Week 12 of the fantasy football season will be a challenging one for fantasy football managers across the board — particularly in the wide receiver department. There are six teams on bye this week, and wideouts of all sorts are out of commission, from Drake London, Amari Cooper, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Brian Thomas Jr. and Chris Olave (also injured) to Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. Yeesh. And that’s not even including some of the depth plays like Darnell Mooney and Khalil Shakir who may find their way into your flex in any given week.
Of course, you’re forced to adapt to the schedule and figure out a way to dominate despite the odds against us. So, we’re here to help.
Here’s a look at the top-75 Week 12 wide receiver rankings to help set your lineups, plus several flex options and WR sleepers to consider as you look to fill out your lineups.
Week 12 WR flex options
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (@ GB)
It’s unclear if there are any fantasy football managers still in need of a nudge to start Jennings in their leagues, but just in case, it seemed like it was worth noting him as a must-flex/start option in Week 12 and moving forward. In the past two weeks, Jennings has a combined 22 targets, 17 receptions, 184 receiving yards and a score — elite usage for any wideout, let alone one you combed off the waiver wire. Jennings has filed right into the X-receiver role for this offense absent Brandon Aiyuk, out for the year with an ACL injury, and excelled in it. On paper, it’s not a great matchup against the Green Bay Packers, ranked 23rd in receiving yards per game and 22nd in fantasy points per game to opposing WRs (standard-scoring leagues), but as a focal point in the 49ers new-look offense without Aiyuk, his target share has earned him a role as an every-week flex, especially having allowed the 10th-highest explosive pass percentage over the course of the season.
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos (@ LV)
Starting the WR1 on an ascending passing offense is never a bad idea, even if it is against the Las Vegas Raiders, whose own offense is less than ideal to force a pass-heavy game script. However, given Sutton’s safe floor (70+ receiving yards in each of his last four games) and touchdown upside under a newly unlocked Bo Nix, it seems worth bearing a reminder that he’s a viable flex option each and every week. This week, the Broncos get a matchup against a divisional foe — the Las Vegas Raiders — who haven’t been a top matchup to target for opposing fantasy wideouts necessarily, ranked bottom 12 in pass play percentage faced this year (57.7%), in part a product of game script. Despite that, the Raiders are still tied for the seventh-most receiving TDs this year (18) — a great spot for a WR who has doubled the target share of the next most-frequently targeted WR (Lil’Jordan Humphrey, 37 targets), leading the team in red zone targets (28) and end zone targets (10).
Week 12 WR sleepers
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Charges (vs. BAL)
Johnston has been on an absolute heater in the touchdown department, scoring (at least) a touchdown in five of his last six games played — even on a fairly low target volume; he’s already tripled his touchdown production from the 2023 season on just over half the targets, for crying out loud. Though it’s been largely the product of busted coverages, he’s catching passes from an elite NFL quarterback who’s seen an uptick in passing volume since their Week 5 bye. The Baltimore Ravens have been a prime matchup for wide receivers this year, leading the league with 189.5 yards allowed to the position per game while giving up a league-high 16 touchdowns.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (@ HOU)
To be clear, starting Westbrook-Ikhine in your Week 12 lineups should not be a move to target; it’s a desperation play at best. The good news about this desperation play is that he has been surprisingly efficient with the limited opportunities he’s seen in the Titans offense this season. Though Tennessee’s passing offense under QB Will Levis has been a volatile one, Westbrook-Ikhine has capitalized to the max on his 24 targets (ranked fifth on the team), producing 256 receiving yards (17.07 yards per reception) and a ridiculous five receiving touchdowns. He’s been a go-to option in the red zone, securing four of those five TDs on red-zone scores, and now gets a matchup against the Houston Texans which should force a pass-heavy game script.
Fantasy football: Week 12 WR rankings
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
