Fantasy Football: 1 Player to watch from each team for every Week 12 game

We're coming to the end of the fantasy football season. Most leagues passed their trade deadlines earlier this week, so managers are working with what they've got through the playoffs. However, everybody should be looking for that extra player to get them over the hump. Those one or two options that we can pick up to shore up a starter or bench spot. The next slate of games is going to be a blur with all of the action. But to help focus, I've got two players or situations from each contest that I'll be keeping track of for Week 12.

Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs

Daniel Jones will be the topic of discussion throughout the entire game, if he's healthy enough to play. Like Sam Darnold, Jones' unraveling has undone any of the goodwill he earned earlier in the season. Jones took six sacks and threw three interceptions coming into Week 8. In the three games before the Colts' bye, defenses took down Jones 15 times, and he turned the ball over another seven. Playing in Arrowhead Stadium isn't easy, but this is a prove it" game for Jones.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Chiefs will be fine. Even though their rushing attack has no teeth and looks siloed from the rest of the offense, and Patrick Mahomes has taken three sacks in three straight games. They need to get their mojo back. And a few deep completions to Xavier Worthy will do it. Mahomes has looked to the speedster WR four times on attempts of 20 air yards or more over their last three games. They've connected just once. Without a driver in his golf bag, defenses will continue to go after Mahomes, making Worthy (monitor his status this week) a critical element to the resurgence of Kansas City's passing game.

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers

"Nine?" How about Nein"? As in, no, thank you." J.J. McCarthy has yet to break 250 passing yards in a single game and has more interceptions than touchdowns. But that's just his box score. The real problems are his decisions after the snap. McCarthy has averaged 10.3, 10.9 and 9.7 air yards per attempt in the three starts since his return. An easy analogy would be that each yard is a degree of difficulty. And it's not like he doesn't have T.J. Hockenson or Aaron Jones Sr. as safety valves. But maybe the Packers defense will force him to rethink forcing the ball downfield.

We aren't talking enough about Christian Watson being on the field and turning contested catches into first downs or scores. He had surgery for a torn ACL this calendar year! The oft-injured receiver is somehow the lone pass-catcher of Jordan Love's without an ailment. Against the Giants, Watson showed out on a 23% target share. And it's not like the remaining options stepped up to challenge him. And against the Vikings' blitz-happy defensive front, a player like Watson, who can make defenders regret sending extra bodies at the QB, would be the ideal counter.

New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals

I did not have Mack Hollins' resurgence" on my bingo card for this season. Of course, Drake Maye is the tide that lifts all boats, but the former Bills' receiver has been an impact player in the Patriots' passing game. He's generated 13 first downs on his 19 receptions over New England's last four games. Plus, as the primary downfield option with Kayshon Boutte out, Hollins has been able to build on his rapport with his QB. Bengals CB DJ Turner has been a problem for outside WRs, but without Cam Taylor-Britt on the other side, a few shots to Hollins may result in at least one explosive play for the journeyman receiver.

Regardless of which Joe starts for Cincinnati, I'm looking to see how the Bengals try to fill in the Ja'Marr-Chase-sized hole in the offense. In the past, the TEs (e.g., Tanner Hudson, Mike Gesicki) have been able to make up for Chase's presence in the short area of the field. Tee Higgins will continue to be the chain-mover. Andrei Iosivas can, at times, pull off a contested catch or two. Plus, ancillary options, like Charlie Jones, have the speed to pick up chunk gains. The offense can't make up for No. 1 with just one receiver, but with some scheme adjustments, the remaining personnel can keep the offense on schedule.

New York Giants @ Detroit Lions

Honestly, Jameis Winston was fine last week. But that was the sad part. I mean, sure. The Giants were without Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and Cam Skattebo. But Winston's 219 air yards were the third-fewest of any NYG starter this season. Notching an EPA per dropback of 0.23 was impressive. But the old gunslinger" Winston wasn't there. If I wanted 201 yards and a pick, I'd let Russell Wilson take snaps. However, maybe the Giants need a push from the opposing offense. Glad they're playing the Lions in Detroit.

HC Dan Campbell is like Drake in the laptop GIF with Lil Yachty. OC John Morton just needed to see the importance of maintaining a steady flow of targets toward Jameson Williams, but on intermediate crossers instead of go routes. While the Lions struggled to move the ball against the Eagles outdoors, Williams hovered around a 20% target rate, and his receiving aDOT (12.8 air yards) enabled him to keep working after the catch (9.8 and 9.3 YAC per reception in the last two games). The Giants won't force a shootout, but even when Jared Goff does drop back to pass, let's see if Williams' on-field deployment holds.

