Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 12

Craig Rondinone's sneaky fantasy football starts, pivot plays and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 12 lineups. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers.

You had your fill of turkey on Thanksgiving, so you do not want to be stuck with more turkeys in your fantasy football lineup this weekend.

The later the season goes, the longer the injury list grows. There are probably more “questionable” players on injury reports this week than any other so far this season. You have to keep on eye on all of your fantasy starters’ minor and major injuries, because if they do not play then you need to have someone for that spot who can. Winning your fantasy game this week could be the difference between you qualifying for the playoffs or concentrating on fantasy hockey and hoops a little sooner than you had hoped.

Without further ado, here are my sneaky starts, pivot plays and post-waiver pickups for Week 12 --- and the questionable superstars who you might need to replace at the last minute in your fantasy lineup:

Sneaky Wide Receiver Pickups and Starts for Week 12

If New York’s Kadarius Toney (quad) is ruled out again before Sunday’s kickoff, you could pick up and play…

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers (WR) vs. LAR

Valdes-Scantling has been his usual inconsistent self this season. One game he will go off like gangbusters for 123 yards and a long touchdown like he did last week against Minnesota, yet the next game he could be targeted twice and only muster 14 yards. This makes it impossible to rely on him on a weekly basis, but for spot starts in fantasy league lineups or as a low-priced option in a DFS contest he can still provide bang for the buck.

MVS has everything going his way to post back-to-back monster games. If Allen Lazard misses another week due to injury, Valdes-Scantling has an opportunity to see a half-dozen or more Aaron Rodgers missiles come his way. The injuries to top tailback Aaron Jones and tight end Robert Tonyan have also upped Valdes-Scantling’s target total. The Rams pass defense has been middle-of-the-pack despite having Jalen Ramsey as its top cover corner, and Ramsey will be too busy locking horns with Davante Adams to pay any mind to Valdes-Scantling. The Packers-Rams shootout will gift MVS a couple chances to run deep routes against beatable cornerbacks and come up with game-breaking plays. Take a flyer on him and hope he hits big on a fly pattern or two.

Sneaky Quarterback Pickups and Starts for Week 12

If Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (multiple injuries) decides to turn his back on Browns fans and not play Sunday night, you could pick up and play…

Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans (QB) vs. NYJ

Fantasy managers know by now what Taylor brings to the table. The veteran scrambler is not going to light up scoreboards or stat sheets with 300-yard passing days, but he can sprint like a greyhound for 40 rushing yards and has no qualms about barreling over defenders to get to the end zone. When Taylor is healthy he can be an underrated source of stats and could be the sneakiest of sneaky starts this weekend due to the defense he is facing.

Taylor will be throwing his flutter balls against New York’s defense this Sunday afternoon. Robert Saleh might have been hailed as a defensive genius entering the season, but the fact is that the Jets are ranked dead last against the pass and towards the bottom against the run as well. This means Taylor should be able to rack up yardage both ways thanks to his run-pass dual skills. I could certainly see Taylor passing for 225 yards, running for another 40, and scoring three touchdowns total between the air and ground. The Jets are winless on the road and lose by an average of 20 points in away games, so Taylor, Brandin Cooks, and the Texans should have a field day.

Sneaky Tight End Pickups and Starts for Week 12

If Washington’s Logan Thomas (hamstring) misses yet another contest this Monday night, you could pick up and play…

C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals (TE) vs. PIT

There might not be a bigger boom-or-bust player at the tight end position than Uzomah. He has two games where he totaled 90-plus yards and scored two touchdowns, which probably helped millions of fantasy managers win their contests those weeks. But Uzomah also has seven games where he had 35 yards or fewer and did not reach the end zone. This is why he remains available in 75 percent of leagues even though he is having the best year of his career.

Uzomah has posted below-average numbers against division rival Pittsburgh in the past, but the Steelers secondary is as beaten up as a Jon Jones opponent and is exposed more than ever with premium pass rusher T.J. Watt out with his own injury. Coming off three consecutive subpar fantasy performances, Uzomah is overdue for another huge outing. With Pittsburgh focusing on shutting down wideout Ja’Marr Chase and running back Joe Mixon, Uzomah should find mouthwatering single-coverage matchups he can win. Sign up Uzomah and I believe you will be handsomely rewarded.

Sneaky Running Back Pickups and Starts for Week 12

If Green Bay’s Aaron Jones (knee) cannot find the field this Sunday, you could pick up and play…

Ty Johnson, New York Jets (WR) at HOU

With New York’s top tailback, Michael Carter, sidelined with a bum ankle, Johnson will be first in line to run behind the Jets offensive line this weekend. While Carter has been a whirlwind wunderkind with his nifty moves and pass-catching ability, Johnson has been a solid understudy, especially on passing downs. Johnson has accounted for 25 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns.

Veteran Tevin Coleman will get a couple courtesy carries to keep Johnson fresh, but the top tailback spot is Johnson’s to fumble away. Johnson should find holes against a Houston run defense that is ranked 30^th in the NFL and has allowed nine rushing touchdowns over its last seven games. With rookie franchise quarterback Zach Wilson back after missing a month due to a knee injury, the Jets offense will likely be conservative to a fault, and that bodes well for Johnson’s usage rate and fantasy worth this week. 

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