Week 12 fantasy football buy or sell

32 seconds for 32 teams — why the Carolina Panthers and a pair of young Redskins could swing your fantasy season

The fantasy football trade deadline is here, and the fantasy playoffs are just around the corner. Now is not the time to just sit blindly on your team and hope for the best. This is when champions are making the finals moves to their title-winning roster. This is when titles are won.

Tom Brady and Russell Wilson seem nice now, but both might be great sell options if you can find the right buyer. So too for names like T.Y. Hilton, Melvin Gordon, and DeAndre Hopkins. They may have led your team all season long, but fantasy football is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately game and there’s reason to fear the closing stretch for each.

Instead, turn your attention to any number of strong Carolina Panthers targets, two young Washington Redskins, and a number of other sneaky options down the stretch. Play your studs all season long, but now it’s time to cherry pick the best fantasy playoff matchups and get the right numbers and matchups into your lineup! Let’s go around the league one last time before the trade deadline…

Arizona Cardinals

Feel free to leave Ricky Seals-Jones on your waivers and forget he ever existed. RSJ had his first two career touchdowns on a 3/54/2 line out of left field but he played just eight snaps and should be ignored until he does it again. Adrian Peterson had his third brutal game in four, but he’s a decent buy low option if you’re desperate for RB help. All three games were against strong run defenses and the schedule gets much softer ahead.

Atlanta Falcons

Tevin Coleman was one of last week’s big pickups and he found the end zone and almost scored a second time. He’s a must start if Devonta Freeman continues to miss time. Julio Jones is on pace for an 85/1250/2 season. Guess which one of those numbers is due for a heavy regression? He remains a huge trade target and could bust out this week against an awful Tampa secondary he’ll play twice in the next month. Mohamed Sanu caught his third TD in four games and remains a useful option. He has a strong closing schedule and is a possible start any given week.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens Defense is another of those defenses good enough to trade for, especially with their closing schedule of Cleveland and Indianapolis in the payoff Weeks 15 and 16. Alex Collins has finally been handed the keys and looks like a must own now. He had season high in snaps, carries, targets, and catches and found the end zone. He could be a weekly RB2 with such a soft schedule. Danny Woodhead played only 13 snaps but saw six targets and five catches. Make sure he’s owned in PPR leagues, and drop Javorious Allen.

Buffalo Bills

Go ahead and drop Nathan Peterman unless you’re in like a 4QB league. Holy cow, that was awful. It looks like Kelvin Benjamin is not actually out for the season as feared. He’s week to week and is probably worth holding if you have room, with a great closing stretch and Taylor possibly back under center. LeSean McCoy had another big game after we told you to trade for him. If you don’t have by now after all my pleading, you never will.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are the buy low team of the week. Their rankings have just slipped during the bye, but they have a strong closing schedule with the Packers and Bucs Weeks 15 and 16 and that makes everyone here worth a play. Cam Newton has been written off by many but was the #2 QB in fantasy before the bye, and Devin Funchess has become a weekly start. Greg Olsen is a must add if he’s somehow still available and an immediate start. Christian McCaffrey is coming off his best two running games of the season and has three TDs in his last two. All four look like excellent trade targets and guys that could carry your team to the title.

Chicago Bears

Jordan Howard had a big game and remains the only reliable Bear and the only one worth rostering. He’s got some strong matchups left and makes a nice trade target if you need a running back. Dontrelle Inman definitely looks like the top Bears receiver, but that is worth very little.

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Mixon continues to see a lot of volume without doing much with it, the Bengals version of Doug Martin. That volume keeps him in the fantasy mix and makes him a good start against the Browns this week, but a poor schedule after that may spell his doom. Only A.J. Green is reliable on this team.

Cleveland Browns

For the bazillionth time this season, Duke Johnson got fewer touches than Isaiah Crowell but looked way better. He’s a sneaky pick-up that could have a huge closing stretch if he’d just get more chances. Be sure to pick up Corey Coleman if you haven’t already. He was back in a big way Sunday with 6/80 on 11 targets and could be a weekly start if he stays healthy.

Dallas Cowboys

It turns out the Cowboys really miss… their offensive line. Zeke too, but it’s the abysmal line play that is killing this offense, and now they get a super short week (Sunday night to Thursday afternoon?! Come on, NFL) before a tough matchup with maybe the best pass rushing ends in football in the Chargers. Dak Prescott is a bench this week if you have another option, but he’s also a buy low with a better schedule and healthier line ahead. Boring Alfred Morris seems to be the lead runner but is just a flex play at best. This went south in a hurry.

Denver Broncos

Both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders continue to look like weekly plays. Sanders had a quiet game but still saw eight targets, and the Bengals secondary is pretty good. They’re the only two reliable Denver plays with the run game devolving into a full on time share between C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker. Booker is a speculative pickup and could be a decent dart in games where the Broncos are expected to trail most of the way.

