Fantasy Football Week 12 Start/Sit Advice: Sleepers & Duds (2025)

Week 12 is here, and if your roster looks anything like the Thanksgiving dessert table—half empty, vaguely chaotic, and relying on one uncle who definitely shouldn’t be carrying this much responsibility—you’re not alone. Bye weeks, injuries, and depth-chart plot twists are testing everyone’s patience.

To help you separate the sneaky starts from the “please don’t ruin my week” sits, we turn to the Featured Pros. Their expert picks for Week 12 Sleepers and Duds will help stabilize your lineup, calm your nerves, and maybe even prevent that annual holiday meltdown we pretend is “tradition.”

Let’s dig in.

Fantasy Football Week 12 Start/Sit Advice

Sleepers

Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is a good sleeper start, and why do you think he has upside this week?

Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAC)

“This will be a popular answer in Week 12, but I have to go with the crowd with the selection of Jacksonville’s Bhayshul Tuten. By eye test alone, the rookie back has looked like the more dynamic option in the Jaguars’ backfield. An ankle injury has him questionable early in the week, but it don’t bother me none. Ultimately, coaches like their guys. Liam Coen drafted Tuten, not Etienne. The writing’s on the wall in favor of Tuten this week and for the rest of the season.”
– Matt De Lima (Athlon Sports)

“Bhayshul Tuten seems like an easy flex this week after he went off in Week 11. I know the Jags were inexplicably up big early against the Chargers, but Tuten also saw a career-high 15 carries and ripped off 5 yards per carry and a touchdown in the process. I get it. Travis Etienne also looked great himself, but the Cardinals this week won’t be much scarier as they’re giving up the 9th-most fantasy points to the RB position this season. Etienne should still operate as the starter, but the overall 141st fantasy player this week seems woefully undervalued given his production last week and his matchup this week.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)

Andrei Iosivas (WR – CIN)

“Andrei Iosivas is likely the biggest benefactor from the Ja’Marr Chase one-game suspension this week. He should slot into the starting role opposite Tee Higgins. And he could rack up some targets in a game that the Bengals could be throwing often to keep up with the high-powered Patriots offense. Iosivas has some fantasy potential to do good things in Week 12. He already has two games this year with 13-plus fantasy points as the third option in this passing game.”
– Jeff Paur (RTSports)

“The one-game suspension of Ja’Marr Chase is why Andrei Iosivas is about to have a breakout week, and is my top sleeper. With gunslinger QB Joe Flacco under centre, this is a big advantage, as Flacco leads the league in passing yards over his last four starts and has already shown a promising connection with Iosivas. It was only a few weeks ago that they connected for five catches, 66 yards, and a touchdown. Career day for Iosivas incoming!”
– Luke Renton (The Franchise Tag UK)

“Andrei Iosivas is the obvious streamer with the most upside in Week 12 with Ja’Marr Chase suspended. It’s not a smash spot for a receiver against New England’s defense, but top CB Christian Gonzalez will be all over Tee Higgins, leaving Yoshi as a second option. He’s quietly seen 11 targets the last two games, even with Chase active, so there’s good reason to expect PPR production.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)

“The player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros flex rankings that is a good sleeper start is Andrei Iosivas. This is clearly a spot start in your fantasy football lineup for this week only. Ja’Marr Chase is serving his one-game suspension this week, creating the potential for Andrei Iosivas to see increased targets in Week 12. It’s a great matchup against New England. Iosivas has two games this season with double-digit fantasy points.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)

“It’s possible that Andrei Iosivas could be to Week 12 what Michael Wilson was to Week 11. With Marvin Harrison Jr. out of the lineup last week, Wilson drew 18 targets and had 15 catches for 185 yards against the 49ers. Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended for Week 12 after spitting on the Steelers’ Jalen Ramsey last week. Tee Higgins becomes the Bengals’ No. 1 receiver, but Higgins is likely to see a lot of the Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, one of the better cover men in the league. That could open opportunities for Iosivas. Joe Flacco has averaged 42.6 pass attempts over his five starts with the Bengals, and Iosivas could get a pretty substantial target share for Cincinnati this week.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Jalen Coker (WR – CAR)

