Fantasy Football Week 12: Top 20 Touchdown Targets You Must Play
Fantasy football Week 12 gets us into the real nitty-gritty of the fantasy football season. We're in the home stretch and games begin to count more now than they have at any other point in the regular season. This makes it even more important to figure out who the most likely touchdown targets are this week.
When every point matters this much, it's crucial to know who you can count on to find the end zone week in and week out.
We're breaking down the 20 most-likely end-zone targets of Week 12 and showing you why they'll score.
Let's get started.
20. Mike Tolbert, RB, San Diego Chargers
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Even with a healthy Ryan Mathews in San Diego, Tolbert is the Chargers' goal-line back. He's scored eight times in 10 games and is a strong end-zone candidate—even when he doesn't get the ball much.
Who’s the Matchup: Indianapolis ranks 22nd in the NFL against opposing running backs this season, and it has struggled against power runners all year long.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 6.5/10. Indy has been doing a better job of neutralizing the run in recent weeks and Tolbert's not unstoppable by any means. However, this matchup does favor the bruising runner.
19. Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Johnson is every offensive coordinator's dream wide receiver. With his combination of size, hands and athletic ability, there isn't a ball he can't get to. In the red zone, he's an invaluable commodity.
Who’s the Matchup: Tennessee ranks eighth in the NFL against opposing wide receivers, but the Titans don't have the defensive backs to keep up with the talent of Johnson.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 6.5/10. Andre's been battling ankle injuries in recent weeks, but if he's finally at 100 percent, he'll score you a touchdown this week.
18. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, New England Patriots
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Green-Ellis has been running exceptionally well over the last two weeks and he's scored seven times in the eight games he's gotten significant play in this season. He's got a nose for the end zone and has flashed enough receiving skill to be a threat in the passing game, too.
Who’s the Matchup: Detroit ranks 30th against opposing running backs, has allowed nine rushing touchdowns in 10 games this season, and it gave up two more through the air against Chicago.
Likelihood of A Touchdown: 7/10. With the way The Law Firm is running the ball, he'll be tough to keep out of the end zone.
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17. Mike Williams, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Williams' rookie campaign has been more than anyone could have expected from the talented wideout. He's racked up six touchdowns in 10 games and established himself as the go-to receiver in Tampa Bay.
Who’s the Matchup: Baltimore ranks 21st against opposing wideouts and Williams has the skill set to hurt the Ravens over the top.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 7/10. Williams can be stopped, but he's been a consistently strong performer all year long. He should find the end zone in this one.
16. Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Rice finally started to find the end zone last week against Carolina, and he'll have another soft matchup this week to keep the good times rolling.
Who’s the Matchup: Tampa Bay ranks 25th against opposing running backs and has allowed eight rushing touchdowns in 10 games this season—including two scores to the Arizona Cardinals.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 7/10. Rice's troubles finding the end zone could flare up again this week, but the talented back looks likely to score one way or another.
15. Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Colston has turned on the afterburners in recent weeks, scoring in three of his last four contests and finding the end zone twice last week against Seattle. He's the best receiver in a New Orleans offense that has come on in a big way down the stretch.
Who’s the Matchup: Dallas ranks second-to-last in the NFL against opposing wide receivers. If you think the Cowboys have any hope of containing New Orleans' passing attack, you're kidding yourself.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 7/10. Colston's been kept out of the end zone by lackluster defenses before, and Dallas has played better in the last two weeks. That being said, he's still a prime candidate to find the painted rectangle at least once in Week 12.
14. Mike Wallace, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Wallace has been excellent since the Steelers got Ben Roethlisberger back. He's scored eight total touchdowns on the year. He has also found the end zone in five of his last six games.
Who’s the Matchup: Buffalo's secondary ranks 14th in the NFL against opposing wideouts, but it is vulnerable over the top, which is where Wallace's thrives.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 7/10. Wallace should continue his run of strong play and score again this week.
13. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Mendenhall has been a consistent scorer in 2010, racking up eight touchdowns in 10 games and scoring in seven games overall. He doesn't have to have a great day running the ball to find his way into the end zone.
Who’s the Matchup: Buffalo ranks 29th against the run and has given up eight rushing touchdowns this season.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 7.5/10. Mendenhall ought to find his way to the painted rectangle this week, even if the Steelers don't give him a ton of touches.
12. Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: McFadden has been sensational for much of 2010, and he's had a nose for the end zone, racking up six touchdowns on the season. He's a skilled receiver as well as a strong rusher, which adds to the chances of his finding the end zone.
Who’s the Matchup: Miami ranks 11th against opposing running backs this season, but the Dolphins have allowed rushing touchdowns in two straight games.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 7.5/10. McFadden has struggled the last two weeks, but Miami's suddenly soft defense represents a chance to get back on track.