Detroit Lions

It looks like a soft closing schedule for the Lions but there are a lot of tough pass defenses ahead. That’s too bad because Matt Stafford continues to play well, averaging 329 yards and two TDs over the last five weeks. He and Golden Tate are safe plays, and Marvin Jones bounced back after an invisible game with another good week. All three are plausible weekly plays and should be in your Thanksgiving Day lineup. Ameer Abdullah is what he is at this point. He’ll play half the snaps and get 10 or 12 touches and any goal line work. That’s not worth a ton with the byes past us.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers were shut out at home, which is not a sentence anyone was expecting in 2017. Jordy Nelson has a terrible 10/92 line in four games combined since Rodgers went out and has to be on your bench. Feel free to cut him if you need the roster spot. Davante Adams is actually producing with 22/281 in that stretch so he’s still playable in most matchups. Rookie Jamaal Williams played almost every snap and had almost a hundred yards. He looks playable if the rest of the Green Bay RBs remain injured.

Houston Texans

DeAndre Hopkins caught a TD to save another week, but I remain strongly in the sell camp on him. You’re expecting top three WR production at this point and that’s just not reliable with Tom Savage throwing passes his way. Lamar Miller looked like he was finally ceding serious time to D’Onta Foreman but might have been saved by some bad Foreman luck, who broke out with a pair of TDs but may be out for the season. Miller could be a strong closing play on volume alone.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts come off the bye week with a decent matchup against the Titans before the toughest closing stretch in football for T.Y. Hilton. He’s already proven to have a very low floor and is a must sell before the fantasy playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars

If you have some extra depth and are looking for a trade target, go get the Jaguars Defense. They’ve been incredible all season and still get games against Blaine Gabbert, Jacoby Brissett, Tom Savage, and Jimmy Garoppolo. Leonard Fournette had a good game but might be a sell target. He’s got some tough run defenses ahead, particularly Weeks 14 and 15 against Seattle and Houston, though that Week 16 Super Bowl matchup with the 49ers is an absolute peach — if you make it that far. Marqise Lee continues to eat up targets and is a flex play or better. Dede Westbrook finally played but was the third receiver, and Hurns should be back soon. He’s worth keeping an eye on but probably doesn’t need to be carried.

Kansas City Chiefs

What is happening with this Chiefs team? What was once the hottest offense in football has gone completely quiet, with a shocking road loss to the 1–9 Giants even after a bye week, with Kansas City failing to find the end zone. This still feels like a top three AFC team to me, and the closing schedule is a cakewalk. This week was a kick to the groin but might give you one last chance to make an offer for Kareem Hunt or Travis Kelce to bring you home.

Los Angeles Chargers

Oh hey Keenan Allen! Allen busted out with a monster 12/159/2 game, most of that in the first half before the game got completely embarrassing. He has a great closing schedule and could be a rare buy high if someone is looking to turn a quick profit. This is your last chance to sell on Melvin Gordon. His closing rushing schedule is rough and he tends to disappear in games against top run defenses, so he could be majorly disappointing down the stretch. Deep leagues might consider adding Mike Williams, a first round pick who is finally seeing the field. He benefited from the blowout seeing eight targets and could bust out down the stretch with the soft schedule.

Los Angeles Rams

Well that’ll kill the buzz in a hurry. The Rams had scored 33+ in six of their last seven before managing just one touchdown against the Vikings and now they lost Robert Woods in the process. Woods is out at least a couple weeks and can sadly be dropped in redraft leagues since he’s probably not usable til Week 16 with the injury and matchups. The schedule is tough the next four weeks, so you should stay away from the whole passing game until someone steps forward, including Jared Goff. And all of that is very ominous for fantasy’s #1 player Todd Gurley, who had his worst rushing game of the season. If you still have time to trade him, you should at least test the waters.

Miami Dolphins

Kenyan Drake was a bust this week with only 14 yards on eight touches. Fellow RB Damien Williams had a nice 69-yard run but was otherwise just as useless. Drake is still the RB to own but is obviously more of a stash than a play at this point. Make sure Kenny Stills is owned. He is Matt Moore’s go-to receiver and a must start if Cutler misses time. Jarvis Landry is a great trade target in PPR leagues with perhaps the most favorable remaining fantasy WR schedule in the league. I still haven’t given up on DeVante Parker. He has 8+ targets every healthy game and has a dynamite schedule. I just don’t know how to quit the Dolphins. Send help.

Minnesota Vikings

Remember when we kept telling you to get Adam Thielen and that he’d find the end zone eventually? He had 6/123 and a TD and scored a touchdown for a third straight game, and there aren’t five more reliable WRs in fantasy. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon continue to frustrate. Murray scored two touchdowns and was the better play, and he’s become the short yardage back and is running well. McKinnon is under 4ypc four weeks in a row but continues to get a lot of touches. Think of Murray as a Vikings LeGarrette Blount. You can only expect 30 or 40 yards but have a good shot at a touchdown, so play him in favorable Vikings matchups where he’ll get scoring opportunities and late carries to run the clock out. McKinnon is more of a wildcard with a higher floor and is just a flex play with the byes past us.

