Fantasy takeaways: Week 12

By: Josh Frey-Sam

I’m calling a mid-season audible.

So far, through my first season in this space, my Monday morning Brief has served as a piece to share my overall takeaways from each game on Sunday.

However, after talking with several people who subscribe to this newsletter, I understand that many of you probably care for my fantasy takes a bit more.

With that said, I will do some fantasy takeaways on Mondays going forward.

Let’s get into what I saw on Sunday:

Colts @ Chiefs

Kareem Hunt DOMINATED the Chiefs’ backfield in this one with 30 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown. I think he needs to be rostered in most leagues, but he remains a touchdown-dependent flex option for me.

Steelers @ Bears

Second week in a row that Kenneth Gainwell has logged 16 touches and over 100 scrimmage yards. Intriguing, given how Jaylen Warren has dominated this backfield for much of the season. The upcoming schedule is juicy, too: Buffalo, Baltimore, Miami. Gainwell needs to be rostered and deserves flex consideration.

Patriots @ Bengals

That sound you hear is TreVeyon Henderson owners breathing a sigh of relief. Hendo maintained his lead role despite Rhamondre Stevenson returning — 21 touches for 81 yards. The only problem was that he didn’t get into the end zone. On the other side, Chase Brown owners have been rewarded handsomely for their patience in recent weeks, and now they should begin to see the player they thought they drafted, as Joe Burrow returns in Week 13. That should mean plenty of targets for Brown.

Jets @ Ravens

Lamar Jackson is hurting fantasy teams and losing people weeks. He gets the Bengals this week, in what should be a smash spot for everyone on the Ravens’ offence, so fire him up. But we will need to have a conversation if he puts up another dud.

Seahawks @ Titans

There are rookie wide receivers that break out in the second half every season and end up playing major roles on championship-winning teams — Chimere Dike very well could be one of those guys in 2025. He’s made an impact on special teams all season, and with Calvin Ridley in and out of the lineup, he’s had some boom weeks. 4-70-1 against Patriots; 7-93 against Colts; and now 5-44-1 against the Hawks.

Vikings @ Packers

If you spent big to nab Emmanuel Wilson for what might only end up being a spot start, good for you. You were rewarded in the sum of 28 carries for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. A tough matchup awaits in Detroit on a short week, but if Josh Jacobs, for some reason, doesn’t play again, Wilson needs to be back in your lineup as a volume-based RB2.

Giants @ Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs overshadowed an awesome day for Wan’Dale Robinson — 9-156-1. The volume has been there for Robsinson since Malik Nabers went down (61 targets in his last six games), but now we might see it begin to equate to big performances. I’m a little more hesitant if it’s Dart instead of Winston, but Robinson has a juicy playoff schedule and could force his way into lineups.

Jaguars @ Cardinals

Lots of fantasy stuff to talk about from this game. Quick notes: Michael Wilson may have earned himself a more featured role in the Cards’ offence even when Marvin Harrison Jr. returns; Jakobi Meyers could have the safest floor of any Jags receiver, but Parker Washington has the best ceiling (including BTJ); Travis Etienne has quietly put together an outstanding fringe-RB1 season, so far.

Browns @ Raiders

I’m not sure what firing Chip Kelly will bring, but as it stands, Brock Bowers is the only player who can be trusted from the Raiders right now.

Falcons @ Saints

Devin Neal needs to be among your top priority adds on the waiver wire this week. He was already a great stash option, but now he could prove to be a terrific RB2/flex option in the playoffs if Alvin Kamara is out.

Eagles @ Cowboys

The squeaky wheel finally got the oil. If your trade deadline hasn’t passed yet, kick tires on AJ Brown. The playoff schedule is terrific, and despite it being ugly at times, the underlying numbers are still strong enough to suggest he could be a strong asset down the stretch. The only problem is his price might be a bit higher than it was a couple of days ago.

Buccaneers @ Rams

Puca Nacua might have the safest floor of any player in the league, but his weekly ceiling has quietly lowered a bit. The Rams are using him a ton between the 20s, then it becomes the Davante Adams show in the red zone. That’s not to suggest Puca isn’t still elite, but I wonder how many more of those dominant weeks we’ll get.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh