Fantasy Football Week 12 Start Em Sit Em

We mix in some picks from Thursday games as well as the Sunday slate, so hopefully we have everyone covered.

Happy Thanksgiving, and many thanks for reading! 

WEEK 12 RANKINGS: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

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Fantasy Football Week 12 Start ’em: Quarterbacks

Carson Palmer, Cardinals (at Falcons). Palmer has had some ugly, disappointing games of late. Pass rushes are getting to him and receivers are not stepping up for him. However, the volume and production trying to keep up with Matt Ryan will outweigh the few mistakes he’ll make against Atlanta’s limited defense. Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson will come through in the passing game to make him playable.

DFS steal: Russell Wilson, Seahawks (at Buccaneers, $7,500 on FanDuel). You could go a little cheaper ($400) and be OK with Ryan Tannehill, but paying up for a red-hot Wilson when he’s still a great value and has a greater matchup at Tampa Bay is worth it.

Four more: Eli Manning, Giants (at Browns), Joe Flacco, Ravens (vs. Bengals), Derek Carr, Raiders (vs. Panthers), Carson Wentz, Eagles (vs. Packers)

WEEK 12 DFS: DK cash lineup | Values | DFS lineup builder

Fantasy Football Week 12 Sit ’em: Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Texans). Rivers is coming off being rattled into four interceptions by the Dolphins’ defense at home. Houston’s front can cause him the same problems, with a boost from a secondary that can contain his top targets.

Four more: Jameis Winston, Buccaneers (vs. Seahawks), Andy Dalton, Bengals (at Ravens), Blake Bortles, Jaguars (at Bills), Tyrod Taylor, Bills (vs. Jaguars).

See the full Week 12 QB rankings

Fantasy Football Week 12 Start ’em: Running backs

Spencer Ware, Chiefs (at Broncos). Ware hasn’t been doing too much and can’t seem to find a nose for the end zone. Denver’s matchup looks tough on paper, but with Alex Smith slumping, Kansas City should try to line up and power run and trust Ware a lot on dumpoffs in the passing game. Not much else sounds great for KC in a tough prime-time road game.

DFS Steal: Rashad Jennings, Giants (at Browns, $6,600 on FanDuel). Enjoy Jennings, coming off two terrific all-around games while dominating New York’s backfield touches, while you can. There’s no reason to think he won’t keep it up in Cleveland, as the home team will be overwhelmed by the Giants’ suddenly balanced attack.

Four-ish more: Thomas Rawls, Seahawks (at Buccaneers), Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (at Raiders) Terrence West and Kenneth Dixon, Ravens (vs. Bengals), Chris Ivory, Jaguars (at Bills)

Fantasy Football Week 12 Sit ’em: Running backs

Tevin Coleman, Falcons (at Cardinals). Arizona has allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs because of what it has at linebacker and safety to support its front. It’s particularly good at limiting backs in the passing game. That doesn’t bode well for Coleman in his return from a hamstring injury.

Four more: Jeremy Hill, Bengals (at Ravens), Latavius Murray, Raiders (vs. Panthers) Tim Hightower, Saints (vs. Cardinals), Theo Riddick, Lions (vs. Vikings)

See the full Week 12 RB rankings

Fantasy Football Week 12 Start ’em: Wide receivers

DeVante Parker, Dolphins (vs. 49ers). Miami should have fun at home against San Francisco, mostly with Jay Ajayi running all over that front. But they’ll also be able to either set up the run with a deep shot to Parker or get Parker downfield for a big play off play-action. He’s healthy again and being treated more like a No. 1 than Jarvis Landry (also playable) is.

DFS Steal: Jordan Matthews, Eagles (vs. Packers, $5,600 on FanDuel). The Packers are having trouble covering everything in the secondary. Philadelphia really has only wide receiver who can be trusted to take advantage of that, especially with Matthews’ work in the slot. He should have something like eight catches for 100 yards and a score.

Four more: Rishard Matthews, Titans (at Bears), Tyler Boyd, Bengals (at Ravens), Cameron Meredith, Bears (vs. Titans), Michael Floyd, Cardinals (at Falcons)

Fantasy Football Week 12 Sit ’em: Wide receivers

T.Y. Hilton, Colts (vs. Steelers). Pittsburgh has good track record in slowing down wideouts this season, and Hilton won’t have the benefit of Andrew Luck extending plays and finding him deep. Donte Moncrief is built better to help Scott Tolzien because of his combination of size and speed outside.

Four-ish more: Jeremy Maclin and/or Tyreek Hill, Chiefs (at Broncos), Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin, Chargers (at Texans), Mike Wallace, Ravens (vs. Bengals), Quincy Enunwa, Jets (vs. Patriots)

See the full Week 12 WR rankings

Fantasy Football Week 12 Start ’em: Tight ends

Will Tye, Giants (at Browns). Tye scored last week and has been on the field more as a versatile target for Manning. Cleveland allows the most fantasy points to his position, and that won’t be lost on Eli. With the attention being draw to the outside to the wideouts from Joe Haden and others, Tye will find the end zone again.

DFS Steal: Vance McDonald, 49ers (at Dolphins, $4,800 on FanDuel). Miami has had a little trouble with the most athletic pass-catching tight ends it’s faced, and with Colin Kaepernick under center, McDonald has been targeted and produced more often. Vance can dance to some good garbage points.

Four more:  Kyle Rudolph, Vikings (vs. Lions), Zach Ertz, Eagles (vs. Packers), Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs. Redskins), Ladarius Green, Steelers (at Colts)

Fantasy Football Week 12 Sit ’em: Tight ends

C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans (vs. Chargers). Checkdown artist Brock Osweiler has targeted him often, and that’s led to good involvement and production over the past seven games. San Diego, however, has done a great job of containing pedestrian blocking types in the passing game this season. C.J. won’t be OK as the Texans’ wideouts do a lot more.

Four more: Jared Cook, Packers (at Eagles), Cameron Brate, Buccaneers (vs. Seahawks), Coby Fleener, Saints (vs. Rams), Julius Thomas, Jaguars (at Bills).

See the full Week 12 TE rankings

Fantasy Football Week 12 Start ’em: Defenses

Titans (at Bears). Those of you who were a bit disappointed by playing Tennessee in Indy shouldn’t fret and plug that D/ST right back in there in Chicago. Matt Barkley is in line to start, and you know how ugly that can get with sacks and  picks, even more so than Jay Cutler in this matchup.

DFS Steal: Saints (vs. Rams, $4,300 on FanDuel). That’s a pretty darn good bargain-basement option. New Orleans is better than you think, and it will load the box to contain Todd Gurley. After Drew Brees gets the home team off to a nice lead, then the Saints can march at rookie Jared Goff at will in overwhelmed, one-dimensional mode on the road.

Four more: Patriots (vs. Jets), Texans (vs. Chargers), Giants (at Browns), Bills (vs. Jaguars)

See the full Week 12 D/ST rankings

Fantasy Football Week 12 Sit ’em: Defenses

Panthers (at Raiders). Carolina will be without Luke Kuechly in this one, and Oakland has been very careful with the ball. Only Dallas has allowed fewer points to fantasy defenses, and only the Chiefs have hit double-digits against the Raiders. Everyone else has struggled to make key plays on them.

Four more: Eagles (vs. Packers), Rams (at Saints), Chargers (at Texans), Raiders (vs. Panthers)