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Should I start Emanuel Wilson, Sean Tucker, Kenneth Gainwell for Week 12? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
The fantasy playoffs are right around the corner. Now is the time to make moves that will lead to a playoff berth, and hopefully, a fantasy championship.
There were several running back injuries in Week 11 that opened up opportunities for backup running backs to have big fantasy weeks. Undoubtedly, those performances led fantasy managers to use their FAAB or waiver priority to try to improve the ceiling of their fantasy lineup. Three such players were Emanuel Wilson, Sean Tucker, and Kenneth Gainwell.
Should fantasy managers start Emanuel Wilson, Sean Tucker, or Kenneth Gainwell in Week 12? Read below to find out.
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Should I Start Emanuel Wilson for Fantasy Football?
Emanuel Wilson has played well as the Green Bay Packers' backup running back over the last two seasons, averaging 4.6 yards per carry on 156 carries. Wilson has also been able to maintain that efficiency in games where Jacobs has been banged up.
Over the last two seasons, Wilson has scored 8.1 PPR points per game in all games where Jacobs has been limited to 40 or fewer snaps. One of those games was in Week 11 when the Packers faced off against the New York Giants. In that game, Wilson handled 11 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown while adding one reception for nine yards.
Emanuel Wilson slips through for his first TD of the season
GBvsNYG on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/oeQ5J0viCj
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
Wilson was a priority waiver add for many this week, given the ambiguity around Jacobs’ knee injury. However, Jacobs did not suffer a major injury and was able to log limited practices throughout the week. Jacobs is a game-time decision for Sunday, depending on whether the team can control the swelling in his knee.
If Jacobs is active, then he is in a good enough place to take on most, if not all, of his typical workload. That would remove most fantasy upside for Wilson unless Jacobs aggravates his knee injury.
However, if the Packers decide to rest Jacobs in Week 12, then Wilson will have RB2 upside in a decent matchup against the Vikings.
Should I Start Sean Tucker for Fantasy Football?
Sean Tucker had a career day against the Buffalo Bills in Week 11. Tucker finished as the RB2 on the week (34.0 PPR points) with 19 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns, along with two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown. Tucker also had a career-high 44.3% snap share in the loss.
SEAN TUCKER GAME. THREE TDs.
TBvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/kzDg7Zt3aM
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
The veteran running back has taken on a bigger role for the Buccaneers over his last three weeks, averaging 13.3 carries and 67.0 yards per game while scoring three touchdowns on the ground. The coaching staff has also stated that they plan to give him more opportunities in Week 12.
Tucker will continue to have fantasy value if Bucky Irving is injured. Irving has already been ruled out for Week 12, which means another week of fantasy relevance for Tucker.
Unfortunately, Week 12’s matchup against the Rams is far less ideal for running backs in fantasy football. Opposing running backs have logged just 205 carries for 769 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and two touchdowns against them this season. They are allowing the third fewest fantasy points per game to running backs this season (12.5).
Tucker just needs a seam in the defense to take any touch to the end zone, but the Rams' defensive front is very good at not giving those opportunities to running backs. Tucker is worth starting, but fantasy managers should temper their expectations for him in Week 12.
Should I Start Kenneth Gainwell for Fantasy Football?
Jaylen Warren suffered an ankle injury during Week 11’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. That allowed veteran running back Kenneth Gainwell to take on an expanded role in the offense. Gainwell responded by finishing as the RB5 in PPR scoring against the Bengals (29.5 points), racking up nine carries for 24 yards and adding seven receptions (on eight targets) for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
Gainwell's second TD extends the Steelers lead!
CINvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/N9flMmWMTm
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
We have clear evidence that Gainwell is a force for fantasy football when Warren is unable to play. Gainwell had an RB3 overall finish in Week 4 (31.4 PPR points) against the Vikings. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Warren was able to practice throughout the week and is set to play Week 12.
If Warren does play, then Gainwell reverts back to his typical role as a change-of-pace pass-catching back for the Steelers. He is averaging 6.1 carries and 4.2 targets per game on a 46% snap share this season.
Gainwell is set to maintain his role as an RB3 with touchdown upside, but isn’t a reliable fantasy option in Week 12 unless Warren is a surprising inactive. He does get a slight boost against a Bears defense that will be without their top three linebackers in Week 12, which could help boost his production as a pass catcher.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Emanuel Wilson, Sean Tucker, and Kenneth Gainwell. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12. 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.
Week 12 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Emanuel Wilson, Sean Tucker, and Kenneth Gainwell. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 12.
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 that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. 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 for Emanuel Wilson, Sean Tucker, and Kenneth Gainwell compared to others:
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