Fantasy Football Week 12 Matchup Meanings: Which RBs, WRs & TEs are set for success?
Fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri breaks down the top three matchups at the three money positions — running back, wide receiver and tight end — every week.
Best RB Matchups
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Williams is expected to return from IR this week and take the Rams backfield back. In five games as the Rams' clear starter this season, Williams averages 88% of the snaps and 20.4 opportunities per game. This is elite usage. The Rams also waived Darrell Henderson Jr., another signal for Williams' return to the top of the depth chart.
He’ll return against the Cardinals' 28th-ranked run defense. We last saw Williams in Week 6 when he put up 158 rushing yards against this same Cardinals defense. With Cooper Kupp nursing an injury, expect an even larger red-zone role for Williams in Week 12.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco is coming off a strong usage week against the Eagles. Pacheco earned 86% of the Chiefs' backfield carries, a new season high. He performed relatively well against one of the best run defenses in the league, averaging nearly five yards per carry.
Pacheco has now handled over 75% of Kansas City’s backfield carries the past month. He takes this strong usage into a great matchup against the Raiders in Week 12. The Chiefs are 10-point favorites against the Raiders' bottom-10 tackling team. In similar spots as a large favorite, Pacheco averages over 14 fantasy points.
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
He had an interesting Week 11. After earning 10 carries in the first half against the Steelers, Ford saw just two touches the rest of the game. A big reason for this was the Browns only had 10 second-half runs against Pittsburgh.
It was a strange game script for Ford that led to him scoring just 10.4 points on 14 touches. Expect his efficiency to bounce back this week against Denver. The Broncos have improved in their secondary, but their run defense continues to struggle. In Week 11, the Broncos allowed 110 total yards to Ty Chandler on just 14 touches. Start Ford with confidence.
Best WR Matchups
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
He’s returning from the bye week and appears to be healthy. Downs left early with injury in Week 8, and was then heavily limited in Week 9. This has skewed his recent fantasy production. But let’s not forget how good he was before that. In his four games before getting hurt, Downs was a top-24 receiver averaging over 13 points per game.
This week he faces a Bucs defense that has been considered a "pass funnel" all season. They’re good at stopping the run so teams typically choose to throw on them. Tampa Bay allows the second-most yards per game to opposing receivers this season. Expect Downs to bounce back in Week 12.
Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
He was quiet in Week 12, earning just 6.5 points on four targets. However, the Ravens were in control of this game and Lamar only threw 26 times. Flowers has now earned 25% of the Ravens' targets this season. His usage should only increase with Mark Andrews out and Odell Beckham Jr. battling a shoulder injury.
In Week 1 without Mark Andrews, Flowers earned a massive 50% target share. This week he takes on a bad Chargers secondary. They allowed Jordan Love to produce a career-high 322 passing yards in Week 11. LA has given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season.
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
He had a poor day in Week 11, catching just two balls for 15 yards. But Brown was close to a big day; quarterback Kyler Murray just missed him on two big plays. His Week 11 matchup against the Texans was quietly tough, too. Houston ranks top 10 in coverage grades this season, but this week he’ll have a much easier matchup.
Brown and the Cardinals will take on the Rams' struggling secondary. The Rams allow the fifth-most explosive plays of 20+ yards this season. This is great news for Brown, who ranks 11th in downfield usage this year. Expect Hollywood to bounce back in Week 12.
Best TE Matchups
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews is likely out for the season. Isaiah Likely steps in as the Ravens' new starting TE. Likely was Baltimore’s fourth-round pick in 2022 and he had a great start to his NFL career. Likely was the highest-graded TE in the 2022 preseason and this success carried over into his rookie year. He earned 45% or more of the snaps four times as a rookie and averaged 12 points on 7.3 targets in these contests.
In Week 1 of this season, Likely started in place of Mark Andrews. He only earned one target. This poor performance left a sour taste in my fantasy managers' mouths. But don’t give up on Likely just yet! This week he takes on a Chargers secondary that allows the second-most yards and receptions to opposing TEs. You can start him in this matchup.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
His usage in the offense has taken a huge step forward this season. Over the past five games, Otton has run 90% of the routes and earned nearly 20% of the Bucs' targets. He now has five or more targets in four of his last five games.
This week he takes on a Colts defense that welcomes checkdowns to the tight end position. TEs are targeted at the second-highest rate against Indy’s zone defense. Against similar schemes this season, Otton averages six targets and about 10 fantasy points. He’s playable.
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray stated this past week that the Cardinals want McBride to improvise more on his routes. This means they are giving him the freedom to just take what the defense gives him. This speaks to the talent level of McBride and the team’s confidence in him. McBride has averaged eight targets in two games with Murray.
This week the second-year TE will face the Rams. LA has the worst coverage grade in the NFL and it allows the second-most fantasy points to opposing TEs. Expect McBride to continue to see high volume and even more yards after the catch in this matchup.
