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Scott Engel features fantasy football lineup starts/sits for Week 12 (2025). He focuses on key NFL players to start when faced with tight Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions.
Welcome again to our Key Starters and Tough Calls feature for Week 12 of the 2025 season. Scott Engel's Week 12 Lineup Spotlights column focuses on key players to start or sit when faced with tight lineup decisions. "The King" showcases players who may be causing fantasy anxiety.
The fantasy football players included in this Week 12 article are based on Scott's Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available via the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. You can get access to his full player rankings and also examine a full suite of tools and analysis for in-season usage.
To make the best-informed Week 12 lineup decisions -- consult this analysis, the RotoBaller staff fantasy football rankings, and free Who Should I Start? tool for comparing up to four players. The skill position analysis in this article is based on Scott's Week 12 premium PPR rankings.
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Running Backs - Fantasy Football Week 12
TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots
Just when the Patriots' rookie looked like he was breaking out, his upside took a minor hit heading into a great matchup in Week 12. New England faces Cincinnati, which fields the worst defense in the league. Early in the week, Henderson was being ranked as the sixth to eighth-best starting option at RB, depending on what rankings you consulted.
TreVeyon Henderson's Role Not Guaranteed Despite Recent Surge https://t.co/Wm7pGtg9bp
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) November 22, 2025
Late in the week, though, it became clear that Rhamondre Stevenson was going to return for this Sunday’s game against the Bengals. Those reports knocked some of the luster off of Henderson’s outlook for the week. After starting the past three games and functioning as the Patriots’ lead RB, his ceiling doesn’t look quite as high for Week 12.
Before last week, Henderson had not carried more than 14 times in a game, as his workloads were limited when Stevenson was available earlier in the season. It still seemed like the New England coaching staff was careful not to saddle him with too heavy a load, even in the games he started in recent weeks.
Still, Henderson showed he could potentially make the most of any of his touches. In Week 10, he rushed for 147 yards and two TDs on just 14 attempts. Last week, he totaled 93 yards from scrimmage with three TDs. Most fantasy players figured after the Week 11 performance that it would be hard to reduce Henderson’s workload again, even when Stevenson returned.
While fantasy players may look at the return of Stevenson as a negative, the Patriots will view it as a positive that they have two complementary RBs to use against the worst defense in the league.
But at the same time, Henderson has earned the right to at least be a featured part of a timeshare. Instead of viewing him as a true RB1 for Week 12, you can now use him as more of a higher-end RB2. Even in a shared role, Henderson has a lot of upside this week.
Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars
Here’s another rookie RB with inviting upside. Unlike Henderson, though, Tuten may be about to ascend at the expense of a teammate. Last week, he logged season-highs in rushing attempts (15) and yards (74) while rushing for his second TD in three weeks.
Tuten may have finished with even better numbers if he didn’t leave the game in the second half due to an ankle injury. It was a concern in the week leading up to Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. By the end of the week, though, he was no longer on the injury report, and fantasy players who roster him are anticipating a possible breakout game against Arizona.
The Cardinals rank 24th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to RBs, and they have also allowed 10 rushing TDs to the position, which is third-most in the league. Travis Etienne will still be in the picture here in a likely timeshare situation, but he contrasts with the more physical Tuten as more of a slasher than the physical type the rookie is.
The fantasy arrow is definitely pointing up for Tuten, and it is very possible that he becomes the purely preferred goal-line runner over Etienne. The Arizona draw is a good matchup for Tuten to produce well, even if he splits touches. Use him at a flex position if you need a quality option there, and Tuten can also slide into an RB2 slot if needed for some adequate production.
Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
For most of the three seasons of his career so far, Tucker was buried on the Tampa Bay depth chart, yet he did show promise to take advantage of his opportunities when they were presented. Last week, he left no doubt that he was ready to jump on a chance to shine in a featured role, totaling 140 yards from scrimmage and three TDs against Buffalo.
Bucky Irving will be out for at least one more game, which means Tucker should continue to share the Buccaneers’ backfield with Rachaad White, who still led in snap share last week, 50 to 44 percent. This week, though, the Buccaneers’ RBs get a much tougher matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Buffalo ranks 28th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to RBs, but Los Angeles ranks third in that department and has allowed a league-low two rushing TDs to the position. Tucker will have to work much harder for his yardage against the Rams. As any good RB should, he produced well in a favorable matchup last week, but don’t overreact to that outing, either.
Tucker should be regarded as a lower-end fantasy RB2 for Week 12. He may get at least a few TD chances as Baker Mayfield duels with Matthew Stafford, but he will still be sharing carries against the NFC’s best defense (17.2 points per game allowed).
Wide Receivers - Fantasy Football Week 12
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Last week, the Cardinals’ third-year WR busted out for the best fantasy showing of his career, catching 15 passes for 185 yards against the 49ers. It was a rather surprising outing for Wilson, who had never logged a 100-yard game in his career prior to Week 11 of the 2025 season.
Michael Wilson Set for Expanded Role in Week 12 https://t.co/fBHP8V99pf
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) November 22, 2025
Many fantasy players want to get Wilson into their lineups immediately, so as not to miss out on another stellar performance. At the same time, it’s important not to overrate Wilson based on one big week in three seasons. Yes, Jacoby Brissett has pumped new life into the Arizona passing game, but his career trajectory also suggests he might not be able to sustain his current level of performance for much longer, either.
This week’s matchup for the Cardinals is against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Over the past four weeks, the Jaguars rank 20th in FFPG allowed to opposing WRs. They allowed a season-low six points in an impressive blowout win over the Chargers last week, but Jacksonville has also been inconsistent this season, and the Arizona passing game has looked more prolific in recent weeks.
Based on his career track record, you should not set very high expectations for Wilson to approach last week’s numbers again. But as Brissett’s No. 1 WR right now with Marvin Harrison Jr. still out, he can be productive enough to be viewed as a mid-range fantasy WR12 for Week 12.
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
The former Seahawks star was supposed to solve the Steelers’ instability issues at WR, at least at the No. 1 WR spot. In his first five games with Pittsburgh, he did not score fewer than 11 PPR points in a game. Despite lacking a reliable complement in the passing game, it appeared that Metcalf would have a solid statistical floor every week. Yet suddenly in Week 7, the foundation started to crumble.
In four of his past five games, Metcalf has failed to register double-figure PPR points. He has one TD reception in his last five games, and his best outing in terms of yardage during that span was 55 yards. In the last two games, he has not finished as a top 30 fantasy WR.
The fantasy frustration with Metcalf has boiled to the point where many players who roster him are considering sitting Pittsburgh’s top WR for now. Sure, this week he faces the Bears, who rank 26th in FFPG allowed to WRs over the past four weeks, but Metcalf doesn’t show any current promise to take advantage of any matchup.
Last week, we were supposed to get the bounce-back game from Metcalf against the Bengals, yet he only caught five passes for 49 yards. Chicago’s defense is banged up, but it is still very hard to trust Metcalf against any opponent right now, regardless of who starts at QB for the Steelers this week.
The upside is always there with his talents. However, if you are deciding between Metcalf and another WR with a safer floor, lean towards the alternative.
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots
Boutte missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and became a forgotten WR in some fantasy leagues. In fact, in a few of my leagues late in the week, Boutte was still available as a free agent. Check your own league’s free agent list if you need a WR3 fill-in flex for Week 12.
Stefon Diggs is the clear No. 1 WR for Drake Maye and the surprising AFC East leaders from New England. Yet when he was healthy earlier in the season, Boutte was the Patriots’ best downfield target.
#Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte on being a deep threat:
“A lot of guys think just because maybe you run a 4.3, 4.2 you can just always take the top off… Technique beats speed honestly… just knowing how to run routes... I’m not the fastest, but I always find a way.”
(🎥 @Patriots) pic.twitter.com/hKWKPVwxDD
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) October 31, 2025
Boutte is averaging 18.7 yards per reception this season, which ranks third in the NFL. He also caught four TD passes in three games from Weeks 6 to 8 before he suffered the hamstring injury in Week 9.
This week, New England has the Cincinnati matchup, and most fantasy players know this is a prime matchup even without a recitation of any numbers. Boutte has been up and down overall this season, yet he was starting to show even more promise before the injury and should get a few chances to make splash plays this week. Plug him in as a WR3/flex.
Quarterback and Tight End - Fantasy Football Week 12
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Recently, Stafford emerged as the odds-on leader to win his first NFL MVP award. Before last week’s showdown against the Seahawks, he was absolutely sizzling. Stafford had passed for four-plus TDs in three consecutive games heading into NFL Week 11.
In a battle between the NFC’s two premier defenses, Stafford was held to a season-low 130 passing yards. He still threw two TD passes and the defense led the way in Los Angeles’ two-point win over Seattle.
This week, expect Stafford to rebound in a big way. Tampa Bay has been a good matchup for opposing QBs all season, ranking 25th in points allowed to the position. I have Stafford ranked as fantasy QB5 for Week 12, with only Maye, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts ranked ahead of him heading into Sunday’s games.
Brock Wright, Detroit Lions
In some situations, fantasy players are desperately scrambling to find a decent TE option. Sam LaPorta (back) is now on Injured Reserve, and those who rostered Tucker Kraft may not have filled the void yet, either.
Wright will take over as the No. 1 TE for the Lions with LaPorta out. Last week, he was targeted seven times, and should be good to go for Week 12 after returning to full practices while working his way past an ankle issue. Wright, who caught four TD passes in 2022, should get more TD chances near the goal line as the top TE for the Lions.
Even if you don’t start him this week, add Wright and monitor how he performs against the Giants. New York has allowed three TD receptions to opposing TEs over the past four games.
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