Toxic Lineup Choices: Three players to Avoid in Week 12

The fantasy playoffs will be here before you know it and smart managers know better than to start any of these players in Week 12.

Chuba Hubbard (RB) Carolina Panthers

Carolina drafted Texas running back Jonathan Brooks in the second round of this year’s draft, understanding that he’d miss the majority of the 2024 season with an ACL injury suffered in his final season with the Longhorns.

In the meantime, Hubbard established himself as the NFL’s fourth-leading rusher with 818 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. From a fantasy perspective, his 162.2 points are 12th-most among running backs thanks to four games with 21 or more fantasy points including a career-high 153-yard performance against the Giants in Week 11.

So why should fantasy managers shy away from Hubbard? Brooks is now healthy enough to play and is scheduled to make his NFL debut against the Chiefs on Sunday. While no one expects him to supplant Hubbard as the team’s leading rusher, he’ll get plenty of looks from a 3-7 team without much to play for.

More importantly, the Chiefs’ defense is ranked fifth overall and third against the run. No team allows fewer fantasy points per game (14.8) to running backs than Kansas City, making Hubbard a very risky play in Week 12.

Tucker Kraft (TE) Green Bay Packers

Kraft had fantasy managers running to the waiver wire after a 17.3 point performance against a tough Vikings defense in Week 4 and he rewarded them with two touchdowns and a season-high 24.8 fantasy points in Week 5.

Unfortunately he’s averaged only three targets per game since then and hasn’t posted a double-digit fantasy score since Week 8. His last outing was particularly bad as he failed to catch his only target in a one-point victory over Chicago.

This week the Packers welcome San Francisco’s sixth-ranked defense to Lambeau Field. Only five teams allow fewer points per game (9.3) to tight ends than the 49ers, which could spell trouble for a player that missed the stat sheet altogether in Week 11.

Raheem Mostert (RB) Miami Dolphins

Unfortunately, Mostert isn’t the same player that rushed for 1,012 yards, led the league with 18 touchdowns and finished with the fifth-most fantasy points (267.7) among running backs last season.

This year, his 48.7 fantasy points rank 52nd at the position. He now trails teammate De’Von Achane by 64 carries and 318 yards and has three fewer yards (212) than fourth-round rookie running back Jaylen Wright.

Mostert had three touches against the Raiders last week but ran for -2 yards after going without a single carry the week before. At this point, he should be seen as a handcuff to Achane, nothing more.