“Jalen Coker is a strong sleeper start outside the top 100 this week thanks to his expanded role and elite matchup. He’s coming off his best game since returning from injury, posting 11.2 points on four catches for 52 yards. The 49ers have one of the worst pass rushes in the league and rank 25th in pass DVOA, making this a favorable spot for Carolina’s passing attack. As a primary slot receiver, Coker benefits even more since San Francisco allows an NFL-high 19.1 PPG to slot receivers. If Xavier Legette sits, Coker’s target volume could spike, and he’s already shown chemistry with Bryce Young, averaging a 19% target share and 55 yards over the final five weeks of 2024. Expect Coker to have his best performance of the season in Week 12.”
– Ryan Linkletter (Blitz Sports Media)

“Jalen Coker at the San Francisco 49ers. With so much attention from the defense going to breakout rookie Tet McMillan, Jalen Coker should have a lot of easy target upside this week from Bryce Young, who is coming off of an absolutely massive blowup game. Not to mention that the 49ers’ secondary has been pretty bad this season, as they’ve struggled quite a bit. Xavier Legette is a fine option here, too, I guess, but I’m going with Jalen Coker, because Coker has been more consistent in the past, I feel.”
– Aidan Weingartner (Fantasy In Frames)

Kyle Williams (WR – NE)

“Kyle Williams has seen an uptick in snaps the past two weeks. Now, seeing zero points against the Jets is not great, but he upped his snap share to 67%. He gets another easy matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, who are giving up the fifth-most passing yards to opposing offenses. D.J. Turner, one of the only bright spots on the Bengals’ defense, will likely be seeing a fair share of Stefon Diggs, which could put Williams in line for a big day.”
– Ryan Prosick (Fantrax)

Noah Fant (TE – CIN)

“With Ja’Marr Chase out this week due to suspension, someone will have to step up for the Bengals next to Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. Noah Fant could be that guy this week. Joe Flacco has liked to throw to Fant, logging 3 top-17 weekly finishes in his last 3 of 4 weeks. Fant has also scored in two of his last four games, all with Chase on the field. The Patriots are conceding the 12th-most points to the position thus far in 2025, and Cincy may have to throw a ton to keep up with New England’s offense. Fant will need a score, but the situation to stream him for managers needing tight end band aids couldn’t be better than it is this week. ”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)

“Pats HC Mike Vrabel said that running back Rhamondre Stevenson would practice on Wednesday. If he plays, and since it’s vs the Bengals, we would have no reason to believe he wouldn’t be on the field and producing. Even with “Von” Henderson asserting himself these last few weeks as the team’s most explosive runner, both would be in line to get valuable touches.”
– Justin Jaksa (Dr. Roto)

Kayshon Boutte (WR – NE)

“Kayshon Boutte returns to practice this week. If he is back, he could be a sleeper to target. Drake Maye‘s breakout season has helped a lot of pieces. Boutte has had a great start, averaging 18.7 yards per catch. He has Maye’s trust and has five receiving touchdowns in eight games. The Bengals have allowed the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL with 25 already this season.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)

Adonai Mitchell (WR – NYJ)

“Adonai Mitchell’s physical ability passes the eye test. However, with the Colts, he failed all the other tests, resulting in his exile to New York, where talent goes to be wasted, as part of the Sauce Gardner trade. That being said, the Jets lack legitimate NFL wideouts to throw to with Garrett Wilson injured, making Mitchell their guy to try. In his first effort as a Jet, he led the team in targets even though the production didn’t follow. To be fair, Justin Fields can’t hit the broad side of a barn, so how could anyone turn targets into touches with him at QB? With Tyrod Taylor taking the reins, Mitchell’s targets should be there, the receptions and receiving yards will rise, and with the Ravens being one of the 10 worst defenses in points allowed to wide receivers, Mitchell is a sleeper ranked outside the Top 100 with the upside to put up double-digit fantasy numbers this week. And, I love the name. It feels like an opportunity to me.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)

Chig Okonkwo (TE – TEN)

