Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 12 boom or bust

Fantasy Football – Tight End

Boom: Darren Waller, OAK @ NYJ

Another player who got off to a hot start but has slowed down in recent weeks, Waller is due for a statement game. After dissecting the Packers for 126 yards and two scores in Week 7, the breakout tight end has caught three or fewer passes in three of his last four games (under 10 fantasy points in each of those contests). He began to rebuild his momentum against the Bengals, catching five passes for 78 yards. His seven targets in this one proved he’s still a focal point in Oakland’s offense.

This matchup with the Jets is one to exploit. While the stats show Gang Green as a top-eight defense against tight ends, this shouldn’t deter owners from plugging Waller into their lineups. He may draw some coverage by Jamal Adams, but the Jets as a whole have struggled mightily in coverage. Waller’s WR1-like usage on a week-to-week basis gives him as high of a ceiling as anyone at the position. Derek Carr should be looking his way early and often.

Honorable Mention: Greg Olsen (CAR @ NO), Vance McDonald (PIT @ CIN)

Bust: Gerald Everett, LAR vs. BAL

Everett’s home and away splits are a cause for concern. In each his last three home games, the 25-year-old has been under four fantasy points as opposed to an average of 16.8 FPPG in his last three road games. As I explained a few weeks back, Everett benefits from “road Goff” by operating as his security blanket underneath the coverage, but his role has been reduced at home where Goff tends to play better. Even last week when the team was missing both Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods, Everett posted a subpar three fantasy points.

Baltimore is playing great football right now on both sides of the ball. They’ve been rock-solid against TEs, as their nine FPPG surrendered to the position is tied for fifth-best in the NFL. After leaning heavily on Todd Gurley to get the job done last week against the Bears, expect a similar formula from the Rams if they want to keep this one close.

Dishonorable Mention: Jimmy Graham (GB @ SF), Jacob Hollister (SEA @ PHI)

Sleeper: Ryan Griffin, NYJ vs. OAK

Chris Herndon’s loss has been Ryan Griffin’s gain, as the 29-year-old has eclipsed 20 fantasy points in two of his past four games. There’s been growing chemistry with Darnold and his big-bodied tight end over the last several weeks, operating as Darnold’s favorite deep target. He’s got a solid shot at continuing this momentum against Oakland, a bottom-five team against TEs.