Welcome to Thanksgiving Week. While Turkey Day provides an entertaining trio of mid-week games--Minnesota at Detroit, Washington at Dallas, Pittsburgh at Indianapolis--that help keep you awake after the tryptophan has kicked in, it does complicate things in terms of fantasy football. Not only do Thursday games tend to be sloppy displays of football because they're being played on short weeks, but when a large portion of your team is playing on Thanksgiving, you end up having to make most of your lineup choices well before you know the status of questionable Sunday players. With those complications, and with all 32 teams in action for Week 12, fantasy owners are going to have plenty of intriguing decisions over the next couple of days. We're here to help, and you can click through the gallery for a closer look at this week's--Thanksgiving Day included--top sleepers and potential busts at each position. (Getty)
Start: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Opponent: vs. Green Bay Packers
With all 32 teams in action, you likely won't have to search as far for a QB streamer in Week 12. Nevertheless, Wentz stands as a compelling option in deeper or 2-QB leagues, as he's at home against a Packers defense that has been absolutely torched for 309.75 yards per game and a TD:INT ratio of 11:2 over the last four contests. Wentz has limited upside--he has been a weekly Top-10 QB just once this season (standard Yahoo scoring)--but the matchup is right and there could be an increase in volume if Philly's run game is limited due to the injuries to Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. (Getty)
Sit: Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions
Opponent: vs. Minnesota Vikings
In the Week 9 matchup between these two teams, Stafford finished as the No. 15 overall QB (standard Yahoo scoring) and would have been much lower had it not been for overtime, which allowed to add 63 yards and a touchdown to his final stat line. In fact, he has turned in a Top-12 QB performance just one time in his last four games, and a short week against an extremely stingy pass defense isn't the cure for his recent struggles. (Getty)
Start: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
Opponent: at Cleveland Browns
Don't let Ben Roethlisberger's ugly performance in last week's windy conditions make you forget that this Browns defense is one of the most generous to opposing quarterbacks. They are still 29th in the league in yards per pass attempt allowed (8.0) and have given up multiple passing touchdowns in nine of 11 games this season. Manning has quietly turned in three consecutive Top-12 weekly QB performances, and this is a good spot for him to continue that trend. (Getty)
Sit: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals
For as good as Ryan has been this year, benching him may not be a realistic option. Instead, this is just a way to say you should be tempering expectations. The Cardinals are fourth in the NFL in yards per attempt allowed (6.3), first in passing touchdowns allowed (seven in 10 games), and have forced four of the last five opposing QB's to finish the week outside the Top 20 at the position. Moreover, they have the running game to control time of possession and follow Philadelphia's Week 10 game-plan, which forced Ryan to his worst game of the year. (Getty)
Start: Thomas Rawls, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Opponent: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Making his first appearance since Week 2, Rawls looked fully healthy against the Eagles, as he flashed glimpses of last year's violent, down-hill runner on his way 88 yards (57 rushing, 31 receiving) on 17 touches (14 carries, three receptions). With C.J. Prosise (shoulder) out for the regular season and Troymaine Pope battling a high-ankle sprain, the backfield now belongs to Rawls. Volume plus talent makes him a must-start player in every league, even against a Bucs defense that hasn't given up a rushing touchdown to an RB since Week 7. (Getty)
Sit: Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Opponent: at Baltimore Ravens
In their past four games, the Ravens have held Matt Forte to 3.3 yards per carry, Le'Veon Bell to 2.3 yards per carry, Isaiah Crowell to 2.6 yards per carry and Ezekiel Elliott to 3.9 yards per carry. Hill may be looking at an increased role with Gio Bernard suffering a torn ACL, but on the road (where's he averaging 2.87 YPC) against arguably the most stout run defense in the league kills his upside. (Getty)
Start: Rob Kelley, RB, Washington Redskins
Opponent: at Dallas Cowboys
On a short week as a road underdog against a good Cowboys defense is a little concerning, but Kelley's role makes him a must-start option. He has racked up 20-plus carries in three straight games, piling up a whopping 321 rushing yards (4.79 YPC) and four touchdowns during that stretch. He has finished as the RB No. 11, RB No. 16 and RB No. 1 in his three starts, and with the kind of volume he's getting, it's fair to trust him as Top-15 option at a thin position. (Getty)
Sit: Latavius Murray, RB, Oakland Raiders
Opponent: vs. Carolina Panthers
Since their Week 7 bye, the Panthers have been consistently slowing down talented running backs. David Johnson finished as the RB No. 21 in Week 8, Todd Gurley as the RB No. 19 in Week 9 and Spencer Ware as the RB No. 27 in Week 10. Tim Hightower turned in a RB No. 10 performance last week, but this is still a stout run defense that is fourth in the league in yards per carry allowed (3.5). Considering they are near the opposite end of the spectrum against the pass (24th), this stands out as a game where the Raiders will attack heavily through the air. (Getty)
Start: DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins
Opponent: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Parker has shown flashes of stardom throughout his first two seasons but has struggled with consistency. Over his last two games, though, he has turned 18 targets into 13 receptions, 182 yards and a touchdown, and now he gets to face a 49ers defense that has given up six Top-15 and four Top-10 weekly WR performances over its last four games and is now without top safety Eric Reid. Parker may not see the same kind of volume he has the last two weeks, as Miami could also choose to attack San Francisco's brutal run defense, but he doesn't need a lot of targets to have a big game here. (Getty)
Sit: Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Averaging just 3.67 receptions and 44.3 yards in the three games since returning from his shoulder injury, Moncrief has been reliant on scoring touchdowns. He has found the end zone in each of those three games, so it's worked out pretty well, but it's tough to bank on that on a weekly basis, especially if Andrew Luck (concussion protocol, short week) can't start. If Luck does get cleared, Moncrief is fine as a WR3, but if it's Scott Tolzien under center, I'm staying far away from 'Crief. (Getty)
Start: Rishard Matthews, WR, Tennessee Titans
Opponent: at Chicago Bears
After pulling in nine catches for 122 yards in Week 11, Matthews has now finished as the WR No. 4, WR No. 19 and WR No. 11 in the last three weeks. He continues to thrive under the red-hot play of Marcus Mariota, and now he gets to go up against a Bears secondary that is giving up the most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. Matthews looked like a bust at the start of the season, but he's a legitimate WR2, even during a full week. (Getty)
Sit: Terrelle Pryor, WR, Cleveland Browns
Opponent: vs. New York Giants
Here are Pryor's weekly WR finishes over the last five games: 79th, 24th, 20th, 50th, 21st. He has certainly shown to have big-play upside, but over the last month-plus he's carrying a fairly underwhelming ceiling and pretty low floor. Moreover, he will have to deal with yet another quarterback change (Josh McCown is starting) in Week 12, while the Giants have been good at slowing down outside receivers. (Getty)
Start: Will Tye, TE, New York Giants
Opponent: at Cleveland Browns
This is more of a deep-league option, but over the last three games, Tye has tallied 20 targets, 11 receptions, 98 yards and a touchdown. Those may not be numbers to get overly excited about, but he is drawing praise from Eli Manning and gets an ideal matchup this week against the Browns, who have given up the most receptions and yards per game to opposing tight ends. (Getty)
Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 12 Predictions