In week 12 there are two top fantasy teams on byes in the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals, so a lot of teams will be looking for weekly replacements. Let’s get into some of those top pickups for the week on the waiver wire, some players to sit and start, and compare some players one on one of who you may be considering for your week 12 rosters. Week 11 saw some big NFL upsets and some fantasy duds as well as some major fantasy studs. Jonathan Taylor led the way in week 11 with five total touchdowns and Josh Allen was one of the biggest busts with only 200 yards passing and two interceptions as the top-rated quarterback going into the week. The New York Jets suffered an injury to their up and coming rookie running back Michael Carter who is expected to be out for at least the next couple of weeks. That will open up a big hole in that offense and will give an opportunity here on the waiver wire to pick up his replacement.

The options Jets have for RB’s – Ty Johnson and Tevin Coleman

There are two options that the Jets will have to go to at running back which are Ty Johnson and Tevin Coleman. It remains to be seen as to which running back will get the bulk of the touches for the next couple of weeks but Johnson looks to be the better bet. Johnson hasn’t had more than five carries since week two where he had 12 carries for 50 yards but gets involved in the passing game as a compliment to Carter. If Johnson can get back to 12 carries per game with Carter out, he will be a great play in week 12 against the Houston Texans in a favorable matchup. Tevin Coleman could also be a good pickup in the case that he benefits more than Johnson, although it seems unlikely.

David Johnson or Rex Burkhead? Who is better pickup?

On the other side of the ball in week 12 in the Jets versus Texans matchup is David Johnson and Rex Burkhead. Johnson seems like a better pickup and play as he saw 16 touches in week 11 but didn’t do much with them. Burkhead saw 18 carries but also didn’t do much. The highest ceiling seems to be David Johnson as he has big play potential and is big in the passing game as well. Both have a good matchup against the Jets as well in week 12.

WR’s for Week 12

Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Starting at wide receiver we have to look at Marquez Valdes-Scantling for the Green Bay Packers. The Packers wideout had a massive game last week with Allen Lazard having an injury and he was the clear No. two option in the passing game for Aaron Rodgers. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has some serious speed that makes him a great deep threat as he can get enough points in just one play any given week for fantasy relevance.Last week he did just that with a 75 yard touchdown catch which added to his total of 123 yards on the day. The Packers have a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in week 12 but the game could prove to be a shootout which would actually be beneficial for MVS.

Injuries in Dallas Cowboys has opened the door for other WR’s

The next pickup is from the Dallas Cowboys roster which is taking heavy injury hits to their star wide receivers. Amari Cooper was out last week and should be out again in week 12. Ceedee Lamb suffered a concussion in week 11 which has opened the door for other wide receivers on the roster.

Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson could be the main beneficiaries

Michael Gallup will be the main beneficiary but he is already owned in a fair amount of leagues already and we may have to dig deeper on the roster. Cedrick Wilson is a fast wide receiver who already has seen decent work this season and should fill in as a nice second wide receiver in week 12 for them. He commanded seven targets in week 11 for four catches and 36 yards but should see even more targets and production this week.

QB’s for Week 12

Cam Newton is the Top QB in Week 12

The top quarterback to add in week 12 is Cam Newton. In his first start for the Panthers this year, Newton was great for fantasy as he continued his old ways of running the ball a lot. He had 10 carries which tied Christian McCaffrey and got 46 yards rushing with a touchdown. He also added 189 yards passing and two touchdowns with no turnovers. In week 12, Newton will face the Miami Dolphins who have been solid defensively but with his ability to run he should reach good fantasy value and is a good bye week replacement option. Additionally, he should be a good rest of season quarterback if your team is in need of a starter.

TE’s for Week 12

Austin Hooper

The tight end pickups are slim for week 12 but there are some to look at. The first is Austin Hooper who had four catches for the second week in a row. In a ppr league that is not bad production for a tight end and he managed 53 yards as well. He only has two touchdowns on the year and his next highest yardage production was just 42 on the year.

Evan Engram

A tight end with higher upside but a lower floor is Evan Engram for the New York Giants who gets a nice matchup as well against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Running Backs to start in Week 12

Miles Sanders has been one of the biggest disappointments so far!

Looking at who to sit and start this week we will begin to look at some running backs. One of the biggest disappointments from the season so far has been Miles Sanders from the Philadelphia Eagles who was a second or third round pick in most fantasy drafts but failed to score a touchdown in his first seven games of the year before being injured.

