With just two or three weeks left until the Fantasy Football playoffs, who can you trust at wide receiver? There's no shortage of viable starting options at the position, of course -- 38 different wide receivers are averaging at least 13 PPR points per game, compared to just 24 at running back -- but there is also a remarkable amount of parity at the position. The gap between No. 38 (D.J. Chark) and No. 16 (Chase Claypool) is less than 3.0 Fantasy points per game.
And the gap in any given week is usually a lot smaller. Over the last five weeks (four games), Chark has outscored Claypool twice. That's just one small example, but it highlights how many wide receivers are viable plays in any given week. You might have as many as five guys to choose from for two WR spots and a flex, so you'll always run the risk of leaving points on the board.
We'll help you make the right decisions. Here are Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls for wide receiver in Week 12.
More Week 12: Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | Starts and Sits, Sleepers and Bust | PPR Cheat Sheet | Non-PPR Cheat Sheet | QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Matchup Notes | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: RB | Star 'Em & Sit 'Em: WR | Rankings | Waiver Wire | Trade Values Chart | Cut List | Week 11 Winners and Losers | Believe It Or Not
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
Start 'Em
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Jefferson has been the best rookie wide receiver this year in the NFL, and he's putting up tremendous stats with Adam Thielen on the field. There's a chance Thielen (illness) is out this week after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so hopefully that leads to more targets for Jefferson. He's had three games this season with more than five targets, and he's scored at least 21 PPR points in all three. Jefferson should be considered a starter in all leagues even if Thielen plays.
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I like all three Tampa Bay receivers this week with Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Godwin. Evans and Godwin are must-start Fantasy receivers in all leagues, and Brown is a low-end starter in PPR and a flex in non-PPR. For Godwin, he's scored at least 15 PPR points in three of his past four games. While Brown has taken targets from Godwin and made him seemingly less valuable as a Fantasy option, he still had 10 targets in Week 11 against the Rams. I expect Tampa Bay to be throwing a lot in this game, and all three receivers should be successful.
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I like all three Carolina wide receivers this week with Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel and Moore. Moore is a must-start Fantasy option in all leagues, while Anderson is a starter in PPR and a flex in non-PPR. Samuel is more of a flex option in both leagues, but all three of them are in play against this inexperienced Minnesota secondary. The Vikings allow the fourth-most Fantasy points to receivers and second-most touchdowns to the position (17). Moore has scored at least 14 PPR points in five of his past seven games, and he should do well again this week with Teddy Bridgewater (knee) back for Carolina.
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In their past four games, the Jets have allowed opposing wide receivers from Buffalo, Kansas City, New England and the Chargers to catch 78 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns on 104 targets. Over that span, eight receivers have scored at least 11 PPR points, including five with at least 22 PPR points. Parker hasn't been great with Tua Tagovailoa starting for the Dolphins, but the two have connected for two touchdowns in the past four games. Parker also has at least seven targets in three games in a row, and there have been 15 receivers with at least seven targets against the Jets this year. Of those 15, 10 have scored at least 11 PPR points.
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Cooks didn't have a great game in Week 11 against New England, but he was once again solid with four catches for 85 yards on five targets. He has now scored at least 12 PPR points in five of his past six games, and he should have another quality outing this week against the Lions. Detroit has allowed five receivers to score at least 11 PPR points in the past two games against Washington and Carolina, and Cooks and Will Fuller should add to that total this week. It doesn't help that the Lions will be without rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah (shoulder) this week as well.
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Sleepers
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Pittman is emerging as the best receiver for the Colts and has scored 34 PPR points in his past two games. Included in that was his outing in Week 10 at Tennessee when he had seven catches for 101 yards on eight targets, as well 21 yards on the ground, and hopefully he has similar production in the rematch this week. He has 18 targets in his past three games, and he's building solid rapport with Philip Rivers.
