November 19, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers running back
Kenneth Gainwell has emerged as a reliable backup running back this season. Through 10 games, he's totaled 448 yards and five touchdowns on 97 touches. He's been strong in the two games where starter
Jaylen Warren either missed or exited early, racking up 239 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on 41 touches. With Warren still banged up and an ideal Week 12 matchup on deck against the Chicago Bears, Gainwell could be in line for another heavy workload. Given how efficient he's been both in his backup role and starting role, fantasy managers should view Gainwell as one of the top handcuff running backs to target moving forward.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
November 19, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back out of Virginia Tech,
Bhayshul Tuten (ankle), exited during the third quarter of Sunday's Week 11 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers with an ankle injury and didn't return. Important to note: he mentioned in an interview with Jamal St. Cyr, Sports Anchor for News4JAX, that his ankle is "good." Now, players are usually going to always say things like that, especially after a career day where he appeared to be in a 50/50 split with
Travis Etienne from the first snap of the game for the first time all season. Regardless, Tuten was one of the most prized possessions on the waiver wire this week, and for good reason; he averaged a healthy 4.93 YPC in Week 11 and looked really efficient, breaking tackles and racking up yards after contact. With ETN in the picture, it's unlikely that Tuten will take over the backfield; however, moving forward, this may be more of a 50/50 split, giving both running backs low-end RB2 status. Fantasy managers will want to keep tabs on Tuten's practice logs this week, as they prepare to take on the Arizona Cardinals, who rank in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to the running back position.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back
Sean Tucker exploded in Week 11 with 140 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. He out-touched backfield mate,
Rachaad White, 19-10, and has looked like the better, more efficient runner the past few weeks. Head coach Todd Bowles mentioned on Monday that "it's hard to say" if running back Sean Tucker will see more playing time even when
Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) comes back, according to the Pewter Report. It appears the Bucs may go with a hot-hand approach in the backfield while Irving remains out. Regardless, this Week 12 matchup is brutal for whoever the Bucs plan to roll out there. The Los Angeles Rams are tough against opposing running backs, ranking third overall in the fewest points allowed to the position. The positives for Tucker are that he may have overtaken White's early-down work, and, as a result, Tucker will remain in the RB3/flex conversations this week, assuming Irving is still not able to play. If Irving does play, Tucker should remain on fantasy managers' benches.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Michael Wilson had himself a career day in Week 11, as he set new career-best lines with 15 receptions and 185 receiving yards. The third-year receiver out of Stanford was asked to step up because Marvin Harrison (Appendicitis) and
Zay Jones (Achilles) both missed the game. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on November 12 that Harrison Jr. underwent surgery for appendicitis and will be sidelined for "at least Week 11 and possibly longer," meaning Wilson may be the team's WR1 in Week 12 if Harrison can't go. The key here is to pay attention to Harrison's practice leading up to Sunday, as Wilson slides down the rankings quite a bit if Harrison returns. Additionally,
Trey McBride is the team's clear number one option. Another thing to note, Brissett will not be throwing the football 57 times and for 452 yards every week. The Cardinals got punched in the mouth early and were behind the whole game, leading to a gameflow script that forced them to throw the ball the entire game. If Harrison plays, Wilson profiles as a WR3 with limited upside. If Harrison is ruled out, Wilson profiles as a low-end WR2 against a stiff Jacksonville Jaguars defense, which ranks much better than the San Francisco 49ers defense, against whom the Cardinals played last week.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Trey Benson (knee) has been on Injured Reserve since Week 4 due to a knee injury. However, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon indicated that Benson is a candidate to have his activation window opened in the near future. That could mean Benson has a chance to return for Arizona's Week 12 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, that appears to be up in the air at this point, given that most of the updates we have received about Benson haven't been encouraging to fantasy managers who have been holding onto him in their IR spots. Benson was pressed into RB1 duties when veteran running back
James Conner (foot) was injured in Week 3 and ruled out for the season; however, Benson was immediately injured in Week 4, which was his first game with RB1 opportunities. Benson profiles as the team's top running back upon his return, considering the Cardinals spent a third-round (66th overall) draft pick on him. In leagues where he is available, Benson is a must-add and stash on your bench or waiver wire. If he remains out in Week 12, the Cardinals will likely continue splitting backfield work between
Bam Knight and
Michael Carter, with
Emari Demercado (ankle) likely out in Week 12.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Green Bay Packers running back
Emanuel Wilson was one of Week 12's hottest waiver wire pickups. Reason being, he is slated to step in as the team's RB1 with
Josh Jacobs (knee) listed as questionable on Sunday against division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. Injured Reserve is not a consideration for Jacobs, and there have been reports suggesting that the 27-year-old is week-to-week as well. If Jacobs does miss, Wilson will become a plug-and-play RB2 for this Sunday against a middle-of-the-road Vikings run defense. If Jacob's does play, he will likely be limited, or at least Wilson should remain involved, giving him RB3 consideration. For those fantasy managers who swooped him off the waivers, it will be beneficial to keep tabs on Jacobs' practice logs this week, start Wilson if Jacobs is ruled out, or potentially look to sell-high and trade Wilson to Jacobs' fantasy owners if your trade deadline hasn't passed.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
New England Patriots tight end
Austin Hooper (concussion) carved out standalone fantasy value in his role behind
Hunter Henry last season, but he has failed to establish himself as a worthwhile fantasy addition during the 2025 campaign. He went from the overall TE24 in PPR leagues last year to TE45 through Week 11 this season. The 31-year-old hasn't registered more than three targets in a single game this season, which is a major step backward after he averaged 3.5 targets per game in 2024. While Henry has cemented himself as the Patriots' top tight end and is one reason for Hooper's underwhelming year, the bigger factor is likely the wide receivers' increased productivity. Players like
Stefon Diggs,
Kayshon Boutte, and
Mack Hollins have elevated this position room higher than in years past, leaving fewer opportunities for a backup tight end like Hooper. An injury has complicated his status even more, as Hooper missed Week 11 in concussion protocol and remains up in the air for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if he plays, he'll remain off the fantasy radar in all leagues. His only path to fantasy relevance would be a Hunter Henry injury.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
New England Patriots wide receiver
DeMario Douglas continues to face significant competition within his own position group. Ahead of Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Douglas faces an uphill battle to handle the workload necessary to produce in fantasy football. Douglas has already tied his career-high of three touchdowns this year, but he is behind his 2024 pace in targets, catches, and receiving yards. In fact, he's averaging only 2.1 catches and 30.2 yards per game, and he has surpassed 45 yards in just two different weeks. The 24-year-old has slipped down the pecking order this season after New England brought in
Stefon Diggs,
Mack Hollins, and
Kyle Williams. Meanwhile,
Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) has taken on a larger role as a playmaker. While Douglas can still hold his own as a receiver, he has failed to separate himself from the rest of his teammates. As a result, he has a lower fantasy ceiling and remains off the radar in leagues with 14 or fewer teams.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Los Angeles Rams tight end
Tyler Higbee has started to see his role slip away, coinciding with the emergence of rookie tight end
Terrance Ferguson and veteran
Colby Parkinson. Higbee caught just one of two targets for 23 yards last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. He played only 39 percent of the offensive snaps, but this was partly due to an ankle injury sidelining him for a portion of a contest. Nevertheless, even if he were fully healthy, Higbee likely wouldn't have seen enough usage to achieve fantasy relevance. He's losing key opportunities to Ferguson, who had 117 yards in three games from Week 7 to 10, and Parkinson, who scored in back-to-back games while playing roughly two-thirds of the snaps. As long as Higbee is vying for targets with
Puka Nacua,
Davante Adams, and several impactful tight ends, he'll be tough to trust in fantasy football. He can be left on waivers going forward, ranking outside the top 24 options at his position.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Los Angeles Rams tight end
Colby Parkinson has scored both of his touchdowns on the season in the last two weeks, compiling six catches for 55 yards on seven targets and one score in each game. Parkinson, interestingly, played a season high in snap share and tied star wideout
Puka Nacua at 68% in their Week 11 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The spike in playing time was partly caused by
Tyler Higbee leaving late in the third quarter with an ankle injury. The three highest snap shares of the season for the 26-year-old Parkinson have come in the past three weeks after the Rams' Week 8 bye. It has been a part of the Rams' transition to use more 13 personnel, and Parkinson has played the most of any Rams tight end during this span. Rookie tight end
Terrance Ferguson generates most of the buzz for Rams tight end due to his second-round draft capital and freak athleticism, but Parkinson has been playing the most and could have TE2 streaming value if Higbee were to miss time.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Las Vegas Raiders running back
Raheem Mostert has served as the primary backup to rookie
Ashton Jeanty in his age-33 season, recording 19 carries for 90 yards and six catches (six targets) for 45 yards in seven games. Jeanty has held down one of the heaviest workloads in the league, which has resulted in Mostert's most touches in a game being seven, which came back in Week 5 against the Colts. The veteran back has also served on special teams as a kick returner, leading the league with a 30.9 average yards per return. Even if Jeanty were to miss time, the offensive line and overall offensive environment don't create a lot of upside for Mostert as a contingency option.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver
Jimmy Horn Jr. saw his first NFL action in Week 5 this season and has maintained a limited role in the offense. Horn played 27.1% of the snaps in that game and hasn't seen his snap share increase since. In fact, he had his lowest snap share of the season in Carolina's Week 11 win over the Falcons, playing just 8.8% of the snaps, and hasn't recorded a touch in the past two games. The rookie sixth-rounder has totaled six catches for 66 yards on 10 targets to go along with seven carries for 44 yards in seven games. It appears Brycen Tremaine has surpassed the rookie on the depth chart, as he has seen his snaps increase lately. Horn is an intriguing stash on taxi squads in dynasty leagues, but he isn't relevant in redraft leagues.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Jordan Whittington has played in all 10 games this season and has served as the primary No. 3 wide receiver behind
Puka Nacua and
Davante Adams. Whittingon owns a 53.5% snap share and has run 44.7% of the team's routes this season, collecting 13 catches for 130 yards on 18 targets. The Texas product had a prime opportunity to produce in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars when Puka Nacua missed the game due to an ankle injury, but Whittington was unable to capitalize, catching just two of four targets for nine yards. There was optimism for the 25-year-old to step in and be a potential streaming option that week after he made two spot starts in Weeks 4 and 5 last season and totaled 13 catches for 151 yards on 18 targets. For now, he will continue to operate behind the Rams' two star wideouts and remain off fantasy radars.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
November 19, 2025
New York Jets wide receiver
Arian Smith had his lowest snap share since Week 1 in the team's 27-14 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 11. Smith played just 15.8% of the snaps and ran 21.2% of the routes, both significantly lower than his season averages. It seems the rookie wideout has moved into a depth role after the Jets acquired two wide receivers at the trade deadline in
John Metchie III and
Adonai Mitchell. Smith wasn't a fantasy-relevant option to begin with, catching six of 10 targets for 47 yards in 10 games this season.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
November 18, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
Roman Wilson finished with just one reception for 17 yards on two targets in a Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite this modest output, Wilson's expanded role was an encouraging development. The second-year pro logged a 57% snap share, his second-highest mark of the season and his highest in games with
Calvin Austin III active. Austin, who had previously operated as the team's clear WR2, played on just 29% of offensive snaps. It's unclear if this utilization will stick, but Wilson has looked like the better player since Austin's return from a shoulder injury. Although Wilson still isn't a viable fantasy starter, his usage is worth monitoring as the Steelers head into a Week 12 meeting with the Chicago Bears.
--Jorden HillSource: ESPN
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