The trio of Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell, and Jordan Howard

After Sanders went down with an injury the Eagles finally figured out their rushing attack behind the trio of Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell, and Jordan Howard who now have three rushing touchdowns each. Sanders was back in the lineup in week 11 and came through with 94 rushing yards against one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL. Sanders should continue this in week 12 as a solid start against the New York Giants.

David Montgomery looks like a nice play on Thanksgiving

David Montgomery recently returned to the Chicago Bears and looks like a nice play on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions. After two games with tough matchups in his return, he gets a nice one where he should dominate.

Running Backs to sit in Week 12

Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson should be considered players to sit! Damien Harris was a great fantasy running back earlier in the season but now he is seeing competition from Rhamondre Stevenson. They seem to be in a split running back situation in New England where neither will get much more than 10 carries per week. Neither of them seem like good plays and should be considered players to sit based on their low potential floor.

Wide Receivers to start in Week 12

Michael Gallup

Now looking at wide receivers to start this week, it begins with the Dallas Cowboys and Michael Gallup. Gallup is a dynamic wide receiver as he has had some great seasons for the Cowboys in the past. This year he has been plagued with injuries and is also the third in the pecking line for Dak in the pass game. Week 12 should be different with Cooper and Lamb likely both out and he could be in line for a massive game. He got 10 targets last week and should see that again, if not more in week 12. It is also a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders where they can really get going offensively.

Chase Claypool

Another wide receiver to start is Chase Claypool who greatly benefited from having Big Ben back last week. Claypool had nine targets for five catches and 93 yards. All highs for him since week five. This will have to be a higher scoring game again this week with the great offense of the Bengals on the other side of the field. Wide Receivers to sit in Week 12.

Wide Receivers to sit in Week 12

Corey Davis to sit in this week!

A player to sit this week is Corey Davis who was the Jets top target early in the year. Now he may find himself as the third best target in New York behind rookie Elijah Moore and Jamison Crowder.

Kenny Galloday

Another big name wide receiver to sit this week is Kenny Galloday who has underproduced for the New York Giants in his first year there. He has been plagued with injuries but now the Giants have possibly three more intriguing options in Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard at wide receiver.

Quarter Backs to start in Week 12

Jalen Hurts

A quarterback in week 12 who looks good is Jalen Hurts. Hurts not only had three rushing touchdowns and 69 rushing yards but looked good in the passing game against a tough opponent in the New Orleans Saints. In week 12 he gets a nice matchup against the New York Giants as they were unable to put any pressure on Tom Brady last week so he should have plenty of time to throw and make plays in week 12.

Quarter Backs to sit in Week 12

Tua can be left on the bench this week!

A quarterback to sit in week 12 is Tua who was a good play last week against the Jets as he had 273 passing yards and two touchdowns. Week 12 he faces Carolina who has proven to be a tough matchup for opposing fantasy quarterbacks and he can be left on the bench.

Tight Ends to start in Week 12

Dalton Shultz

The Dallas Cowboys have so many injuries to their top wide receivers that makes their tight end Dalton Shultz a better play this week. Last week with Cooper out and Lamb getting hurt he got eight targets and made six catches for 53 yards. That should be about what to expect from him in week 12, if not more.

Tight Ends to sit in Week 12

Gerald Everret

Gerald Everret is a tight end that people had high hopes for in his first year in Seattle but the Seahawks have barely targeted him all year. Week 10 showed some promise for Everett with eight targets that he turned into eight catches for 63 yards but then he followed that up with just three catches for 37 yards in week 11. Everett can be left on your bench this week as there are arguably 15 or more better options out there.

One on one comparison of players for Week 12

RB’s comparison for Week 12

In this last section we are going to compare some players who could be on your rosters that you have to decide between playing or not in week 12.

Josh Jacobs

The first running back to look at is Josh Jacobs who was drafted probably in the first or second round of most fantasy drafts but has not yet lived up to his draft position. His two highest rushing outputs in single games this year are 76 and then just 53 and he hasn’t had a touchdown since week seven. Jacobs has made up for it a little bit this year with his work in the passing game as he has caught at least four balls in his last three games that saves some of his value in ppr leagues. He now faces an average matchup in the Dallas Cowboys.