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Shepard comes off his bye with a great matchup against the Bengals, who are tied for third in touchdowns allowed to receivers this year with 14. Shepard has at least six targets in every healthy game he's played this year, and he's scored at least 15 PPR points in two of his past four outings. Shepard and Darius Slayton should be considered sleepers in Week 12 as No. 3 Fantasy receivers.
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Agholor has been the best Fantasy receiver for the Raiders this season, and he's scored at least 13 PPR points in five of his past seven games. He just had six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on nine targets against the Chiefs in Week 11, and he has a great matchup in Week 12 at Atlanta. The Falcons allow the most Fantasy points to opposing receivers, and Agholor can be a solid No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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It appears like John Brown (ankle) will be out this week against the Chargers, and that should be a good thing for Beasley. He's been successful with or without Brown in the lineup, having scored at least 11 PPR points in seven of 10 games this year. However, in the two games Brown has missed in Week 5 at Tennessee and Week 7 at the Jets, Beasley has a combined 17 catches for 165 yards on 18 targets.
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It appears like Sam Darnold (shoulder) will play this week, which should help Crowder get back to being a reliable Fantasy receiver. In his past two starts with Joe Flacco, Crowder had three catches for 42 yards on five targets. But in three previous games with Darnold, Crowder had 33 targets for 22 catches, 268 yards and a touchdown, and he scored 11 PPR points at Miami in Week 6. Crowder will be at least a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues if Darnold is back.
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Sit 'Em
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Maybe Brandon Allen will be good for Higgins as the replacement quarterback for Joe Burrow (knee). Or Allen could be awful, and Higgins could struggle. I'm not going to risk it this week against the Giants, who could use cornerback James Bradberry to shadow the rookie, even though he's been fantastic. Higgins comes into Week 12 with at least 13 PPR points in four of his past five games, and he has at least nine targets in three games in a row. I'll still use Tyler Boyd as a low-end starter in all leagues, but Higgins and A.J. Green make me nervous. Hopefully, I'm wrong, and Allen to Higgins will be a strong connection this week and for the rest of the season.
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Kirk has been a disappointment for the past two games with a combined 15 PPR points against Buffalo and Seattle. He has 12 targets over that span for eight catches, 77 yards and no touchdowns. Prior to that, Kirk had scored at least 20 PPR points in three games in a row, and hopefully he gets back to that level of production. But this week could be a problem for Kirk against a good New England secondary. Along with Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson has been doing a nice job against opposing receivers, and Kirk could have a bad game in Week 12 on the road, especially if he doesn't score. I'm still starting Kirk as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver, but he's not a must-start option this week.
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ick has been Denver's best receiver this season, and he should be added in all leagues where available. But this isn't the week to use him as a starter. While he does have a touchdown or at least 100 receiving yards in five of his past seven games -- and the two outings where he failed to reach that mark he got hurt (Week 7) or was ejected (Week 10) -- he should have minimal production against the Saints. Only one receiver has scored against New Orleans in the past three games, which was Brandon Aiyuk in Week 10, and Aiyuk and Calvin Ridley are the lone receivers with more than 64 receiving yards over that span. Patrick and Jerry Jeudy can still be low-end No. 3 Fantasy receivers this week, but I would prefer to avoid them against the Saints.
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Williams has been great of late with at least 13 PPR points in three of his past four games, but he could struggle in a matchup with Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White this week. While White hasn't been as dominant in 2020 as he was in 2019, he should still make things tough on Williams, who did have only five PPR points in his last road game at Miami in Week 10. Williams is likely a touchdown-or-bust No. 3 Fantasy receiver in most leagues.
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Bust Alert
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Fulgham should be great against Seattle since the Seahawks allow the most Fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, but it's hard to trust him given Carson Wentz's level of play. And since Jalen Reagor and Alshon Jeffery have returned from injury, Fulgham has two catches for 16 yards on 12 targets in his past two games. Now, Zach Ertz (ankle) might return in Week 12 against Seattle, which could further impact Fulgham, and he should only be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best in the majority of leagues.
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So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 12 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
