Tetairoa McMillan comes off a breakout performance, A.J. Brown keeps battling DeVonta Smith for targets, and Justin Jefferson hopes for better looks from J.J. McCarthy.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Tight End/Kickers/Defense

Week 12 Receivers

WR Notes: With Ja’Marr Chase unable to locate a “second spitter,” his suspension has been upheld and he will be out for Week 12. That means Tee Higgins has “all the targets,” but also “all the Christian Gonzalez.” Even if it’s not necessarily Gonzalez every snap, Higgins will be the one getting the Pats defense’s best shot. Good news/bad news followed by the best news of Joe Burrow (toe) making his long-awaited return. … Look at me … George Pickens is the WR1 now? In four games since CeeDee Lamb’s return, Pickens has produced 26/383/1 on 35 targets to Lamb’s 24/335/2 on 37 looks. As you can see, the difference is small, but the fact you can barely even spot the difference means we have probably been ranking Lamb a little bit too high and Pickens a lotta bit too low. The Eagles are a tough matchup, but both wideouts got their numbers against the Broncos a few weeks ago. … Stefon Diggs has been feast or famine all season. Thankfully most wideouts continue to feast against the Bengals. Helping Diggs’ spiked week odds are Joe Burrow’s return, though the Bengals could ultimately struggle to match points with Ja’Marr Chase (suspension) on the shelf.

I was beginning to give up on my “where there’s floor, there’s ceiling” principle with Tetairoa McMillan. Enter 8/130/2 against what was supposedly the league’s best pass defense. This is a funny game we play. It was also a ridiculous outlier for wideout and quarterback alike. Expectations must be tempered, though you can certainly remain cautiously optimistic as McMillan faces a 49ers D that just gave up the most receiving yards by any player all season to Michael Wilson. … Jameson Williams in two games since head coach Dan Campbell coup’d John Morton for play-calling duties: WR1 and WR8. It wasn’t always pretty in Week 11 — particularly his touchdown celebration — but it’s abundantly clear this was a Campbell priority, one that will be far easier to implement against the Giants than Eagles. … Michael Pittman Jr. always provides a nice floor. In theory, there is Week 12 ceiling potential with the Chiefs/Colts game total exceeding 50. There’s also immense downside for Daniel Jones vs. Kansas City’s strong defense. You will probably play Pittman this week. You just aren’t counting on him to win you your matchup.

Justin Jefferson in three games since J.J. McCarthy’s return: WR19, WR42 and WR25. Depending on what kind of person you are, it could be either hopeful or scary those numbers aren’t even worse, because they certainly felt worse. There are no quick-fixes, while the Vikings could be loath to seek them, anyways, as they fall out of the NFC playoff race. It makes Jefferson more of a WR2 than WR1 even though we are assuming he maintains WR1 overall upside even with “Nine” under center. … A.J. Brown cried and moaned his way to season highs in catches (seven) and targets (11) last Sunday. He still turned them into just 49 yards, a total DeVonta Smith has bettered six times. Smith is averaging a weekly 5/67. Brown, 4/51. Which player would you rank higher against the Cowboys’ revolving-door pass defense? If the rank debate is moot, the same is true for the start/sit decision: You play anyone you’ve got against the Cowboys, even if their defense has improved since the trade deadline.

What do you do with a player who produced 28.3 percent of his 2025 fantasy production in just 1-of-10 appearances? Who somehow didn’t score a touchdown in the process? Michael Wilson’s 185 yards against the 49ers were the most by any wideout all season. There are outlier games, then there’s that happening in Week 11. So we aren’t expecting a repeat. We are getting a repeat of Marvin Harrison Jr.’s (appendicitis) absence. He has already been declared out again. Sifting through it all, you will probably arrive at: You have to play Wilson, but you must be ready to get hurt. That’s where “low-end WR2” comes in. … Whether it’s Aaron Rodgers (wrist) or Mason Rudolph (Mason Rudolph) slinging it against the Bears, DK Metcalf’s outlook remains the same. He’s unlikely to compile but will have stronger than usual big-play odds vs. Chicago. … Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) appears to be back just in time to make an already-confusing Jaguars receiver corps that much more so. What’s not confusing is that BTJ remains a more explosive overall player than Jakobi Meyers, and few NFLers were in greater need of both a physical and mental reset. Facing a Cardinals defense getting smithereens’d of late, I’ll go against my better judgment and put Thomas on the WR2/3 borderline.

You’re not exactly dying to start either of Romeo Doubs or Christian Watson, but with Josh Jacobs (knee) sidelined, the Packers might finally be forced into a greater passing-game commitment. Doubs and Watson have firmly separated from the post-Tucker Kraft pack. Settling back into their ancient rhythms, Doubs is a better touchdown bet, Watson a better spiked-week chase. … Darnell Mooney frankly doesn’t deserve another 2025 chance. I will give one to him, anyways, as the last Falcon standing for a plus Saints matchup. … Painful as Khalil Shakir’s one-catch Week 11 was, there’s little evidence his 5-6 catch floor has gone on permanent vacation. … Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker seem like particularly poor “point chasing” bets, but as is the case with Tetairoa McMillan, their surprising Week 11 performances are being followed up by a mouthwatering matchup. You could do worse in your desperation WR4 spot. … Luther Burden is rising as Olamide Zaccheus has fully faded. If ever a wideout were to go off, it would be against the Steelers. … Somehow not a bit: All Isaiah Hodgins has ever done as a Giant is command targets and catch 4-5 passes. You’re not going to take a zero if forced to start him in a 14-teamer.