Fantasy football advice, Week 12: Who to start/sit for San Diego Chargers vs. Houston Texans

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 Chargers take on the Texans during the first slate of Sunday’s football games, it’s best for fantasy owners to at least attempt avoiding that outcome.

The Chargers will likely lean on Melvin Gordon once again on Sunday, and while that would be a surprise to no one, Gordon has an encouraging matchup at hand against a soft Texans run defense. The Texans have been hard pressed to stop the run for much of the season because their opponents simply haven’t been forced to abandon it with Brock Osweiler directing an inept offense despite having capable players at skill positions. Fantasy owners aren’t about to bench a player who has at least 94 yards or a touchdown in every game since Week 5.

Though the Raiders’ passing offense eventually found cracks in the stout Texans’ defense on Monday night, tough sledding should still be on the schedule for the Chargers for Week 12. Philip Rivers is a capable QB1 in most weeks, but having few weapons in the receiving game in a poor matchup should not have fantasy owners salivating in a week where no teams are on bye. Rivers can be considered a high-end QB2 while Tyrell Williams can be considered a volatile flex at best.

Travis Benjamin, Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry and Dontrelle Inman can remain on fantasy benches.

Lamar Miller is about the only bright spot on the Texans’ offense, and fantasy owners can continue to pen him into lineups due to the volume he receives each week. The Chargers’ run defense has been legitimate, allowing the fifth-fewest yards per game, but Miller is still capable of putting up RB1 numbers in tough matchups. For Week 12, he can be considered a volatile, but capable RB1.

Though the Chargers have been more vulnerable through the air, Osweiler has not thrived even in the easiest of matchups this season. It’s maddening for owners with DeAndre Hopkins and C.J. Fiedorowicz, who can only be considered boom-or-bust options at their respective positions. Both can be considered that for Week 12 and beyond.

Will Fuller, Osweiler and Braxton Miller can remain on benches of all formats until further notice.