Week 12 Thursday Night Fantasy Football Starting Options: Should You Be Starting Pittsburgh's Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren and Cleveland's Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Elijah Moore?

Week 12 of the NFL regular season begins with an AFC North battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

Let’s take a look at the top fantasy football players from the contest and offer up some starting advice along the way.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson is the Steelers’ starting quarterback, while Jameis Winston guides the Browns.

In four starts, Wilson has 942 passing yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions and a 60.3 completion percentage. He’s also added 14 rushing yards and a touchdown.

His worst fantasy showing came in week 11, oddly against a really weak Ravens’ secondary. Wilson had at least 14 fantasy points in his other three starts.

Winston has now made three starts, tallying 1,047 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three picks overall this season. He has a 61.4 completion percentage and 39 rushing yards as well.

He’s scored 51 fantasy points between two starts and had just 10 in the other. All three of his picks came in one game.

It’s a favorable matchup for Wilson, while Winston has one of the toughest matchups of the week. Pittsburgh gives up just 12 fantasy points per week to opposing quarterbacks, while Cleveland surrenders 20. In the week 12 projections, both quarterbacks are at 14 points.

I usually am right on board with the projections, but not here. I like Wilson quite a bit more than Winston. Wilson is one I’d be targeting for a streaming start, while I’d try to avoid Winston if possible. They’ll be in Thursday’s QB start decision story, so be sure to check back for that.

Running Backs

Najee Harris leads the Pittsburgh backfield, while Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson are the backups. Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford led the Cleveland backfield in week 11, with Pierre Strong also factoring in a bit.

Harris has 708 rushing yards and three scores across 175 attempts, while adding 182 receiving yards on 21 grabs and 29 targets. He’s got 21 or 22 touches in three straight games and scored in double figures as a fantasy player in eight straight games.

Warren has between 11-16 touches over the past three weeks. He’s got 258 rushing yards, but no scores, on 64 attempts, along with 123 receiving yards on 18 catches and 20 targets. He’s scored in double figures in two straight games.

Patterson has just 26 touches on the season, with five over the past two weeks. He’s rushed for 106 yards on 20 carries and added 34 receiving yards on six receptions and eight targets.

Chubb has led the Cleveland backfield in touches the past three weeks, but only got 11 in week 11 after 16 in the previous two games. He has 163 yards and a touchdown on 53 attempts, along with six receiving yards on two grabs and six targets. He’s scored five fantasy points in three straight after a 10-point outing in his season debut.

Ford had just three touches in week 10, but got nine in week 11. He has 279 yards and a score on 57 attempts this season, while adding 118 receiving yards on 25 catches and 30 targets.

Strong only has 26 touches on the season, with two each in the past two games. He has 69 rushing yards on 19 carries and 77 receiving yards on seven catches and 13 targets.

It’s a tough matchup for all the backs in this contest, with the Steelers allowing 21 fantasy points per week and the Browns 19. The projections like Harris the most in this one - he’s at 13 PPR fantasy points. Chubb sits at nine, Warren eight and Ford seven. Nobody else cracks the top 50 this week.

I also like Warren the best of the bunch, but he’s definitely not a very safe start this week. Everyone else I’d only be comfortable playing in deeper leagues. Chubb, Warren and Ford are all deep-league options (and I’d take them in that order), while I’d avoid Patterson and Strong at all costs.

Wide Receivers

George Pickens is the top Steelers’ receiver, while Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Mike Williams, Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller all played in week 11. Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash and Kadarius Toney all played for Cleveland in week 11.

Pickens has 728 yards, but only two scores, on 48 receptions and 77 targets this season. He has seen his targets rise in three straight games, and is coming off a 12-target game.

Jefferson only has 139 yards and a score on 14 grabs and 24 targets this season. He has three targets over the past two weeks combined.

Austin is at 276 yards and two scores on 17 catches and 33 targets. He only had two targets last week.

Williams has 32 yards and a score on one catch and target in his time with the Steelers. He was not targeted last week.

Skowronek had a four-yard catch last week on his first target of the season. Miller has 31 yards on two grabs and four targets this season.

Jeudy (who is on the injury report with a knee injury) has 560 yards and two scores on 39 receptions and 71 targets for the season. He’s got 11 targets in each of the past two games.

Moore (dealing with a shoulder injury) has 315 yards and a touchdown on 39 catches and 59 targets for the season. He has 17 targets over the past two weeks.

Tillman is up to 311 yards and three scores on 27 catches and 45 targets. He has 19 targets over the past two games.

Thrash had an 11-yard catch on his first target of the season last week. Toney did not get a target across six snaps last week.

This is a pretty favorable test for the Pittsburgh wideouts, with Cleveland allowing 35 fantasy points per week. Pittsburgh only gives up 29 points a week.

Pickens leads the way in the weekly projections - he’s set for 14 PPR points. Tillman is at 12 points, Jeudy 11, Moore nine and Williams five.

I’d also take Pickens first, but also wouldn’t be surprised if one of the top-three Cleveland wideouts was the top fantasy finisher. I like Jeudy first, then Tillman and then Moore, and think all three are standard league options (and definite deep league starters). I’d avoid any other wideouts from both teams, but rank them as follows: Austin, Jefferson, Williams, Skowronek, Thrash, Miller and Toney.

Tight Ends

David Njoku is the clear top TE in Cleveland. Pat Freiermuth is the best fantasy TE in Pittsburgh, but Darnell Washington also plays enough snaps to be mentioned.

Njoku (who is still listed with a knee injury) has 336 yards and two touchdowns on 39 catches and 52 targets for the season. He has at least seven targets in three straight games.

Freiermuth has 295 yards and three scores on 31 catches and 36 targets this season. Washington is at 168 yards and a score on 14 grabs and 19 targets. Washington has seven targets to Freiermuth’s five the past two weeks.

It’s an average matchup for Njoku, as Pittsburgh allows 11 fantasy points per week. The clash for the Steelers’ TEs is a bit tougher, as Cleveland only allows 10 points a week.

Njoku is projected for 10 PPR fantasy points. Freiermuth barely cracks the list this week and sits at six points. I also like Njoku this week, and it’s not all that close. Freiermuth is someone I’d try to avoid, and based on what’s happened the past couple weeks, I actually like Washington over Freiermuth this week (but only in a deeper league preferably).

Kickers

Chris Boswell kicks for the Steelers. He’s made 29 of his 30 field goal attempts this season, while making all 20 extra points. 

Dustin Hopkins is the Cleveland kicker. He’s made just 14-of-20 field goals and 10-of-12 extra points.

Boswell is projected for eight fantasy points, while Hopkins is at just five. I also like Boswell the most in this contest - he’s been the top fantasy kicker, and there’s no reason to abandon him this week. Hopkins has missed too many kickers to trust him outside deeper formats.

Defenses/Special Teams

The Pittsburgh defense has allowed 305.3 yards and 16.2 points this season. The Steelers have 19 takeaways and only eight giveaways this season.

Cleveland’s defense has given up 342.7 yards and 24.8 points a week. The Browns have seven takeaways and 12 giveaways.

Pittsburgh’s D/ST is projected for nine points, while Cleveland is at seven. I also like Pittsburgh in this one and think they’ll make enough plays to deliver one of the best D/ST fantasy scores of the week.