New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens

All right, hear me out. We're not starting Adonai Mitchell. You're not stashing Mitchell. We're not even putting in a pre-emptive waiver claim for him. However, *checks surroundings to make sure no one is listening* he looked good last week! On 25% of Justin Fields' attempts, Mitchell was moving to both sides of the formation and, at times, creating quick separation. Plus, with Tyrod Taylor piloting the offense, any bump in quality targets (just a 67% catchable target rate in Week 11) would elevate Mitchell's fantasy stock.

Last week was Mark Andrews's time. I get that. But if the Ravens are trying to get their groove back on their road to winning the AFC North, Zay Flowers needs a week to shine, too. Baltimore's No. 1 wideout has led the group of WRs in targets every week but one. And the last three top target earners to face the Jets have finished as top-24 options at the position (Stefon Diggs - 19.5 PPR points, Jerry Jeudy - 19.8, Ja'Marr Chase - 21.1), putting Flowers in line for a bounce back in Week 12.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears

Independent of who's under center for the Steelers, I'm trying to understand DK Metcalf's role in the offense. Earlier in the year, OC Arthur Smith tried getting the former Seahawk involved in quick-game concepts, allowing him to work after the catch. Now, he's back to his role as a boundary option, averaging less than five yards after the catch per reception over his last three games. Outside receivers have tested the Bears with some success, though (Jordan Addison - 10.0 PPPR points, Darius Slayton - 12.9), lending credence to the idea that Metcalf is a low-end WR2 for Week 12.

The Bears' passing game needs some fun injected into it. Caleb Williams has had to eat his vegetables, working under center and playing to HC Ben Johnson's tune. They've even got the running game going. Now, let's add some flair to the operation by making Luther Burden III the full-time third receiver. The deep-threat receiver's routes (12% to 61%) and target shares (3% to 18%) have been on a steady incline over the last three weeks. The downfield element isn't back, but getting the ball in his hands more often is the right first step.

Seattle Seahawks @ Tennessee Titans

If Daniel Jones hadn't already broken the seal of improved QBs reverting to their old ways," Sam Darnold's four interceptions would've looked even worse. In any case, the number isn't the only concern. Darnold was throwing behind or misreading the Rams' coverage on each turnover, something we hadn't seen happen often in his previous 10 games with Seattle. However, if there's a get-right spot to iron out any issues, it's against the Titans' defense.

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I'd be more interested in the rookie WRs (Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike) for this week if they weren't going up against Seattle's coverage unit. But Cam Ward has to throw to somebody. Accordingly, Tyjae Spears stands to benefit from Calvin Ridley's absence. The Titans' RB2 had earned a 15% target share in back-to-back games before the team's bye. And those looks were on 45% and 52% of the snaps, making Spears a viable FLEX play in PPR leagues.

Cleveland Browns @ Las Vegas Raiders

OK, somebody help me set my expectations for Shedeur Sanders' first start. Because now, he's been able to take first-team reps in practice. So that means he should be able to run the offense as intended. However, the playbook wasn't the reason why 11 of his 16 attempts fell incomplete (one throw was a drop and another was a pick). Play-calling didn't tell him to hold the ball for more than three seconds (3.07 average time to throw) without using his legs (just three scrambles). With Cleveland's available personnel, I don't see how the scheme builds on the lack of raw talent we saw in relief in Week 11. But I'm willing to see if Week 12 changes things.

Not to say I want targets taken away from Brock Bowers; however, if fantasy managers want to see the Raiders in the red zone more often (so Geno Smith can throw a TD to Bowers), then another viable receiver will have to present themselves. Rookie Jack Bech has run fewer routes after a couple of critical on-field mistakes. Tre Tucker is trying to settle into a more traditional role closer to the line of scrimmage (9.4-yard aDOT in Week 11), while Tyler Lockett is helping his old QB in obvious passing situations. And with Myles Garrett likely chasing down Smith, somebody from the Raiders will have to emerge.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Arizona Cardinals

Let's think this through. So, there's mild optimism for Jakobi Meyers after he popped for 30% of the targets last week. Parker Washington has been a steady presence from the slot. And regardless of the status of Brian Thomas Jr. or Brenton Strange, Travis Etienne Jr. or Tim Patrick can fill in the gaps. Plus, we just watched Brock Purdy throw for three scores against the Cardinals. That means we should expect big things for Trevor Lawrence - the same QB with just two multi-touchdown outings this season. The matchup makes me want to be optimistic about the Jaguars' passing attack, but from what we've seen this season, I'm hesitant to elevate Lawrence past the mid-range QB2 options.

