Fantasy Football Week 12: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position

Maurice Moton@@MoeMotonContributor INovember 22, 2024Fantasy Football Week 12: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position0 of 8

Giants WR Darius SlaytonLuke Hales/Getty Images

Fantasy football managers may need to scrape the bottom of the free-agent pool for quality options ahead of Week 12. Half of our sleepers are rostered in less than five percent of leagues.

At a crucial point in the fantasy football season with the playoffs coming up, you’re either adding depth or swinging for the fences. This week’s batch of sleepers can help you in both situations.

We’ll introduce new starters and a couple of players who could be elevated as their respective offenses go through changes.

The selections below feature a sleeper stack that may look familiar from last year and several players who could produce solid fantasy stat lines despite their tough matchups because of a potential uptick in touches.

QB Tommy DeVito vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2 Percent Rostered)1 of 8

Giants QB Tommy DeVitoPerry Knotts/Getty Images

The New York Giants have benched Daniel Jones, which may be a positive for their passing attack.

Tommy DeVito isn’t a random backup quarterback. He has experience in head coach and offensive play-caller Brian Daboll’s offense.

As a rookie last year, DeVito played in nine games (starting six) and threw for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions with a 64 percent completion rate. As the lead signal-caller, he helped lead Big Blue to a 3-3 record.

DeVito has some chemistry with Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson, which bodes well for his ability to come off the bench and sling the ball all over the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 30th-ranked pass defense.

Though DeVito eventually lost the starting job to Tyrod Taylor in the last two weeks of the season, he takes over the lead role again with familiar faces and sensational rookie wideout Malik Nabers in his pass-catching group.

The Buccaneers are allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Managers who need a long shot at the position should plug DeVito into their lineups this week.

RB Roschon Johnson vs. Minnesota Vikings (13 Percent Rostered)2 of 8

Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Last week, the Chicago Bears fired Shane Waldron and promoted passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to interim offensive coordinator. Thomas had a clear objective in establishing the run game.

Against the Green Bay Packers’ 14th-ranked run defense, the Bears racked up a season-high 179 rushing yards. Roschon Johnson logged 10 of Chicago’s 34 rush attempts in the game.

Though quarterback Caleb Williams (nine carries) had a vital role in the Bears’ resurgent ground attack, Thomas’ run-heavy approach suggests that Johnson could handle double-digit carries in a two-man backfield alongside D’Andre Swift who logged 14 carries last week. Both Swift and Johnson scored touchdowns in the previous outing.

The Bears have one of the toughest matchups for running backs this week, as they’ll face the Minnesota Vikings’ No. 1-ranked run defense. However, Johnson, as the short-yardage tailback, should have chances to score on a defensive unit that’s 21st in touchdowns allowed in the red zone.

Also, keep in mind that Swift is dealing with a groin injury. He missed practice on Wednesday. Johnson could see an uptick in touches on Sunday.

RB Ameer Abdullah vs. Denver Broncos (1 Percent Rostered)3 of 8

Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

Las Vegas Raiders running backs Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quad) suffered injuries in the second half of last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins. Neither of the two returned practiced on Wednesday.

If Mattison and White miss time, Ameer Abdullah should be the preferred sleeper option over rookie sixth-rounder Dylan Laube, who lost a fumble on his first and only NFL carry. Laube has been a healthy scratch for most of this season.

Though Abdullah and Laube would likely split carries in the absence of Mattison and White, the 10-year veteran may have a stronger handle on passing downs.

Over the last two weeks, Abdullah hauled in all six of his targets for 30 yards and a touchdown.

The Denver Broncos’ sixth-ranked run defense presents a tough challenge for a mostly ineffective Raiders’ ground attack, but Abdullah’s sure hands in the short passing game could help him rack up points in the point-per-reception leagues.

WR Joshua Palmer vs. Baltimore Ravens (14 Percent Rostered)4 of 8

Harry How/Getty Images

Following a three-game stretch with at least four targets and 63 receiving yards, Joshua Palmer hasn’t seen much action in the passing game, hauling in three of his six targets for 59 yards over the last two weeks.

Palmer’s receiver teammates, Ladd McConkey (83 percent) and Quentin Johnston (52 percent) are rostered in more than half of leagues, and he’s far off the radar going into the best possible matchup for wideouts.

Despite Palmer’s negligible receiving numbers in recent weeks, he’s worth a look as WR3 or for your flex spots going against the Baltimore Ravens, who allow the most fantasy points to wide receivers.

Averaging 18.3 yards per catch, Palmer only needs a few receptions to satisfy fantasy managers.

Baltimore allows the second-fewest rushing yards per game, so Herbert may have to throw 30 or more times in this matchup, and he’s done that in three of the last five weeks. Palmer could re-emerge from the fantasy abyss with a big-time performance on Monday.

WR Darius Slayton vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13 Percent Rostered)5 of 8

Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito has a rapport with Darius Slayton dating back to last year.

In 2023, DeVito started six games between Weeks 10 and 16. In three of those contests, Slayton racked up 63 or more receiving yards, scoring in two outings.

While many managers will expect the Giants to funnel the passing attack through rookie wideout Malik Nabers, DeVito may initially be more comfortable with Slayton, which would allow the Giants to push the ball downfield.

This season, Slayton is averaging a team-leading 14.7 yards per catch. Against the Buccaneers’ 30th-ranked pass defense, he’s a potential big-play receiver who could post a 100-yard performance in Week 12.

Slayton missed the Giants’ Week 10 contest in Germany while in concussion protocol, though he went through a full practice on Wednesday. Managers should make sure Slayton is ready to go coming off a Week 11 bye.

WR Noah Brown vs. Dallas Cowboys (9 Percent Rostered)6 of 8

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Either because of injury or by design, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels hasn’t run the ball as much compared to his first several games.

In Week 7, Daniels suffered a rib injury. He hasn’t recorded more than eight rush attempts in a game since that outing. He logged at least 10 carries in four contests between Weeks 1 and 5.

In his last two games, Daniels threw the ball 32-plus times, which marked the first time he had that many attempts in back-to-back outings.

With the shift in Daniels’ tendencies, Washington’s receivers have more fantasy value. As the Commanders’ No. 2 wideout, Noah Brown should be rostered in more leagues ahead of a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys’ 19th-ranked pass defense.

Even in a run-centric offense, Brown posted WR3 and flex-worthy fantasy numbers. He has at least three catches in seven out of nine games and accumulated 56-plus yards in four outings.

If Daniels continues to attack through the air with a higher passing volume, Brown will have more opportunities to accumulate yards and score touchdowns.

TE Ja’Tavion Sanders vs. Kansas City Chiefs (4 Percent Rostered)7 of 8

Matt Kelley/Getty Images

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen may return to action after missing seven games with a hamstring injury, but the coaching staff should plan to exploit the Kansas City Chiefs’ struggles with covering tight ends in the middle of the field.

The Chiefs are tied with the New York Giants in allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends. Aside from Thielen, the Panthers may not test the Chiefs’ secondary with their rookie wideouts, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, on the perimeter.

Ja’Tavion Sanders could be a mismatch nightmare for the Chiefs defense. He saw his role expand in the passing game with five or more targets in four of Carolina’s last six contests.

Though the Panthers have had injuries at tight end, Sanders, a rookie fourth-rounder, offers an appealing upside with his 6’4″, 252-pound frame and athleticism.

Underdogs in a game with an 11-point spread, the Panthers could be in catch-up mode with a negative game script in this contest. If the Chiefs get off a quick start, the Panthers may have to eventually abandon the ground game for the aerial attack, which would bode well for Sanders’ fantasy outlook.

TE Luke Schoonmaker at Washington Commanders (1 Percent Rostered)8 of 8

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Last Monday, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson suffered a concussion. Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that Ferguson would be hard-pressed to play on Sunday.

Because of the strong likelihood that Ferguson is on the sideline for Week 12, Luke Schoonmaker is a priority sleeper option with Cooper Rush under center.

In Ferguson’s absence, Schoonmaker hauled in six out of 10 targets for a career-high 56 yards. He’s not a yards-after-the-catch machine, but his potential target volume could propel him into top-10 fantasy numbers among tight ends for consecutive weeks, especially in PPR leagues.

When Ferguson sat out Week 2 with a knee injury, Schoonmaker caught six passes for 43 yards and finished seventh among tight ends in fantasy scoring for PPR leagues.

The Washington Commanders’ defense has improved in recent outings, but the unit allowed three tight ends to score touchdowns in three of the last four weeks. Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert caught five passes for 61 yards against the Commanders in Week 11.

If Schoonmaker sees close to 10 targets, he should produce a solid fantasy stat line.

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Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.

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Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.