Emailers were shocked last week – shocked! – when
LaDainian Tomlinson was ranked below players like
Chris Johnson,
Steve Slaton, and
DeAngelo Williams. I received a surprised instant message from an owner in my keeper league after I decided to bench my genius off-season acquisition
Chad Johnson. There is a
Torry Holt owner that wonders each week why his second round pick is buried among the
Devery Hendersons.
It's past time to forget about where you drafted a player. Forget their name. Some of the lineup decisions above worked out, and others did not, but I don't understand the incredulity about ranking "name" players low. Your league scoreboard doesn't know the relative talents of the immortal
Derek Stanley and
Terrell Owens. It knows that Stanley has scored more fantasy points than T.O. over the last month (
Plaxico Burress too.) It knows
Torry Holt is on pace for fewer yards than
Zach Miller.
Fantasy football is a bottom line game, and it's helpful to let go of any irrational attachments during these crucial final weeks. Owners of
Ben Roethlisberger,
Donovan McNabb,
Brian Westbrook,
Thomas Jones,
Tim Hightower,
Laveranues Coles, and
Bernard Berrian face tough decisions this week.
The key, without sounding too much like John Madden, is to do
everything possible to win this time of year. If that means a slight one-week upgrade on defense, then do it. "Lose" a trade if it drastically improves your starting lineup. Bench your surprise star or busted high pick if the matchup is brutal. The box score cares not for pedigree.
For projections of every player ranked below, try our fantasy playoff special of Rotoworld's Season Pass for $4.99. It includes our new features like the fantasy playoffs Top-200, and the fantasy points allowed remaining schedule analysis.Week 12 Quarterbacks| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Peyton Manning | at SD | - |
| 2 | Jay Cutler | vs. OAK | - |
| 3 | Aaron Rodgers | at NO | - |
| 4 | Kurt Warner | vs. NYG | - |
| 5 | Drew Brees | vs. GB | - |
| 6 | Tony Romo | vs. SF | Probable(right finger) |
| 7 | Sage Rosenfels | at CLE | - |
| 8 | Jeff Garcia | at DET | - |
| 9 | Eli Manning | at ARZ | - |
| 10 | Matt Cassel | at MIA | - |
| 11 | Donovan McNabb | at BAL | - |
| 12 | Tyler Thigpen | vs. BUF | - |
| 13 | Philip Rivers | vs. IND | - |
| 14 | Kyle Orton | at STL | - |
| 15 | Jason Campbell | at SEA | - |
| 16 | Ben Roethlisberger | vs. CIN | - |
| 17 | Brett Favre | at TEN | - |
| 18 | Brady Quinn | vs. HOU | Probable(finger) |
| 19 | David Garrard | vs. MIN | - |
| 20 | Matt Ryan | vs. CAR | - |
| 21 | Trent Edwards | at KC | - |
| 22 | Chad Pennington | vs. NE | - |
| 23 | Shaun Hill | at DAL | - |
| 24 | Kerry Collins | vs. NYJ | - |
| 25 | Jake Delhomme | at ATL | - |
| 26 | Gus Frerotte | at JAC | - |
| 27 | Matt Hasselbeck | vs. WAS | Probable(back) |
| 28 | Marc Bulger | vs. CHI | - |
| 29 | JaMarcus Russell | at DEN | Probable(knee) |
| 30 | Daunte Culpepper | vs. TB | - |
| 31 | Joe Flacco | vs. PHI | - |
| 32 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | at PIT | - |
QB Notes: The Jaguars couldn't protect
David Garrard last week. Minnesota's secondary is vulnerable, but Garrard won't stay upright for long enough to know it. Look for an inconsistent game that could mirror
Aaron Rodgers' experiences against the Vikes a few weeks back. … I'm a big
Trent Edwards fan, but the kid is in a serious slump. Monday night's effort was in the JaMarcus zone; it was one of the worst performances all year. The rest of Buffalo's season will largely be about getting his confidence back. He should still be their quarterback of the present and future, but he can't go through another six weeks like this. Buffalo hasn't solved the 3-4 defense.
Donovan McNabb is staying high on the rankings because I expect 40 pass attempts or more against Baltimore. They won't bother to run at the Ravens. McNabb has struggled the last three weeks, but still puts up numbers. He threw for 300 yards in two games, and three touchdowns in the other. He's currently a better fantasy quarterback than reality quarterback. … The Bengals went three and out for five straight drives at one point last week against Philly. Should be a fun Thursday night game!
Sage Rosenfels' ranking is getting some attention. It's based on his previous schedule (very difficult) combined with his current matchup (fantastic.). It's based on his 8.1 yards-per-attempt, which would be in the top-five in the league if he qualified. It's based on my faith in the
Sage Rosenfels Experience against a terrible Browns secondary. When I recommended Rosenfels over
Brady Quinn a month ago, we knew Rosenfels would struggle against the Colts and Ravens,
two of the six hardest teams to score fantasy points against. Now he gets his first plus matchup of the year. Expect something close to his effort against the Vikings – 224 yards and two scores in one half – then his soft numbers the last two weeks.
Drew Brees and
Kurt Warner have tough matchups, but they are beyond worrying about the matchups. …
Jeff Garcia's stats would be impressive if the Bucs were better in the red zone. Detroit should solve their goal line woes. … The Colts are the
best team in the league preventing fantasy points to quarterbacks. That makes
Philip Rivers a borderline play, although injuries make the Colts secondary more vulnerable than usual. …
Eli Manning hasn't thrown more than 32 passes since Week 3 because the Giants are always playing with the lead. Look for the Giants to be more aggressive against Arizona, because they will need to score a lot to win. …
Brady Quinn has a great matchup, but his injured finger hurts his chances for a big game. The Browns will still call a conservative game.
Week 12 Running Backs| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Adrian Peterson | at JAC | - |
| 2 | Marion Barber | vs. SF | - |
| 3 | Matt Forte | at STL | - |
| 4 | LaDainian Tomlinson | vs. IND | - |
| 5 | Frank Gore | at DAL | - |
| 6 | Joseph Addai | at SD | - |
| 7 | Willie Parker | vs. CIN | Sidelined(knee) |
| 8 | Brandon Jacobs | at ARZ | Probable(knee) |
| 9 | Steve Slaton | at CLE | Probable(chest) |
| 10 | Clinton Portis | at SEA | Questionable(knee) |
| 11 | Marshawn Lynch | at KC | - |
| 12 | Ryan Grant | at NO | - |
| 13 | Michael Turner | vs. CAR | - |
| 14 | Ronnie Brown | vs. NE | - |
| 15 | Chris Johnson | vs. NYJ | - |
| 16 | Warrick Dunn | at DET | Probable(back) |
| 17 | DeAngelo Williams | at ATL | - |
| 18 | Larry Johnson | vs. BUF | - |
| 19 | Reggie Bush | vs. GB | Questionable(knee) |
| 20 | Thomas Jones | at TEN | - |
| 21 | Justin Fargas | at DEN | - |
| 22 | Maurice Jones-Drew | vs. MIN | - |
| 23 | Jonathan Stewart | at ATL | - |
| 24 | Jamal Lewis | vs. HOU | - |
| 25 | Peyton Hillis | vs. OAK | Probable(shoulder) |
| 26 | Brian Westbrook | at BAL | Questionable(knee) |
| 27 | Kevin Smith | vs. TB | Probable(groin) |
| 28 | LenDale White | vs. NYJ | Probable(calf) |
| 29 | Tim Hightower | vs. NYG | - |
| 30 | Antonio Pittman | vs. CHI | - |
| 31 | Derrick Ward | at ARZ | - |
| 32 | Willis McGahee | vs. PHI | - |
| 33 | Sammy Morris | at MIA | - |
| 34 | Pierre Thomas | vs. GB | - |
| 35 | Ricky Williams | vs. NE | - |
| 36 | Julius Jones | vs. WAS | - |
| 37 | Fred Jackson | at KC | - |
| 38 | Correll Buckhalter | at BAL | - |
| 39 | Darren McFadden | at DEN | Probable(toe) |
| 40 | Cedric Benson | at PIT | - |
| 41 | Jerious Norwood | vs. CAR | Questionable(ribs) |
| 42 | Ahman Green | at CLE | - |
| 43 | Mewelde Moore | vs. CIN | - |
| 44 | Kevin Faulk | at MIA | - |
| 45 | Ray Rice | vs. PHI | - |
| 46 | Ladell Betts | at SEA | Probable(knee) |
| 47 | Fred Taylor | vs. MIN | Probable(neck) |
| 48 | Dominic Rhodes | at SD | - |
| 49 | Chester Taylor | at JAC | - |
| 50 | Deuce McAllister | vs. GB | Probable(knee) |
| 51 | LeRon McClain | vs. PHI | - |
| 52 | Leon Washington | at TEN | - |
| 53 | Tatum Bell | vs. OAK | - |
| 54 | Ahmad Bradshaw | at ARZ | - |
| 55 | Brandon Jackson | at NO | - |
| 56 | Maurice Morris | vs. WAS | - |
| 57 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | at MIA | - |
