There are a lot questions for wide receiver in Week 12, though thankfully the bye weeks won't be too hard to navigate. In fact, the bye comes at a pretty good time for Tyreek Hill and Adam Thielen, both of whom will enjoy the extra week to recover from injuries. That's good news for those of you who will need them for the stretch run.
Unfortunately, things aren't quite so rosy around the league. JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee/concussion) seems unlikely to play this week; Julio Jones was out of practice Wednesday with a foot injury, with one reporter saying he had a "noticeable limp"; Deebo Samuel (shoulder) and Emmanuel Sanders (ribs) were all held out of practice Wednesday. And that's not even the half of it. At least T.Y. Hilton might be back Thursday from the calf injury that has cost him three weeks — might.
We'll help you sort through it all, with Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls for wide receiver here — and running back here and quarterback here — as well as Heath Cummings' wide receiver preview, with projections, matchup notes, and more. With our help, you'll find everything you need, even in an ugly week.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receivers
Start 'Em
Ridley finally had the big game we were waiting for in Week 11 at Carolina with eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. It snapped a three-game skid without him finding the end zone, and he should have the chance for another big outing in Week 12 against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers allow the most Fantasy points to opposing receivers, and Ridley scored against Tampa Bay in one of two meetings with the Buccaneers last year. Along with Julio Jones, I also like Russell Gage as a sleeper this week.
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This should be the breakout game for Odell Beckham against the Dolphins, and Landry should continue to play well in the revenge game against his former team. He's scored a touchdown in three games in a row coming into Week 12, and he has four games in a row with at least 11 PPR points. The Dolphins are No. 2 in the NFL with 16 touchdowns allowed to receivers, and Landry and Beckham should have the chance to both finish as top 10 Fantasy options in Week 12.
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Robinson struggled as expected in Week 11 against Jalen Ramsey and the Rams, finishing with four catches for 15 yards on six targets. He hasn't scored a touchdown in four games in a row, and he's been at five PPR points or less in two of his past three games. But he should break out of his funk this week against the Giants. In their past five games, the Giants have allowed seven receivers to either score or gain at least 95 receiving yards. Robinson could be a top 10 Fantasy receiver against the Giants at home.
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Crowder is hot coming into Week 12 against the Raiders. He's scored in three games in a row and has 18 catches for 240 yards on 23 targets over that span. This week, he's facing a Raiders secondary that has allowed 57 catches for 905 yards and four touchdowns to receivers in their past five games, with five guys either scoring a touchdown or gaining at least 100 receiving yards over that span. Crowder has excelled as the slot receiver for Adam Gase this year.
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Parker is having a breakout season for the Dolphins and continues to produce in tough matchups. He just had seven catches for 135 yards on 10 targets against Buffalo in Week 11, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in seven games in a row. He has either a touchdown or 100 receiving yards in five of those outings, and he should be trustworthy at this point heading into Week 12 against the Browns. Cleveland has allowed seven receivers to score at least 10 PPR points in the past five games, with five touchdowns allowed to the position over that span.
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Sleepers
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Metcalf continues to produce on a weekly basis, and he should play well again this week against the Eagles. He's scored at least 11 PPR points in three games in a row, and he has three touchdowns over that span as well. He's now facing an Eagles defense that allows the fourth-most Fantasy points to opposing receivers for the year.
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We'll see if JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion/knee) or Diontae Johnson (concussion) are able to play this week for the Steelers, but if one or both are out, Washington will be thrust into a prominent role against the Bengals, who have allowed four touchdowns to receivers in the past four games.
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Gabriel has scored at least 12 PPR points in each of his past two outings and at least nine PPR points in four games in a row. He just had seven catches for 57 yards on 14 targets in Week 11 at the Rams, and now he faces a Giants secondary that has allowed seven receivers to either score or gain at least 95 receiving yards in their past five games.
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Renfrow has scored at least 11 PPR points in three of his past four games, and he's done a nice job stepping up as the No. 2 receiver behind Tyrell Williams. Now, Renfrow is also behind Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs, but Renfrow can be a No. 3 receiver in PPR in Week 12 at the Jets, who allow the third-most Fantasy points to opposing receivers for the year.
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Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion) are hurt, so we could see Harry getting a bigger role in just his second game this season. He made his debut in Week 11 at the Eagles with three catches for 18 yards on four targets, and this week he's facing a Cowboys defense that has allowed three touchdowns to receivers in their past three games.
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Sit 'Em
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Stefon Diggs (23 PPR points) and Landry (17 PPR points) have beat up Denver's secondary the past two weeks, but I expect Brown to struggle if he matches up with cornerback Chris Harris. Brown is more of a bust alert than a must-sit option, and he just dominated the Dolphins in Week 11 with 34 PPR points. He's scored at least 10 PPR points in seven games in a row, but he's only scored a touchdown in three games this year -- two of them coming against Miami. He's a low-end starter in all leagues, but he could struggle with Harris in this matchup.
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It was a disaster for Boyd in Week 11 at Oakland with one catch for no yards on three targets, and he added one carry for 10 yards. He's now gone five games in a row without a touchdown, and he only has one touchdown on the season. In Week 4 at Pittsburgh, he was held to three catches for 33 yards on six targets, and this secondary should make things tough on Boyd, especially with Ryan Finley under center. He's barely a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues this week.
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Lions cornerback Darius Slay will likely make things tough on McLaurin this week after Slay was able to limit Amari Cooper in Week 11 to three catches for 38 yards on eight targets. McLaurin was OK against the Jets in Week 11 with three catches for 69 yards on four targets, and he had a 67-yard reception negated by a holding penalty. But that matchup was much easier than what McLaurin could be dealing with this week against Slay. He's barely a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in most leagues this week.
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Brown is the type of receiver that typically presents problems for Ramsey because of his size and speed, but I still think you want to avoid Brown this week. Despite Lamar Jackson having a MVP-caliber season, Brown hasn't done much to help, scoring just once in his past three games. He's been at four targets in each of his past three outings, and he's been under 50 receiving yards in two of his past three games. With Ramsey likely in coverage, Brown should not be trusted in most formats.
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Cooks is expected to return this week after being out for the past two games with a concussion. However, you should likely avoid him in all leagues with a tough matchup against the Ravens, who have allowed just two touchdowns to receivers in their past five games. Cooks hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 2, and he only has three games this season with double digits in PPR, with the last one coming in Week 4. Hopefully, Cooks will be fine with any injuries moving forward, but he's not someone to start in most leagues in Week 12.
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Bust Alert
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You're likely not sitting Cooper in most leagues, and I'll likely still rank him just inside my top 24, indicating he's a potential starter. But this could be a rough week for him at New England. He just struggled through a tough matchup at Detroit against Slay with only three catches for 38 yards on eight targets. His knee and ankle injuries continue to be a problem, and now he has to deal with Patriots' cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Only two receivers have scored double digits in Fantasy points in non-PPR leagues against New England this year, which was Steven Sims on a touchdown run for Washington in Week 5, as well as Golden Tate scoring the lone receiving touchdown against the Patriots in Week 6. It could be a bad day for Cooper, and I like Michael Gallup better than him this week, although not by much. Both are low-end starters in this matchup.
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So who should you sit and start this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 12 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.
