7 Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 12

Hopefully you have a healthy roster heading into Week 12 because this week's sleeper list looks a little light. While there are some strong quarterback options who may be available in your league, the running back and wide receiver positions appear to be thin on impact players potentially sitting on the waiver wire.

For the purposes of this list, we'll limit sleeper selections to any player with less than 75 percent ownership on Yahoo's fantasy football platform. Additionally, I'll select two super-sleepers, with under 10 percent ownership, to help out those of you who may be playing in deeper leagues. All references to betting totals and spreads are from the NCAAF odds.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns

Yahoo Ownership: 71 percent

Baker Mayfield's ownership dropped considerably through the first half of the year, to the point where he's now available in nearly one out of every three leagues. As the Cleveland Browns' schedule lightens down the stretch -- starting with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday -- Mayfield may be worthy of your lineup in multiple games the rest of the year. Through Week 8, Mayfield generated a negative value for the Browns, producing -29.99 Net Expected Points (NEP). Over Cleveland's last three games, however, Mayfield's production has swung the opposite direction (15.01 NEP), despite playing some respectable defenses (Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers).

If Mayfield can produce at a strong level against those defenses, Miami shouldn't pose much of a problem. The Dolphins have allowed opposing quarterbacks to reach at least 20 fantasy points in 6 of 10 games this year.

Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Chicago Bears

Yahoo Ownership: 19 percent

Mitchell Trubisky was removed from the Chicago Bears' Week 11 game, reportedly due to a hip injury, so be sure to monitor his status before starting him this week. If he's available, the New York Giants' defense may give the struggling Trubisky the boost he needs. New York's defense has surrendered at least 20 fantasy points to 8 of 10 quarterbacks this season -- only holding rookies Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray below the threshold.

Assuming Trubisky plays, it would make sense for Chicago to attempt to build up his confidence against a poor defense, which could lead to a big game. If Trubisky doesn't suit up, Chase Daniel may be worth considering for the same reason.

Bo Scarbrough, RB, Detroit Lions

Yahoo Ownership: 28 percent

It's best to avoid Detroit Lions running backs given the seemingly random distribution of opportunities in recent weeks, but if you're desperate, Bo Scarbrough appears to be the leading candidate for touches heading into Sunday's matchup with the Washington Redskins. Scarbrough was promoted from the practice squad to make his NFL debut in Week 11 and surprisingly got the starting nod and played 49 percent of the team's offensive snaps. If nothing else, Scarbrough offers value as a proven goal line back. In 2017 at Alabama, Scarbrough led the Crimson Tide with 16 carries inside the 10-yard line, converting seven of those attempts into touchdowns, according to Sports Info Solutions.

Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Yahoo Ownership: 60 percent

In George Kittle's absence, Deebo Samuel has become Jimmy Garoppolo's go-to receiver while posting 19.2 and 21.4 fantasy points (PPR scoring) over the last two weeks. Kittle's status remains unclear -- he did not participate in Wednesday's practice -- but Samuel should be rostered and ready to be inserted into your lineup in the event Kittle is unavailable. With a target share of 24 percent in the two games without Kittle, it's clear Samuel will have a significant role in the slot when the 49ers star tight end is off the field. Samuel also missed Wednesday's practice, though, so keep an eye on his status entering the weekend.

James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Yahoo Ownership: 14 percent

With JuJu Smith-Schuster expected to miss Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, James Washington's fantasy stock receives a significant boost. Even with Smith-Schuster on the field, Washington has consistently been Mason Rudolph's favorite downfield weapon. Since Rudolph returned from injury in Week 8, Washington leads the Pittsburgh Steelers with 17 targets at 10 or more yards downfield, according to Sports Info Solutions. His usage as a downfield weapon bodes well for this matchup against Cincinnati, which is allowing a 57 percent completion rate on throws of 10 yards or more, the fourth-highest rate in the league.

Super Sleeper: Jordan Wilkins, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Yahoo Ownership: 8 percent

Everyone rushed to the waiver wire to add journeyman running back Jonathan Williams (39 percent ownership) earlier this week, when it looked like both Marlon Mack and Jordan Wilkins would miss this week due to injury. On Wednesday, however, it was announced Wilkins does not carry an injury designation and will likely be available for Thursday's game against the Houston Texans. After Mack left last week's game, Williams filled in with 116 yards on 13 carries against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which likely helped gain some trust from the coaching staff. However, Wilkins has been Mack's primary backup for each of the last two seasons. It's unlikely Williams supplanted him with just one solid performance. Wilkins has also proven to be a reliable backup, averaging 6.1 yards per carry this year, so if he's healthy, it's probably safe to assume he's the Colts' feature back on Thursday night.

Super Sleeper: Russell Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Yahoo Ownership: 4 percent

Since Mohamed Sanu was traded prior to Week 8, Russell Gage has replaced him as the third option in the Atlanta Falcons' offense, seeing a 16.7 percent target share over the last three games. Gage's fantasy value has been minimal during this stretch -- primarily due to the fact that he's yet to reach the end zone. If Gage is going to break out soon, this week's matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be his best opportunity. This game carries the highest total of the week (51.5 points). In 2018, these two teams produced totals of 66 and 63 points, so another shootout would certainly not come as a surprise. In a high-scoring game, Gage should see an increased volume of opportunities.