Who To Start for Fantasy Football in Week 12?

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry broke his two-game touchdown drought in his team's Week 11 win over the Cleveland Browns. Henry rushed for 103 yards and a score on 18 carries and added two catches for 19 yards on two targets.

The 31-year-old has now recorded 807 rushing yards and seven touchdowns across 10 games so far this season. In the three games since Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned from the hamstring injury that sidelined him for over a month, Henry is averaging 99 rushing yards per game.

With Baltimore getting back to its winning ways and the offense finding itself in more favorable game scripts, Henry looks to be back to his old self. He profiles as a must-start fantasy running back heading into a Week 12 matchup against the New York Jets.

The Minnesota Vikings have been among the NFL's more disappointing teams in 2025, and superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson said getting back to winning again begins with him. As first-time starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy has struggled, the Vikings have dropped to 4-6. Jefferson was visibly frustrated in a loss to Chicago on Sunday, but said that he aims to lead the turnaround.

"As a team, as a captain, as a leader of this team, I have to be the first one out there. I have to be headfirst, leading us into that direction of winning, of being where we need to be," Jefferson said, according to The Athletic. While the Vikings have struggled and Jefferson is having a slightly down year by his standards, he's still the No. 13 overall PPR receiver.

With Minnesota looking at a favorable schedule in the fantasy playoffs, managers have good reason to hope for a few big weeks at the best possible time.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity again on Thursday. On the heels of a two-game absence, Thomas has now logged back-to-back limited sessions. While it's encouraging to see him get on the field in some capacity, he'd likely need to log a full practice session on Friday in order to enter the weekend without an injury designation.

If he remains limited for a third day in a row, the team will likely list him as questionable ahead of Sunday's Week 12 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. Thomas was underwhelming over the first nine weeks of the season, ranking as the overall WR39 in PPR leagues with 30 catches, 420 yards, and one touchdown through eight games.

This is a major step backward from his rookie campaign in 2024, when he ranked as the WR4 with 10 touchdowns. Improvement could be on the way, though, as Thomas will have the opportunity to command more volume this week with Travis Hunter (knee) on IR. The 23-year-old's biggest competition for targets comes from Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington. He could certainly bounce back as a strong WR2 this week.

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams scored his fourth rushing touchdown in the past three games in their 21-19 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. Williams was efficient with 91 rushing yards on 12 carries to go with one reception (two targets) for five yards.

The 25-year-old has had a standout season as a big piece of the Rams' high-powered offense and again ranks as one of the best backs in fantasy. Williams isn't known for his explosive rush ability, but he ripped off a few in this game, including his longest run of the season with a 34-yard gash in the first quarter.

It was a tough matchup on paper against a Seattle defense that entered the day ranked third in yards per carry allowed (3.7), and the Rams didn't have their best offensive performance, but Williams still came through for fantasy managers.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb recorded five catches on seven targets for 66 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 33-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Lamb and George Pickens both sat out the first offensive series of the game due to a coach's decision, but both returned to their normal roles afterward and had strong nights.

The star wideout took a backseat to Pickens in this game, with the former Steeler leading the team with 11 targets and exploding for 144 yards and a touchdown. Lamb still had a strong game for fantasy managers on a night where the Cowboys moved the ball at will, but it could have been an even bigger night for the 26-year-old if he had hauled in what would have been a walk-in touchdown near the end of the game.

CeeDee Lamb will continue to rank as a strong WR1 moving forward, but a tougher matchup awaits in Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles.