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Fantasy Football Start Sit Week 12: Stick With the Cardinals
The margin for error shrinks in Week 12. With the fantasy playoffs closing in, choosing the right starters matters more than ever. This week’s Start/Sit guide highlights the matchups you can trust and the players you should avoid as the playoff race tightens.
The right lineup decisions, powered by Draft Sharks rankings, can make all the difference.
Week 12 byes:
- Denver Broncos
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Miami Dolphins
- Washington Commanders
Your Draft Sharks Team Intel page will help you set your ideal lineup, applying our award-winning weekly projections to your custom scoring.
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Quarterbacks
Another week, another QB1 performance from Jacoby Brissett
Start
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett
ARI QB8
Since taking over for Kyler Murray, Brissett has been on a heater, yet he remains surprisingly available. He has posted top-12 finishes in each of his five starts but is rostered in only 37% of Yahoo leagues as of this writing.
Last week, Brissett set an NFL record for completions against San Francisco, finishing 47-of-57 for 452 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs.
He’s averaging 314 passing yards per game and has thrown 2 TDs in every start.
There is no reason to expect a slowdown in Week 12. Arizona hosts a Jacksonville defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to QBs. The Jaguars have surrendered the fourth-most TD passes (21) and 13 total TDs to the position in their four road games.
Brissett looks poised for another QB1 outing. You can comfortably start him over more heralded names such as Baker Mayfield, Dak Prescott, and Daniel Jones.
Sit
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones
IND QB15
Jones has cooled after a blistering first half. He totaled 17 TDs against 3 INTs over his first eight games, then posted a 3-to-4 TD-to-INT line in the two games before the Week 11 bye.
Those two outings, including a 27-20 loss to a Pittsburgh defense that has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to QBs, were two of his three lowest fantasy scores of the season.
A week off may help, but the matchup won’t.
Jones and the Colts travel to Kansas City to face a Chiefs defense that has allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to QBs and is tied for the fewest TD passes allowed (9).
Jones shifts from automatic starter to questionable fantasy option in this spot.
Running Backs
One waiver wire RB should thrive, but another could be a trap
Start
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins
CLE RB18
Judkins started fast, averaging 15.5 PPR points in his first four games. Since Week 6, his production has alternated weak outings with strong ones.
Judkins seems to be more efficient with more touches. In his four games with 17 or fewer carries, Judkins has averaged 3.6 yards per carry with no TDs. In five outings with 18-plus totes, Judkins has averaged 4.1 YPC and scored 5 TDs.
With Shedeur Sanders starting in Week 12, volume should not be a concern.
The matchup also favors him. The Raiders allow the 14th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to RBs.Las Vegas has been much more competent against QBs, allowing the 10th-fewest fantasy points to signal-callers. That hints at a more RB-focused game plan.
This game has the lowest implied total of Week 12 at 36.5 points. That points to a slow, run-heavy script and plenty of chances for Judkins against a run defense that has surrendered 9 rushing TDs to RBs so far, tied for fifth-most.
Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay Packers
Emanuel Wilson
GB RB22
Josh Jacobs left Week 11 after 12 snaps and has yet to practice. He appears likely to miss Week 12, setting up Wilson to start.
After Jacobs exited, Wilson played 94% of the snaps and handled all 11 RB carries. He out-snapped Chris Brooks 39-5.
Wilson also posted a 60% route rate and was the only Green Bay RB to receive a target last week. With Jacobs expected to be sidelined, that hints at a potential bell-cow role for Wilson against the Vikings.
Dating back to last season, Wilson has averaged 12.6 PPR points per game in the four contests he’s received double-digit carries. That puts him firmly in RB2 territory in Week 12, facing a Minnesota defense that surrenders the 10th-most rushing yards and has allowed an RB TD in four straight games.
Sit
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy Jr.
NYG RB25
Tracy is coming off a season-high 23 touches and 139 scrimmage yards against the Packers. New York took a run-heavy approach without Jaxson Dart, but as 10.5-point underdogs against Detroit, that approach will change.
The Lions have allowed the fewest fantasy points to RBs and only one RB rushing TD since Week 4. Devin Singletary’s short-yardage role further lowers Tracy’s scoring odds.
Singletary’s role in the offense has also grown. Since Week 9, Singletary has played 45% of New York’s snaps and accounted for 40% of their backfield carries. He’s also seen only 2 fewer targets than Tracy during this stretch.
Tracy is coming off his best fantasy outing of the season, but is a poor bet to repeat those numbers against a Detroit defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards and seventh-fewest receptions to RBs.
UPDATE: Jaxson Dart won't play.
Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sean Tucker
TB RB28
Tucker might be tough to sit after last week’s 3-TD game that finished him No. 2 among RBs in PPR points. But HC Todd Bowles says the Bucs are “ramping up” Bucky Irving’s practice reps, hinting he is close to returning.
If Irving plays, Tucker likely goes back to the No. 3 RB role. Even if Irving sits, risk remains.
Tucker’s opportunities have climbed over the last three games, but Rachaad White has nearly doubled him in snaps. White has out-touched Tucker 42 to 31 and handled 90% of Tampa’s long-down-and-distance work.
