Fantasy Football Big Board: Complete PPR Player Rankings for Week 12
It's Thanksgiving week, and that means the fantasy football regular season is winding down.
Some fantasy managers have no shortage of things to be thankful for. Their teams are 7-4, 8-3 or 9-2 and on a collision course with a playoff spot. There's still work to be done, of course. But it's a time of optimism.
For others, the situation is reversed. With seven or more losses already, it's essentially all over but the crying. Playing out the string. Maybe taking a team or two down with you.
Then there are all the folks stuck in the middle—the 6-5 and 5-6 squads. For them, nothing is certain. The regular season could end in elation or despair, depending on how the next two or three games play out.
Whether your goal is locking down a first-round bye, playing spoiler or earning a postseason both, the path to accomplishing that goal remains the same: setting the best Week 12 lineup possible.
This column aims to aid you in doing just that, with position-by-position point-per-reception rankings and some matchups to target and avoid.
There were some big performances under center in Week 11. Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers threw for 382 yards and three scores and hit 90 yards on the ground. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers passed for 385 yards and four touchdowns. Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles scored three times on the ground.
But the week will go down in the annals of fantasy history more for what didn't happen.
Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks posted a paltry stat line for the second week in a row. Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys combined for 476 passing yards and three interceptions without a touchdown in their showdown in Kansas City.
In a week when many fantasy managers needed a win to keep their lagging postseason aspirations alive, all three quarterbacks ended the week outside the top 20 in fantasy points.
This time of year, that's the kind of dud outing that can kill a season—or what's left of it.
GOOD MATCHUPS
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (at SF) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,300]
Cousins has quietly been a top-10 fantasy quarterback this season both in terms of total points and points per game. Coming off a big effort against the Green Bay Packers, Cousins draws a 49ers team allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (at WAS) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,200]
Since Wilson returned to the lineup in Week 10 after missing time with a broken finger, he has not been good. If he can't turn it around against a Washington team that has been a fantasy bonanza for quarterbacks this season, then the turnaround just isn't coming and Wilson has to be benched.
BAD MATCHUPS
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (at DEN) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,600]
After Herbert's fourth effort of the season with more than 30 fantasy points, he is a top-five quarterback for the year and a hard guy to sit in season-long fantasy formats. But a bad matchup on the road at Denver and a beefy Week 12 salary make him a shaky DFS play.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (at NE) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,100]
Tannehill is coming off a disastrous outing against the Houston Texans that included a career-high four interceptions. He's got just 13 touchdown passes all season (vs. 12 picks), and this week he faces a New England defense that is a bottom-five fantasy matchup for quarterbacks. Hard pass.
SLEEPER
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. ATL) [DK DFS VALUE: $5,400]
Lawrence's first NFL season has featured quite a few more lows than highs. But if ever there was a week for the Jaguars to get a win and for Lawrence to post a solid stat line, it's Sunday at home against an Atlanta team that has given up the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
WEEK 12 QUARTERBACK RANKINGS
While Week 11 may have been defined by letdowns at quarterback, it was a much different story at running back.
Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts had already been on a rip—over the first 10 weeks of the season, Taylor was the highest-scoring back in fantasy football. But against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, he went next-level, exploding for 204 total yards and five touchdowns.
That's right. Five.
That is a spicy meatball.
In news that should surprise exactly no one, Taylor had the biggest Week 11 of any running back. But as it turned out, it wasn't a by all that much. In Sunday night's matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers racked up 115 total yards and found the end zone four times.
If you had either back in Week 11, you probably won.
GOOD MATCHUPS
Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team (vs. SEA) [DK DFS VALUE $5,700]
Gibson has seen his usage increase over the past couple of weeks—he's averaging 21.5 carries and 14.7 PPR fantasy points over that span ahead of a matchup with a Seahawks team giving up the most fantasy points to running backs in the NFC.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. ATL) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,200]
Robinson is playing with a sore heel and managed just 29 yards on 12 carries last week against the 49ers, although a short-yardage touchdown salvaged his fantasy day. The sledding should be easier Sunday against a soft Falcons defense.
BAD MATCHUPS
Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins (vs. CAR) [DK DFS VALUE $5,600]
Gaskin has become a bigger part of the Miami offense of late, including a season-high 23 carries last week against the New York Jets. But while that was one of fantasy's best matchups for running backs, this week's tilt with the Carolina Panthers is one of the worst.
Mark Ingram II, New Orleans Saints (vs. BUF) [DK DFS VALUE $6,200]
Ingram has been solid for fantasy managers with Alvin Kamara on the shelf because of soreness in his knee. But while the Bills were just pummeled by Jonathan Taylor and the Colts, the team was the third- toughest matchup for running backs before that game.
SLEEPER
Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans (vs. NYJ) [DK DFS VALUE $4,200]
Burkhead's 2.2 yards per carry last week against the Tennessee Titans is quite possibly the most 2021 Texans statistic ever. But Burkhead led all Houston backs in touches with 18 and gets the best fantasy matchup in the league for running backs this week with the New York Jets.
WEEK 12 RUNNING BACK RANKINGS
In many respects, the top of the wide receiver rankings have shaken out as expected. Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers and Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs were the top two wideouts drafted in most fantasy leagues, and both sit inside the top five in PPR points at the position. After setting a rookie receiving record with 1,400 yards in 2020, it's not a shock that Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings has joined them.
Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams is having a ridiculous season (85 receptions, 1,141 yards, 10 TD in 10 games), and he maintains a narrow lead over Hill for the top spot at his position.
But there's one additional relevant wide receiver who hasn't been mentioned.
Deebo deserves some dap.
Despite subpar quarterback play, Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers has done something not even Hill has in 2021—hit double digits in PPR points in every game in which he's played. With six more receiving yards, Samuel will hit 1,000 for the first time in his career. He has added 137 rushing yards and found the end zone a total of eight times.
Only Kupp and Hill have more PPR points at the position this season, and with his ADP of WR36 (18 spots higher than Kupp) at FantasyPros in 2021, there hasn't been a bigger value at wideout.
GOOD MATCHUPS
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks (at WAS) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,300]
The Seattle offense has been a mess, but Lockett has retained quite a bit of fantasy value, eclipsing 100 receiving yards in two of the last three games. No team has surrendered more PPR points to receivers this year than Washington.
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (vs. TB) [DK DFS VALUE: $5,600]
Jonathan Taylor seized the headlines (and the stats) last week, but Pittman has had a nice season, posting WR1 numbers in 12-team leagues. It's a lot easier to move the ball through the air (17th in the league) against the Buccaneers than on the ground (first).
BAD MATCHUPS
Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers (vs. LAR) [DK DFS VALUE $8,600]
The number of times that you should ever sit Adams in a season-long league is the same as the number of understated Michael Bay films. But Aaron Rodgers has an injured toe and Adams will draw Jalen Ramsey in coverage Sunday against the Rams. He's a fade as the second-most expensive wide receiver.
Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams (at GB) [DK DFS VALUE $5,000]
Some fantasy managers might be considering Beckham as a contrarian play in his first game after the Rams' bye. But the Packers haven't been kind to opposing wide receivers in 2021, ranking as one of the five toughest matchups against the position.
SLEEPER
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots (vs. TEN) [DK DFS VALUE $5,000]
Meyers has 82 targets this season, far and away the most on the Patriots. He also leads the team in receptions and is just behind Kendrick Bourne for the yardage lead. That gives the third-year pro some WR3 or flex upside Sunday in a plus matchup with the Titans.
WEEK 12 WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS
This is the saddest of weeks for fantasy managers where the tight end position is concerned.
It's Travis Kelce's bye week.
Kelce hasn't quite been the force of nature that he's been in recent years, and there have been a couple of uncharacteristically down weeks. But the 32-year-old is still the No. 1 PPR option at his position by almost 30 points over the No. 2 tight end (Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens) and leads the third-ranked player at the spot (Darren Waller of the Las Vegas Raiders) by almost 60 points.
You aren't going to just go out and scoop a player off the waiver wire who can fill the massive hole left by Kelce's absence.
But if there's a silver lining, with any luck, most teams with Kelce on them have had a successful enough season that even a Week 12 loss won't be the end of the world.
GOOD MATCHUPS
Noah Fant, Denver Broncos (vs. LAC) [DK DFS VALUE $4,600]
Like the Denver passing game, Fant has run hot and cold this season. But the 24-year-old is set up well for a big stat line coming out of Denver's bye in a top-five fantasy matchup for tight ends with the rival Chargers.
Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at IND) [DK DFS VALUE: $4,400]
After a red-hot start to the season, Gronkowski has had back and rib issues, which have caused the veteran to miss quite a bit of time. But if the 32-year-old is out there in Week 12, he should do well in a favorable fantasy matchup for tight ends against the Indianapolis Colts.
BAD MATCHUPS
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (vs. TEN) [DK DFS VALUE: $4,500]
Henry's reception and yardage numbers aren't great (33 catches, 378 yards), but with seven touchdown grabs he's just one away from tying his career high. Henry is essentially a touchdown-or-bust fantasy option against a Titans team that ranks toward the bottom of the league in fantasy points given up to the position.
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (vs. MIN) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,400]
Kittle has been a machine since his return from injured reserve following a calf injury—he has caught at least four passes and found the end zone in each of the past three games. Still, the Vikings are among the five worst matchups in the league for tight ends, so there's risk involved with rolling him out in Week 12.
SLEEPER
Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns (at BAL) [DK DFS VALUE $3,500]
Fantasy managers in a bind might want to give Hooper a look in Week 12. The 27-year-old has 20 targets over his past four games, four receptions in three of those four contests and a top-three fantasy matchup for tight ends with the Baltimore Ravens.
WEEK 12 TIGHT END RANKINGS
Tight end isn't the only position being hit hard by bye weeks in Week 11. With the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals off this week, two of the more rostered kickers in fantasy (Harrison Butker and Matt Prater) are sitting.
That leaves more than a few managers with holes to fill this week, and a couple of things to keep in mind.
The first is simple: Never waste fantasy waiver priority on a kicker—even this late in the season. The difference between an elite fantasy kicker and a so-so weekly starter is only two or three fantasy points per week. Wait for first-come, first-served pickups and save the waiver claim for a running back or receiver.
The second tip is equally simple: Don't hold a second spot for a "backup" kicker, even if it's only for one week. It's a poor use of a spot better used to roster a position player. If you can get Butker or Prater back in Week 13, then great.
If not, in the overwhelming majority of leagues, it won't matter even a little.
GOOD MATCHUPS
Carolina Panthers Defense (at MIA) [DK DFS VALUE: $3,100]
Carolina's defense hasn't been as productive for fantasy managers as it was early in the season, but the Panthers still rank inside the top 10 overall ahead of a matchup with a Miami Dolphins team allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to defenses in 2021.
Cairo Santos, Chicago Bears (at Detroit)
The Lions have allowed the most fantasy points per game to kickers this year, which is half the reason to roll out Santos. The other half is trying to give yourself a reason to watch what has the makings of maybe being the worst Turkey Day game ever. Pass the gravy.
BAD MATCHUPS
New Orleans Saints Defense (vs. BUF) [DK DFS VALUE: $2,900]
New Orleans entered Week 11 with the best run defense in the league and left it having allowed over 240 yards on the ground to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now the Saints have to deal with a Bills team that has been the worst fantasy matchup for defenses most of this season.
Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at IND)
Succop is a good kicker, and obviously the Buccaneers are a good offense. The problem is that sometimes Tom Brady is too good—offenses that find the end zone a lot mean fewer field-goal tries, and Succop ranks outside the top 20 in field-goal attempts.
SLEEPER
Houston Texans Defense (vs. New York Jets) [DK DFS VALUE: $2,300]
The Texans are not a good defensive team. But Houston piled up five takeaways last week against the Tennessee Titans and host a Jets team Sunday that has been a friend to opposing defenses all season.
WEEK 12 KICKER RANKINGS
WEEK 12 DEFENSE RANKINGS
Before we get to this week's rankings of the top 100 players (a list that can aid fantasy managers when deciding on flex options), it's time for the weekly tradition that is the top 100 caveats.
No, there aren't 100 caveats. That would be excessive.
First, there aren't any quarterbacks listed. If your league has superflex spots that are QB-eligible, then odds are you want quarterbacks in those spots. Joe Flacco scored the same as a low-end RB1 in Week 11.
Joe…Flacco.
The second caveat is that we've reached the point in the season when circumstances start to diverge—circumstances that can alter strategy when setting lineups.
If you're in a must-win situation and feel like your team is an underdog, then a high-upside deep threat wideout like Elijah Moore of the New York Jets could make more sense than a lower-ceiling running back with a higher floor. If you're sailing along and comfortable that you look the part of a Week 12 favorite, then that script flips.
Know your situation. And your Week 12 matchup.
And then go get a win.
WEEK 12 TOP 100/FLEX RANKINGS
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Fantasy points allowed data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.
Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter at @IDPSharks.
