Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit: Players in great spots for Week 12, including Shedeur Sanders as a deep sleeper

1 day ago7 min read6 comments

Alright fantasy football fam, gather 'round because Week 12 is looking like a straight-up buffet of favorable matchups, and if your team is on the playoff bubble, you're gonna want to load up your plate. We're diving deep into the analytics and film to find those league-winning sleepers, so let's cut the pre-game hype and get into the nitty-gritty.Starting under center, Jacoby Brissett facing the Jacksonville Jaguars is the kind of fantasy plot twist you usually only see in movies. Since taking over as the starter in Week 6, the man has been the QB4 in per-game scoring, averaging a wild 21.9 fantasy points. The Jags' defense might have looked decent against Justin Herbert last week, but let's be real, that's the outlier.For three straight games before that, they were a welcome mat for quarterbacks, giving up 25+ points to the likes of Matt Stafford, Geno Smith, and even Davis Mills. Brissett is essentially wearing a fantasy Superman cape right now, and you'd be a fool not to consider him.Then there's Sam Darnold, who gets a Tennessee Titans secondary that's basically a turnstile for outside receivers. The Titans are dead last in completion percentage allowed to wideouts on the outside, and Darnold, with his cannon arm, should be force-feeding Jaxon Smith-Njigba all day long.It’s a matchup made in fantasy heaven. And don't sleep on Bryce Young, who is coming off a career-high 448-yard game.The San Francisco 49ers' pass rush is practically non-existent this year—they're last in sacks and pressure rate—which has resulted in a parade of quarterbacks, including Jacoby Brissett and C. J.Stroud, dropping 20-burgers on them. Now, for the real deep dive, the guy you text your league mates about to sound like a genius: Shedeur Sanders.Yeah, his Week 11 stat line was brutal—4 for 16, 47 yards, a pick—but the film tells a different story. When his offensive line didn't collapse instantly, the ball placement was sharp, and the arm strength was noticeably superior to Dillon Gabriel's.Facing a Las Vegas Raiders defense that generates the second-lowest QB pressure rate, Sanders, a pure pocket passer, could finally have the time to show what he can do. Moving to the backfield, Alvin Kamara is an obvious play if he's healthy.The Atlanta Falcons are giving up the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs, and their 4. 1 yards after contact allowed per carry is the second-worst in the league.We've seen Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey absolutely eviscerate this unit. Meanwhile, in New England, everyone's understandably hyped about TreVeyon Henderson, but if Rhamondre Stevenson is active, he's in a dream scenario.The Cincinnati Bengals have been a welcome wagon for running backs, surrendering the most fantasy points, the most touchdowns, and a ghastly 5. 36 yards per carry.I wouldn't be shocked at a 50-50 split, making Stevenson a sneaky RB2 with massive upside. And don't overlook Kenneth Gainwell.With Jaylen Warren nursing an ankle injury, Gainwell is poised for a hefty workload against a Chicago Bears defense that gets gashed on outside runs, allowing a second-worst 6. 01 yards per carry on such attempts.For the pass-catchers, Cedric Tillman is a name to watch. The Raiders' cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly has been, to put it nicely, a liability, and this secondary has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to outside receivers.With Sanders' improved arm strength and a Reception Perception profile that shows Tillman excels on digs and slants—routes Sanders favored in college—this is a perfect storm for a breakout. Jalen Coker is another sneaky play from the slot, where the 49ers have been torched all season, giving up the most fantasy points to inside receivers.Greg Dortch just hung 18. 6 points on them, and Coker has the skills to do the same.With Marvin Harrison Jr. out again, Michael Wilson is a must-play after his 15-catch, 185-yard explosion last week.The Jaguars have been burned by outside receivers all year, and the high projected total for this game suggests a shootout. And for those looking for a big-play threat, Rashid Shaheed faces a Titans defense that is not only last in completion rate to outside receivers but also second-worst in yards per pass attempt allowed to them.He's one deep ball away from winning you your week. Finally, at tight end, Hunter Henry is the chalk streamer of the week.The Bengals have been a charity for tight ends, giving up the most fantasy points per game to the position, with eight different tight ends scoring double-digit PPR points in their last eight games. Triple H has the pedigree to be a true TE1 this week.So there you have it—your cheat sheet for Week 12. It’s all about leveraging these matchups, because in fantasy football, it’s not always about having the best players; it’s about starting the right ones at the perfect time.

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