| 58 | Darren Sproles | vs. IND | - |
| 59 | Jamaal Charles | vs. BUF | - |
RB Notes: I watched Chris Johnson closely against Jacksonville to see if the long season was wearing on him. Despite taking many big hits, there was no evidence of that whatsoever. His ability to make cuts at full speed and then explode is still there like it was Week 1. LenDale White barely sees the ball until the Titans are trying to put teams away. Johnson still needs to improve in the passing game though. The Titans tried to get him the ball on screens often against Jacksonville, but the play failed four times. They should keep trying, because running straight at the Jets won't work. This is not a great week to use White in any capacity. … Maurice Jones-Drew is the best short-yardage back in the league. He has a good conversion rate despite a terrible Jaguars interior offensive line is. MoJo is great at carrying defenders and turning a two-yard loss into a three-yard gain. He is improving as the season wears on. While Jones-Drew is a risky play against the Vikings, his upcoming schedule bodes well for a strong finish.
Fred Taylor is lacking top-end long speed, but he doesn't look that much different than last year. It's all about the line. It wouldn't surprise me if the Jaguars brought back Taylor again if he's willing to take a reduced salary. That might be a tough sell. … After writing about Westbrook yesterday, I watched his Shortcuts Wednesday night. There was only one play all game he made someone miss. It was amazing that he could still be somewhat effective without his usual second gear. He's taking what the defense is giving him, but that's just not Brian Westbrook. Much of the blame is on the Eagles offensive line. They can't run straight ahead, even against the Bengals. Everyone surrounding the Eagles says Westbrook is more hurt than they are letting on. They should probably get Correll Buckhalter more involved, even if Westbrook starts. That makes Westbrook an iffy RB2 play this week against Baltimore.
Jamal Lewis has a good matchup this week, but one wonders if they will start going to Jerome Harrison more down the stretch. There's a good chance Lewis won't be back in Cleveland next year. … Marshawn Lynch just enjoyed his best game all season and gets another great matchup. He's an emotional player and perhaps the big day will jumpstart his year. But it was hard to watch Monday Night Football and not come away thinking Fred Jackson was just as effective, if not more, with his decisive style. Lynch was still trying to pop big plays every down – it just worked against Cleveland. It should work against the Chiefs too, but let's not crown Lynch yet. The biggest source of optimism for Lynch is a favorable upcoming schedule.
Jacksonville's rush defense has improved since the start of the year, but they are still a neutral matchup. Adrian Peterson usually eats those up. … Brandon Jacobs should be in nearly all starting lineups if he's New York's starter on Sunday, as expected. He can be an effective fantasy back in 15 carries or less. Derrick Ward may get more work than usual, so he's not a bad flex option. … Tatum Bell was competent closing out the game for Denver last week. He'll play a lot on passing downs and could pass P.J. Pope on the depth chart. Look for a three-way committee in Denver, with Peyton Hillis getting the valuable red zone snaps. … The Cardinals threw on team of their first 12 plays last week, then kept throwing even when they had a lead. That doesn't bode well for Tim Hightower. How often will they run if they are trailing? J.J. Arrington, who plays on most passing downs, had equal touches to Hightower last week. … If Reggie Bush missed Monday's game, Pierre Thomas would be a very nice sneaky flex play. Problem is, we may not know Bush's status until gametime.
Week 12 Wide Receivers
| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Andre Johnson | at CLE | - |
| 2 | Reggie Wayne | at SD | - |
| 3 | Steve Smith | at ATL | - |
| 4 | Anquan Boldin | vs. NYG | - |
| 5 | Larry Fitzgerald | vs. NYG | - |
| 6 | Greg Jennings | at NO | - |
| 7 | Brandon Marshall | vs. OAK | Probable(hip) |
| 8 | Terrell Owens | vs. SF | - |
| 9 | Roddy White | vs. CAR | Questionable, should start |
| 10 | Eddie Royal | vs. OAK | - |
| 11 | Lee Evans | at KC | - |
| 12 | Dwayne Bowe | vs. BUF | - |
| 13 | Santana Moss | at SEA | - |
| 14 | Braylon Edwards | vs. HOU | - |
| 15 | Calvin Johnson | vs. TB | Probable(quadriceps) |
| 16 | Randy Moss | at MIA | - |
| 17 | Bernard Berrian | at JAC | - |
| 18 | Antonio Bryant | at DET | - |
| 19 | Marques Colston | vs. GB | Probable(knee) |
| 20 | Jerricho Cotchery | at TEN | Probable(shoulder) |
| 21 | Hines Ward | vs. CIN | - |
| 22 | Wes Welker | at MIA | - |
| 23 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh | at PIT | Probable(back) |
| 24 | Donald Driver | at NO | Probable(knee) |
| 25 | Matt Jones | vs. MIN | Probable(groin) |
| 26 | Plaxico Burress | at ARZ | Game-time decision, don't wait for |
| 27 | Marvin Harrison | at SD | - |
| 28 | Santonio Holmes | vs. CIN | |
| 29 | Laveranues Coles | at TEN | Probable(thigh) |
| 30 | Vincent Jackson | vs. IND | - |
| 31 | Kevin Walter | at CLE | - |
| 32 | Lance Moore | vs. GB | - |
| 33 | Donnie Avery | vs. CHI | - |
| 34 | Steve Breaston | vs. NYG | - |
| 35 | Derrick Mason | vs. PHI | Questionable, expected to play |
| 36 | Mark Bradley | vs. BUF | Probable(calf) |
| 37 | DeSean Jackson | at BAL | - |
| 38 | Justin Gage | vs. NYJ | - |
| 39 | Brandon Jones | vs. NYJ | - |
| 40 | Kevin Curtis | at BAL | - |
| 41 | Greg Camarillo | vs. NE | - |
| 42 | Anthony Gonzalez | at SD | - |
| 43 | Roy Williams | vs. SF | - |
| 44 | Deion Branch | vs. WAS | Probable(heel) |
| 45 | Torry Holt | vs. CHI | - |
| 46 | Ted Ginn Jr. | vs. NE | - |
| 47 | Chris Chambers | vs. IND | - |
| 48 | Bryant Johnson | at DAL | - |
| 49 | Sidney Rice | at JAC | - |
| 50 | Amani Toomer | at ARZ | - |
| 51 | Steve Smith | at ARZ | |
| 52 | Devin Hester | at STL | - |
| 53 | Muhsin Muhammad | at ATL | - |
| 54 | Bobby Engram | vs. WAS | - |
| 55 | Antwaan Randle El | at SEA | Questionable(ankle) |
| 56 | Jerry Porter | vs. MIN | - |
| 57 | Jason Hill | at DAL | - |
| 58 | Donte' Stallworth | vs. HOU | - |
| 59 | Shaun McDonald | vs. TB | - |
| 60 | Domenik Hixon | at ARZ | Move up 16 spots if Plaxico is out |
WR Notes: The Titans are the perfect team for Kerry Collins; he faces practically no pass rush. It's funny that people have this image of Collins as a game manager, when he was anything but his whole career. The guy is a lot closer to the good Derek Anderson – big arm, questionable decisions – than people realize. He's starting to show off his arm again because opponents are begging Tennessee to throw deep. Early in the season, the receiver roles were unclear and Brandon Jones and Justin Gage were not winning one-on-one battles. Now they are, and there are a lot of big plays to be made against the Jets this week. They are sneaky plays against a thin Jets secondary. … Bernard Berrian is coming off two poor games, but he should bounce back against a struggling Jacksonville secondary. Brian Williams and Drayton Florence can't cover and Reggie Nelson can't tackle.
For years, people around football have said T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the best receiver on the Bengals. This season proved it. With no help from his quarterback, Housh can still make plays. Chad Ocho Cinco, now out on Thursday night, is too reliant on the big play. Chris Henry will start in Ocho's place, but he shouldn't be near fantasy lineups. … Braylon Edwards' big night against Cleveland was great to see. He can be effective running the short stuff with Brady Quinn at quarterback. Donte' Stallworth will run many of the deep routes that are never thrown to. This is Edwards' best matchup for the rest of the season.