Antonio Gibson looks better than Jacobs

A running back who looks better than Jacobs is Antonio Gibson as he is a true bell cow running back now with 19 and 24 carries in his last two games. He now faces the Seahawks which is a pretty good matchup in 2021.

Jacobs is better than Devonta Freeman

Jacobs does look better than another running back in Devonta Freeman who has been great for the Ravens all year but now they have Latavious Murray back who could be taking his carries and more importantly, his goal line carries away.

James Robinson

James Robinson is the next running back to look at as he has been great all year for the Jaguars except for last week when he faced the 49ers defense who is normally porous in the run game. Robinson only had 29 yards on 12 carries against the 49ers in week 11 but still managed a touchdown, which he has seven of already on the year. He now faces the Atlanta Falcons in a great matchup in week 12.

Robinson even better play in week 12 than Gaskin

Myles Gaskin had a big week in week 11 with 23 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown but now faces the Panthers. This makes Robinson a better play in week 12 than Gaskin.

David Montgomery better play than Robinson!

Chicago Bears David Montgomery is a running back who does look like a better play than Robinson. Montgomery and the Bears are the favorites and the Jaguars won’t be, which writes a better script for Montgomery and makes him a safer option.

WR’s comparison for Week 12

Michael Pittman or Denver’s Jerry

Looking at wide receivers, an interesting one is Michael Pittman for the thriving Indianapolis Colts. The correlation of when T.Y. Hilton plays in the game to bad games for Pittman is high. It seems he only commands a lot of targets and has good production without Hilton in the game. The Colts are not favorites this week however, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so it could be a different story. Pittman looks to be a better play this week because they may have to throw the ball a lot more. This makes Pittman look like a better play this week than Denver’s Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy was supposed to be the go to wide receiver for the Broncos but Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton have also been good. With shaky quarterback play and those other receivers eating targets, Pittman looks better than Jeudy here.

Devonta Smith better than Devonta Smith?

Devonta Smith is a receiver who looks better than Pittman due to his big play ability and matchup against the Giants who the Eagles could exploit in the pass game.

DJ Moore vs Mike Willaims

Another wide receiver to look at is DJ Moore for the Carolina Panthers. Moore finally got another touchdown, his first since week four, in the return to Cam Newton as the starter. He again will get Newton at quarterback but Newton likes to run a lot which could take opportunities away from Moore in the red zone. DJ Moore still seems like a good play in a good matchup with the Dolphins, however. He even looks to be a better week 12 player than Mike Willaims for the Los Angeles Chargers. Williams has severely cooled off from his hot start but had a nice comeback game last week. That was in an absolute shootout however, and it may not be replicable against the Broncos in week 12.

Jaylen Waddle

A player to start over Moore in week 12 is Jaylen Waddle. Waddle is a target monster and is coming off of a big game. He should see more targets and get more catches than Moore in the game. Both the Dolphins and Panthers have strong defenses and secondaries so they have about the same difficulty of matchup, the difference is that Waddle gets targeted a lot more than Moore.

QB’s comparison for Week 12

Cam Newton or Joe Burrow in Week 12?

An interesting quarterback to look at is the top waiver wire pickup for quarterbacks is Cam Newton. He is a fringe quarterback to start this week, depending on your other options at the position. If you have Joe Burrow on your roster it would be advised to keep him in your lineup over Newton. Burrow has great weapons in that Bengals offense and they should have to score a lot and get good production from Burrow in week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Newton does look pretty good this week however, and should be played over a good fantasy quarterback like Dak Prescott. Prescott has a good matchup but is without his top two targets in week 12. He also has not been running that much so he doesn’t get those extra rushing points very often. Newton adds that rushing bonus for yards and touchdowns just about every game he plays in which usually proves to be the difference between him and other fantasy quarterbacks.

One on one comparison of TE’s

Mike Gesicki or Dallas Goedert

Mike Gesicki is an interesting tight end to look at this week for the Dolphins as he is a borderline top 10 play at the position this week with both Kelce and Ertz on byes. He has been commanding a lot of targets and producing recently but a tight end who just got a new contract in Dallas Goedert looks like a better play for the Eagles. Goedert is arguably the top receiving option in Philadelphia and has a good matchup against the New York Giants in week 12. Gesicki does look better than Noah Fant for the Broncos due to a tougher matchup against the Chargers and his recent lack of involvement in the offense since week six.