NFL Week 12 Fantasy Start-Sit

By Jeff Goldberg

We’re close to the playoff weeks in NFL fantasy leagues, but this is the critical time of year where playoff berths are clinched or denied, and making tough lineup choice is paramount. Here is a look at players to roll with and avoid in fantasy football:

QB

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins

Start

Given what happened in the final seconds of last Thursday’s game, it would be easy to forget that Mayfield had a pretty nice night for himself in leading the Browns to a second straight win that keeps Cleveland’s playoff hopes flickering. Mayfield threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third. Now with some wind at his back, Mayfield draws a plum matchup against the Dolphins, who just let Josh Allen go bonkers.

Sit

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

Imagine being a Falcons fan and wondering where in the world this back-to-back set of defensive gems has been all season. It’s too late for the Falcons to make the playoffs, but they are selling out to keep Dan Quinn employed. Winston has been putting up decent numbers on a weekly basis, but he is dealing with a left ankle injury and he threw four interceptions on Sunday. If the Falcons bring it again on defense, Winston is probably in for a long day.

RB

Start

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Titans are still very much in the NFL playoff picture at 5-5 and Henry has been a big reason why they’re still hanging around. He almost single-handedly destroyed the Chiefs last week with 188 yards and two touchdowns, and he will be the primary focus this week, as well. Don’t let the Jags’ defensive reputation fool you. They are near the bottom of the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game.

Sit

Sony Michel, New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys

Michel is rapidly becoming an afterthought in the Patriots’ offense, and with Rex Burkhead healthy, that trend doesn’t seem to be reversing anytime soon. Michel has 125 yards and zero touchdowns in has past three games combined.

WR

Start

Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ridley had his best game of the season last week against the Panthers, with eight catches (on eight targets) for 143 yards and a touchdown. He has always been a big game waiting to happen, and it finally happened in Week 11. Now, he draws the most fantasy-friendly defensive matchup in the league in the Buccaneers, and Julio Jones was reportedly limping through practice on Wednesday, which could mean Ridley plays an even bigger role on Sunday. All signs point to playing Ridley in all fantasy formats.

Sit

John Brown, Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos

This is a tough call to make, because Josh Allen to John Brown has been one of the best QB-WR connections all season. That said, Chris Harris is still an elite defender who will almost certainly be deployed to shadow Brown all over the field. It’s also worth noting that Brown has just four touchdowns all season, although two did come last week.

TE

Start

Ryan Griffin, New York Jets vs. Oakland Raiders

There are a few top tight ends with injury uncertainty this week. If the likes of George Kittle and Austin Hooper remain out, and you don’t have access to their backups like Ross Dwelley, then Griffin makes for a decent spot starter. With Chris Herndon never able to make it to the field, Griffin has become a top target for Sam Darnold. He has 16 receptions and three touchdowns over the past four weeks. That’s good enough to fill a void, if needed.

Sit

Noah Fant, Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills

Fant is tough to trust even when things are lined up in his favor. Things are decidedly not lined up in his favor this week. The Bills are the best defense in the league at shutting down the tight end position and while Brandon Allen likes throwing to Fant (11 targets in Week 11), it’s just not a good spot for a guy this inconsistent.

Jeff Goldberg is the editor at Sports Intel and was the team reporter for the San Diego Fleet in the Alliance of American Football in 2019. Jeff was also the Boston Red Sox and UConn women’s basketball beat writer for the Hartford Courant and wrote two books on the UConn program: Bird at the Buzzer (2011) and Unrivaled (2015).