A quick-hit recap of what really mattered from Thursday through Sunday. We skip the obvious studs and instead focus on usage trends, injuries, and key shifts that actually impact your lineup decisions.

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. 

We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Jonathan Taylor right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams for the coming week and beyond.

JETS @ PATRIOTS

• Pats’ rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson had a huge game with three TDs on his 24 touches on TNF. He has the look of a breakout fantasy star for the stretch run of the fantasy season.
• WRs Stefon Diggs (9-105) and Mack Hollins (4-64) and TE Hunter Henry (4-45) were the top receiving options for the Pats in a game where Drake Maye’s only passing TD went to Henderson.
• Justin Fields had a rough passing performance with just 116 yards on his 26 attempts but salvaged his fantasy day with a 67-1 rushing line. Breece Hall (16 touches, 64 yards) is the only other fantasy-relevant Jets player for now.

COMMANDERS @ DOLPHINS

• Not much to report here from the Dolphins side. Continue to start De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle after their Week 12 bye. Continue to stash Ollie Gordon II (9-45-1 rushing) through the bye if you can.
• Chris Rodriguez led the Commanders backfield with 15 of their 28 RB carries and one of their four RB targets while accumulating 83 scoreless scrimmage yards. Jacory Croskey-Merritt (10 touches, 33 yards) and Jeremy McNichols (six touches, 29 yards) each mix in enough to make this a backfield to avoid in most formats.
• Deebo Samuel (7-74-1) and Zach Ertz (4-42) drew more than half of the team’s targets from Marcus Mariota. Like Miami, the Commanders have a Week 12 bye while traveling back from Spain.

PACKERS @ GIANTS

• Green Bay RB Josh Jacobs left this game with a knee injury in the first half and did not return. We will need to monitor his status, but the Packers backfield was led by Emanuel Wilson the rest of the way. Wilson should be the top waiver priority pickup for Week 12.
• Packers WR Christian Watson caught two touchdowns and had a 19% target share as he continues to impress in his return from last season’s knee injury. WR Romeo Doubs battled injuries throughout the game and his status should also be monitored.
• Veteran RB Devin Singletary was still involved this week and scored two touchdowns, but Tyrone Tracy Jr. was the primary back and had 23 touches for 139 total yards. Tracy should be a weekly starter. 
• The wind was a problem for the passing game in this one and WR Darius Slayton was inactive for the Giants, so it is hard to take much away from this one in terms of their passing game. They will likely have to throw at a much higher volume in Week 12 against Detroit.

TEXANS @ TITANS

• This was an ugly, low-scoring game. The Titans defense has now played well in consecutive weeks and we can’t just assume opposing offenses will have good games against them anymore – especially when those offenses are marginal at best.
• Texans RB Woody Marks had 19 touches compared to three for Nick Chubb and seems to have taken control of the backfield. Houston faces the Bills’ shaky run defense next week.
• Titans WR Calvin Ridley was injured on the first play of the game and had to be carted off. Rookie WR Chimere Dike later left with an injury as well. There is no one you can trust on the Tennessee offense. They face Seattle next week, whose defense may score 25 fantasy points in that matchup.

PANTHERS @ FALCONS

• Panthers rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan finally had his breakout game with eight receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns. McMillan is too good to not eventually do something like this and probably has some more big ones in store down the stretch.
• Bryce Young had a huge game with over 400 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also brought second-year WR Xavier Legette along with him for a nice game.
• Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. was injured in the second half of this game and the offense barely moved with Kirk Cousins under center the rest of the way. Something to monitor for your Falcons players moving forward.
• Bijan Robinson had a massive game and was actually used near the goal line, which resulted in two touchdowns. Novel concept.

BEARS @ VIKINGS

Your weekly roadmap to the wire. Each Tuesday, Tony Kneepkens highlights the top adds across positions — complete with FAAB recommendations and context to help you prioritize based on your league size and format.

These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening). Priorities and FAAB recommendations are meant to differentiate between some of the options available and are assuming 12-team, single-QB, fantasy formats.

Week 12 teams on bye: Broncos, Chargers, Commanders, Dolphins

Several key injuries to monitor, especially at RB, makes this one of the stronger/deeper waiver wire columns of the year, including three high-priority recommendations and a handful of medium-priority options to consider. Please note that the order of recommendations, especially at RB, is very much subject to change as more concrete injury news comes out about players like Josh Jacobs, Bhayshul Tuten, Bucky Irving, and Jaylen Warren.

