College Fantasy Football Start vs. Sit: Players to Start, Player to Bench for Week 12

Week 12 is an interesting mix. This is the week when many SEC teams chill, but not every team. By this point, we have seen a lot of games, drives, and plays, so I feel better about making these recommendations. For Week 12, with the end of the regular season looming, here are my players to start and to bench for your college football lineups.

AAC Starts and Sits

START

Brandon Thomas, RB, Memphis vs. UAB

The Blazers have a brutal defense. They just gave up a 17-point lead in a 31-23 loss to UConn. I know the Huskies have had a better season than expected, but that's tough stuff. Trent Dilfer's (final?) UAB team has given up 231.0 rushing yards per game. I don't need to tell you about Mario Anderson, but his backup, Thomas, could also have a good game in what should be a breezy win for the Tigers. Thomas has only gotten 47 carries in eight games, but he's averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns.

SIT

Blake Horvath, QB, Navy vs. Tulane

As expected, Horvath has done most of his damage on the ground. He's run the ball 127 times for 870 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, this is the toughest defense that Navy has faced outside of Notre Dame. Tulane has only allowed 18.7 points and 114.6 rushing yards per contest.

ACC Starts and Sits

START

Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville at Stanford

Shough had a bye after his toughest game of the season, a trip to Clemson. On the year, though, he's thrown for 2,504 yards with 20 touchdowns against only five picks. He's done that against a tough schedule, but Stanford is definitely not a tough opponent. The Cardinal have allowed 34.6 points per game, the highest in the ACC.

SIT

LeQuint Allen, RB, Syracuse at Cal

Nothing says ACC football like a team from Upstate New York playing in Northern California. Allen has been an impressive dual threat, and his ability to contribute in the passing game may help. That being said, Cal has held opponents to 100.4 rushing yards and 19.3 points per game. Allen may need to rely on catching passes because, clearly, he may struggle to get things going on the ground.

Big Ten Starts and Sits

START

Dymere Miller, WR, Rutgers at Maryland

So, Miller has gotten 33 targets over his last two games. That's remarkable. He also just scored two touchdowns against Minnesota, his first touchdowns since Week 1. Maryland has allowed the most passing yards per game in the Big Ten, and it has done its usual post-September collapse. The Terps have allowed at least 37 points in four of their last five contests.

SIT

Devin Mockobee, RB, Purdue vs. Penn State

The Boilermakers are bad at stopping the run, but fortunately, they have themselves a good running back in Mockobee. Of course, when your team is usually losing, you don't get as many carries, so Mockobee has not had more than 16 touches in a game, and he's been limited to four touchdowns. It'll be hard for Mockobee to score against the Nittany Lions, who have held the opposition to 100.1 rushing yards and 14.0 points per game. Oh, and I fully expect Penn State to win this one in a breeze, so that may once again limit Mockobee's touches.

Big 12 Starts and Sits

START

Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor at West Virginia

With both Oklahoma State and Texas Tech off this week, the two easiest targets in the Big 12 are unavailable. Cameron has turned 29 catches into 424 yards and seven touchdowns. Granted, three of those touchdowns were against the aforementioned Texas Tech, but West Virginia is only a bit better against the pass. The Mountaineers have ceded 263.0 passing yards per game, second most in the conference, and also allowed 27.9 points per contest.

SIT

Xzavier Henderson, WR, Cincinnati at Iowa State

Henderson just played West Virginia last week, and he had eight catches for 68 yards. That's another point in Cameron's favor, but this week, Henderson is in trouble. Iowa State has scuffled a bit recently, but it is still strong against the pass. The Cyclones have only given up 163.1 passing yards per game, the lowest in the Big 12.

Conference USA Starts and Sits

START

Tre Stewart, RB, Jacksonville State vs. Florida International

If you aren't familiar with Stewart, get familiar. Through nine games, he's rushed for 1,080 yards and 17 touchdowns. In conference play, he's rushed for 860 yards and totaled 14 touchdowns in five games. While FIU has been good against the pass, it has allowed 196.6 rushing yards per contest. Stewart could end up with his third 200-yard game of the season.