New England Patriots

You might want to think about trading Tom Brady. It sounds crazy, but the schedule gets tough ahead and all but one of the Patriots remaining games will take place in cold possibly snowy conditions. That’s bad news for any QB and even worse news for a 40-year-old. Brady may not be the sure thing you’re hoping for down the stretch. Dion Lewis finally got involved in the passing game a bit this week. He already looks like a useful start most weeks, and he’s a steady RB2 if they keep using him there. Pick up Chris Hogan if he’s been dropped in your league. He should be back soon and was very good before his injury.

New Orleans Saints

What a comeback for the Saints! That’s the story of the season for a team that has reeled off eight straight wins after an 0–2 start, and we know what to expect by now in fantasy. Both Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara are weekly starts, though I remain lower on Kamara than most fantasy experts. Drew Brees had his biggest game of the season, but that was a product of the Saints finally trailing in a game and that may not happen too often. It’s a tough closing schedule for your New Orleans players, but this team is so hot that you either need to sell now or ride it out.

New York Giants

Orleans Darkwa has 70 yards rushing in three straight games and continues to see volume, so he’s a flex play or better in an offense that has to turn somewhere. Sterling Shepard missed the game to injury and is a must add if someone dropped him. Evan Engram had his worst game of the season. The Giants have a great closing schedule and all three of these guys are fantasy relevant, so don’t just look past the G-Men.

New York Jets

Robby Anderson is a must add if he was dropped during the Jets bye, but everything here is speculative. Anderson, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Bilal Powell, and even Josh McCown have been very solid fantasy plays at times this season, depending on the week. Unfortunately there are a lot of tough defenses ahead so these Jets look like dart tosses most weeks.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are 4–6 and haven’t found their way yet, but they’re still just a game out of the playoffs and it feels like this team is one game away from finding its offense and making a run. Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper have been terrible but are still seeing volume, and Marshawn Lynch is running well when he gets the opportunity. All three should be cheap options if available, and the Raiders play home against the Broncos and Giants the next two weeks so this could be the perfect launch point.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jay Ajayi ripped off another long run but played just 13 snaps. Should we be troubled that he didn’t get second half garbage time work and a chance to learn the offense, or is that a sign that he’s the guy and the Eagles wanted to keep him healthy and let Blount and Clement finish things up? It’s hard to say. The Eagles have a great rushing schedule remaining but Ajayi is just a dart until we know more. This is your chance to make a move for Zach Ertz if you need a tight end. He looked healthy enough and should be as good as any option down the stretch.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger is coming off his best three games of the season and is suddenly fantasy relevant with a very favorable closing schedule. He gets the awful Texans and Patriots secondaries the final two weeks, so go get him and keep riding the JuJu Smith-Schuster train too. Smith-Schuster was quiet this week but has 25 targets the last three games and looks like a high upside WR3 or better the rest of the way.

San Francisco 49ers

We should reasonably expect Jimmy Garoppolo to get the start for the 49ers out of the bye week, but his receivers are so bad that this passing game is to be avoided until they prove otherwise. That should be good news for Carlos Hyde though, who’s been solid all season and might finally get some chances at the end zone.

Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson had another huge game and is playing at an MVP level, but he gets the Eagles, Rams, Jaguars, and Cowboys the final four weeks of the fantasy year and that could be trouble. He’ll be playable but looks sure to have at least one dud in that mix and that could cost you your fantasy playoffs. He’s a sell high if you can find value and/or a better option. Feel free to move on from Seattle Defense if you haven’t already. There’s just too many injuries and they’re probably not even worth owning during that final stretch.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Another week with 20+ touches and very little production from Doug Martin, who remains very frustrating. He’s getting so much work that he still seems like a potential play, but the floor is very low. Tampa will be an underdog in all but one remaining game and we’ve already seen them bench Martin when they fall behind, so he’s a very risky play. At this point, only Mike Evans is a weekly start for the Bucs.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans were a Thursday night dud but don’t give up on them just yet. They play the Colts, Texans, Cards, and Niners the next four weeks and could pile up points as they make a playoff push. Marcus Mariota, DeMarco Murray, and Delanie Walker could carry you to the fantasy championship. Consider picking up rookie Corey Davis too. He’s led Tennessee receivers in targets two weeks in a row and could break up down the stretch.

Washington Redskins

Samaje Perine and Josh Doctson are two of this week’s best waiver pickups. Perine was a recommendation last week and is suddenly the only healthy RB on the roster with Chris Thompson headed to the IR. He had by far the best game of his career with 23/117/1 rushing and looks like a strong start this week. Doctson is now playing the most snaps of any Washington weapon and has become the go-to target. Jamison Crowder may see a couple more catches but Doctson has taken that Terrelle Pryor role. He’s worth a Thanksgiving start and could be useful down the stretch.

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