Fantasy Football Week 12: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position

Fantasy football managers in need of sleeper picks had to think fast with three Thanksgiving games on the Week 12 slate.

For procrastinators who passed on potential unheralded fantasy gems active in Thursday's contests, don't worry—you still have a chance to add several plug-and-play options.

Most of this week's suggestions include players on teams with losing records in games that won't garner the national spotlight. Yet those matchups could generate a ton of highlights.

As the case every week, a poor defense can turn inconsistent contributors into one-week fantasy stars, so circle the New York Jets vs. Houston Texans battle. Keep an eye on the Monday Night Football matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Football Team, two teams that give up a lot of yards.

Let's take a look at Week 12 sleepers rostered in 60 percent or fewer of Yahoo leagues.

DK DFS Price: $5,400

Starting in place of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke generated buzz early in the season, eclipsing 21 fantasy points four times through Week 7. He accomplished that feat again last week against the Carolina Panthers.

Back on the sleeper radar, Heinicke has a decent matchup with the Seahawks, who are tied for 10th with the Las Vegas Raiders in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks.

Furthermore, Heinicke could have one of his top pass-catchers back in Logan Thomas, who the team activated from injured reserve this week. The tight end has a reliable 85.7 percent catch rate. Look for the pair to connect against a defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends.

In Week 11, Heinicke threw for three touchdowns against the Panthers' top-ranked pass defense. He should have some success in a matchup with a unit that gives up the third-most passing yards leaguewide.

DK DFS Price: $5,200

Coming off his best passing performance of the season, Ben Roethlisberger will have another shot to deliver a solid fantasy stat line.

In Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers' fifth-ranked pass defense, Roethlisberger threw for 273 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. He'll have a much softer matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals rank 25th in passing yards allowed compared to fifth in yards surrendered on the ground, so expect the Steelers to test their division rivals through the air. In the first meeting between these clubs, Roethlisberger finished 38-of-58 passing for 318 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

If Roethlisberger cuts down on the turnovers in a pass-heavy game plan, he'll have a solid fantasy performance. The 39-year-old still has enough arm to stretch the field with wideout Chase Claypool, who's averaging 15.5 yards per catch and returned to action from a toe injury last week.

DK DFS Price: $4,000

Boston Scott gets a bump in fantasy value because of Jordan Howard's injury.

According to Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, Howard suffered a knee sprain that will "most likely" sideline him for Sunday's contest with the New York Giants. Scott should absorb more carries as the primary backup to Miles Sanders.

The Eagles will likely use rookie fifth-rounder Kenneth Gainwell to help fill the void, but he's behind Scott on the depth chart. The former logged four rush attempts between Weeks 9 and 10 before listing inactive last week. In that three-game stretch, Scott recorded 27 carries for 137 yards.

The Eagles have employed a run-heavy approach that has benefited Scott, who logged double-digit carries in three consecutive games from Week 8 to 10 while Sanders sat out with a sprained ankle. As a one-two combination out of the backfield, both ball-carriers have RB2 value against the Giants, who rank 22nd against ground attacks and allow the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs.

DK DFS Price: $4,200

The Houston Texans may have a new lead ball-carrier.

Before the Nov. 2 trade deadline, the Texans sent Mark Ingram II to the New Orleans Saints. On Tuesday, they waived Phillip Lindsay, which leaves David Johnson and Rex Burkhead as the top two running backs on the depth chart. The latter should draw your attention because of his rush attempts in the previous outing.

In Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans, Burkhead logged 18 carries for 40 yards. Despite the modest production, his touch volume looks appealing in a matchup against the New York Jets, who allow the most fantasy points to running backs.

The Texans' ground game isn't a fantasy gold mine, but the Jets ceded 115 yards to the Miami Dolphins' 31st-ranked rushing offense last week.

Coming off a busy outing as the primary running back, Burkhead could provide help in the RB2 or flex spot going against Gang Green's 28th-ranked run defense. Remember, he's also a pass-catching threat with 135 receptions for 1,182 yards and eight touchdowns for his career.

DK DFS Price: $4,700

With Cam Newton under center, Robby Anderson could move into the weekly WR3 or flex category.

Last week, Anderson tied DJ Moore for second among Carolina Panthers pass-catchers in receptions (five), which matched his season high. He listed third in targets (six).

Anderson has played 92 percent of the offensive snaps in two of the last three weeks. With that much time on the field, he should see a fair number of looks in the passing game.

In Week 10, as a backup to quarterback P.J. Walker, Newton threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Anderson in his season debut with the Panthers. They have established some chemistry in a short period.

Now entrenched in the lead position, Newton could develop a stronger rapport with Anderson as he acclimates to the Panthers offense. The speedy wideout will have a prime opportunity to produce a breakout performance against the Miami Dolphins, who allow the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers.

DK DFS Price: $4,400

The Jacksonville Jaguars' 24th-ranked passing attack hasn't provided much fantasy production, but Laviska Shenault Jr. is in a good spot this week.

Shenault will face a generous Atlanta Falcons pass defense that has allowed 20 touchdowns (ranked 30th) and 7.4 yards per pass attempt (19th) through 10 contests. The NFC South club has surrendered the 12th-most fantasy points to wide receivers.

On top of that, the Jaguars have placed Jamal Agnew on season-ending injured reserve with a hip injury. Going into Week 12, he listed third among the team's wideouts in targets (39). Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence will have more targets to spread around, which may lead to a boost in Shenault's fantasy production.

Last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Shenault hauled in all five of his targets and recorded 50-plus receiving yards for the first time since Week 6.

DK DFS Price: $3,800

After scoring touchdowns in consecutive outings before a Week 10 bye, Evan Engram had a quiet performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hauling in two passes for 12 yards.

Engram draws a favorable matchup that should allow him to bounce back with a good number of yards and possibly a trip to pay dirt. The Philadelphia Eagles are tied with the Las Vegas Raiders in giving up the most fantasy points to tight ends.

While Engram hasn't seen more than five targets in a game since Week 7, his recent production suggests he could provide a decent fantasy stat line against a pass defense that's vulnerable in the middle of the field. He might see more looks if fellow tight end Kyle Rudolph misses time with an ankle injury.

Furthermore, the New York Giants fired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett on Tuesday. Freddie Kitchens, who has a background as a tight ends coach, will take over play-calling duties, which may bode well for Engram.

In arguably the best matchup for a tight end, Engram can serve as a bye-week replacement for Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz.

DK DFS Price: $3,600

Even with the return of quarterback Russell Wilson in Week 10, the Seattle Seahawks offense has looked out of sorts, recording 474 total yards and 13 points over the last two games.

Going into Week 12, head coach Pete Carroll and his staff seem prepared to incorporate an underutilized weapon to spark the offense. The Seahawks skipper talked about Gerald Everett's "physicality" after the catch and wants to see him get more targets.

"It just screams that we have to keep going to him," Carroll told reporters.

Over the last two weeks, Everett has hauled in 11 of his 12 targets for 100 yards. If he's more involved in the aerial attack, the pass-catching tight end could rack up a significant number of yards and reach pay dirt against the Washington Football Team.

Washington's pass defense has allowed the fifth-most passing yards and the most touchdowns through the air. With Carroll's praise for Everett, he's a decent sleeper target in a favorable matchup.

Fantasy scoring and points allowed provided by FantasyPros.

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Maurice Moton is an NFL and fantasy football columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.