Advertisement

Fantasy Football Traffic Cop: Week 12 lineup advice

scott pianowski
Fantasy analyst
·4-min read

The following is an excerpt from the latest edition of Yahoo's fantasy football newsletter, Get to the Points! If you like what you see, you can subscribe for free here.

Start-sit questions can be anxious for even the best fantasy managers. Here's a traffic-light report to help get you ready for Week 12.

✅ Green Light

He's been the best runner in the Tampa Bay backfield, averaging 1.3 yards more per rush than Rachaad White. Running lanes should be available against a Giants front seven that gives out 5.3 YPC, worst in the NFL.‌

The Chargers slightly prefer the run but it's a small gap; Justin Herbert's play has improved in recent weeks. Johnston is coming along for the ride (touchdowns in three straight games) and the injury-wrecked Baltimore secondary doesn't offer much resistance.

Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

In the early weeks, he was an athletic quarterback who ran plenty and occasionally hit a few passes. His passing efficiency has improved significantly. Over his last seven starts, Nix has a tidy 7.4 YPA and a rating of 106.2

The Philadelphia defense is surging but so is Stafford; since getting his two main receivers back four games ago, he's averaging 2.5 touchdown passes and 291 passing yards per week.

I don't understand why he isn't universally ranked over Deebo Samuel Sr. yet; he keeps outproducing him every week. Remember: in our game, it's the numbers, not the names.

🫤 Yellow Light‌

Is the nagging rib injury suffocating him as a runner? He has just 23 rushing yards the last two weeks, logging a pair of QB24 finishes. The Cowboys are a favorable draw, but Washington might not press the pace for a full three hours.

Detroit's defense has turned into a problem, but Richardson got his groove back in the comeback win over the Jets and offers a useful rushing backboard in any start.‌

Maybe the Tommy DeVito move sounds like a downgrade, but keep in mind how poorly Daniel Jones was playing. The Giants are likely to pepper Nabers after their bye week, and the Tampa Bay secondary has been a mess all year. Not a chance I'm benching Nabers anywhere.

I think the presence of Jonathon Brooks is an overrated angle; yes, Brooks was an early pick, but don't overlook the contract extension Hubbard earned. The biggest problem is the Chiefs rushing defense, the worst matchup for opposing backs in 2024.

He might not be needed for four periods if the Commanders gain control of the game, but Ekeler is essentially the No. 2 receiver in Washington, scoring double-digit points in three straight, including an eight-catch gem against Philadelphia last week.

He's probably a safe bet for 4-6 catches if Jake Ferguson is scratched as expected. It's also possible CeeDee Lamb could be limited, or perhaps out completely. Tight end is such a tricky position; we'll take what we can get.

🛑 Red Light

He hasn't been better than QB14 in seven weeks, in part because Joe Mixon is the touchdown priority at the goal line. Tennessee isn't the easy matchup you might suspect, ranked a respectable 11th in defensive DVOA.

He's stuck on three touchdowns for the year and he's averaged less than 10 yards per catch in eight of 10 games. Rome Odunze might be the better offensive fit as the Bears ride out the year with new OC Thomas Brown.

The Dolphins have TE Jonnu Smith unlocked and Tyreek Hill is too good to bench, but Waddle is a harder pill to swallow. He's scored just one touchdown all year and hasn't made it to 60 yards since opening day. In shallow formats, you have my permission to drop Waddle.

His role shrunk last week with Isaiah Likely back and the Chargers' seam coverage has been outstanding all year.