Kevin Curtis made a couple bone-headed mistakes last week that cost the Eagles. He's a risky WR3 play against Baltimore, but the Eagles will have to throw a lot. … Marvin Harrison should continue to get a boatload of targets and will face the weakest cornerbacks, so he's a solid WR3 against a soft Bolts secondary. … After ripping on Burress above, he's still ranked high this week because of the matchup. This is a rare game that the Giants will have to throw aggressively to win. Keep an eye on his hamstring injury. … After a relatively slow month, Greg Jennings is ready to bounce back strong in a great matchup. … Megatron just keeps producing. The Bucs are the worst possible matchup for him because they are great at preventing big plays, but Johnson is playing too well to sit. … Santana Moss, like Jennings, should eat up a great matchup after recent struggles. Seattle's secondary should be viewed in the same light as Detroit.
Steve Breaston is probably going to be hit or miss the rest of the way, but there are still big games ahead. It's a tough matchup this week, but the Cardinals may eschew the running game entirely, which should lead to plenty of targets. … Antonio Bryant is a very safe WR2 play against Detroit. He's earned the spot with consistent targets and a season on pace to crack 1,000 yards. … The Colts do a great job preventing big plays. … Deion Branch looked good in his return to the lineup last week. He was targeted twice on the goal line, coming up a yard short of a touchdown once. This is a tough week to use him, but he will be a WR3 option in the future. He should be owned in all leagues.
Week 12 Tight Ends
| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Tony Gonzalez | vs. BUF | - |
| 2 | Antonio Gates | vs. IND | - |
| 3 | Jason Witten | vs. SF | |
| 4 | Dallas Clark | at SD | - |
| 5 | Chris Cooley | at SEA | - |
| 6 | Owen Daniels | at CLE | - |
| 7 | Kellen Winslow | vs. HOU | Game-time decision, should start |
| 8 | Greg Olsen | at STL | - |
| 9 | Zach Miller | at DEN | - |
| 10 | Bo Scaife | vs. NYJ | - |
| 11 | Tony Scheffler | vs. OAK | Probable(groin) |
| 12 | Dustin Keller | at TEN | - |
| 13 | Marcedes Lewis | vs. MIN | - |
| 14 | Jeremy Shockey | vs. GB | - |
| 15 | Vernon Davis | at DAL | - |
| 16 | Visanthe Shiancoe | at JAC | - |
| 17 | Jerramy Stevens | at DET | - |
| 18 | Anthony Fasano | vs. NE | - |
| 19 | Ben Watson | at MIA | - |
| 20 | John Carlson | vs. WAS | - |
| 21 | Todd Heap | vs. PHI | - |
| 22 | Kevin Boss | at ARZ | - |
| 23 | Desmond Clark | at STL | - |
| 24 | L.J. Smith | at BAL | - |
| 25 | Billy Miller | vs. GB | - |
| 26 | Heath Miller | vs. CIN | - |
| 27 | Donald Lee | at NO | - |
TE Notes: The Jets have given up the second most fantasy points to tight ends this season. They will be more focused on the run than ever this week, making Bo Scaife a great play. Scaife is essentially a wide receiver on half of his snaps. … Jason Witten didn't look all the way back last week, but he looked good enough. Drop your TE2 if you own Witten and your league's roster spots don't lock. … Zach Miller is on pace for nearly 700 receiving yards. He has more than doubled any other receiver on Oakland, which is pretty sad.
Vernon Davis has only two catches for 20 yards combined the last two weeks, but both are for touchdowns. … Kellen Winslow may miss practice, but he should be able to play through his shoulder pain Sunday. It's a great matchup; he should be in lineups if he's out there. … Owen Daniels' rough patch was inevitable considering the pace he was on. He's had big games with Sage Rosenfels and should have another one against Cleveland. … Don't expect Ben Watson to back up his breakout week. … Minnesota's safeties can't cover. They have given up the third most yards to tight ends. The lack of touchdowns is fluky and Marcedes Lewis is a good red zone threat. He's a sneaky play.
Week 12 Team Defense
Week 12 Kickers