Hello and welcome back, Nerds! The Dynasty Nerds writers are here to provide you with weekly starts and sits. I am covering the wide receiver position for the 2022 season! We, as a group, will be making our recommendations based on weekly consensus PPR rankings from FantasyPros. Here is our squad and the position groups they will be covering to help you each week. Follow, DM, and Tweet us.
We look forward to hearing from you!
QB: Jason Snyder (@Spydes78) – Changing the Call
RB: Jake Oliver (@DarthDbacks) – The Cutback
WR: Tristan Cook (@THEtristancook) – Slant Pattern
TE: Ethan Wyatt (@ethanAwyatt) – 12 Formation
FLEX: Evan Brown (@FFEVanlution) – Flex on ‘Em
IDP: Jon Glosser (@Glosser13) – IDP Start/Sit
One thing to keep in mind when making your start/sit decisions, it will ALWAYS depend on who your other options are. The players listed below are wide receivers that I expect to finish above/below their respective rankings. But it doesn’t mean you need to take them out of (or put them into) your lineup unless your alternatives are worth it.
NOTE: Rankings are based on a 12-team PPR league. So, saying WR2 means top 24, or TE1 means top 12, etc., and are pulled from Fantasy Pros consensus expert rankings.
RECAP
Week 11 was about as average of a week as I could have. Of my five calls, two were ‘hits’, two were ‘misses’, and one was a ‘push’. It wasn’t an awful week, but it certainly was not one that I want to replicate this week. My best call was having Darius Slayton as a ‘start’. He finished as the WR21. My worst call had George Pickens as a ‘sit’. Pickens went off for Pittsburgh, finishing as WR11. There aren’t as many players to choose from with the Thanksgiving games, so this week will be a bit tougher, but let’s get to it.
START
Garrett Wilson vs CHI – WR 27
Week 11 Stats | WR 76 | FPts: 3.2 | Tgts: 3 | Rec: 2 | Yds: 12 | TDs: 0
My first ‘start’ for Week 12 is Garrett Wilson. The Jets have been in the news all week after benching Zach Wilson. Normally, benching your starting quarterback would lead me away from wanting to start any of the receivers but not here. Zach Wilson has really struggled this year and has subsequently caused quite a bit of inconsistency for his receivers. Enter Mike White.
White played in a few games for New York in 2021 and wasn’t afraid to let the ball rip. He comes into this game with nothing to lose, facing a Chicago team that looks like it will be without Justin Fields. Chicago’s defense has been average at best in 2021, and now they’re likely to be on the field a lot. I expect the Jets to come out with a spark on offense, with Garrett Wilson as the primary beneficiary. Don’t be afraid to fire up Wilson if you have him.
Courtland Sutton @ CAR – WR 28
Week 11 Stats | WR 26 | FPts: 13.0 | Tgts: 7 | Rec: 5 | Yds: 80 | TDs: 0
My next ‘start’ for Week 12 is Denver’s Courtland Sutton. This Denver offense has been brutal to watch this year, with few exceptions. One of the only bright spots has been Courtland Sutton. Sutton is quietly putting up a solid year on one of the worst offenses in modern history. I’m not expecting the Broncos to set the world on fire, but they should have more success this week against the Carolina Panthers. Sutton only has two games with fewer than 7 targets and is the 15th most-targeted receiver in the NFL. He also is the only remaining healthy weapon on this once-vaunted Denver offense. I expect Sutton to be heavily targeted once again, and he should feast against a weak secondary.
Brandon Aiyuk vs NO – WR 24
Week 11 Stats | WR 8 | FPts: 14.0 | Tgts: 4 | Rec: 2 | Yds: 20 | TDs: 2
Brandon Aiyuk is my third ‘start’ of the week. The 49ers’ offense is chock-full of weapons but might be without star-wideout Deebo Samuel this week. Deebo is battling a sore hamstring, and it is unclear if he will be able to go or, if he does, just how useful he’ll be. You likely will already have Aiyuk in your lineup, but I’m expecting a big day for the former Arizona State Sun Devil, especially if Samuel is out. Aiyuk is quietly the WR16, and you should feel confident putting him in your lineup this week.
George Pickens @ IND – WR 31
Week 11 Stats | WR 11 | FPts: 18.3 | Tgts: 6 | Rec: 4 | Yds: 83 | TDs: 1
My final ‘start’ is George Pickens. He was a ‘sit’ for me last week and really burned me. Pickens seems to have developed some strong chemistry with fellow rookie Kenny Pickett. He has the potential to come out flat and disappoint, but he’s coming on strong of late. Pickens scored at least 14.3 points in five of his last seven games, which coincided with the quarterback change. The Colts have not allowed a lot of yards through the air this year, but I’m not too concerned. I have been outspoken about my apprehension of trusting the Steelers’ offense, but if there is one receiver I’d feel comfortable starting, it’s George Pickens, not Diontae Johnson.
SIT
DJ Moore vs DEN – WR 33
Week 11 Stats | WR 63 | FPts: 5.3 | Tgts: 5 | Rec: 3 | Yds: 23 | TDs: 0
My first and only ‘sit’ for Week 12 is DJ Moore. There are two primary reasons for my concern. First and foremost is the Panthers’ offense. We’ve seen quite a lot of turnover at the quarterback position for Carolina this year. Now, they are turning back to Sam Darnold. Darnold has been out with an ankle injury since early in the year, but it wasn’t like he was lighting the world on fire prior to getting hurt.
This week, Darnold makes his triumphant return to the field against the Denver Broncos defense. The Denver defense has been as good as the Denver offense has been bad. They are one of the toughest teams to score against and allow the third-fewest yards passing per game in the league. Not to mention, DJ Moore will likely be lined up against budding star cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr. If you have any other feasible options, I’d bench DJ Moore.
That’s it for Week 12. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@THEtristancook) if you have any specific questions about who I would start.
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