Arizona has found a way to turn the starting RB job into a committee. Bam Knight earned the most carries (36% rushing share), but Michael Carter played more snaps (44%). Plus, Carter was the rusher on the field for the two-minute drill and took the short-yardage carries. Even Emari Demercado got in on long down-and-distance situations ahead of Knight. However, Carter's 13% target rate would lend itself to more fantasy scoring in Week 12, as the Jaguars are allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game.

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

There has to be a role change coming for Darnell Mooney. We can't assume Drake London's PCL injury will have a one-week recovery timeline. And the switch from Michael Penix Jr. to Kirk Cousins only lessens the chances of intermediate- and deep-passing attempts hitting their mark. Mooney hasn't had a single game receiving aDOT under 10 air yards in any game this season. Even in Week 8, with Cousins as the starter, his target depth was an absurd 17.5 yards, which OC Zac Robinson should reduce to keep the pressure off of Cousins.

It still boggles my mind that Juwan Johnson, who went undrafted in the '20 class, played with rookie Tyler Shough in college. Luckily, the connection hasn't died out between the two. While Johnson isn't above 20% of the targets as he was for multiple games to start the season, Shough has looked to his college teammate in the red zone and on obvious passing downs. And without Rashid Shaheed to siphon away looks, Johnson should be a high-end TE2 for Week 12.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

A redemption story arc for A.J. Brown writes itself as the Eagles prepare for their divisional rematch against the Cowboys. Eons ago (i.e., Week 1), Brown opened the season with a one-target, single-catch outing against Dallas. The attempt didn't even come until the second half, and with what we've seen from the Cowboys defense since, it makes the result all the more confusing. At least Jalen Hurts continued to look to Brown as his WR1 last week (12 targets) and, with another week of practice, should help rebuild their chemistry against the secondary allowing the second-most PPR PPG to opposing WRs.

Fantasy managers with CeeDee Lamb have to be suppressing their frustration. Yes, he got into the end zone against the Raiders. Neat. But George Pickens out-targeted and out-everything'd Lamb in primetime (granted, Lamb dropped an easy second TD late in the game). The last time we saw Lamb even in the top 12, let alone the top six like we expected when drafting the Cowboys' WR1, was Week 7. And against the Eagles' defense, which has given up just five TDs to WRs, we may have to wait another week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams

I'd like to think that the Bucs' coaching staff notices the fantasy football community's content and took our suggestion to play Sean Tucker over Rachaad White to heart. But they've got eyeballs, too. Tucker's 47.4% rushing success rate and 4.58 adjusted yards after contact per attempt were an instant improvement over White's output. So with Bucky Irving set to miss another game Sunday, Tucker should continue to have a fantasy-relevant piece of Tampa Bay's backfield.

On the one hand, Blake Corum held onto a relevant workload despite the Rams having a close game in Week 11. Specifically, the second-year rusher took 75% of the goal-line carries and mixed in for two targets. However, TreVeyon Henderson and Jahmyr Gibbs are the only RBs to eclipse 100 yards against the Bucs, and Corum doesn't have the same speed. At best, if the Rams get into scoring position, Corum may get a chance to fall in the end zone, but let's see if the rotation continues to keep him involved in Week 12.

Carolina Panthers @ San Francisco 49ers

Tetairoa McMillan's ups and downs aren't solely due to his rookie status. We also have to account for the Bryce Young" factor. The concepts that the short-statured QB is comfortable with also have to align with McMillan's skill set. We saw that come together last week. Young found his WR1 within the rhythm of the offense (at or less than Young's average time to throw) on 62.5% of his receptions. And the variety of routes they connected on (hitches, out-breakers, etc.) highlight why the Panthers drafted him. The trend should continue against the 49ers' defense that's surrendered six passing TDs over their last two games.

We'll just call Ricky Pearsall's return in Week 11 a soft launch." He certainly got in a good cardio workout (85% of the routes). He even took the majority of the snaps from the slot. But the opportunities didn't come. His lone catch in the first quarter didn't even cross the line of scrimmage. However, we saw a similar path for George Kittle when he came back from his hamstring injury. So, with more time, Pearsall should be able to get on the same page as Brock Purdy and the rest of the receivers.