Fantasy Football Week 12 Expert Picks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake Maye, and More

One week shy of Thanksgiving, we are entering the home stretch of the NFL season. That arrives even sooner in fantasy football, as most leagues start their playoffs around Week 15.

That means we are less than one month away from the fantasy postseason, leaving owners with a few final chances to make their move toward glory. Every week matters; every decision could be the one to propel you forward or hold you back.

That makes every week stressful, but luckily, the experts at FantasySP are here to help. Morgan Rode and Daniel Hepner answered five questions in advance of Week 12 of the fantasy football season.

Use FantasySP's fantasy assistant to link your teams and get advice on roster moves, lineup decisions, and more!

Who is your favorite streaming quarterback this week?

Morgan: It's got to be Jacoby Brissett. He has been above average in all of his starts for the Cardinals and has a favorable matchup coming against the Jaguars. Brissett could be a top-10 fantasy QB yet again in Week 12.

Daniel: Sam Darnold had a rough performance last week, throwing for 279 yards but also four interceptions with no touchdowns. That came in a tough matchup with the Rams; this week is much nicer against the Titans, who have allowed the sixth-most yards per pass attempt and the 13th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That latter number is only middling because of volume, not efficiency. Darnold is set up for a much better game this week.

How about a flex-level running back who should stay on fantasy benches?

Morgan: I don't have any individual backs that stand out, but I would stay away from the Cardinals' and Giants' running backs this week. Arizona has a tough test against Jacksonville, and as I mentioned already, it's a favorable passing game, so I expect Brissett and company to lead the offensive charge. New York plays a tough Detroit defense, and I expect tough sledding for the Giants' backs.

Daniel: Ashton Jeanty was drafted as a RB1, but he has played more like a flex back, bordering on that RB2 level. He is averaging 55.4 rushing yards per game on 3.7 per attempt, essentially looking like a worse version of Najee Harris running the ball. Cleveland has allowed the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt and the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game, and they are likely to hold down a sputtering Las Vegas offense.

Do you have a wide receiver who is going to surprise owners this week?

Morgan: I have Alec Pierce as a top-30 fantasy wideout even with a tough matchup against the Chiefs. He has been trending up over the past several weeks and needs to be in lineups despite the tough matchup.

Daniel: The Chicago Bears have given up the fourth-most yards per pass attempt and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. DK Metcalf is a must-start player for the Steelers against Chicago, but Calvin Austin is a decent deep-league WR3/4/flex option as a guy who could get a few shorter looks with either a compromised Aaron Rodgers or a backup in Mason Rudolph.

Give us a tight end with a bad matchup who is likely to disappoint.

Morgan: I'll say Jake Ferguson struggles again in Week 12. He has been trending down for a couple weeks now, and a tough test against the Eagles isn't likely to be a game in which he's going to excel. I'd say to sit him this week if he wasn't at a weak fantasy spot.

Daniel: Ferguson is the best answer for this question this week. Just to give you something different, Cleveland's Harold Fannin will be catching passes from Shedeur Sanders in his first start on Sunday, and he faces the Raiders, who have given up the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. It will likely be a slow day for both Fannin and his teammate, David Njoku (who is questionable with a knee injury).

Who will be the fantasy MVP of Week 12?

Morgan: I'll take Jaxon Smith-Njigba this week in a favorable test against the Titans. He has been great all season, and as long as this game doesn't get out of hand early, JSN should put up a monster fantasy score.

Daniel: Drake Maye ranks as QB2 behind only Josh Allen. Maye produces with both his arm and his legs and has regularly found volume, averaging over 250 passing yards and 25 rushing yards per game with 20 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He faces one of the worst pass defenses in the league this week in Cincinnati; Maye could have a field day in this one.