Fantasy Football Week 12 Wide Receiver Start Sits: Darius Slayton, Tyler Boyd, More

Fantasy Football Week 12 Wide Receiver Start Sits: Darius Slayton should build off of his breakout performance while Tyler Boyd is going to struggle.

Week 12 of the NFL season is right around the corner, and fantasy football owners everywhere are trying to optimize their lineups. Deciding on who to start and sit isn’t easy, especially when a player like Darius Slayton looks to build off a breakout performance. Let’s take a dive into all of the best start em’, sit em’ matchups of the week to put together the best possible lineup.

Week 12 Running Back Start Sits
Week 12 Quarterback Start Sits

Darius Slayton, Tyler Boyd Highlight Fantasy Football Week 12 Wide Receiver Start Sits

Start: Darius Slayton

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton had the best game of his young career in Week 10, recording 10 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets against an admittedly awful New York Jets secondary. Slayton’s going to have a harder time getting open against the Chicago Bears, but he should still be a viable fantasy option. Slayton is clearly better than his fifth-round draft pedigree would indicate and he should see a high share of the targets. That alone makes him worthy of being a flex play, and his touchdown upside gives him WR2 potential.

Sit: Tyler Boyd

Tyler Boyd is one of the highest receivers in my raw projections. Based on usage, target share, and air yards, Boyd should be one of the better starts of the week. However, my raw projections cannot fully account for the disaster that is the Cincinnati Bengals offense. Ryan Finley is not playing well, and it’s hard to blame him for the subpar performance. Cincinnati’s offensive line could be the worst in the league, and the team as a whole just doesn’t look like they want to be on the field. Lining up opposite Minkah Fitzpatrick is just the cherry on top of the nightmare sundae that is Tyler Boyd’s situation.

Start: Curtis Samuel

Curtis Samuel is going to remain in the starts until he finally breaks out. As mentioned last week, the former second-round pick leads the league in air yard differential (air yards subtracted by actual receiving yards). This measure essentially shows that the Panthers are trying to get the ball to Samuel deep down the field, but the connection just hasn’t been there. Samuel is a highly talented receiver, so these deep passes are eventually going to land. When they do, Samuel is going to have a WR1 type of day. Don’t leave him on your bench when that happens.

Sit: Randall Cobb

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Randall Cobb is in the midst of something of a career renaissance. Over the past two weeks, the former Green Bay Packer recorded 10 receptions for 221 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets. This is obviously fantastic production, but those numbers are going to go down in Week 12. Cobb faces off against the New England Patriots and slot cornerback Jonathan Jones, and that is a very bad thing for Cobb. Jones could very well be the best slot corner in the league, and he’s going to remove Cobb from this matchup. Cobb might get one or two catches, but you’re better off leaving him on your bench.

Start: Michael Gallup

Starting any wide receiver against the New England Patriots is dangerous, but you can feel some relative safety with Michael Gallup. New England’s two best cornerbacks, Jonathan Jones and Stephon Gilmore, will spend the day covering Randall Cobb and Amari Cooper, respectively. This leaves either Jason McCourty or J.C. Jackson on Michael Gallup, and Gallup is capable of winning both of those matchups. Dak Prescott is playing at an elite level and should target Gallup early and often in this matchup.

Sit: Josh Reynolds

Josh Reynolds was a fine stream in Week 12, recording three receptions for 55 yards on six targets. However, the good times are over for Reynolds. Brandin Cooks could make his return to the field in Week 12 and Robert Woods should be back from his personal issue. The Los Angeles Rams offense hardly has enough firepower to support three fantasy-relevant wide receivers,