Happy week 12 of the 2024 NFL season! Welcome back to my weekly Start/Sit HUB! Mike here, providing you with information that can help you win your fantasy league week in and week out. For all things fantasy football, follow me on Twitter (@FantasyHubbard).
The Thursday Night Football we get tomorrow is between the 8-2 Steelers and the 2-8 Cleveland Browns. The Steelers are favored by 4 points with a total over/under of 36.5. My prediction in this game is a win for the Steelers by a score of 20-13.
I’m here every week during the fantasy football season with start and sit suggestions that can impact your team each week. My decisions as always include obvious and not so obvious picks. I would also like to clarify that my sit suggestions are based on the assumption you have or can add a player that has a better chance at success. Good luck this week and continue to check out my weekly articles.
TNF START/SIT
Start – George Pickens – Pickens has a solid matchup with the Cleveland defense. Since Russell Wilson became the Steelers QB1, Pickens has averaged 91 receiving yards per game and has scored twice. Be wary of the weather in Cleveland tomorrow, but George should be able to get going. It only takes a big play to get this guy going which seems inevitable when he has a 30+ yard reception in 6 of his last 7 games played.
Sit – Jameis Winston – Winston is playing the Steelers defense in prime time. The Pittsburgh defense has allowed only 3 passing TDs in their last 5 games played. It is also concern that the weather could affect how often Winston is able to throw. I believe this will be the first time Winston suits up against the Steelers in his career. Steelers have played 10 games this season and have given up 18 or less points in 7 of them.
Last night we got a snow game! The Browns upset the Browns by a score of 24-19. Nick Chubb rushed for 2 TDs and Calvin Austin had 78 receiving yards and a score. Jerry Jeudy had another good game now with 4 consecutive 70+ yard games. The Browns improve to 3-8 and face the Broncos next while the Steelers fall to 8-3 and take on the Bengals next.
Next weeks is thanksgiving and we get 3 games to feast on. Bears/Lions, Giants/Cowboys, and Dolphins/Packers.
Some of the games I am looking forward to most in week 12 include the Lions/Colts, 49ers/Packers, Eagles/Rams, and the Ravens/Chargers. Can the Lions stay hot? Can the 49ers and Packers play well in a most likely frozen atmosphere? AJ Brown & Puka Nacua & Cooper Kupp on SNF. And 2 teams looking for their 8th win on MNF.
WEEK 10 BYES – FALCONS, BILLS, BENGALS, JAGUARS, SAINTS, JETS
START OF THE WEEK
Start – Brian Robinson Jr – Robinson gets the struggling Cowboys this week. Joe Mixon scored 3 times and eclipsed the century mark in rushing last week against the Cowboys. Robinson has 16+ carries in 5 of the 8 games he took part in this season and has 7 rushing TDs on the year. Washington is favored by 10.5 points which means the Commanders may be running the ball a lot in most game scripts.
Buccaneers @ Giants
Start – Mike Evans – Mike Evans is set to return to action Sunday against the Giants. That is unfortunate news for the Giants. Evans will be Baker Mayfield’s top pass catcher and Cade Otton is next on that list, but the Giants have been the best defending opposing TEs. Evans has played 2 NFC East teams this season and that resulted in 155 total receiving yards and 3 TDs. In fact, Evans has scored in half of the games he has played in this season.
Sit – Devin Singletary – Devin has been an afterthought for the Giants since the emergence of Tyrone Tracy Jr. Singletary has single digit carries in his last 4 games played and totaled only 20 receiving yards in that time. The matchup is good, but the volume is too low if Tracy is healthy.
Chiefs @ Panthers
Start – Kareem Hunt – This is a fantastic matchup for Hunt this week against the Panthers rush defense. Keep in mind that Isaiah Pacheco is eligible to return this week and if he does then Hunt is not the guy, Pacheco is. Whichever RB gets the start should be in line for a momentous day. Travis Kelce has a great matchup as well but running on Carolina is usually automatic.
Sit – Adam Thielen – Thielen is expected to play this week after not playing since week 3. Yes, Bryce Young has looked better lately, and Panthers will have to throw to stay competitive, but Thielen is a liability with health and when he was healthy, he only averaged 4 targets each game. Chuba Hubbard has the worst matchup here but how can you deny the hot streak he is riding.
Cowboys @ Commanders
Start – Brian Robinson Jr – SEE START OF THE WEEK TOP OF PAGE
Sit – Cooper Rush – Rush had over 350 passing yards last week and finished a top 20 fantasy QB. That seems like his ceiling after throwing for 45 yards the week prior and 115 yards the week prior to that. For a QB with the last name Rush, he has not rushed for 5 yards in a game this season. Worth noting CeeDee Lamb is questionable currently which could be detrimental to Coopers stock this weekend.
Patriots @ Dolphins
Start – Rhamondre Stevenson – The Patriots have not been good this season, but Stevenson has quietly been consistent lately. He has 5 games with 20+ carries this season including exactly 20 in 3 of his last 4 games. He has 7 total TDs this season which is by far the most in the team. No Patriot has more than 2 TDs rushing and/or receiving this season. Last meeting between Stevenson and the Dolphins came back in week 5 when he ran for 89 rushing yards and a rushing TD.
Sit – Kayshon Boutte – The good news is that Boutte has 6 targets in each of his last 4 games. The bad news is that he is a Patriot, he is playing the Miami secondary, and he has only one game with over 50 yards receiving and only one game with a TD. That should sum it up.
