Week 12 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Expert Advice for Your Fantasy Football Roster

It might be Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean you can't worry about your fantasy football roster. With three games featuring some of the biggest names in the league scheduled for today, it's quite possible that much of your Week 12 matchup could be decided by the time the third game wraps.

Perhaps the only worry you have about this week is remembering to set your roster in time for the 12:30 Eastern start time of the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers contest. If that's the case, this advice might not help you.

But for those dealing with injuries, confusion and all-encompassing panic as the fantasy playoffs approach, fear not: I am here to help you with some advice to hopefully stave off some of that worry so you can focus on the things that matter today—food, football and enjoying the company of your friends and family.

What to Do About Your Injured Running Back

A number of go-to fantasy starting running backs are injured, and with the playoffs looming, this has a lot of GMs panicking.

The No. 2 back in the league, the Buffalo Bills' Fred Jackson, has been placed on injured reserve after breaking a bone in his right leg. The Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson will miss at least one game with a high ankle sprain. The Browns' Peyton Hillis will again not take the field. And the Green Bay Packers' James Starks has knee and ankle injuries that has his status for today's game against the Detroit Lions in doubt.

So what's an owner to do? Ideally, you were smart enough to stash away a useful back earlier in the season as insurance for injury to one of your starters or as a replacement when he hit his bye week, and you've little to worry about.

If not, hopefully you've already grabbed your replacement off of the waiver wire, because your time to find one worthy of a start is running out.

Highly recommended this week and from here on out, is the Detroit Lions' Kevin Smith. However, he's easily the most coveted waiver wire add of the week, and if you're looking to grab him this late in the week he's not likely available to you.

The Bills' C.J. Spiller will be getting the bulk of the carries for his offense now that Jackson is out for the year. Add him, but temper your expectations. Fellow Bill Johnny White will also get carries and the dynamic rookie could make something of his opportunity.

He's risky, but worth adding and not starting just to see if he breaks out.

For the Vikings, running back Toby Gerhart will be getting Peterson's carries while the star back heals. He's not an attractive start this week with the team facing the Atlanta Falcons' top-three run defense, but he's guaranteed to get the ball and may be one of the only options you have left if you need a starter.

Cleveland Browns running back Chris Ogbonnaya, who had a major game last week rushing 21 times for 115 yards and a touchdown, has been demoted now that Montario Hardesty has returned from his calf injury.

That means Ogbonnaya is no longer worth a starting spot on your fantasy roster, but that also means that the widely-available Hardesty could be worth an add. Beware that the Browns face the Cincinnati Bengals and their tough run defense this week; however, like Gerhart, Hardesty is a starter and will be getting his hands on the ball on Sunday.

With a bit of waiver wire finagling and, hopefully, with a bit of depth on your bench, you can certainly overcome an injury to your starting running back and still pull out a win on the road to the playoffs.

Any Player Facing the Indianapolis Colts Defense Is Worth Starting

The Indianapolis Colts have the worst defense in the NFL through 11 weeks, and that means (generally) a guaranteed high-scoring performance for any fantasy player who faces them.

This week, that means the Carolina Panthers. If you have quarterback Cam Newton, running backs DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart, wide receiver Steve Smith or tight ends Jeremy Shockey or Greg Olsen, they're all fantasy must-starts.

The Colts defense has allowed 19 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns so far this year for a total of 3,906 yards—an average of 5.7 yards per play.

With Newton second in fantasy points only to the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers and the Carolina offense having little trouble racking up yards and points, it's a no-brainer that any Panthers starter worth a roster spot should get the start this week.

Keep in mind, however, that the Panthers themselves have the 31st-ranked defense in the league and are particularly vulnerable against the run. If you've been stashing a Colts running back on your bench and are hurting at the position, he's worth starting as well.

Don't Pick Up Chiefs Quarterback Kyle Orton (Yet)

While the Kansas City Chiefs just made a major upgrade at quarterback, that doesn't mean that you should make the same move.

Though the veteran should ultimately become the Chiefs starter, he won't play this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the inexperienced Tyler Palko getting his second consecutive start.

With just one (or two, depending on your league) short week(s) until the fantasy playoffs start, there's little reason for Orton to be a part of your roster. As a starter, he should only have value if another reliable fantasy quarterback becomes injured.

He might have some merit if you start two quarterbacks in your league, but I would recommend keeping Orton on the waiver wire if that's not the case for you.

It's certainly tempting to pick up a player who may have just become trash-to-treasure and there are merits to employing this strategy. But, at this late point in the season, doing so with Orton might not be a smart move.

The Pittsburgh Steelers Defense Will Return to Form This Week

The Pittsburgh Steelers have consistently fielded one of the best defenses in the NFL for years now, and that generally translates into fantasy football success as well.

This year, however, the Steelers have failed to repeat their turnover-generating ways of 2010, leaving their fantasy owners frustrated. The squad that once won GMs their weeks last season has become somewhat of a liability, and they've become a risky every-week start.

However, this week against the Tyler Palko-led Kansas City Chiefs offense, the Steelers defense is primed to have their biggest outing of the season thus far.

Pressure will be the order of the day as the Pittsburgh defense attempts to confuse and intimidate Palko and force him to make desperation throws primed for the picking.

The mismatch is so clear that there's no reason why you should consider keeping the Steelers defense on your bench this week.

Eagles QB Vince Young Is Worth Starting This Week

There's very little that's exciting about the prospect of Vince Young getting his second consecutive start for the Philadelphia Eagles this week, at first glance. But a closer examination of his team's matchup against the New England Patriots reveals that Young might just be an excellent fantasy starter for your team.

With Michael Vick still recovering from a rib fracture, Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub on injured reserve and the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler likely to miss the rest of the regular season with a broken thumb on his throwing hand, there's certainly a number of fantasy GMs with serious problems on their hands when it comes to their starting quarterback.

While the Oakland Raiders' Carson Palmer is easily the best waiver wire quarterback of the week, if he's already been nabbed in your league, go ahead and pick up and start Young.

Young went 23-of-36 for 258 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in the Eagles' Week 11 win over the New York Giants. He should be even more successful this week against the Patriots and their cobbled-together crew of defensive no-names.

Last week, New England had issues stopping the Kansas City Chiefs offense led by Tyler Palko. Young is certainly a more talented quarterback than Palko, and with the number of weapons available to him, should have quite the high-yardage day in a game easily primed for a shootout.