NFL Fantasy Football: Who to start and sit in Week 12

The Bengals’ season seems to have a second wind to it this week, and hopefully your fantasy team is as alive in the fight for the playoffs. If you need some last second help setting up your lineup before you enter a Thanksgiving food coma, we are here to help. Here are the starts and sits for Week 12 in the NFL for your fantasy football team.

Must starts

Kareem Hunt (Chiefs RB): This isn’t a flashy sleeper pick, but Hunt against the Bills defense is probably the best play of the week. The Bills’ defense is quickly becoming one that you must start whichever running back is facing them every week.

Julio Jones (Falcons WR): Jones has been disapointing fantasy owners all season, but against the Buccaneers he should shine. According to Fantasy Pros, the Bucs give up the third most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

Favorable matchups

Melvin Gordon (Chargers RB): Gordon is coming off a week where he reemerged as the stand alone running back. Austin Ekeler had a good game last week, but it came once the game was so far gone, the Chargers sat their starters. Gordon will be up against the Cowboys this week, who have given up a decent amount of points to running backs.

T.Y. Hilton (Colts WR): Hilton plays well against weak secondaries, and the Titans’ secondary is about as week as they come. Hilton has been a boom or bust play every week without Andrew Luck. This week should be a boom.

Jared Cook (Raiders TE): The Broncos have a a pretty good defense, but the one thing they really struggle with is tight ends. The Broncos’ defense has given up the second most points in fantasy this season. The Raiders could look to Cook to give this struggling offense the kick in the butt it needs.

Good but not great

Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara (Saints RBs): I know these guys have each put up big numbers so far this season, but I have too hard of a time seeing that continue this week. At some point one guy is going to struggle and put up a bad game. It may not be this week as the Rams should be a good source for each guy to have a good game, but this isn’t a solid must-play week for the Saints’ backs.

Mike Wallace (Baltimore WR): Wallace has a receiving touchdown in two straight games. The Texans’ secondary hasn’t been able to slow down many people through the air, so even though Wallace is chained down by a bad offense and Joe Flacco, he should be a decent play this week.

Joe Flacco (Ravens QB): If you need a plug and play quarterback for the week you will have a hard time finding a better matchup than Flacco has against the Texans. Houston has given up the most points to quarterbacks this season, and he is probably sitting on your waiver wire right now.

Unfavorable matchups

Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen (Bears RBs): This isn’t a great matchup for these running backs against the Eagles. Cohen may be the better option as he gets more involved in the passing game, and the Eagles could pull out to a big lead. It is just hard to see both of these guys having a good game.

Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals WR): The Cardinals are playing the Jaguars this week, which means any player you own for the Cardinals is in line for a very bad day. Steer clear of the Cardinals this week.

Just sit them

Alex Collins (Ravens RB): Collins scored his first touchdown of the season last week, but with the return of Danny Woodhead and a matchup against the Texans, it should be tough sledding for Collins this week in fantasy.

Packers WRs: I once said you should determine whether to play guys on the Packers’ offense (without Aaron Rodgers) based on the matchup. I still believe that. They have just had some really bad matchups recently, and that continues this week with the Steelers’ defense, which has shut down the pass all season.