Titans @ Texans
Start – Nico Collins – I had Nico as my start of the week in his return to football last week and he disappointed with 54 receiving yards. That is a significant day for most WRs, but we come to expect more after his fantastic first 5 games. Now that Nico is back and adjusted, I like him to return to that first 5-week guy. Remember that Nico had a TD catch on the first play of the game in week 11 just for it to get called back. Nico is matchup proof.
Sit – Dalton Schultz – Dalton had the most receptions he has had in a game last week which was 5. Those 5 receptions turned into only 33 receiving yards. With Nico Collins and Tank Dell healthy I do not like Schultz. Perfectly capable but too hazardous. He needs a big play to be fantasy relevant this season and that is hard to do when you have not scored this season.
Lions @ Colts
Start – Josh Downs – Josh has been playing well and the concerns of Anthony Richardson affecting him negatively were proven wrong last week. Downs played against a good Jets secondary and finished with 5 receptions for 84 yards and a TD. The Lions weakness on defense is definitely opposing WRs. Colts will need to air it out and Downs has been the best WR option.
Sit – Jonathan Taylor – Hurts me to put JT in a sit spot but I am doing it. Taylor has under 60 rushing yards in 2 of his last 3 games, he has not scored since week 8, and has t eclipsed 12 receiving yards since week 4. Detroits defense is good defending the run, so I am going to keep my distance and tread lightly.
Vikings @ Bears
Start – Minnesota D/ST – Throwing a curve ball at you and starting the Vikings defense here. The Vikings are top 5 in defensive takeaways this season and 4th in sacks this season. Those numbers are comforting, and what’s comforting is knowing the Bears have hit a bump in the road and have not scored 20 points in a game since week 6.
Sit – D’Andre Swift – Swift has the Vikings defense this week who are one of the best defending the run. If that were not enough to deter you from Swift, the fact that Roschon Johnson had a bigger role last week which was the first game for the Bears new offensive coordinator. Bad matchup, bad vibes all around.
Broncos @ Raiders
Start – Bo Nix – Bo is on a hot streak right now and it should continue against the Raiders defense this weekend. The rookie has 2 or more passing TDs in 5 of his last 7 games and has 4 rushing TDs on the season. In their first head-to-head meeting this season Bo threw for over 200 passing yards, threw 2 passing TDs, and ran for another TD. Lock him in.
Sit – Jakobi Meyers – Jakobi played well in their first matchup going for 6 receptions for 72 yards. I expect that to be lower this time around with Patrick Surtain in the secondary and just the overall pass defense that the Broncos have showcased this season. Brock Bowers is the only Raider I would start this week.
49ers @ Packers
Start – Josh Jacobs – The Packers are at home and play the 49ers. It is going to be cold, and the Packers are going to give him a hefty workload if he is a full go. Jacobs gets a lot of work, and he makes the best of them. Some notable stats are that he has 70+ rushing yards in 5 of his last 6 games including 4 consecutive, and he has 4 TDs in his last 4 games.
Sit – Brock Purdy – Purdy is currently questionable since he has been dealing with a shoulder injury so monitor his status closely, Purdy has 4 passing TDs and 4 INTs in his last 4 games played. He does have 4 rushing TDs in his last 4 games as well, but I am thinking the Packers know that and will keep him close. This will be Purdy’s first game at Lambeau field in his NFL career.
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Start – James Connor – Connor has over 100 total yards in 3 of his last 4 games and has a rushing TD in 2 of his last 3 games. Connor gets red zone carries, and the Seahawks are middle of the pack at defending opposing RBs. Continue to feed Connor and good things usually happen. Connor is coming off a BYE week, but the game prior to that he had his best receiving game of the season racking up 80 receiving yards.
Sit – Geno Smith – We have seen moments of brilliance by Geno this year, but we have also been scratching our heads at times. Arizona is not a bad defense against opposing QBs and Geno is not playing his best right now winning only 5 of his last 7 games played. Geno has 11 TD passes and 11 INTs this season (tied for most INT in NFL) including 5 INTs in his last 3 games. If I must start a Seahawk confidently it would be Kenneth Walker.
Eagles @ Rams
Start – AJ Brown – AJ Brown under the lights in LA sounds like an ideal situation for the the WR. LAs pass defense does not scare most, and AJ Browns nickname is ‘always open’. News that DeVonta Smith may miss this game just amplifies the importance of Jalen Hurts connecting often with AJ. Brown has 5 receptions in every game except 1 this season.
Sit – Matthew Stafford – Stafford must face the Eagles defense which has been the best defense in the NFL since returning from their week 5 BYE. Stafford has an INT in 7 games this season and has a pair of Eagle rookies in the secondary who are both DROY hopefuls. Stafford is not a scrambler so if he is going to succeed, he will need to throw a lot and score a lot. That will be hard to do with the Eagles shutting down most RBs and averaging under 14 points against them each game since their BYE week.
Ravens @ Chargers
Start – Justin Herbert – Herbert is playing out of his mind and has LA on a 4-game win streak. Herbert continues to protect the ball well and his running game is making defenses know that he can be a dual threat. Justin has 7 passing TDs in his last 4 games, and in those same 4 games he has averaged 37 rushing yards per game. The Ravens have been elite against the run but that is all as they struggle defending QBs and pass catchers.
Sit – JK Dobbins – Dobbins is a stud this year but is now facing the Ravens. The Raven’s defense is top 10 when it comes to playing opposing RBs. The Raven’s defense has given up just 7 rushing TDs all season, and just 3 in their last 8 games. Herbert might need to take control of this offense and throw more than usual, especially with Justin Herbert playing great football.