Fantasy Football Week 12 Rankings: Targets for This Week's Injured Stars

The good news for fantasy managers is that no teams are on bye in Week 12. Unfortunately, this doesn't negate the presence of an injury bug that has loomed large in 2020.

Star players like Drew Brees, Joe Mixon and George Kittle remain sidelined. Rookie phenom Joe Burrow was lost for the season in Week 11, and it appears that Christian McCaffrey isn't quite ready to return—though he could be back in the near future.

"He moved around. He's making progress. As soon as he's full go we'll put him out there," Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule said, per ESPN's David Newton.

With the Panthers on bye in Week 13, McCaffrey may not be available until late in the fantasy postseason.

So what are playoff-bound (or hopeful) managers to do entering Week 12? Well, the waiver wire is the obvious option, and we'll dig into some top targets who may still be available here. We'll also examine the top players at each key position based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving weekend, let's dig in.

Quarterback

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1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

5. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

7. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

8. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

9. Cam Newton, New England Patriots

10. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

11. Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

12. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Waiver-Wire Target: Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants

If you need an injury replacement for Brees and weren't able to land Taysom Hill, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones may still be available. He's rostered in just 34 percent of Yahoo leagues and 21 percent of ESPN leagues.

Has Jones been a reliable fantasy QB this season? No, but he does present a fair amount of rushing upside—he had 64 yards and a touchdown on the ground last week—and has a favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12.

While the Cincinnati defense has been good at getting takeaways—it has nine interceptions on the season—it also tends to give up yards in chunks. The Bengals rank 30th against the run, 22nd against the pass and 22nd in points allowed.

Jones has topped 60 rushing yards in three of his last five games, and it wouldn't be a shock to see him approach that number again this week. Even with average passing numbers, that should make him a quality play for managers streaming or needing an injury replacement.

Running Back

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1. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

3. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

4. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

5. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

6. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

7. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

8. Mike Davis, Carolina Panthers

9. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

10. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns

11. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Wayne Gallman, New York Giants

13. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

14. Kalen Ballage, Los Angeles Chargers

15. Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

Waiver-Wire Target: Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots

Managers seeking an injury replacement for Mixon or McCaffrey may want to target New England Patriots back Sony Michel. Michel has been dealing with an injury of his own (quad), but he is expected to return to face the Arizona Cardinals.

"He's had a couple good weeks (of practice)," coach Bill Belichick said, per Zack Cox of NESN. "I think he’ll be ready to go."

Expectations for Michel should be modest, as the Patriots have gotten quality production from Damien Harris on the ground. However, with Rex Burkhead out for the season, Michel should see a significant workload in his return.

Presumably, the Patriots will lean on the running game in order to keep Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray off the field. If they do, Michel should be a serviceable emergency option—and one of the few backs still available this late in the weekend.

Michel is rostered in 22 percent of Yahoo leagues and 14 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wide Receiver

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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. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons

8. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

9. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

10. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

11. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams

12. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

13. Allen Robinson II, Chicago Bears

14. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

15. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

16. D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers

17. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

18. Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers

19. DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins

20. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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

With no bye weeks and few injured star receivers—aside from Kenny Golladay, who would have played Thursday anyway—managers might not have a dire need for WR help late in the weekend. However, it's worth checking on Indianapolis Colts pass-catcher Michael Pittman Jr. anyway, as he may help upgrade the position down the stretch.

Pittman caught three passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in Week 11. Over his past three games, he has caught 14 passes and amassed 224 scrimmage yards. He has established himself as Indy's top wideout and has a couple of enticing matchups looming.

This week, Pittman will face the Tennessee Titans, who rank just 27th against the pass. In two weeks, he'll face the Houston Texans, who rank 23rd.

While Pittman is rostered in 57 percent of Yahoo leagues, he is rostered in just 35 percent of ESPN leagues. If he's available, get him.

Tight End

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1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

3. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

5. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

6. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos

7. Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons

8. Evan Engram, New York Giants

9. Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers

11. Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns

12. Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans

Waiver-Wire Target: Richard Rodgers, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

With Kittle still sidelined by a foot injury, managers may look to target fellow 49ers tight end Jordan Reed. However, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Richard Rodgers may be the better Week 12 play.

While Rodgers shares targets at tight end with Dallas Goedert, he has still been productive. Over his past two weeks, he has caught six passes on seven targets for 108 yards and a touchdown. He has had 12 receptions for 193 yards over his last three games.

Rodgers also has a juicy matchup against the Seattle Seahawks and their 32nd-ranked pass defense. While Seattle's defense has been playing better ball as of late—and Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz cannot be trusted—Rodgers should still end up with a fair bit of production.

Expect a handful of receptions and 50-plus yards from Rodgers once again. He is rostered in just 3 percent of Yahoo leagues and 6 percent of ESPN leagues.

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