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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison, Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen, and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins are five wideouts who are on many fantasy football rosters this season.
If you have any of these players in any of your leagues, you may be wondering if starting them in Week 12 is a good idea. This piece will break down which decision you should make for each player and support that choice with solid data and facts.
So, which ones should you fire up, and which ones should stay in the garage?
Should I Start Michael Pittman Jr. for Fantasy Football?
He hasn't looked the same this season, and he's been dealing with a nagging back injury, so that could explain why. Strangely, he's still playing. The team spent a significant draft pick on WR Adonai Mitchell in the 2024 NFL Draft, Josh Downs is playing very well, and even Alec Pierce has had some big moments.
Anthony Richardson is fantasy QB4 in Week 11 (MNF pending) —-
his receivers..
Josh Downs WR11
Alec Pierce WR38
Michael Pittman WR41Ol AR5 dropped the kinda dime pieces most dudes can only see on social media
pic.twitter.com/Jfpj66NKmT— Lawrence Jackson Jr. (@LordDontLose) November 18, 2024
Most of his struggles could be chalked up to his injury and the inconsistent play of his quarterback, Anthony Richardson. But A-Rich had the best game of his career in Week 11. MPJr. caught five of his eight targets for just 46 yards. Mitchell should probably take his role and he should be placed on injured reserve.
The team was considering doing it earlier in the season, but Pittman played anyway and has continued to play through the injury to middling results. It's hard to recommend starting him when he's not 100%. It's not clear how healthy he truly is.
Should I Start Ricky Pearsall for Fantasy Football?
No. The absence of tight end George Kittle (hamstring) seemed to allow the opposing Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 11 to limit both Pearsall and Deebo Samuel Sr., and both had dud performances in that game. Pearsall was targeted just twice and didn't catch either of his passes.
Ricky Pearsall saw his route share fall to 62% in Week 11, his lowest mark of the season. He only had one target and didn't catch it.
— JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) November 18, 2024
He didn't run as many routes or play as many offensive snaps as he did in his other games. In much more important news, his quarterback, Brock Purdy (shoulder), is suffering from a shoulder ailment that could affect his status for Week 12. If Purdy doesn't play or isn't 100%, there's not much reason to start Pearsall.
It will take a few more weeks with a healthy Purdy to evaluate the rookie wideout, which isn't fun. For now, leave him on your benches, and he's a drop candidate. The return of running back Christian McCaffrey, who is a target hog, could mean Pearsall has very few decent games for the rest of the season.
The 49ers offensive line hasn't been playing well, either, so Purdy has been pushed to get the ball out quickly, and dump-off passes to McCaffrey are a perfect way to move the chains while he's under duress. That doesn't bode well for the team's WRs or TEs.
Should I Start Jordan Addison for Fantasy Football?
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (leg) dealt with cramping in the fourth quarter of his Week 11 game and was pulled from the contest and didn't return. He had a great game, mostly due to an impressive catch-and-run touchdown of 47 yards in the first quarter.
Jordan Addison with the TOUCHDOWN🔥
— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) November 17, 2024
Addison is another boom-or-bust fantasy option -- he's scored 15 or more PPR fantasy points in three of his games this season, yet has four games of under seven points. That makes him tough to trust as a starter outside of deeper leagues. His bust games are pretty terrible fantasy-wise.
The problem is target competition -- he has to compete with WR Justin Jefferson (one of the best receivers in the league) and TE T.J. Hockenson, who's fantastic in his own right, though probably not 100% due to his torn ACL last year. Addison's limited targets mean he needs a touchdown to have a good game.
You can't count on touchdowns consistently on a team with so many good options in the passing game. Addison is a WR3/flex option in leagues with 14 or more teams.
Should I Start Keenan Allen for Fantasy Football?
No. Despite four straight games with six or more targets, Allen has failed to score more than 10 PPR fantasy points in all but one of his games this season. If he doesn't get a touchdown, he's probably not having a good fantasy day. The vet's highest receiving yard total of 2024 is just 44 yards.
Keenan Allen
OutHesi at the breakpoint to freeze his cover defender before accelerating out.
Has been elite at using tempo to create separation throughout his career. pic.twitter.com/LAqptAGHyB
— Mike Vannucci (@WRCoachVannucci) November 19, 2024
He's 32 years old, so slowing down at some point was inevitable. And he has a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams who's had a poor season. He's also competing with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze for passing-game work, and both of them have outproduced him so far this season.
Allen is probably on his way out, and he's been unproductive despite playing over 90% of the team's snaps over the last four games. There isn't much that's holding him back that will improve or let up over time, so it's safe to leave him on your bench and look elsewhere for production.
Should I Start Tee Higgins for Fantasy Football?
There may be a planet where it's not a good idea to start Higgins, but it's not this one. He's an elite receiver, and despite his problems dealing with a multitude of injuries, he's been elite when he's been on the field. He scored 29.8 PPR fantasy points against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11.
Targets in the six games Tee Higgins has played this season:
* Tee Higgins 58
* Ja’Marr Chase 49 pic.twitter.com/ScJhRG5kAt— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) November 18, 2024
It doesn't hurt to have one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, Joe Burrow, throwing to you. It also doesn't hurt to have one of the NFL's best wideouts, Ja'Marr Chase, drawing coverage away from you. It especially doesn't hurt to be on a team with a terrible defense that forces its offense to throw the ball often to play both catch and catch-up.
You cannot bench Higgins if you are a serious fantasy manager. He's a must-start for the rest of the season (when he plays, of course).
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