V, Houston Texans

13. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

14. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

15. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams

16. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

17. DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers

18. Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans

19. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys

Waiver-Wire Target: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts rookie wideout Michael Pittman Jr. is quickly becoming one of Philip Rivers' favorite targets. He should also be at or near the top of waiver-wire wish lists for Week 12.

Over his last three games, Pittman has caught 14 passes for 223 yards and a score. He has been targeted 18 times in that span and caught three of three targets for 66 yards and a touchdown in Week 11. It's unlikely that the Colts are going to stop targeting Pittman in the near future.

"He's fearless in every way, but when the ball is in his hands, he wants to hurt somebody. He runs very aggressively," coach Frank Reich told reporters.

Even managers who don't need an injury replacement this week should consider Pittman, as he should be a high-level streaming option for the rest of the season. He is rostered in 43 percent of Yahoo leagues and 42 percent of ESPN leagues.

Tight End

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

3. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

5. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

6. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Evan Engram, New York Giants

8. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos

9. Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons

11. Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans

Waiver-Wire Target: Jordan Reed, TE, San Francisco 49ers

With no byes this week, there shouldn't be much need for tight ends off the waiver wire. However, those streaming at the position or still searching for a George Kittle replacement may want to examine fellow San Francisco 49ers tight end Jordan Reed.

Reed is not Kittle and isn't likely to provide the same high-end production. However, he can be a start-worthy option, as he was in his last game. He caught five passes for 62 yards against the New Orleans Saints.

Against the Los Angeles Rams and their second-ranked pass defense, Reed's PPR upside could be invaluable. If the 49ers look to utilize Reed as a safety outlet to help counter the Rams' pass rush, he could wind up with a half dozen receptions or more.

Reed is rostered in 16 percent of Yahoo leagues and 21 percent of ESPN leagues.

Yahoo and ESPN roster percentages from FantasyPros. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.