11. Brandon Lloyd, WR, Denver Broncos
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Lloyd has been one of the most shocking players in recent memory, transforming from a never-was to a fantasy stud overnight. He's racked up seven touchdowns in 10 games this season and he has scored four touchdowns in his last three contests.
Who’s the Matchup: St. Louis ranks 13th in the NFL against opposing wideouts, but Lloyd has managed to find room to roam against better units than the Rams.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 7.5/10. Lloyd has turned into a reliable receiver in 2010 and St. Louis lacks the weapons to stop him. He should find the end zone again.
10. Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay Packers
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Jennings' three-touchdown game last week brings his season total to nine in 10 games. He is most certainly quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite downfield threat.
Who’s the Matchup: Atlanta ranks 26th against opposing wideouts this season and has allowed 11 receiving touchdowns in the last five games. I'd say the Falcons are pretty vulnerable.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 8/10. Jennings is a virtual lock to score this week, unless the Falcons figure out how to defend the pass.
9. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: MJD has been running with aplomb once again in recent weeks, racking up big games with frequency. He's scored four times in his last four games, including a touchdown in two straight contests.
Who’s the Matchup: The Giants rank sixth in the NFL against opposing running backs, but considering what LeSean McCoy did to them last week, they're far from impregnable.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 8/10. The human pinball is rolling along right now while the Giants are in the midst of quite a slump. Jones-Drew should find the end zone this week.
8. Steve Johnson, WR, Buffalo Bills
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Johnson has racked up nine touchdowns in 10 games this season, including last week's three-touchdown masterpiece against the Bengals. He's turned into one of the league's more reliable wideouts.
Who’s the Matchup: Pittsburgh ranks 19th against opposing wideouts this season and it is vulnerable over the top. Johnson could pose problems for the secondary.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 8/10. Johnson's not quite a lock to score this week, but he's got an extremely good chance of finding the end zone.
7. Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Jackson is a talented, versatile back who hasn't found the end zone much in 2010. But don't let that fool you, he's fully capable of going off for a huge day and scoring touchdowns at any time.
Who’s the Matchup: Denver's defense ranks dead last in the NFL against opposing running backs. It's more shocking when opponents don't score on the Broncos.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 8.5/10. Jackson isn't a lock every week, but with a defense this soft, it's as close to a lock as you'll get.
6. Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Gore's been as good as any back in the NFL in 2010, and his versatility has allowed him to find his way into the end zone five times this season, including scoring twice in his last three games.
Who’s the Matchup: Arizona ranks second-to-last against opposing running backs and, much like Denver, it's more of a shock when a running back doesn't score against them.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 8.5/10. Gore has been shut down before, but with Arizona's terrible defense on the horizon, it looks unlikely this week.
5. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Johnson has been a touchdown machine in 2010, racking up nine scores in 10 games this season. When he's on, he's almost untouchable.
Who’s the Matchup: Houston ranks 19th against opposing running backs, and has allowed eight touchdowns to the position in 2010.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 9/10. Given the way Johnson has been running all year long, a touchdown against the soft Texan defense seems extremely likely.
4. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Megatron has been almost unstoppable for much of 2010, racking up 10 touchdowns in as many games. He's scored in six of his last seven games and has nine touchdowns over that span.
Who’s the Matchup: New England has allowed six touchdowns in the last two games to opposing wideouts and ranks 26th in the NFL against the position. The Patriots don't have the size or the skill to keep Johnson out of the end zone.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 9/10. Megatron will score this week. The only way he doesn't is if Shaun Hill gets hurt.
3. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: The Vikings are a mess this season, but you can't blame Adrian Peterson. The talented back has scored seven touchdowns on the season and is one of the best rushers in football despite an offensive line that struggles to block for him at times.
Who’s the Matchup: Washington ranks 18th against opposing running backs in 2010, and the Redskins soft defense has allowed five touchdowns to opposing rushers this season.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 9/10. Peterson will score this week—even if the Vikings lose again.
2. Peyton Hillis, RB, Cleveland Browns
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: This big, bruising runner is one of the top backs in football in 2010. He's explosive and has good hands in the passing game, making him a tough player to keep out of the end zone. He's scored 10 touchdowns in as many games and he has done exceptionally well against the league's best defenses.
Who’s the Matchup: Carolina ranks 26th against opposing rushers and it has allowed four touchdowns to the position in the last three games.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 9.5/10. Hillis has been unstoppable and Carolina lacks the defensive skill to be the first team to do the job. Look for him to score again this week.
1. Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans
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Why He’s a Touchdown Candidate: Can anyone stop Arian Foster? The Texans running back has been downright fantastic in 2010, putting up 12 rushing touchdowns and a receiving score in 2010.
Who’s the Matchup: The Titans rank 15th against opposing running backs in 2010, but Foster's been one of the league's best backs, even against the better defenses in the NFL.
Likelihood of a Touchdown: 10/10. He's been a lock to score almost every week this season. Why would Week 12 be any different?
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