Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 12 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Upside Include Keaton Mitchell, Zay Flowers, Rashid Shaheed

Scott breaks down his fantasy football lineup starts/sits for Week 12 (2023). He spotlights key NFL players to start, and tougher lineup start/sit decisions.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my Week 12 Lineup Spotlights - Key Starters and Tough Calls for fantasy football. Every week, I zoom in on some of my preferred players to go with when dealing with challenging lineup decisions. These picks are based on my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a discount and get access to my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the remainder of the 2023 fantasy football season.

I feature players that you should lean to in tough calls and guys who may exceed expectations this week are also highlighted, so you can feel even more confident about starting or adding them. Skill position analysis here is based on my PPR rankings. When considering each player for your lineup, also consult our fantasy football rankings to see exactly where they are positioned when compared to your other possible lineup choices.

 With four games already completed, many fantasy players are looking for upside options to help them catch up to or get past their opponents in Week 12. I have highlighted some of my favorite “boom” plays for the remainder of this week’s matchups.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Running Backs – Fantasy Football Week 12 – Upside Plays

Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens

The undrafted rookie is one of the most promising plays on the remaining Week 12 schedule. Mitchell is averaging 10.3 rushing yards per attempt, with long runs of 60, 39, and 21 yards in his past three games. He also added in a 32-yard reception in Week 10. Mitchell is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. He has yet to touch the ball 10 times in a game, yet if you are shooting for a “ceiling” play this week, Mitchell is a prime candidate.

The Chargers rank 26^th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to RBs, and rank 27^th in rushing yards allowed to the position over the past four weeks. Mitchell played on a season-high 36 percent of the snaps in Week 11 as his field time has continued to increase, and he can provide some statistical excitement even with a limited workload. The Ravens also have the seventh-best run-blocking advantage rating on Pro Football Focus for Week 12, and Mitchell will quickly explode through any holes or openings he sees. Strap yourself in and use Mitchell as a flex play.

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

In his last two games, Henry has rushed for 62 yards, and right now it appears like he does not have much of a fantasy floor. But while he certainly is not a safe play anymore, Henry can still come through with some vintage running in the right matchup, which he gets this week against Carolina.

The Panthers rank 27^th in rushing yards allowed to RBs and have allowed the most Fantasy Points Per Game to the position. Tennessee has a top-12 run-blocking advantage grade on PFF for Week 12. At home in Tennessee, Henry has 350 scrimmage yards (116.7 per game) and two rushing TDs in three games this season, with 100-plus rushing yards in each of the past two. In the three games before his last two, Henry averaged 91 rushing yards per game. Carolina has allowed an NFL-high 13 rushing TDs to RBs, so lock Henry in as an RB2 for Week 12.

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON 64 YARDS TO THE HOUSE pic.twitter.com/geXUoYWyEx

— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) November 5, 2023

Associating the word “upside” with any player on the New England Patriots seems odd. Yet the matchup is a very good one for Stevenson, and he recently showed he is indeed capable of making a big play, as he rushed for a 64-yard TD in Week 9 against Washington. The Giants and Patriots are two of the worst teams in the NFL, yet we can see both RBs make some noise in this game as Stevenson and Saquon Barkley help fantasy players elevate their outlooks.

New York ranks 26^th in rushing yards allowed to RBs over the past four weeks and has allowed the second-most rushing yards to the position on the season. The Giants have surrendered 11 rushing TDs to RBs, which ranks third in the NFL. Stevenson has rushed for 80-plus yards in each of his past two games and might reach 100 for the first time this season in Week 12, so start him as an RB2.

Wide Receivers – Fantasy Football Week 12 – Upside Plays

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers

In his last four games, Thielen has not reached the 75-yard mark or caught a TD pass, so it seems that fantasy players are relying on him more for volume than anything else. This week, however, we may see the version of Thielen that caught four TD passes and registered three 100-yard outings in the first six weeks of the 2023 season, much to the surprise of fantasy players everywhere. The longtime Viking was drafted late or not at all in most fantasy leagues.

According to PFF, Thielen has a 96.5 WR/CB matchup advantage grade against Titans slot CB Elijah Molden, which is the highest of any WR for Week 12. The Titans also rank 27^th in FPPG allowed to WRs. Thielen is not an upside play in terms of being a guy who will catch a 50-yard TD pass, yet he has a lot of promise to make the most of his targets, with 10-plus in four of his last five games. The Panthers’ unlikely No. 1 fantasy WR at the beginning of the season should be very busy and can boost your team to a win in Week 12.

Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Some fantasy players might have a bit of hesitance about starting Flowers, as he was dealing with a hip issue this week. The Baltimore rookie, however, reportedly did practice in full on Friday and insisted he would be good to go on Sunday night against the Chargers. Flowers should be started as a WR3.

Ravens WR Zay Flowers said he feels good. No doubt that he’ll play Sunday night despite the hip injury.

“The rookie wall ain’t get me yet.” pic.twitter.com/0uvDwHec7t

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) November 24, 2023

The Ravens need their other top pass-catchers to step forward with Mark Andrews done for the season, and this is a great week for Flowers to bust out with the best performance yet. The Chargers have allowed the third-most FPPG to WRs and entered Week 12 with the league’s lowest-ranked pass defense. Baltimore also has the seventh-best pass-blocking advantage grade on PFF this week, so Lamar Jackson will have time to locate Flowers all over the field. The Ravens WR has receptions of 40-plus yards in three games and can get loose for a downfield strike this week.

Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints

This play may seem more obvious, as the New Orleans’ speedster will take on a larger role in the passing game with Michael Thomas out. It just becomes a question of who you should start him over.

I have Shaheed ranked as my No. 27 WR for Week 12, putting him in the high-end WR3 range. That means in most tight decisions involving him and another uncertain play for this week, I lean toward starting Shaheed. Some WRs I have him listed ahead of include DeAndre Hopkins, Chris Godwin, Courtland Sutton, and Amari Cooper. If you have doubts at all about the WR3 alternative to Shaheed, roll with the Saints’ electric threat. Consider these notes from Pat Fitzmaurice of FantasyPros.

“Shaheed has been an excellent zone beater this season, which lines up well in the next three weeks, as Atlanta, Detroit, and Carolina have all utilized zone coverage on at least 70.4 percent of their defensive snaps since Week 6. Among 109 qualifying wide receivers, Shaheed ranks 32nd in yards per route run (2.05) and 30th in fantasy points per route run (0.40) against zone coverage (per Fantasy Points Data).”

Quarterback And Tight End – Fantasy Football Week 12 – Upside Plays

Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings

As we await the movie release on Dobbs’ life story, we can look to him as a top-10 fantasy QB in Week 12. The well-traveled QB has scored 24-plus fantasy points in three of his past four games overall while rushing for a TD in five consecutive games. Chicago ranks 29^th in passing yards allowed to QBs, and the Vikings have the best pass-blocking advantage rating of any team on PFF for this week. Dobbs can deliver as both a passer and runner against the Bears and I have him ranked ahead of Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert.

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray moonballing it to Trey McBride as soon as he sees him even with the DB and Trey ragdolling the guy to get back to the ball

Arizona has been given such a wonderful gift during this tanking season pic.twitter.com/ICVRV61qI3

— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) November 18, 2023

The second-year TE has been inconsistent in his last four games, but he was targeted 16 total times in his past two games and might be targeted in double figures in Week 12. The Cardinals are dealing with notable injuries at WR, and McBride should be one of the top two pass-catchers for Arizona this week. You can even consider using him as a flex option. The Rams rank 23^rd in receiving yards allowed to TEs, and I rank McBride in the top five at the position this week.

Scott Engel's fantasy and betting analysis is also featured at The Game Day.

More Fantasy Football Analysis