“Pass catchers in Tennessee are dropping at a rapid rate (Calvin Ridley on IR, Chimere Dike with a chest injury/concussion, and Elic Ayomanor with a hamstring). All those injuries leave Cam Ward with one healthy, consistent pass catcher, Chig Okonkwo. Chig is an athletic tight end who has the talent to become a heavily targeted tight end, but it just hasn’t come to fruition. It might happen because there are no other options. Okonkwo could serve as a safety valve against a very good Seattle Seahawks defense, and at TE28, he could be a steal for Week 12.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)

Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE)

“Do I dare run down to CLE and some Shedeur Sanders/Cedric Tillman combination? The Raiders are, uh, not good. OK, he’ll need to avoid the meetup with Maxx Crosby. And Sanders appeared willing in his introduction to wing the ball downfield. Tillman went 3-for-4 with 52 receiving yards versus Baltimore.”
– Mike Harmon (Swollen Dome)

Duds

Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?

Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)

“Ashton Jeanty faces a stiff matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, and he’s coming off one of his worst games of the season. He posted just seven rushing yards and, luckily for PPR managers, collected six catches for 27 yards. Jeanty has five finishes outside of the top 20 RBs out of ten this season. I’m avoiding those odds against Cleveland because the Browns’ defense allows the third-fewest PPR points to running backs per game.”
– Matt De Lima (Athlon Sports)

“Ashton Jeanty ran just six times for seven yards last week. It was his worst rushing game of the season. The only positive is that he had a career-best six receptions. This salvaged his fantasy day a little. But even with that said, you have to worry about Jeanty’s production and workload in this offense. He has been more up and down than you would like. And he could have a down game this week against the Browns. Cleveland allows the sixth-fewest fantasy points to running backs. The Browns have allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards in five of 10 games.”
– Jeff Paur (RTSports)

“Ashton Jeanty is the top-40 play most likely to disappoint this week. He’s coming off his worst rushing outing of the season and has now logged eight games under 4.0 yards per carry, highlighting his growing inefficiency. Despite owning the 4th-highest opportunity share in football, he ranks just 38th in fantasy points per opportunity, largely due to poor run-blocking support and consistently negative game scripts. Now he draws the Browns, who rank No. 1 in rush defense DVOA and present the 28th-easiest matchup for fantasy RBs. Everything points to another tough day for Jeanty and a likely letdown for fantasy managers.”
– Ryan Linkletter (Blitz Sports Media)

“The clear answer is Ashton Jeanty. The Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line is not great. Now, they will go up against the first overall defense in estimated points added against the run. I doubt Ashton Jeanty will find any success against this great Browns defense.”
– Ryan Prosick (Fantrax)

“It’s gotta be Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty can always get there if he manages to score, but his offensive line has suffered multiple, high-profile losses after already being awful. It’s affected the passing game as well, so it’s hard for this team to move the football when it matters. Geno Smith and company managed to punch in a touchdown in the 4th quarter against the Cowboys, but against a suddenly mediocre Dallas D, Jeanty accrued just 6.4 half-ppr points largely thanks to his six receptions for 27 yards. Against Cleveland’s 5th-stingiest fantasy run defense this week, it could look even worse. I don’t hate the player, but I do hate this game for Jeanty in Week 12.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)

“This is not the week for an Ashton Jeanty explosion. After being completely stifled on the ground Monday versus Dallas, Jeanty now gets a matchup against a Browns team that has completely dominated against RBs this year, only allowing four rushing scores to RBs in 2025. Poor offensive line play and really poor offensive play in general have really limited Jeanty’s upside in 2025. Cleveland will not be blowing out Vegas like Dallas did, but even with a healthy dose of carries, it is hard to see Jeanty returning an efficient performance in Week 12.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)

“I hate to say it, but Ashton Jeanty. We just saw it against the Dallas Cowboys. I will acknowledge that this version of the Dallas Defense is much different than the one we saw earlier this season. They have gotten multiple starters back from injury and acquired three starters via trade. But this is about the Raiders and their offense. They are struggling with injuries on the interior of their offensive line. Jeanty is averaging about 1 yard before contact, with him being hit behind the line of scrimmage on most plays. We also see that Geno Smith is really struggling, and this offense is not efficient. His scoring opportunities also lower his upside. His #22 overall flex ranking is too high for me.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)

Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAC)

“The Committee has been activated! Travis Etienne’s workload just got cut in half by rookie RB Bhayshul Tuten, who proved in Week 11 that he’s here to stay. If you’re expecting the elite, high-volume days from Etienne, prepare to be disappointed! ”
– Luke Renton (The Franchise Tag UK)

Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE)

“Quinshon Judkins has seen his efficiency drop over the past several weeks, averaging just over 3 yards per carry. He’s only scored in one game since Week 5, that being the 3 TD outburst vs Miami. The prospect of Shedeur Sanders starting at QB could wreck Judkins’ chances of scoring. The choice matchup doesn’t outweigh the potential of disaster for Judkins and the Browns in Week 12.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)

“Quinshon Judkins is averaging 3.2 yards per carry over his last five games and has produced just eight receiving yards over that stretch. Judkins has gone three straight games without a touchdown. His matchup against the Raiders seems enticing, but the Raiders’ run defense is respectable, ranking 16th in DVOA. The Raiders have allowed the 14th-fewest fantasy points to RBs. The Browns-Raiders game has a Vegas total of 36.5 points. I’m just not that excited about Judkins this week.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT)

“The player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros flex rankings that is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week is Jaylen Warren. Warren suffered an ankle injury last week, but is presently scheduled to play. He’s been limited in practice this week. Kenneth Gainwell should vulture a lot of carries this week, and it would not surprise me if Gainwell leads Pittsburgh in carries in week 12. Personally, I would start Gainwell over Warren if I had the option.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)

“Keep an eye on practice reports these next few days with Steelers Running Back Jaylen Warren. I know he said he could have returned to the game last week, that they were being careful with him after leaving with an ankle injury. We could see Kenny Gainwell leading the Pittsburgh backfield vs Chicago. Even if Warren plays, it could still be Gainwell leading what could look like a 60-40 to at least a 50/50 split.”
– Justin Jaksa (Dr. Roto)

Javonte Williams (RB – DAL)

“Javonte Williams. I wanted to go with Chase Brown (the Patriots’ Matchup is brutal). I tried to convince myself that Rico Dowdle wouldn’t be the everything guy for Carolina or that Christian McCaffery could somehow have a tough week as an elite, high-expectation play, but I couldn’t get there on either, so I went with Williams. That Eagles defense is stifling. They stymied a Detroit Lions offense, and while Jamyr Gibbs flashed moments of brilliance, Williams isn’t that type of guy with those kinds of skills. Williams has benefitted from an explosive pass attack, but as we saw against the Lions, the Eagles can quash that, and without it, Williams is going to struggle. And, he won’t be bailed out by dump-offs and screens because he is completely nonexistent in the passing game. This game has an over/under of 47.5. I’m expecting successful bettors to be looking up at the over and laughing at how far away it is. This is a 24-17 game at best, with a good chance at a 17-13 type of struggle. Not a good projection for a big day from Javonte Williams. He’s your bust this week.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)

“It pains me to say this because I love him so much, but Javonte Williams vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles’ run defense is as elite as they come, so the Cowboys would be wise to pass the ball quite a bit with Dak and company this week, as the only sort of shaky part of the Eagles’ defense is their CB situation. Dallas will look to expose that. Javonte could still get held up by volume in this matchup this week, but it’s going to be ugly and inefficient volume, I feel, unfortunately.”
– Aidan Weingartner (Fantasy In Frames)

Chase Brown (RB – CIN)

“Chase Brown has played much better recently. In week 11 against Pittsburgh, he had 127 all-purpose yards, including six receptions. This week, the Bengals will be facing a stout New England Patriots defense that is allowing the fewest rushing yards in the league (84.7/game). Brown seems to be turning the corner, but with a #20 half-PPR ranking this week, owners will be disappointed.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)

Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)

“Justin Jefferson at 25 with McCarthy under center in a tough matchup vs. GB. He’s scored once since the opener against the Bears and hasn’t topped 100 yards since Week 5. He’ll get his targets, and you’ll be saved from crashing through the floor in PPR leagues (three or more receptions every week), but that ceiling is awfully low.”
– Mike Harmon (Swollen Dome)