QB Streamer of the Week

Jacoby Brissett, AZ, Week 12 vs JAX

• Brissett set an NFL regular-season record with 47 completions in last week’s lopsided loss to the division-rival 49ers, where the Cardinals trailed the entire game. He tossed two late TD passes and had a potential third one fumbled away at the goal line.
• Low-priority add. Brissett is my favorite short-term streamer, he has a fine matchup at home against the Jaguars this week and another good fantasy matchup at Tampa Bay in Week 13.
• 5% or less of FAAB.

RB Pickups

Emanuel Wilson, GB, Week 12 vs MIN

• Wilson led the Packers backfield with 12 touches for 49 yards and a TD after Josh Jacobs left the game with a knee injury in the first half. Wilson has taken 53 of Green Bay’s 56 RB carries that haven’t gone to Jacobs so far this season. Early reports on Jacobs’ knee injury seem to indicate he’s avoided the worst-case scenario, but his status for this week’s divisional game against the Vikings is still up in the air.
• High-priority add. Absent more clarity than we currently have, Wilson is the top waiver priority of the week and is an absolute must-add for a manager who rosters Jacobs. Wilson could be usable immediately as an easy spot starter, and worst case, he’s a great bench stash as a primary backup RB on a solid offense.
• 30 – 50% of FAAB.

Bhayshul Tuten, JAX, Week 12 at AZ

• Tuten had his largest rushing role of his rookie season last week before injuring his ankle late and not returning. He had a 15-74-1 rushing line but didn’t see a target in the passing game. Tuten claimed his ankle was “fine” after the game, but I didn’t see anything definitive as of this writing, a situation to monitor.
• High-priority add. It was a hard week for me to prioritize the top RB recommendations with so many injury unknowns. If we learned Jacobs was fine, Tuten would slide up to the top spot, if we learn Tuten will miss a game, he’d be a lower priority, etc. Assuming he is, in fact, relatively healthy, Tuten remains an elite bench stash as an explosive rookie runner with a creative play-caller.
• 20 – 40% of FAAB.

Sean Tucker, TB, Week 12 at LAR

• Tucker had a monster performance against the Bills last week, racking up 140 scrimmage yards and three total TDs while being afforded 21 of the team’s 34 RB opportunities to Rachaad White’s 13. Tucker scored TDs from 43, six, and 28 yards, showing off his explosive RB skill set.
• Medium-priority add. Second-year RB Bucky Irving has resumed practicing but remains without a definitive timetable to return. Regardless of Bucky’s status, it really seems like Tucker will have earned himself some sort of role moving forward. This week’s matchup at the Rams isn’t necessarily a spot to target, but Tampa Bay’s schedule really opens up after this week and the Bucs have a great fantasy playoff schedule in Weeks 15-17 (home ATL, at CAR, at MIA).
• 15 – 25% of FAAB.

Kenneth Gainwell, PIT, Week 12 at CHI

• Gainwell was the Steelers’ top receiving option last week, catching seven of his eight targets for 81 yards and a pair of receiving TDs and adding a 9-24 rushing line. He took on a larger role with his RB teammate, Jaylen Warren, leaving the game with an ankle injury. Gainwell caught a TD from each of the Steelers QBs after Aaron Rodgers left the game with an injury to his non-throwing arm/wrist.
• Medium-priority add. This was Gainwell’s second game of the year with 100 scrimmage yards and multiple TDs. Another spot where it’s possible Warren could have returned last week had the game been closer, but I still think Gainwell is worth a speculative add ahead of a favorable fantasy matchup against the Bears, regardless of which QB is under center. He’d be an easy start in PPR leagues if Warren missed the game.
• 10 – 20% of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority RBs to consider ::

• Keaton Mitchell (BAL) – Continues to carve out a complementary role behind Derrick Henry, the speedy Mitchell had eight touches and 54 scrimmage yards last week.
• Blake Corum (LAR) – Saw his regular ~40% of the RB work last week but had just five scrimmage yards vs. Kyren Williams’ 96 total yards and a TD.
• Tyjae Spears (TEN) – Had nine touches for 34 scrimmage yards last week, seeing 41% of the Titans’ RB opportunities in one of their more competitive games of the year.
• Tyler Allgeier (ATL) Scored his seventh rushing TD of the year last week. An elite RB handcuff with some standalone Flex value.
• Brian Robinson Jr. (SF) – Another talented handcuff stash.

WR Pickups

Each week, Juan Carlos Blanco spotlights 4–5 under-the-radar plays who combine DFS tournament upside with season-long streaming value. These matchup-driven picks are usually available in most leagues.

Each week, Streaming Sleepers will highlight at least five non-QB skill-position players and one team defense that currently have start or roster rates of 20% or less in season-long leagues but may be prudent options this week due to matchups and other circumstances, particularly in deeper formats. 

Additionally, the plays suggested here could be viable DFS large-field tournament options for the coming slate and are likely to carry modest ownership rates in that format as well.

Darnell Mooney, ATL at NO – 15% start rate

It’s been a topsy-turvy last couple of days for the Falcons, who lost both Michael Penix and Drake London to injury in a crushing overtime loss to the Panthers in Week 11. As is the case in all sports, however, one player’s misfortune becomes another’s opportunity. That’s the case with Mooney this week, who now bumps up to the No. 1 receiver role, albeit while catching passes from Kirk Cousins for the time being.

Mooney and Cousins do have a favorable history from last season, with Mooney posting a 57-873-5 line on 95 targets during the 14 full games Cousins played in 2024. This season, injuries and occasional lack of chemistry with Michael Penix have led to a very modest 16-224-0 tally for Mooney, but he’s now due for a notable bump in targets in the fast track of a dome environment.

Chig Okonkwo, TEN vs. SEA – 3% start rate

Okonkwo’s DFS reputation is somewhat blemished by virtue of his association with the Titans’ offense, but there’s still a good bit to like about the athletic tight end, particularly this week. That might sound odd at first blush considering the quality of the visiting Seahawks defense, yet Okonkwo has shown some solid chemistry with rookie first overall pick Cam Ward – Okonkwo has 46 or more receiving yards in half his 10 games, and four of those occasions have come in the last six contests. 

Chig also has an excellent 82.6% catch rate in that span while averaging 2.01 yards per route run. Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ defense has generally been outstanding, but they’ve been highly vulnerable to tight ends and have conceded a 67-693-5 to the position over 10 games. Considering the Titans are likely to eventually be passing heavily due to a second-half deficit, Okonkwo merits consideration at a tricky position to roster.

Rashid Shaheed, SEA at TEN – 18% start rate 

Xandamere breaks down the Thursday Night Football matchup with leverage angles and roster construction tips — the perfect way for fantasy players to start learning DFS through Showdown.

XANDAMERE’S SHOWDOWN SLANT

In what might be one of the toughest Showdowns to build for of the year, Week 12 begins with the Bills visiting the Texans. This game has a 43.5 total with Buffalo favored by 6, and oh boy, it’s a tricky one. Buffalo, of course, is always tough because of how they spread the ball around on offense, while the Texans are a struggling offense but an elite defense. The way to beat Buffalo is on the ground, except Houston’s run game has been terrible. Let’s see if we can figure this one out. 

HOUSTON

We’ll start on the Houston side, where Woody Marks has very clearly passed Nick Chubb to become the lead running back. In the last two weeks, Marks has handled 17 and 19 opportunities to Chubb’s 6 and 5, respectively. He has not looked particularly explosive, but part of that is running behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. The role looks solid, and teams have been trying to beat Buffalo on the ground, where their defense has been significantly more vulnerable…or has it? We’ve seen four running backs really exploit the Bills, and those have been Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, Devon Achane, and Sean Tucker. All of those running backs have something in common: they’re really, really explosive and capable of breaking big plays. I’d still say the matchup is positive, but Marks isn’t exactly in that same category. He’ll also face game script risk against one of the league’s best offenses, and so he’ll need the Texans to keep things close in order to maximize his odds of finding a ceiling. At $9,200, he’s priced a little less than a bell cow RB role should dictate, so he looks like a value, but I’d personally very much prefer playing him with the Texans defense as the likeliest way he gets to ~20 touches is if Buffalo’s offense is held in check. Chubb is an RB2 dart throw.

Showdown Ownership Projections!

Ownership updates automatically

In the passing game, Davis Mills has injected at least a little bit of life into this offense, winning a shootout against the Jaguars two weeks ago before struggling against the Titans last week. Encouragingly, he’s thrown 45 and 41 passes in his two starts (and the Texans as a whole threw 40 in Week 9 when Stroud got hurt), and that kind of volume sure makes things look a lot more favorable for Houston’s pass catchers. Nico Collins has double digit targets in all of those three games (after reaching that point just twice in all of Stroud’s full games). It seems odd to say Davis Mills has unlocked him or saved his fantasy season, but it sure looks that way. Nico is an elite receiver, but in a really tough matchup, though, as Buffalo has really clamped down on opposing WR1s, with only three WR1s (Drake London, Stef Diggs, and Zay Flowers) having good games against them. Nico is just as good as any of those guys, but his QB isn’t. A tough matchup and an $11.2k price make it tough to play Nico, but should also result in lower than normal ownership for an elite pass catcher in Showdown – he’s a solid play and perhaps a contrarian one if his total ownership comes in under the 50% mark.

The other wide receivers are rotating with Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins, and Xavier Hutchinson all playing 50-60% of the snaps, and Jaylin Noel playing a smaller WR5 role. Kirk has been legitimately awful this season, topping out at 64 receiving yards in a game and only seeing 7 targets combined in the last two games (out of 86 pass attempts, for a sub-10% target share). At just $2,800, I think you could reasonably try to bet on his longer-term track record of talent, but it requires some real faith. Higgins looks like the emerging WR2 with 14 targets and 9 catches in the last two games, and at $4,600, he’s pretty cheap for that role. Hutchinson is playing the most snaps of the tertiary wide receivers but has shown only modest upside, only reaching double-digit DK points twice on the year, but he’s also quite cheap. Finally, Noel has looked quite talented at times this year, but is playing only around 30% of the offensive snaps. If he got more playing time, he’d be a really strong option, but as it is, he’s still a reasonably cheap value play who has put up scores you’d be happy with at his $1,600 salary four times on the year (not bad). I’d rank these guys as Higgins, Kirk, Hutchinson, and Noel.

At tight end, Dalton Schultz is really the 2nd option in the passing game with 20 targets in Mills’ starts for an elite-for-a-tight-end 23.5% target share. The Bills have absolutely eliminated opposing tight ends, but I’m always a little wary of how I use that data point, as different teams use their tight ends very differently in the passing game. It’s a tough matchup, but hardly an impossible one, and at the end of the day, Schultz is just not priced for his target projection. At $6,200, he looks like a very strong value option. 

BUFFALO

Each Friday, Mike Johnson tackles lineup and trade dilemmas pulled from the OWS X and our Fantasy Football Discord channel. Real questions, real context, and actionable advice to guide you through the toughest calls of the week.

Some things in fantasy football are easy. We know we should start Puka Nacua and Bijan Robinson. We know we should bench the backup running back who is only on our roster in case of injury and the guy who was ruled out early in the week. A lot of the decisions are made for us. However, there are a lot of things that are not so simple. All of the “in between” situations are what can make the difference between a few wins and losses, and therefore it can be the difference between a successful season or a failed season. Every Friday, we are here to help!!

I’ll take questions each week in our #fantasy-football channel in our Discord from people looking for Start/Sit advice and give my thoughts. This article will feature a few of those questions and responses each Friday, so join our Discord to be a part of the conversation or ask questions of your own!!

Question 1 :: Jaxson Dart or Jacoby Brissett (or Bryce with T-Mac)? I feel like if Dart plays, they’re not going to have as many designed runs (but he’ll probably still scramble at the goal line). (andrewl9)

Answer :: Solid analysis in the fact that the Giants are now at a point where they won’t be voluntarily having Dart run much for the rest of this season. That being said, if he plays, I would start him. Bryce probably just had his best game of the season, but they will probably go back to the running game against a soft 49ers defense, while Brissett has a tough matchup with a Jaguars defense that is playing well right now and will never give you anything with his legs.

Question 2 :: I need a defense this week and can’t decide: Packers, Falcons, or Bears? (Spawnster)

Answer :: If we just look at the matchups, these are pretty even spots as these teams face opposing QBs J.J. McCarthy, Tyler Shough, and Mason Rudolph, respectively. All three are uninspiring quarterbacks right now and all of the game environments project relatively similar. However, the Packers are the best actual defense of the group – which sometimes goes overlooked when making these decisions. The Bears defense ranks 30th in yards per play allowed while the Falcons have surrendered 30+ points in three of their last four games and have offensive injuries of their own, which make it less likely they jump out to a lead. Play the Pack for their divisional showdown at the Frozen Tundra!!

Question 3 :: Full PPR – Dallas Goedert or George Kittle?  (wordrew)

Every Saturday, MJohnson86 posts full positional rankings (QB, RB, WR, TE, DEF) to get you ready for Sunday’s slate. Built for 12-team, full-PPR formats — with insights that translate across most league settings.

Mike Johnson (MJohnson86) has racked up nearly $500,000 in DFS profit as an NFL tournament player with success in all styles of contests