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Fantasy football: Week 12 position rankings

Cat Vasquez, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady throws the ball against the New York Giants in Week 11. Brady is set up to have another good fantasy football week as he faces the Indianapolis Colts.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady throws the ball against the New York Giants in Week 11. Brady is set up to have another good fantasy football week as he faces the Indianapolis Colts.

We've got three games on Thanksgiving so let's dig into those matchups before looking at the Week 12 fantasy football rankings.

Chicago at Detroit

It's a tradition as old as that can of cranberry sauce sitting in the pantry: the Lions playing the early game on Thanksgiving. This year neither the Lions or Bears are likely to make noise late in the season. In fact, the Lions haven't made a peep as they've lost every game this season. But they do have a fantasy stud in their midst in D'Andre Swift. He's likely the only player you'll want to start from Detroit.

The Bears also have a steady fantasy contributor in David Montgomery. Outside of the two running backs, I'd stay away from all other skill position players. But you could probably start Darnell Mooney and not regret it.

NFL Week 12 odds: betting lines, spreads and over/unders

Las Vegas at Dallas

The Cowboys are itching to get the taste of two bad losses out of three games out of their mouths. They should do it against the Raiders. Dak Prescott remains a must-start player despite missing Amari Cooper, and maybe CeeDee Lamb. With Cooper definitely out, Michael Gallup or Cedrick Wilson could end up with decent numbers. I'd bet on Gallup. Ezekiel Elliott is still the best bet for scoring opportunities if the Cowboys get close to the end zone, so you can't afford to really ever sit him. Tight end Dalton Schultz could also get a bump with Cooper out.

For the Raiders, Josh Jacobs should be at least an RB2 against the Cowboys. Through the air, Darren Waller should be an easy start. He might help Derek Carr crack QB1 status. Hunter Renfro has a decent shot to put up flex-player numbers for Vegas.

More: Fantasy football: 21 predictions for the 2021 season to help you make the best picks

Buffalo at New Orleans

Josh Allen has to start for you at this point in his career. Stefon Diggs is also an easy player to toss in your lineup while teammate Emmanuel Sanders has a shot at WR2 status.

On the ground, it's hard to decipher whether Zack Moss or Devin Singletary will thrive for Buffalo. Either one is flex-play worthy, however.

For the Saints, Mark Ingram is the player most likely to pay dividends for fantasy managers. He should have a heavy dose of carries. It's hard to trust Trevor Simian and the Saints wideouts at this point.

Week 12 fantasy football rankings

2021 Fantasy Football Rankings powered by FantasyProsECR ™ - Expert Consensus Rankings

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The NFL's Week 12 fantasy football rankings by position