Fantasy WR Rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at wide receiver in fantasy football

Nick Musial

Fantasy WR Rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at wide receiver in fantasy football image

Wide receiver has been deep all season, but with zero teams on bye, it's even deeper this week. Injuries have hampered a handful of key pass-catchers, but our Week 12 fantasy WR rankings for standard leagues are still bursting with potential studs, sleepers, and waiver-wire streamers.

Getting Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Christian Kirk back from bye is a major boost for fantasy owners. While all those pass-catchers profile as set-it-and-forget-it starters, some ancillary receivers on those teams, such as Zay Jones, Julio Jones, and Marvin Jones Jr., could make their way into starting lineups this week in deeper leagues. Even more important were the returns of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen last week and the possible returns of Marquise Brown (foot) and Ja'Marr Chase (hip) this week. With a larger pool of WRs to choose from, start ‘em, sit ‘em decisions could actually be a bit more challenging

In addition to Brown and Chase, we will still need to monitor the statuses of JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion), Romeo Doubs (ankle), Jerry Jeudy (ankle), and Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) throughout the week. All would be potential starters if they're active.

WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Even with all the extra options, you could be looking for some streamers to boost your team's ceiling. There are quite a few with favorable matchups, including Van Jefferson (@ Chiefs in Week 12), Nico Collins (@ Dolphins), Alec Pierce and Parris Campbell (vs. Steelers), Jahan Dotson (vs. Falcons), Zay Jones and Marvin Jones Jr. (vs. Ravens), Demarcus Robinson (@ Jaguars), Isaiah McKenzie (@ Lions), and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (vs. Rams). If you're a deep league, you could even try Tyquan Thornton and DeVante Parker (@ Vikings), Olamide Zaccheaus and Damiere Byrd (@ Commanders), and Chris Moore (@ Dolphins). 

WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Campbell and Zay Jones are your best bets for targets, while MVS and McKenzie also have fairly decent floors. The rest are all boom-or-bust, but given their matchups, they have plenty of upside. 

Of course, it's not all good news, as every team being in action means every bad matchup is on the table, too. Several receivers who have been regular starters during the bye weeks are suddenly back on the start-or-sit bubble when they have bad matchups. This week, that includes DeVonta Smith (vs. Packers), Darnell Mooney (@ Jets), D.J. Moore (vs. Broncos), Adam Thielen (vs. Patriots), George Pickens and Diontae Johnson (@ Colts), Allen Lazard and Christian Watson (@ Eagles), and Donovan Peoples-Jones (vs. Buccaneers).

We would still start some of these guys over most of the WRs mentioned above, but it's really a case-by-case basis. Moreover, you might have guys on your bench, like Curtis Samuel (vs. Falcons), Drake London (@ Commanders), Allen Robinson II (@ Chiefs), and Tyler Boyd (@ Titans), who are better options thanks to more favorable matchups. 

More than ever, evaluating floors vs. ceilings will be key when making your start 'em, sit 'em decisions at WR. We have much better knowledge of matchups and target distribution than we did the last time every team was in action, and while things don't always work out as expected, we still have a pretty good idea of which receivers are in better situations than others.

Note: We'll be updating these WR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes.

