There are just three weeks left in most fantasy football regular seasons as the fight for the playoffs continues! For those who are on the outside looking in or hanging on for dear life, this article is for you. Here are the players to pay attention to for Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 12.
Last week’s Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em was about 50/50 on success rates.. Starting Justin Herbert and David Montgomery were the best hits while sitting Anthony Richardson and advising people to start Cedric Tillman were the biggest misses.
Note: This article is for players who are considered flex options or for matchup-specific reasons. You won’t see players like Derrick Henry and Amon-Ra St. Brown on here because they should be starting all the time.
Fantasy Football 2024: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 12
Quarterbacks
Start: Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense finally looked like their old selves against the Raiders last week. With Miami in need of wins to keep the playoff hopes alive, Tagovailoa will be throwing the ball a lot on Sunday against New England who struggles defensively. He’s averaging 286 passing yards in his last two games against the Patriots.
Sit: Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston has struggled to produce good performances on back-t0-back weeks just like the Browns as a whole this year. To add insult to injury, the weather in Cleveland for Thursday Night Football isn’t going to be pretty by any means. It’s going to be a low-scoring affair which hurts Winston’s fantasy value along with everyone in the passing game.
Start: Bo Nix
You’d have to go back to Week 7 to find the last time Bo Nix recorded less than 15 fantasy points in a single game. He’s thrown 2+ touchdown passes in three of his last four, and he thrived last time out against the Raiders. He scored 23 fantasy points in Week 5 against Las Vegas, and he’s only gotten better since that matchup. Expect him to take advantage of a bad Raiders team on Sunday.
Read More: Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings Week 12
Running Backs:
Start: Kareem Hunt
It’s up in the air whether Isaiah Pacheco plays against Carolina, but this is the last week Kareem Hunt is someone you can start. Even if Pacheco plays, it will presumably be a 50/50 split on carries. The Panthers are awful at defending the run which means Hunt and Pacheco should both see lots of opportunities. If Hunt is the feature back, those chances increase even more.
Sit: Trey Benson
One of the storylines in the offseason was a question of when Trey Benson would take over the Cardinals backfield. While he led the team in rushing yards in Week 11, it’s still James Conner’s backfield for the time being. Seattle has the sixth-worst run defense in the NFL which means Conner should have a lot of success. Benson might be someone for the playoffs, but take the wait-and-see approach with him for now.
Sit: Cam Akers
Cam Akers isn’t worth the hype he’s getting. Aaron Jones hasn’t been as good as he was earlier in the season, but Akers is still the RB2 in Minnesota. He’s someone who needs to find the endzone to have any sort of fantasy relevance, and that’s been a struggle for him this season in limited opportunities. Avoid Akers this week.
Read More: Fantasy Football Buy/Sell for Week 12
Wide Receivers:
Start: Ladd McConkey
The only thing that would’ve made Ladd McConkey’s performance better against the Bengals was a touchdown. However, the rookie receiver posted a career-high 123 yards. He is Herbert’s top target without a doubt and thrives in the slot over the middle of the field. He has another favorable matchup this week on Monday Night Football against a weak Ravens secondary. The top wide receiver has gone for 85+ yards against Baltimore in each of the last four games.
Sit: Jakobi Meyers
There was optimism Jakobi Meyers would thrive after the Davante Adams trade, but that has quickly diminished. The Raiders quarterback room is just far too inconsistent for him to see solid targets consistently. Expect Pat Surtain to be lined up against him on Sunday which makes things worse for Meyers. You can play him if you absolutely have to, but search for other options first.
Start: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
After having a slow start to the season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is gaining some fantasy value. He’s recorded 6+ receptions and 65+ yards in each of his last three games. Smith-Njigba may be a better play for PPR leagues, but he still has some value in standard leagues. The Cardinals defense struggles in the air which makes JSN a good play in Week 12.
Read More: Fantasy Football Week 12 Wide Receiver Rankings
Tight Ends:
Start: Will Dissly
Will Dissly has stepped up big for fantasy managers in a year where tight end performances have been a guessing game. In the last six weeks, he’s seen 5+ targets in every game but one. Dissly is a target that Herbert relies upon and will continue to do so down the stretch. Fantasy managers in need of a tight end for the rest of this season should look at Dissly who is owned in less than 30% of all leagues.
Read More: Fantasy Football Metric That Mattered in Week 11
Start: Jonnu Smith
Jonnu Smith had one of the best games (if not the best) of his career last week. Smith’s targets increased when the Dolphins were in a quarterback carousel and haven’t declined since Tagovailoa has returned. He certainly won’t post his Week 11 numbers on a weekly basis, but he’s someone who can be streamed this week if necessary.
Main Photo Courtesy of Gregory Fisher – Imagn Images
