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Should I start Ricky Pearsall, Michael Pittman Jr., Tetairoa McMillan for Week 12? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
As we coast into Week 12 of the NFL season, the fantasy playoffs are right around the corner. Fantasy managers will have critical decisions to make with their lineups, particularly at the wide receiver position.
In this article, we will evaluate the outlooks of three wideouts with legitimate fantasy starter qualities: Ricky Pearsall, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tetairoa McMillan.
So, should fantasy managers start Pearsall, Pittman, and McMillan in Week 12? Let's dive in.
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Should I Start Ricky Pearsall for Fantasy Football?
Pearsall returned in Week 11 after missing six games due to a knee injury. It was a quiet game for the 25-year-old, catching just one of two targets for zero yards in a game where the 49ers scored 41 points. However, Pearsall did at least play a full snap share (73.1%) with his normal route share (77.8%), both tied with Jauan Jennings for the most among San Francisco wideouts in the game.
The 2024 first-round pick was off to a fantastic start over the first four games of the season before going down with the injury. He posted two 100-yard outings and was fourth among all wide receivers in yards (327). Pearsall was showing great signs of development and a real connection with quarterback Brock Purdy after a somewhat lost rookie year and was taking advantage of multiple San Francisco pass catchers being banged up, with George Kittle out with a hamstring and Jennings dealing with injuries to his ankle, ribs, and shoulder early on.
With close to their full complement of weapons back now, it will be interesting to see what Pearsall's production looks like. He was mostly an afterthought last season with Jennings breaking out, Kittle having a career year, and Deebo Samuel Sr. still earning work. And that was without Christian McCaffrey. Jennings leads the 49ers in targets (26) over the past four weeks, with McCaffrey (25) and Kittle (24) close behind. It's tough to see Pearsall earning significant volume, so he will need to be efficient and explosive on the ones he receives.
Purdy to Pearsall! wow
JAXvsSF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/3cs1rBJxmv
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
It's a positive matchup in Week 12 against a Jaguars defense that has allowed the seventh most passing yards per game (236.9), but there is some risk in his second game returning from a knee injury. He can be started as a flex in 12-team leagues, but it will be interesting to see how the targets will shake out. Pearsall ranks as RotoBaller's WR31 in PPR formats for Week 12.
Should I Start Michael Pittman Jr. for Fantasy Football?
The Colts were on bye in Week 11, giving Pittman and the Colts' high-powered offense a much-needed rest after their Week 10 overtime win over the Falcons in Berlin. Pittman had his worst fantasy performance of the season in the game, recording just two receptions (two targets) for 19 yards.
The 28-year-old has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in football this season, with seven weeks scoring top 24 WR this season. That mark is tied with George Pickens and Davante Adams, and trails only Amon-Ra St. Brown (eight), Puka Nacua (eight), and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (nine).
Daniel Jones to Michael Pittman Jr. connection!#MIAvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/PYMcl8DT11
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
However, Alec Pierce has emerged lately and looks like a true breakout player. Pierce leads the Colts in targets (24), receiving yards (268), and first-read target rate (30%) since Week 8. The Colts have a plethora of great pass catchers, while also leaning more run-heavy with OPOY favorite Jonathan Taylor. Pittman still projects as a strong start in Week 12 against the Chiefs, but may not be the slam-dunk, set-and-forget type of player that he looked like early in the season. Pittman ranks as RotoBaller's WR16 in PPR leagues for Week 12.
Should I Start Tetairoa McMillan for Fantasy Football?
McMillan at last had his statement game last week against the Falcons, finishing with eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets. The rookie finished as WR2 for the week with 33 PPR points, and it is the 12th-most points by a wide receiver in a game this season.
The 22-year-old has joined an elite crew of rookie wide receivers to record his Week 11 statline or better. Since 2000, the players to put up that kind of performance include: Ja'Marr Chase, Anquan Boldin, Odell Beckham Jr. (twice), and Roy Williams, according to Stathead.
The eighth overall pick in this past year's draft put the total package on display against Atlanta, consistently winning with smooth breaks in and out of his routes while also showing the body control to win in contested catch situations. Head coach Dave Canales used McMillan out of the slot at a season-high clip to put the rookie wideout in more favorable coverage situations.
Bryce Young scrambles and finds Tetairoa McMillan to take the lead! pic.twitter.com/XCptxgMBgT
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
McMillan is close to must-start territory after a performance like that. The Panthers' passing attack flows through him. The pass volume hasn't consistently been there this season, but Bryce Young's breakout game while dropping back 50 times in Week 11 is an encouraging sign. Now McMillan draws a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, the same defense that allowed Michael Wilson to go for a career day with 15 catches (18 targets) for 185 yards. Fire him up with confidence.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Ricky Pearsall, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tetairoa McMillan. 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 - Ricky Pearsall, Michael Pittman Jr., Tetairoa McMillan. 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 Ricky Pearsall, Michael Pittman Jr., Tetairoa McMillan compared to others:
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