Week 12 fantasy WR rankings for standard leagues

These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues

Rank    Player
1    Stefon Diggs, Bills @ Lions
2    Tyreek Hill, Dolphins vs. Texans
3    Davante Adams, Raiders @ Seahawks
4    Justin Jefferson, Vikings vs. Patriots
5    Tee Higgins, Bengals @ Titans
6    DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals vs. Chargers
7    Terry McLaurin, Commanders vs. Falcons
8    Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins vs. Texans
9    CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys vs. Giants
10    Christian Kirk, Jaguars vs. Ravens
11    Michael Pittman Jr., Colts vs. Steelers
12    A.J. Brown, Eagles vs. Packers
13    Mike Evans, Buccaneers @ Browns
14    DK Metcalf, Seahawks vs. Raiders
15    Tyler Lockett, Seahawks vs. Raiders
16    Chris Olave, Saints @ 49ers
17    Deebo Samuel, 49ers vs. Saints
18    Amari Cooper, Browns vs. Buccaneers
19    Gabriel Davis, Bills @ Lions
20    Jakobi Meyers, Patriots @ Vikings
21    Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers vs. Saints
22    Joshua Palmer, Chargers @ Cardinals
23    Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions vs. Bills
24    Brandin Cooks, Texans @ Dolphins
25    JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chiefs vs. Rams
26    Keenan Allen, Chargers @ Cardinals
27    Courtland Sutton, Broncos @ Panthers
28    Tyler Boyd, Bengals @ Titans
29    Chris Godwin, Buccaneers @ Browns
30    Marquise Brown, Cardinals vs. Chargers
31    Curtis Samuel, Commanders vs. Falcons
32    Garrett Wilson, Jets vs. Bears
33    Parris Campbell, Colts vs. Steelers
34    Zay Jones, Jaguars vs. Ravens
35    Allen Robinson II, Rams @ Chiefs
36    George Pickens, Steelers @ Colts
37    Allen Lazard, Packers @ Eagles
38    DeVonta Smith, Eagles vs. Packers
39    Demarcus Robinson, Ravens @ Jaguars
40    Diontae Johnson, Steelers @ Colts
41    Darnell Mooney, Bears @ Jets
42    D.J. Moore, Panthers vs. Broncos
43    Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs vs. Rams
44    Drake London, Falcons @ Commanders
45    Van Jefferson, Rams @ Chiefs
46    Donovan Peoples-Jones, Browns vs. Buccaneers
47    Christian Watson, Packers @ Eagles
48    Adam Thielen, Vikings vs. Patriots
49    Darius Slayton, Giants @ Cowboys
50    Jahan Dotson, Commanders vs. Falcons
51    Isaiah McKenzie, Bills @ Lions
52    Kendall Hinton, Raiders @ Seahawks
53    Alec Pierce, Colts vs. Steelers
54    Nico Collins, Texans @ Dolphins
55    Julio Jones, Buccaneers @ Browns
56    DeAndre Carter, Chargers @ Cardinals
57    Treylon Burks, Titans vs. Bengals
58    Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Giants
59    Marvin Jones Jr., Jaguars vs. Ravens
60    Devin Duvernay, Ravens @ Jaguars
61    Jarvis Landry, Saints @ 49ers
62    Chris Moore, Texans @ Dolphins
63    Robbie Anderson, Cardinals vs. Chargers
64    Terrace Marshall Jr., Panthers vs. Broncos
65    Mack Hollins, Raiders @ Seahawks
66    Robert Woods, Titans vs. Bengals
67    Kalif Raymond, Lions vs. Bills
68    Chase Claypool, Bears @ Jets
69    Damiere Byrd, Falcons @ Commanders
70    Olamide Zaccheaus, Falcons @ Commanders
71    Ben Skowronek, Rams @ Chiefs
72    Marquise Goodwin, Seahawks vs. Raiders
73    Tyquan Thornton, Patriots @ Vikings
74    DeVante Parker, Patriots @ Vikings
75    Skyy Moore, Chiefs vs. Rams
76    Randall Cobb, Packers @ Eagles
77    Trent Sherfield, Dolphins vs. Texans
78    Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans vs. Bengals
79    Richie James Jr., Giants @ Cowboys
80    A.J. Green, Cardinals vs. Chargers
81    K.J. Osborn, Vikings vs. Patriots
82    Quez Watkins, Eagles vs. Packers
83    Kenny Golladay, Giants @ Cowboys
84    Noah Brown, Cowboys vs. Giants
85    Sammy Watkins, Packers @ Eagles
86    Josh Reynolds, Lions vs. Bills
87    Jauan Jennings, 49ers vs. Saints
88    Elijah Moore, Jets vs. Bears

Week 12 WR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks

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Nick Musial

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Nick Musial is a Content Producer at The Sporting News. He recently joined the team after studying sport management and journalism at the University of Kansas. Nick’s an avid sports bettor who’s always looking for value.