Fantasy football advice, Week 12: Who to start/sit for Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens

Fantasy owners already had enough to deal with on Thanksgiving, whether it’s polarizing dishes, cliché racist uncles, or scalding themselves in the kitchen. So no one wants to add “being served a slice of awful fantasy lineup” to their list of gripes, which is completely understandable. So when the Bengals take on the Ravens during the first slate of Sunday’s football games, it’s best for fantasy owners to at least attempt avoiding that outcome.

Jeremy Hill has the backfield all to himself now that Giovani Bernard is out for the season, but just because Hill’s been handed the keys doesn’t mean he won’t drive straight into a brick wall. The Ravens boast the NFL’s No. 1 run defense, and with A.J. Green out of action, it allows them to key in on stopping Hill. Even with the tough matchup at hand, Hill is one of the few weapons the Bengals have left on offense and deserves RB2 consideration for Week 12 and beyond. Tyler Eifert , an elite tight end, has been elevated to the top of the pecking order with Green out of action. He is a top-five option at the position.

With Green out, Tyler Boyd caught 6-of-8 targets in Week 11. If that volume continues, it puts Boyd on the WR3 radar even in a tough matchup. Brandon LaFell drew nine targets, but has rarely capitalized on the chances he has had. Both receivers are worth adding in leagues of all formats, but Boyd is the preferred play and has intriguing upside. For fantasy owners in a desperate bind at the flex position, Boyd and LaFell present high-floor, low-ceiling options.

Andy Dalton will be hard to trust without Green and Bernard in the lineup, especially in a tough matchup. He can be safely benched in all formats.

With the ageless Steve Smith proving capable once again in 2016, fantasy owners have no reason not to put Joe Flacco’s top target into lineups. Smith has touchdowns in back-to-back weeks and managed 99 yards last Sunday, which is more than can be asked of a top receiver amid a sputtering offense. He remains a solid flex option in leagues of all formats.

Fantasy owners keep waiting for the day Kenneth Dixon seizes early-down duties away from Terrance West, but it just hasn’t happened. Even with Dixon looking promising against the Cowboys in Week 11, West one-upped the rookie with hard-nosed runs and finding the end zone. West remains a touchdown-dependent flex, while Dixon can remain on the bench until he convincingly one-ups his counterpart.

Flacco, Mike Wallace and Dennis Pitta are hard to trust even in a plus matchup at hand for Week 12. With no teams on bye, fantasy owners can probably do better.