Week 12 fantasy football playbook
Fantasy matchups to exploit, sneaky DFS picks and the latest rankings to help make your Week 12 Sunday less miserable.
Thanks again for being a loyal reader and subscriber! Keep reading for the latest fantasy football rankings, injury news, players trending up and down, and more. Best of luck in Week 12!
The above are my own estimates, sometimes based on unofficial media reports. Always double-check before benching a player and consult the latest NFL injury report.
Week 12 playbook: Quarterbacks
View the latest Week 12 player rankings for all positions and scoring formats.
💪 Stud potential: Jared Goff, DET (vs. NYG). Goff is set up for a major rebound at home in a perfect matchup. The Giants have allowed the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, giving up 11 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions over their last five games. Five of the past six opposing QBs have cleared 21.7 points, and Goff historically thrives indoors — where he’ll be for the rest of the season. As a 10.5-point home favorite, he’s a top-five QB play in Week 12.
🥶 Bust alert: Baker Mayfield, TB (at LAR). “Mayfield has been held to one or zero passing touchdowns in three of his last four outings and is now down to QB14 in fantasy points per game on the season. … Injuries to his offense line, receiving corps and backfield have certainly played a part and continue to be an issue for the Buccaneers. Those absences will be exposed even more against a quality Rams’ defense…” — Justin Boone, Yahoo! Sports
🍟 DraftKings QB value menu
View all Week 12 projections for DraftKings and FanDuel.
Week 12 playbook: Running backs
View the latest Week 12 player rankings for all positions and scoring formats.
💪 Stud potential: Alvin Kamara, NO (vs. ATL). Atlanta has quietly become the single best matchup for running backs since Week 7, allowing eight total RB touchdowns in their last five games and at least 12.7 PPR points to six different backs. Kamara enters this one coming off a strong pre-bye performance and has historically smashed the Falcons, scoring 15.9+ PPR points in three straight against them. He’s an easy RB2 with RB1 upside in Week 12.
🥶 Bust alert: Ashton Jeanty, LV (vs. CLE). “He’s now scored 9.4 PPR points or less, four times this season, including twice in his past four games overall. … Cleveland has allowed just one rushing touchdown to a running back since Week 5, and Breece Hall scored on a 42-yard reception in Week 10.” — Jamey Eisenberg, CBS Sports
🍟 DraftKings RB value menu
View all Week 12 projections for DraftKings and FanDuel.
Week 12 playbook: Wide receivers
View the latest Week 12 player rankings for all positions and scoring formats.
💪 Stud potential: Rome Odunze, CHI (vs. PIT). Odunze has been volatile, but this is the definition of a blow-up spot. Pittsburgh has allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers — and the most yards to out-wide WRs both season-long and since Week 7. With Odunze running 60% of his routes outside and holding strong usage, the matchup lines up perfectly. Expect one of his ceiling weeks in what should be a prime rebound opportunity.
🥶 Bust alert: Tre Tucker, LV (vs. CLE). “Excluding Week 3, Tre Tucker has had a 15.9% target share with 39.7 receiving yards per game, 1.21 yards per route run, and a 20.5% first-read share. In those nine games, he has five red zone targets and eight deep targets. This week, he faces a Cleveland secondary that has the second-highest single high rate (64.3%). Against single high (excluding Week 3), Tucker has a 15% target per route run rate and 1.25 yards per route run. He’s a middling flex play again this week.” — Fantasy Pros Staff
🍟 DraftKings WR value menu
View all Week 12 projections for DraftKings and FanDuel.
Week 12 playbook: Tight ends
View the latest Week 12 player rankings for all positions and scoring formats.
💪 Stud potential: Hunter Henry. Henry gets the dream matchup of all dream matchups. Cincinnati is giving up a staggering 22.5 PPR points per game to tight ends, including a league-high 12 touchdowns to the position. Henry has struggled lately, but he’s still heavily involved — playing 94% of snaps last week and seeing six-plus targets in two of his last three. With the Patriots projected to move the ball easily, Henry is a top-10 TE start.
🥶 Bust alert: Jake Ferguson, DAL (vs. PHI). “Ferguson has been the clear third option in the passing attack since CeeDee Lamb returned in Week 7. In that four-game stretch, Ferguson had one game with more than 30 yards and averaged just five targets per outing. He has become a touchdown-dependent option, yet he’s not Dallas‘ top end-zone target.” — Michael Florio, NFL.com
🍟 DraftKings TE value menu
