Week 12 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Wes Welker and Late-Game Players Worth a Start

With fantasy football’s regular season coming to a close, these are the weeks when you can’t afford to start the wrong players.

Players you may be on the fence about like Wes Welker and Rashard Mendenhall are ready to explode and turn your team into a serious contender.

The following players should be in your lineup no matter what kind of reservations you are feeling. It’s win or go home.

Wes Welker—The New England Patriots will be facing off with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but don’t expect the expensive Eagles secondary to stop Tom Brady.

Philadelphia’s vaunted secondary is giving up the third most points to wide receivers in the NFL. A knee injury to No. 1 cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha doesn’t help matters either.

With Welker coming off back-to-back bad games, it’s about time for the coming out party at Lincoln Financial Field for the Patriots star.

Rashard Mendenhall—The Pittsburgh Steelers are taking on one of the most overrated teams in the NFL this season, the Kansas City Chiefs.

With Ben Roethlisberger suffering from a broken thumb, the Steelers will look to run the ball much more than they usually do—especially if they get on the scoreboard early.

The team has to start preparing for the long playoff push, and Pittsburgh wants to reassert its running game. It starts and ends with Rashard Mendenhall.

Antonio Gates—The San Diego Chargers will be taking on a Denver Broncos team that is begging to be exposed.

Philip Rivers is a much better quarterback than he has shown this season. It will be the overrated Denver defense that allows the Chargers to regain their offensive swagger.

Gates is always a huge part of the passing game, and the lack of good pass coverage linebackers makes it a big day for the veteran tight end

Check back for more on the National Football League as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s NFL Page to get your fill of all things football.

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