Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 12: Wide Receiver rankings

The fantasy football playoffs are approaching and that means it is time to buckle down and get the best possible lineup on the field in Week 12. Here we will focus on the wide receiver position, which has the potential to make or break any fantasy football team on a weekly basis.

There are obvious starters every week, such as Cooper Kupp and Tyreek Hill. But let's go a bit deeper and figure out others who should start, and some bigger names who should hit the bench.

Week 12 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Start 'Em

Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans vs. New York Jets

The Houston Texans won their second game of the season on Sunday in a shocker over the Tennessee Titans. Brandin Cooks just had very little impact on the game. That may spook some fantasy football owners heading into Week 12.

Cooks only had two catches for 18 yards in a game when Tyrod Taylor returned. However, the weather was not great and things are looking up this week against a terrible New York Jets defense. Cooks has 659 yards this year and most of his time has come with Davis Mills under center. Having Taylor back and going against the Jets is a great sign that he will rebound in a big way for fantasy football owners.

Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams vs. Green Bay Packers

This is easily the biggest risk of the week. Odell Beckham Jr. had a rough debut with the Los Angeles Rams, but it came on a short week when he just arrived after forcing his way out of Cleveland.

We all know that Kupp is the focal point in the Los Angeles offense. The injury to Robert Woods has opened up that second spot and Beckham is poised to swoop in and fill the void.

There is a narrative around Beckham that he makes quarterbacks worse. Baker Mayfield's poor play this year may prove Beckham was not the problem all along, and he can set the record straight with a big game Sunday. If he is open, Matthew Stafford is not going to miss him. That is exactly what fantasy football owners want to hear.

D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers vs. Miami Dolphins

D.J. Moore hauled in a touchdown along with 50 yards Sunday in Cam Newton's return to the starting lineup. That is all we needed to see to realize Newton is going to keep Moore in his sights on a weekly basis.

Week 12 is tricky because the Carolina Panthers are matching up with a Miami Dolphins defense that has proven it can show up, even if only sporadically. The key here is that the Panthers are simply a better team with Newton and Moore is going to get plenty of targets. 50 yards and a touchdown represent a solid day and Moore looks like a safe choice in fantasy football until him and Newton prove otherwise.

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Also Check Out: Complete NFL Week 12 TV Schedule

Pittsburgh Steelers v Los Angeles Chargers

Week 12 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Sit 'Em

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Diontae Johnson has gone for over 100 yards twice this season. The second and most recent time came this past week, when he finished with 101 yards in a wild shootout against the Los Angeles Chargers.

But the Pittsburgh Steelers are taking on a tough defense this week in the Cincinnati Bengals. That may mean many short passes to Najee Harris or even some fades to Chase Claypool to seek any advantage. It's not that Johnson will be out of the game-plan. However, his lack of consistent big games is a concern late in the fantasy football season.

Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers vs. Miami Dolphins

Robby Anderson finally got his wish. Sam Darnold is no longer the quarterback and Cam Newton is back in with the Carolina Panthers. The result this past week, however, is not what he wished for.

Anderson had another forgettable game with five receptions for 30 yards. That came after he did get a touchdown the week prior in Newton's initial return. The receiver still only has 273 yards this season on 28 total receptions. That is not the year anyone projected after he went over 1,000 yards in 2020.

D.J. Moore, who appeared earlier in this article, and Christian McCaffrey are two more reliable options in this Panthers offense. After them, it is tough to put Anderson into a fantasy football lineup unless it is out of necessity.

Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans

Jakobi Meyers was in the news recently after he shared how excited he was to get his first touchdown this season. However, such a late first touchdown is not great news for fantasy football owners.

Meyers has had a solid year so far with 54 catches for 522 yards. But we are in Week 12 and that is not the average to really take a fantasy football team over the top. Meyers should only play if you are desperate, and that is true for the remainder of the season.

The New England Patriots offense is known for spreading the ball around and unless we are talking about Randy Moss or Julian Edelman, it is usually wise to avoid their receivers in fantasy football. Otherwise, you may witness a Patriots win that does nothing to help your own fantasy luck.

Top 10 wide receivers to start in fantasy football in Week 12

1. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers vs. Los Angeles Rams
2. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams vs. Green Bay Packers
3. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
4. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills vs. New Orleans Saints
5. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers
6. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Indianapolis Colts
7. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks vs. Washington Football Team
8. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team vs. Seattle Seahawks
9. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings
10. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers