Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Expect Bucs QB Baker Mayfield to bounce back in Week 12

We’ve reached the first “Bye-Pocalypse” of the regular season, with six teams getting the week off, which makes it even more challenging for fantasy football managers to set starting lineups. 

With that in mind, here’s what to do about several streaming candidates, flex options and other players you may be on the fence about plugging into your lineup in Week 12.

Quarterbacks

Start: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Buccaneers at Giants / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Mayfield’s production has declined in recent weeks, only throwing for 316 yards and three touchdowns across his last two games after averaging 265.4 yards and 2.56 TDs over his first nine outings this season. Of course, injuries to the Bucs wide receiver corps contributed to Mayfield’s struggles, but fortunately for the former No. 1 overall pick, reinforcements are on the way.

Star wideout Mike Evans, who has been sidelined since Week 7 due to a hamstring injury, is set to return for Sunday’s post-bye road contest against New York. Because of this, coupled with the fact that the Giants are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks (17.2), Mayfield is well-positioned to get back on track this week. 

Other starts: Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts; Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Sit: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Cardinals at Seahawks / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday

In spite his late-game heroics in last week’s thrilling 20-17 road win over San Francisco, Smith hasn’t been particularly effective as of late. Since Week 8, Smith ranks as the QB20 on a points-per-game basis, tossing three touchdowns and five interceptions during that span.

It’s more likely than not that Smith’s underwhelming play will continue against a Cardinals defense that has quietly blossomed into one of the NFL’s better units. Over the last four games, quarterbacks have averaged 9.29 fantasy points against Arizona while combining to throw just one touchdown. Options might be scarce due to byes, but look elsewhere for a starting quarterback. 

Other sits: Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings; C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Running backs

Start: Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots 

Patriots at Dolphins / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye has elevated the team’s offense and, in turn, made Stevenson a solid fantasy RB2 for the remainder of the season. While he’s only averaging 10.8 PPR points over the past two games, Stevenson has received 20 carries in three of his last four contests because Maye is keeping New England competitive. With that type of workload and a matchup against the Dolphins, whose defense allows the seventh-most fantasy points to tailbacks (20.1 PPG), Stevenson has top-10 upside in Week 12. 

Other starts: Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders; Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams 

Sit: Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers 

Chiefs at Panthers / 1 p.m. ET Sunday 

Hubbard, the RB12 overall, has proved to be one of the biggest steals from fantasy drafts, posting double-digit points in all but two games. Although he rushed for a career-high 153 yards during Carolina’s Week 10 overtime win against the Giants, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hubbard disappoints in his home clash with Kansas City.

Aside from the fact that Hubbard could lose touches to rookie RB Jonathon Brooks, who’s making his NFL debut, the Chiefs defense has shut down running backs all season long. Only one player has rushed for over 60 yards against Kansas City in 2024, and it wasn’t even a running back, but instead Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. 

Other sits: Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs; D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears 

Wide receivers

Start: Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Broncos at Raiders / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday

It’s impossible to overlook that the Raiders are one of the most difficult matchups for wideouts, allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position (17.4). Even so, sometimes it’s best to ride the hot hand, and few wide receivers have been more productive than Sutton over the last month. Since failing to catch a pass in Denver’s Week 7 road win over New Orleans, Sutton has racked up the third-most receiving yards in the NFL (370) and the fifth-most PPR points at his position (74.2). 

Other starts: Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers; Malik Nabers, New York Giants 

Sit: Tank Dell, Houston Texans 

Titans at Texans / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Despite ranking sixth among wideouts since Week 6 in separation score and first in route win rate, Dell has only averaged 11.5 PPR points, the 35th-best among wideouts (h/t FantasyPros’ Derek Brown). Additionally, Dell hasn’t been able to step up in Stefon Diggs’ absence, with his 55.3 passer rating when targeted being the lowest among Texans pass-catchers since Week 9. His target share is encouraging, but Dell is simply too risky to trust as a flex option against Tennessee’s top-ranked pass defense. 

Other sits: Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders; Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

Tight ends

Start: Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers 

Ravens at Chargers / 8:15 p.m. ET Monday

A popular waiver wire pick-up, Dissly has emerged as a reliable weapon for Chargers QB Justin Herbert and has earned the seventh-most targets among tight ends since Week 7 (33). The 28-year-old posted a season-high 18 PPR points during last week’s 34-27 home win over the Bengals and has a realistic opportunity to maintain his momentum against Baltimore.

In addition to allowing the most passing yards per game this season (304.64), the Ravens have given up the most receptions (67) and the second-most receiving yards (736) to tight ends. This gives Dissly a relatively safe floor, and since the contest has the highest implied point total on the Week 12 slate (50.5), he’ll have a solid chance of finding the end zone. 

Other starts: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens; Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles 

Sit: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers 

49ers at Packers / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday

After ranking as the TE4 overall from Weeks 4 through 8, Kraft hasn’t been as much of a factor as a pass-catcher for the Packers. The 2023 third-round pick followed up a 34-yard Week 9 performance with an even worse showing in last Sunday’s 20-19 road win over Chicago, failing to catch his lone target.

Even though he has some impressive YAC ability, Kraft needs touchdowns to be fantasy-relevant. This doesn’t bode well for his Week 12 outlook, given that the 49ers not only allow the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends (4.8) but have also only surrendered two touchdowns to the position. 

Other sits: Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders; Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers