RBs to start in Week 12
Texans’ Duke Johnson (vs. Lions): Playing RBs against the Detroit Lions has been a beneficial plan this season in fantasy football and this week isn’t any different. The Houston Texans are poised to start Duke Johnson at RB again with David Johnson still dealing with a concussion. Duke has accumulated only 11.9 fantasy points in his first two games as the starter for the Texans. However, he’s poised to bounce back in Week 12 versus Detroit’s awful run defense. The Lions have conceded 14 rushing touchdowns (most in the NFL), 34.18 fantasy points per week to RBs (most in the NFL), and 139 rushing yards per game, which is the third-most in the league.
Bengals’ Giovani Bernard (vs. Giants): Another RB who is getting more opportunities due to injury is Giovani Bernard. Joe Mixon was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 11, giving Bernard a chance to carry the majority of the workload for the next three weeks. While Joe Burrow has unfortunately gone down with a season-ending knee injury, Bernard should be relied on even more in the passing game. Bernard squares off with a New York Giants defense that has struggled to stop RBs through the air. New York’s defense has given up 62 receptions (tied for sixth-most in the league) and 524 receiving yards (second-most in the league) to RBs.
Washington’s Antonio Gibson (vs. Cowboys): In Week 11, we witnessed Antonio Gibson notched his highest offensive snap share since Week 5, being on the field for 53 percent of Washington’s offensive snaps. He would also rush for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals. This week, the rookie RB will face the shaky run defense of the Cowboys, who has allowed 153.8 rushing yards per game this season, which is the second-most in the NFL).
Other RBs to consider in Week 12: Colts’ Jonathan Taylor (vs. Titans), Buccaneers’ Ronald Jones (vs. Chiefs), Panthers’ Mike Davis (vs. Vikings), Ravens’ Gus Edward (if Mark Ingram & J.K. Dobbins are inactive vs. Steelers)
RBs to sit in Week 12
Rams’ Darrell Henderson (vs. 49ers): The backfield of the Rams has been hard to gauge all season as Sean McVay continues to deploy them differently. While Darrell Henderson seemed to be solidifying himself as the No. 1 guy earlier this season, he’s now splitting touches with rookie Cam Akers and veteran Malcolm Brown. His inconsistent role coupled with his upcoming bout with the San Francisco 49ers is enough to sit him in fantasy football in Week 12. San Francisco’s defense has limited RBs to 3.9 yards per attempt (tied for sixth-fewest in the NFL) and five rushing touchdowns (tied for third-fewest in the NFL).
Broncos’ Melvin Gordon (vs. Saints): Melvin Gordon just put together his second-best performance with the Denver Broncos in Week 11. Gordon scampered for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries en route to scoring 18.4 fantasy points. However, at the same time, Phillip Lindsay carried the ball 16 times for 82 yards in Denver’s win over the Miami Dolphins. Besides needing to share touches with Lindsay, Gordon draws the Saints in Week 12. In the last three games, the last three RBs the Saints have faced (Ronald Jones, Jerick McKinnon, and Todd Gurley) have combined for 68 rushing yards and zero touchdowns on 29 carries.
