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Fantasy football starts/sits for TNF, expert advice for all Bills vs. Texans Week 12 matchups on Thursday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Woody Marks, Dalton Schultz, Khalil Shakir, more.
Welcome to our Thursday Night Football start/sit chart for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Below you will find our start/sit matchups chart for all players in the SNF game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Woody Marks, Jayden Higgins, Dalton Schultz, Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel, Christian Kirk, Nick Chubb, Joshua Palmer, James Cook, Khalil Shakir, Dawson Knox, Tyrell Shavers, Josh Allen, and Davis Mills. Which Bills and Texans players should you start or sit in Week 12?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 12, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 12, RotoBallers!
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Buffalo Bills Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player Name | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
| James Cook, RB | Start | 113.3 | @ HOU |
| Josh Allen, QB | Start | 111.5 | @ HOU |
| Khalil Shakir, WR | Start | 106.7 | @ HOU |
| Buffalo Bills, DEF | Risky Start | 102.8 | @ HOU |
| Tyrell Shavers, WR | Sit | 101.8 | @ HOU |
| Joshua Palmer, WR | Sit | 101.6 | @ HOU |
| Keon Coleman, WR | Sit | 100.2 | @ HOU |
| Matt Prater, K | Sit | 100 | @ HOU |
| Gabe Davis, WR | Sit | 99.4 | @ HOU |
| Dawson Knox, TE | Sit | 97.5 | @ HOU |
| Elijah Moore, WR | Sit | 96.8 | @ HOU |
| Ty Johnson, RB | Sit | 96.6 | @ HOU |
| Jackson Hawes, TE | Sit | 95.2 | @ HOU |
| Ray Davis, RB | Sit | 94.7 | @ HOU |
| Mitchell Trubisky, QB | Sit | 90.8 | @ HOU |
James Cook, RB, Bills
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is set to face a tough Houston Texans' defense on Thursday night that has allowed just 87.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in the NFL. It could be tough sledding for Cook on Thursday against a stout Texans defense, but he remains a must-start in Week 12. Cook is averaging 115.8 scrimmage yards per game and has produced eight touchdowns over 10 contests.
The 26-year-old back is enjoying his best season, and the Bills are sure to feature Cook on Thursday. Look for another strong showing and RB1 potential for Cook this week. Despite the brutal matchup, Cook should be in all fantasy lineups and is ranked 11th among all running backs for Week 12.
Josh Allen, QB, Bills
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is coming off a monster performance in last Sunday's 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 317 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 40 yards on six rushing attempts and three more scores versus the Bucs. Allen will look to keep things rolling against the Houston Texans on Thursday night.
Houston's defense is third-best in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game at 174, but Allen's ability to beat them with his feet gives him a high floor. The Texans' defense has held opponents to 20-or-fewer points in all but two matchups this season, to keep their struggling offense in ballgames. However, Allen's MVP-caliber season continues, and he remains a must-start and comes in as the second-ranked quarterback heading into Week 12 in the latest RotoBaller rankings.
Houston Texans Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player Name | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
| Ka'imi Fairbairn, K | Start | 117.2 | vs. BUF |
| Nico Collins, WR | Start | 115.6 | vs. BUF |
| Dalton Schultz, TE | Start | 109.3 | vs. BUF |
| Woody Marks, RB | Start | 107.6 | vs. BUF |
| Houston Texans, DEF | Risky Start | 103 | vs. BUF |
| Davis Mills, QB | Sit | 101.8 | vs. BUF |
| Jayden Higgins, WR | Sit | 101.7 | vs. BUF |
| Christian Kirk, WR | Sit | 101.2 | vs. BUF |
| Nick Chubb, RB | Sit | 100.8 | vs. BUF |
| Xavier Hutchinson, WR | Sit | 100.4 | vs. BUF |
| Jaylin Noel, WR | Sit | 98.9 | vs. BUF |
| Braxton Berrios, WR | Sit | 96.8 | vs. BUF |
| Dare Ogunbowale, RB | Sit | 96.8 | vs. BUF |
| Cade Stover, TE | Sit | 96.6 | vs. BUF |
| Dameon Pierce, RB | Sit | 96.5 | vs. BUF |
| Matthew Wright, K | Sit | 96.5 | vs. BUF |
| British Brooks, RB | Sit | 94.9 | vs. BUF |
| Graham Mertz, QB | Sit | 89.4 | vs. BUF |
Jayden Higgins, WR, Texans
Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins has stepped into a larger role for the Texans since his Week 6 bye week. He is still a high-risk play against the Bills on Thursday Night Football, though, especially with Davis Mills filling in for C.J. Stroud (concussion).
Higgins has gotten seven targets in each of Mills' first two starts, catching five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars, followed by four catches for 55 yards against the Titans. He played the second-highest snap share last week as well and seems to be emerging ahead of Xavier Hutchinson, Christian Kirk, and Jaylin Noel.
His production is still a little inconsistent, though, so he's only the WR46 in the RotoBaller's rankings for Week 12, making him a long-shot flex play on Thursday night.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Texans
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz has been extremely consistent this season, getting plenty of volume for PPR leagues. He has at least five catches in seven of his last eight games and has 20 targets from backup QB Davis Mills over the last two weeks. Mills will make another start against the Bills on Thursday Night Football with C.J. Stroud (concussion) still sidelined.
The Bills have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends this season, so it's a tough spot for Schultz, despite his regular production. RotoBaller has Schlutz ranked as the No. 12 TE this week, making him a fringe starter in standard-sized leagues and a great TE2. He has more value in leagues where his number of receptions can help him compensate for low yardage totals.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Woody Marks, Jayden Higgins, Dalton Schultz, Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel, Christian Kirk, Nick Chubb, Joshua Palmer, James Cook, Khalil Shakir, Dawson Knox, Tyrell Shavers, Josh Allen, Davis Mills. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12.
Week 12 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 12 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 12 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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