Happy Holidays and welcome to The League Winners’ Start and Sit column for Week 12. Let’s hope our guidance can equal big wins in your fantasy football matchups this week.
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 12 – Starts
Jaylen Warren, RB – Pittsburgh Steelers (Sheldon Hand)
Could you guess who the RB2 is over the last three weeks? If you guessed Jaylen Warren, you are correct! Averaging 17.6 fantasy points he’s been doing well, even though he is splitting carries with Najee Harris. The two can co-exist, but it is Warren being more productive with his chances. Somehow, he is ranked outside the top 24 on FantasyPros. The Steelers have a favorable matchup against a Bengals defense that could be without run stopper Sam Hubbard yet again. At this point, Warren needs to be started moving forward. I would definitely be starting him over guys like Javonte Williams, Brian Robinson, and Joe Mixon this week.
Tony Pollard, RB – Dallas Cowboys (Aaron St. Denis)
After coming back to life in Week 11 and finishing as the RB12, Tony Pollard will look to improve once again in a prime matchup with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are allowing the most fantasy points per game to the running back position. Fire up Pollard as a top-5 option this week.
Zach Charbonnet, RB – Seattle Seahawks (Elijah Southwick)
Seahawks starting running back Kenneth Walker is most likely out on Thursday against the 49ers with an oblique injury, clearing the path for Zach Charbonnet’s first career NFL start. The 49ers are an incredibly tough draw for a rookie to be stepping into the spotlight against for the first time in his career, but there are silver linings to this tough matchup. First, the Seahawks are playing at home on a short week. It will be a chilly Thanksgiving night in Seattle. Second, Geno Smith has an elbow injury on his throwing arm, but there’s optimism he’ll play. Expect the Seahawks to lean on the run game a bit more than usual. Lastly, Charbonnet has excelled as a pass catching back in the last two weeks, seeing 11 total targets. If the game gets away from Seattle, Charbonnet could still do damage through the air.
Alexander Mattison, RB – Minnesota Vikings (Thomas Christopher)
It may be a rough year for Alexander Mattison holders, but it could pay off in Week 12. Mattison is coming off of his best rushing performance of the season and takes on a middling Chicago Bears defense. With Josh Dobbs at quarterback, I’m expecting more opportunities to clear up for Mattison.
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 12 – Sits
Tua Tagovailoa, QB – Miami Dolphins (Sheldon Hand)
This is a tough one, but the pattern has shown us that Tua Tagovailoa does not produce against top-end defenses. The Jets haven’t been as strong lately, but in a divisional matchup I think they come ready to play. They also still rank top 10 against fantasy QBs. It is tough to sit the QB of such an explosive offense, but if you have a pivot option you might want to consider it. Right now Tua is ranked 12th on FantasyPros, anyone above him should be started. I also like Matthew Stafford, Joshua Dobbs, and maybe even Gardner Minshew against a sad Bucs passing defense.
Russell Wilson, QB – Denver Broncos (Aaron St. Denis)
x has been hit and miss for much of the season and the struggling Broncos’ offense has him firmly entrenched as a QB2 in fantasy football. This week, however, he faces a Browns defense that is wallowing the least points per game to quarterbacks. The combination of a mediocre Broncos offense and a tough Browns defense makes Russ a must-avoid this week.
Garrett Wilson, WR – New York Jets (Elijah Southwick)
Zach Wilson is probably one of the most frustrating quarterbacks to watch in the entire NFL. He’s been benched and won’t even be the backup in Week 12. And while that could be good for the Jets, Zach Wilson was actually doing a reasonable job of supporting his WR1 this year. Garrett Wilson has seen seven targets or less just twice this season. I don’t trust Tim Boyle to step in and immediately feed Garrett Wilson to the tune of a dozen targets for 80+ yards. Add on the fact that Wilson will be facing All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and I’m looking for ways to sit the Jets WR1 this week.
Jakobi Meyers, WR – Las Vegas Raiders (Thomas Christopher)
After starting off the year on fire, Jakobi Meyers has cooled down considerably. A lot of that has to do with Jimmy G being benched for Aidan O’Connell, who favors targeting Davante Adams more than Meyers himself. Against a tough Kansas City Chiefs secondary, Meyers could have some opportunities, but I’m staying away until there’s some consistency there.
