Fantasy Football Week 12 Start/Sit Advice: Sleepers & Duds (2024)

Identifying Week 12 sleepers and avoiding potential duds can make all the difference for your team. Whether you’re looking for under-the-radar players poised for a breakout or trying to dodge early-season letdowns, our team of Featured Pros has you covered. In this article, we’ll dive into the key players you should start and those you might want to bench based on expert insights and analysis.

Week 12 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice

Sleepers

Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros flex rankings is a good sleeper start, and why do you think he has upside this week?

Ja’Tavion Sanders (TE – CAR)

“Some solid TE options are on bye, and Ja’Tavion Sanders has a role (85%+ of the snaps the last 2 weeks) and is producing (9.8+ points in 4 of the last five games). He also faces the Chiefs, who rank 29th against tight ends on the year.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

Devaughn Vele (WR – DEN)

“Devaughn Vele has come on of late as one of Bo Nix‘s favorite targets. This newfound fantasy success should continue in Week 12 against a Raiders squad that continues to reel and is playing for next year again. The 7th-round rookie only trails Courtland Sutton in the Denver target column over the last two games. With such a brutal bye week, Vele is worth a longer look.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)

“One player outside of the top 100 that I think is a good sleeper start is Devaughn Vele. Vele may sit at 108 in the FLEX rankings, but he has finished as WR19 and WR39 in the last two weeks. This week, he has a matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, a game where the Denver Broncos should be able to move the ball at will. As someone who has outperformed his projections four of seven weeks and is currently only ranked as WR56, I think Vele is a good sleeper start.”
– Trevor Land (FlurrySports)

Mike Williams (WR – PIT)

“Cleveland is in full-blown “1-2-3 Cancun!” mode after giving up 35 points to the Saints and allowing Taysom Hill to run at will. Their longtime bully, the Pittsburgh Steelers, comes fresh off a massive win over Baltimore. It’s a classic “get right” spot after a slugfest, and there is one component the Steelers have yet to integrate into their offense: wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams is the type of big play threat who can make the start worthwhile off one play, precisely what you want with a deep sleeper, and he faces a Cleveland defense that had allowed the fifth most points to wide receivers before facing the Saints’ WR-less attack.”
– Jeff Bell (Footballguys)

Sterling Shepard (WR – TB)

“Sterling Shepard in a revenge game fueled by his college and current QB, Baker Mayfield. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank Top 5 in completions and have the second-lowest ADoT in the NFL this season, which bodes well for Shepard as Tampa’s preferred Chris Godwin stand-in. The Bucs should be able to win the time of possession battle as their defense is Top 10 in QB sacks, pressures, hits, hurries, and knockdowns per Sports Info Solutions. That’s good news for Tampa’s passing volume but bad news for Giants QB Tommy DeVito, who was sacked at least five times in four starts last season. Bucs WR Jalen McMillan is also worth a flyer as he returns from a hamstring injury to hopefully enjoy the “post-BYE rookie bump.”
– Brad Beatson (Bandit Fantasy Football)

Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI)

“It’s a tough matchup for Roschon Johnson this week, but the change in coaching staff has led to some interesting usage. Against the Packers, Johnson was not only the passing down back, he returned to being a significant short yardage and goal line back. That’s a lot of usage for a team that is often trailing while also running a lot in the red zone. This could easily be far closer to a committee than D’Andre Swift owners would like to admit.”
– Ben Wasley (The Fantasy First Down)

“Roschon Johnson handled 34% of the Bears’ carries in Week 11 — a season-high. There’s potential for him to see more work on Sunday, as D’Andre Swift is dealing with a groin injury.”
– Kevin English (Draft Sharks)

Trey Benson (RB – ARI)

“I think Trey Benson is worth a shot as an upside bye-week fill-in this week. Each of the past four weeks Benson has seen an increase in opportunities (targets plus touches). James Conner has seen a decrease each week in the same time frame. The Seahawks have given up an average of 26 PPR Fantasy Points per game over the past seven games, so there is room for both Benson and Conner to have solid production.”
– Michael Tomlin (Fantasy Six Pack)

“Trey Benson – Over the last couple of games, Benson has started to carve out a role in this offense that is only going to get larger as the season goes on. The Cardinals drafted Benson with the expectation he would eventually become their guy, so they are going to give him the opportunity to at least find out if he is the guy or not. Is he going to be an RB1 this week with Connor still relevant? Probably not. But Benson could be a decent flex play this week, especially with so many players on bye this week.”
– Joey Meinerding (Fantasy Dink)

Duds

Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?

D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI)

“D’Andre Swift. Chicago is not favored against a superior Vikings team, and the matchup is brutal. The Vikings have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to RBs, and he lost work to Roschon Johnson (42% of snaps) last week in a close game.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

“It’s hard to bench anyone in the Top 40, given the extent of the byes this week. That being said, be prepared for D’Andre Swift to disappoint in Week 12. Minnesota has been stalwarts defending the run in 2024, yielding just 65 yards per game on the ground. To boot, Roschon Johnson is always a threat to vulture Swift if the Bears do find themselves near the goal line.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)

“One player that will disappoint is D’Andre Swift. Although he has been incredibly solid since Week 3, he has an incredibly tough matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. He’s only beat his projections six of the previous 16 weeks and will struggle some more as the Chicago Bears will likely struggle to move the ball. With Roschon Johnson also taking most of the goal line carries, it’s hard to see Swift doing enough to validate his current ranking at RB17.”
– Trevor Land (FlurrySports)

“D’Andre Swift – I don’t like the matchup for Swift this week against Minnesota. This could be a game where Chicago abandons the run game fairly quickly and relies on the passing game to stay competitive. Roschon Johnson also was decently involved last week and could be just as involved this week. I wouldn’t bench Swift, but I would keep expectations lower for him this week.”
– Joey Meinerding (Fantasy Dink)

Rico Dowdle (RB – DAL)

“On Tuesday afternoon, Rico Dowdle qualifies for this question. Take the layups. Washington was shredded by Saquon Barkley in Week 11, but Dowdle and the Cooper Rush-led attack are something else entirely. Dowdle has yet to score a rushing touchdown in 2024, and he struggled badly to connect with Rush in the last two games, dropping multiple passes on Monday Night. There is a chance Dowdle can nickel and dime his way to a decent day playing from behind, but his ceiling is in bust territory in this matchup.”
– Jeff Bell (Footballguys)

Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) | Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR)

“Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp will have a tough time living up to lofty expectations on Sunday Night Football against Vic Fangio’s stingy pass defense. Since the Eagles returned from their Week 5 BYE, the Birds have allowed just 14 total completions of 10 or more air yards across six games. More than half of the Rams’ WR yardage this season has come on these intermediate or deeper completions, including 10 receptions apiece for Nacua and Kupp for a combined 415 yards and two touchdowns per Sports Info Solutions. The duo’s floor should remain intact for managers in Week 12, but it may be wise to start ceiling options elsewhere in lineups.”
– Brad Beatson (Bandit Fantasy Football)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)

“Jaxon Smith-Njigba has had a pair of excellent performances, but they were both in each matchups for slot receivers. He now takes on the Cardinals, a team more susceptible to the run game, and also has a healthier DK Metcalf to deal with. I think we are more likely to see a regression game for JSN than another big outing.”
– Ben Wasley (The Fantasy First Down)

D.K. Metcalf (WR – SEA)

“D.K. Metcalf is in a surprisingly tough spot against the Cardinals this week. Arizona’s defense has faced Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle over the past three games. Those six averaged 45 yards per game, with no one above 72 yards. Not one of the six scored. The Cardinals are limiting big plays against the pass, with not one of those top receiving options breaking 30 yards on a play, something Metcalf needs to succeed.”
– Michael Tomlin (Fantasy Six Pack)

Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR)

“Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers: Hubbard’s been one of the top fantasy surprises of 2024, sitting top-12 in PPR points per game. This week brings the return of Jonathan Brooks, though. And the Kansas City matchup is brutal. They’ve allowed only 3.1 yards per carry and five total RB scores all season.”
– Kevin English (Draft Sharks)

Articles Featured Pros NFL Start/Sit Ja’Tavion Sanders Devaughn Vele Bo Nix Courtland Sutton Mike Williams Taysom Hill Sterling Shepard Baker Mayfield Chris Godwin Tommy DeVito Jalen McMillan Roschon Johnson D’Andre Swift Trey Benson James Conner Rico Dowdle Saquon Barkley Cooper Rush Puka Nacua Cooper Kupp Jaxon Smith-Njigba DK Metcalf Garrett Wilson Davante Adams D.J. Moore Keenan Allen Tyreek Hill Jaylen Waddle Chuba Hubbard