White has also played all of the 2-minute snaps in that span.
This week, Tampa visits a Rams defense that allows the third-fewest fantasy points to RBs. Los Angeles is tied for seventh at 3.9 yards per carry allowed and has given up just two RB rushing TDs all season.
The Rams rank only 21st against the pass, which should tilt Tampa’s script toward the air and favor White over Tucker.
Wide Receivers
The Cardinal connection is back in play against the Jaguars
Start
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Michael Wilson
ARI WR22
The Cards ruled Marvin Harrison Jr. out again, allowing Wilson to step in again as Arizona’s No. 1 WR. He delivered a breakout performance in that role last week, drawing 18 targets.
He caught 15 of them for 185 yards and posted Ja’Marr Chase-like usage against San Francisco:
- 32% target share
- 32% reception share
- 41% of Arizona’s receiving yards
His 185 yards were the most by any WR this season. While he is unlikely to match that line, Wilson should lead the team in routes and targets in a favorable matchup.
Jacksonville has allowed the 14th-most fantasy points to WRs and has struggled against No. 1 wideouts, who have averaged 17.1 PPR points per game.
Brissett has five straight top-12 finishes and now faces a Jaguars defense that has allowed the seventh-most passing yards (236.9 per game) and fourth-most TD passes (21).
Heavy volume in a strong matchup puts Wilson firmly in WR2 range.
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
Christian Watson
GB WR29
Injuries have ravaged Green Bay’s WR group, and Watson’s own recovery was a question after his January ACL tear. Those concerns are gone.
In Week 8, Watson debuted with a 56% snap share and 65% route rate. In Week 11, Watson was up to a 78% snap share and led the receiving corps with an 80% route rate.
Watson has received 4-plus targets in every game and has been a downfield playmaker, averaging 19.5 yards per catch. He also leads the team at 11.9 PPR points per game, which would be a career high.
He draws a plus matchup against a Minnesota defense that has slipped. Over their last five games, the Vikings have allowed WRs 33.5 PPR points per game, which would be 12th-most over a full season.
With Green Bay favored at home and owning the 11th-highest implied total (24), Watson profiles as a strong WR3 with upside.
Sit
Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Addison
MIN WR30
A TD salvaged Addison’s Week 11 line, but his production with J.J. McCarthy remains troubling.
McCarthy has been held under 160 passing yards in four of five starts, depressing Minnesota’s WR production. Justin Jefferson’s visible frustration last week tells the story, and Addison has suffered even more.
In three games with McCarthy, Addison has averaged 2.3 catches and 34.3 yards.
Now he faces a Green Bay defense allowing the 11th-fewest fantasy points to WRs.
Do not chase last week’s TD. Minnesota carries the fourth-lowest implied total (17.5) and could struggle to move the ball.
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall
SF WR37
Pearsall returned from a six-game absence in Week 11 and immediately played real snaps, tying Jauan Jennings with a 73% snap share and posting an 85% route rate.
The production, however, was nonexistent: 3 targets, 1 catch, 0 yards.
After such a long layoff, Pearsall likely needs time to regain form. His 10% route win rate last week reflects that rust.
The timing is poor for fantasy managers. With the playoffs looming, patience is hard to justify, especially with a Week 12 matchup against a Carolina defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to WRs.
It is good to have Pearsall back, but he belongs on benches until he shows signs of returning to early-season form.
Tight Ends
Kyle Pitts should benefit in a new-look Atlanta offense
Start
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts
ATL TE8
Atlanta lost Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London last week, forcing Kirk Cousins into the lineup. Cousins struggled, completing 6 of 14 passes for 3.4 yards per attempt.
The first receiver Cousins targeted when he came into the game was Pitts, who had his second-highest route rate (97%) of the season.
Drake London’s absence will put Pitts in a position to lead Atlanta in targets. Per Fantasy Points data, Pitts ranks third on the Falcons in first-read rate (17.6%), just behind Darnell Mooney (20.5%). London has a massive 38.5% first-read share, which opens up more opportunities for Pitts.
Pitts isn’t a traditional in-line TE. Among TEs who have 20-plus targets, Pitts ranks third, lining up as a perimeter receiver on 23.1% of his snaps. Pitts has a 6-inch advantage on both of the Saints’ CBs, and New Orleans has allowed 11 TDs to WRs so far in 2025, tied for eighth-most.
Pitts will see a boost in targets and has sneaky TD potential, making him a top-10 option in our Week 12 TE rankings.
Sit
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns
Harold Fannin Jr.
CLE TE14
Pitts may benefit from a QB change. Fannin likely will not.
Shedeur Sanders was ineffective last week, completing 4 of 16 passes, taking two sacks, committing an intentional grounding, fumbling once, and throwing an INT.
Fannin caught one of three targets from Sanders, who led five scoreless drives in his half of action.
The matchup also works against Fannin. The Raiders allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to TEs, and only two have topped 50 yards against them this season.
Cleveland should lean heavily on the run. Fannin is little more than a low-end TE2 with a low floor in Week 12.
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