SIT

Mike Washington, RB, NMSU at Texas A&M

Washington is coming off his best game of the season, rushing for 152 yards and two touchdowns against Western Kentucky. For his sake, I'm glad he got to enjoy his last outing because Week 12 is much tougher. A Conference USA is visiting an SEC team and a good one at that. New Mexico State is in for a lot of trouble, and the Aggies surely know that if they shut down the NMSU run game, the offense won't get anything going.

MAC Start and Sits

START

Keyon Mozee, RB, Miami (OH) vs. Kent State

Mozee has run for over 100 yards in five of his last six games. Kent State has allowed a staggering 263.8 rushing yards per contest, so I expect another game of that ilk. Now, Mozee only has two touchdowns, but that could easily change as well. The Golden Flashes have also allowed 46.0 points per game.

SIT

Adrian Norton, WR, Akron at Northern Illinois

Akron is a lackluster program, but Norton has been a silver lining for this offense. He has 36 catches for 668 yards and six touchdowns, including two touchdowns last week. Unfortunately, this time around, Norton is on the road against what is, to my mind, the top defense in the MAC. Northern Illinois has held opponents to 166.3 passing yards and 18.8 points per game, both best in the conference.

Mountain West Starts and Sits

START

Brayden Schager, QB, Hawaii at Utah State

Yes, Hawaii will throw the ball around and all that good stuff, but there's another reason I like the idea of starting Schager. He's rushed for 268 yards and six touchdowns and has rushed for over 30 yards on three occasions. Utah State has given up 250.6 rushing yards per game. As to the passing game for the Rainbow Warriors, the Aggies have also given up 42.3 points per contest, so Schager can do plenty on that front as well.

SIT

Marquez Cooper, RB, San Diego State at UNLV

UNLV provides some real juxtaposition defensively. It is last in passing yards allowed per game, but first in rushing yards allowed per game. All told, UNLV has given up a reasonable 23.8 points per contest as well. The Aztecs would be wise to focus on throwing the ball in this one, and Cooper has only 14 catches on the season. He's usually a workhorse back, but that doesn't really make sense for this matchup.

SEC Starts and Sits

START

Amari Daniels, RB, Texas A&M vs. New Mexico State

The Aggies have lost Le'Veon Moss for the remainder of the season to a knee injury, leaving Daniels as the lead back. He should be up to the task, having averaged 5.0 yards per carry and scoring six touchdowns as a backup. This is a nice matchup for him to step into as well, of course. The Aggies, playing a Conference USA schedule, have allowed 204.8 rushing yards and 37.1 points per game.

SIT

Andrew Armstrong, WR, Arkansas vs. Texas

Not every SEC team is scheduling a New Mexico State or a Mercer. Armstrong has to face Texas' tenacious defense. While Armstrong has 55 catches for 857 yards in eight games, he only has one touchdown. Perhaps he's been a bit unlucky, but scoring against the Longhorns is tough enough as is. Texas has limited opponents to only 135.3 passing yards per game and 12.1 points per contest as well.

Sun Belt Starts and Sits

START

Devonte Ross, WR, Troy at Georgia Southern

Yes, 229 of Ross' receiving yards and three of his touchdowns came against Florida A&M. On the other hand, 142 of his yards and two of his touchdowns came against Iowa, so that really stands out. Georgia Southern certainly isn't on the Hawkeyes' level defensively. It has given up 272.7 passing yards and 30.4 points per game.

SIT

Aaron Young, RB, Old Dominion vs. James Madison

Young, a Rutgers transfer, has rushed for 541 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. He also just had his first 100-yard outing, but that was against Appalachian State. The Dukes have dipped a bit against the pass post-Curt Cignetti, but not against the run. James Madison has allowed a mere 113.8 rushing yards and 16.4 points per game.