Fantasy Football: 4 Bold Predictions for Week 12

There's nothing quite like the NFL.

Football is one of the most intense, exciting sports on the planet. The source of the now-ubiquitous saying "Any Given Sunday," the NFL is a place where even struggling teams have a chance to topple the best in the league. Anything can happen when you only play 17 regular season games a year.

That uncertainty is a huge driver behind the excitement the NFL generates each and every season. What's more fun than watching something totally unexpected unfold before your eyes?

That's why, this year, we'll be bringing you four bold predictions to watch for in each week the 2023 NFL season.

NFL Bold Predictions for Week 12

Derrick Henry Will Be the Overall RB1

Things have just not gone the King's way this season. The Tennessee Titans have struggled on offense all year. Their once-great offensive line is in shambles, and their formerly efficient passing attack has withered up in the seasons since A.J. Brown went to the Philadelphia Eagles. It's been a poor runout for Derrick Henry, whose 66.3 rushing yards per game are on pace to be his lowest mark since 2018.

Fortunately, he might have a chance to course-correct in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers, whose run defense ranks dead last by numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics. It's extremely hard to be worse than a team that gave up 350 rushing yards in a single matchup (like the Denver Broncos did in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins), but the Panthers' rushing defense has been so bad with so much consistency that they have earned their spot at the bottom of the rankings.

Henry's Week 12 matchup is a borderline ideal setup for the two-time rushing champ. The Panthers' offense hasn't been able to pressure their opponents on the scoreboard at all, meaning Henry faces little chance of getting phased out of the game plan like we've seen in several of the Titans' losses so far.

With how badly the Panthers' offense has struggled to move the ball, their opponents have started their own offensive drives with the third-best field position in the league (starting on their own 31.3-yard lines on average). And with the Panthers' defense allowing opposing rushers to average 4.3 yards per carry, Henry should face little resistance as he runs all over their defensive front to an overall RB1 finish.

Jonathan Taylor Will Finish Outside the Top 12 RBs

Anyone who drafted Jonathan Taylor in season-long fantasy leagues is probably going to want to cover their eyes or scroll past this section.

The Indianapolis Colts' star has finally been coming back into form, pushing teammate Zack Moss back to the bench over the past two games (Moss has totaled just eight touches over the Colts' past two games). Taylor has averaged 20 touches per game over the Colts' last four contests, a workload that has earned him the top spot in numberFire's projections for FanDuel's Week 12 main slate.

Taylor should still see a massive workload against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend, but he will be running into the brick wall that is the Bucs' defensive front. For years, the Bucs have been one of the stingiest run defenses in the league, and this year they have claimed the top spot in numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics against the run.

The Bucs have yet to allow a rushing touchdown to a running back in 2023. They're giving up the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing backfields and limited both Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey to 24 and 78 rushing yards, respectively, over the last two weeks.

We all want to celebrate the return of Taylor, one of the best running backs in the league, but the fireworks will have to wait until after the Bucs' stout defense keeps him out of the top 12 fantasy backs in Week 12.

Cleveland and Denver Will Not Score Touchdowns

There are a ton of exciting matchups on the Week 12 slate, but the Cleveland Browns heading west to take on the Denver Broncos will not be one of them. In fact, you might miss this one entirely if you spend your Sundays watching RedZone.

The Browns have fielded the NFL's strongest defense this year. They've surrendered just 2,433 total yards and have given up points on only 21.7% of drives -- both of which lead the league. Their defense shouldn't have much trouble shutting down a Broncos offense that is terrified of letting Russell Wilson pass the ball -- the Broncos have run the second-fewest plays of any team in the entire league as they play a style of football that intentionally tries to slow down the game.

Unfortunately, the Browns' offense isn't likely to do much either with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the helm. Thompson-Robinson hasn't shown that he can run an offense at an NFL-caliber level, meaning the Browns are probably going to run the ball as often as possible against Denver's suspect rushing defense. With both offenses intentionally chewing up clock, scoring opportunities will be hard to come by.

The Browns' offense -- which ranks fifth-worst, per numberFire -- is down to backup running backs and a backup quarterback. Their defense is capable of keeping Denver out of the end zone, and their own offense should struggle to score points.

We don't see too many NFL games with zero combined touchdowns, but I think we see one such game in Denver this weekend.

Diontae Johnson Will Finish as a WR1

In case you haven't heard, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to shake up things this week. In an effort to "see points" the team decided to part ways with offensive coordinator Matt Canada, under whom the team's offense has ranked 26th and 28th in points scored over the last two seasons.

With any luck, the change at offensive coordinator could help spark what has been one of the more disappointing offenses in 2023.

That could mean big things for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, whose usage under Canada was often frustratingly limited to plays around the line of scrimmage. The former third-round pick could pop off against the Cincinnati Bengals, whose defense is coping with injuries to key players like Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson.

Johnson has dealt with injuries this year but appears to be trending up again. He has drawn 8.8 targets per game since returning to a full-time role and put up 175 receiving yards in the two softer matchups he was present for (against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars).

If the change at offensive coordinator can breathe any life into this offense against a banged-up Bengals defense, Johnson could end up as one of this week's top receivers.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.