With no byes, mounting injuries, and a bunch of early-week games, Week 12 start 'em, sit 'em decisions are going to be brutal. With many owners in must-win matchups, the more expert analysis, opinions, and projections you can find, the better it will make your fantasy lineup choice.
To prove we believe in the "more is better" approach to fantasy football research, we’re pleased to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning weekly projections and rankings. We'll also highlight players at each position who stand out in our rankings compared to theirs so you get multiple perspectives on a few of the biggest start-or-sit headaches. To see Draft Sharks' exclusive Week 12 3D floor-to-ceiling projections, become a Draft Sharks member today at the link below!
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Week 12 Fantasy Football Projections, Rankings from Draft Sharks
Week 12 fantasy QB projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Kyler Murray, Cardinals vs. Rams (SN Ranking: 13 | DS Ranking: 9)
Murray has been solid in his first two games, posting at least 213 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, and a rushing TD in both, but he has just one total passing TD. Those rushing yards raise his floor every week, and Draft Sharks clearly likes the safety. We're not as sold on the ceiling, however, especially against a Rams' defense that has limited four of the past five QBs it's faced to fewer than 15.3 standard league fantasy points. It wasn't exactly a murderer's row (Josh Dobbs, Kenny Pickett, Jordan Love, Geno Smith/Drew Lock), but we still view Murray as more of a borderline starter than a safe QB1.
SN's WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 12 fantasy RB projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Alexander Mattison, Vikings vs. Bears (SN PPR Ranking: 21 | DS Ranking: 33)
Ty Chandler was better than Mattison last Sunday night, but he had eight fewer carries and fewer rushing yards despite a big gain on a fake punt. The Vikings still view Mattison as their lead back, and as long as he's in that role, he'll have RB2 upside in favorable matchups like this one. The lack of TDs and the surplus of costly fumbles clearly have Draft Sharks worried about him, but we think he's a relatively safe start this week.
Spotlight Player: Keaton Mitchell, Ravens @ Chargers (SN PPR Ranking: 42 | DS Ranking: 35)
The snaps have increased every week for Mitchell, but he disappointed last week with his nine touches (41 total yards). The home run ability is there every time he touches the ball, but it's clear Gus Edwards and Lamar Jackson will get the goal-line carries over him. That limits his floor and ceiling, which is why we're being more cautious with the talented rookie.
SN's WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 12 fantasy WR projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Rondale Moore, Cardinals vs. Rams (SN PPR Ranking: 50 | DS Ranking: 57)
Moore saw a season-high eight targets two weeks ago; last week he saw just one, but it turned into a 48-yard TD. He's still more of a boom-or-bust lotto ticket than anything, but given his ability to handle some carries and be used in either the intermediate or deep passing game, he has a lot of ways to score. We view him as more of a flex this week, but Draft Sharks is lukewarm to the idea of using Moore altogether.
Spotlight Player: Jonathan Mingo, Panthers @ Titans (SN PPR Ranking: 83 | DS Ranking: 63)
Here's a situation where we're looking more at actual production (five catches, 31 yards over the past three games) and Draft Sharks is looking more at opportunity (17 targets) and matchup. It seems like only a matter of time before Mingo has a good game -- and Tennessee certainly presents a great opportunity -- but we just don't trust anyone in Carolina's offense other than Adam Thielen. Bryce Young continues to struggle, and we expect that to continue on the road, thus limiting Mingo in the process.
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Week 12 fantasy TE projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Taysom Hill, Saints @ Falcons (SN PPR Ranking: 8 | DS Ranking: 13)
Atlanta is yielding a lot of fantasy points to TEs, but Hill doesn't really play TE. The Falcons are actually a pretty good run defense (108.4 yards allowed per game, four rushing TDs allowed all season), and Hill usually gets the bulk of his fantasy points on the ground. On top of that, we knocked him down a few pegs in PPR for his lack of receptions. Draft Sharks likely expects Hill to be more involved with Derek Carr (head, shoulder) banged up and Michael Thomas (shoulder) out, which is always possible, but we prefer several TEs more this week.
Week 12 fantasy defense projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Steelers (SN Ranking: 7 | DS Ranking: 18)
The Steelers' offense is a trainwreck, and we expect another hard-fought, low-scoring AFC North matchup. Draft Sharks is likely worried about Cincinnati's Jake Browning-led offense putting the defense in bad positions, which is certainly possible, but will it really be worse than Cleveland's Dorian Thompson-Robinson-led attack last week? Cleveland still managed three sacks while limiting the Steelers to just 10 offensive points, and Cincinnati can do the same with a few takeaways mixed in.
