It is crunch time in the fantasy season. With just weeks left until the playoffs, many teams need to run the table in order to secure a playoff spot. With two of the best teams in the NFL, the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs, on bye this week, many players will have to be replaced. Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Kareem Hunt, Todd Gurley, Tyreek Hill, Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, and Travis Kelce are just a couple that come to mind. Replacing these studs is obviously not easy, and many will be going to the waiver wire to try and replace them. Here is what the ideal lineup would look like if it filled with the top sleepers for this week.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Sleeper Lineup
Quarterback: Nick Mullens
This is more due to the matchup than the actual quarterback obviously, but Nick Mullens has actually been competent so far this season. The undrafted prospect from Southern Miss gets a matchup with the swiss cheese defense that is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs defense has been historically bad this season, and firing the coordinator has not helped. Eli Manning just lit them up last week, scoring 17 points in ESPN standard scoring. That was good for QB11. Mullens has more arm talent than Manning does at this point in his career, but Manning does have more talent surrounding him. Mullens should be able to at least match 17, making him a top 12 play. He is also a great bargain for daily plays.
Running Back: Josh Adams
Undrafted out of Notre Dame, Josh Adams has seemed to run away, pun intended, with the lead running back job in Philly. He was a top 20 running back last week, despite getting just 10 touches. That should increase this week against the New York Giants and with the recent struggles of Carson Wentz, it would behoove the Philadelphia Eagles to give the ball to their new workhorse. Adams had one of the best yards per carry in the country as a senior for the Irish and is averaging 6.1 yards per carry as a rookie this year. Adams should be in all lineups already, but if he is somehow available in your league, pick him up and start him immediately.
Running Back: Duke Johnson
Duke Johnson was a top 20 running back last season and is finally starting to show that skillset again this year. The change to Freddie Kitchens as offensive coordinator has done wonders for Johnson’s fantasy value. He has found the end zone in both games with Kitchens at the helm. He is a PPR monster as well. With Nick Chubb handling most of the carries, however, his upside is limited. Even so, Johnson’s floor is high enough to have him as a flex, especially going up against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have been almost as bad as Tampa Bay this year defensively. Start Johnson with confidence.
Wide Receiver: Willie Snead IV
The switch to Lamar Jackson did wonders for the value of Baltimore Ravens running backs, specifically Gus Edwards, but the same cannot be said for the pass catchers. Jackson threw just 17 passes in a victory last week. If not much changes this week, then Willie Snead, who has at least five catches in six of his last seven games, could be the only trustworthy Baltimore wideout. He seems to have developed a connection with Jackson, leading the way with 51 yards receiving a week ago. Snead is not going to win you a week, but he is certainly not going to lose you one, as he has one of the highest floors in the NFL right now. In PPR, Snead is a very safe flex play.
Wide Receiver: Kenny Stills
If Snead is the high floor and safe play, then Kenny Stills is the opposite. The high flying receiver is basically DeSean Jackson light. He can either go for 30 fantasy points or three, and there is no in between. Stills started out hot, with two big games in the first three weeks, but has been kept quiet since. He now draws a matchup with a Colts defense that has been underrated all year long. Yet, I have some confidence in Stills has a sneaky play this week, especially in DFS where he is dirt cheap. The Dolphins are getting Ryan Tannehill back in the lineup, and will most likely have to throw the ball against Indy. If Tannehill has any hope of staying close with Andrew Luck, then he is going to need to target Stills. All it takes is one play. I would prefer Snead to Stills, but if you are down big after Thursday and need a dart throw, try him. How lucky do you feel?
Tight End: Cameron Brate
The loss of O.J. Howard opens up the door for Cameron Brate to establish himself as a top 10 tight end. He was a TE1 a few years back, but the drafting of Howard has significantly capped his value. His connection with Jameis Winston has been seen in the past. Tampa also gave him a lucrative extension in the off-season. The Bucs are going to have to score points in bunches to keep up with the Nick Mullens experience, so Brate should be busy. If you lost Howard, own Kelce, or have been streaming the most barren position in fantasy this year, take a shot on Brate, who has a great chance of getting in the end zone on Sunday.
