Fantasy Football Sleeper Picks: Week 12

Can Henne pull off a second-straight surprise? He'll get every opportunity as he unleashes his suddenly potent receiving corps against a Titans defense that has given up an average of 276.1 yards and two touchdowns per game to opposing passers.

His numbers aren't impressive, but a breakout performance seems to be on the horizon. After missing a few weeks with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, Locker returned to play the Dolphins before last week's bye. Week 12 brings a Jaguars team that surrendered 527 passing yards to the Texans in Week 11.

The Jets have limited Sanchez to just 42 throws the past two weeks, against the Seahawks and Rams. Look for the tri-state area's most-maligned athlete to loosen up his arm versus a Patriots defense against which he's thrown for more than 300 yards in consecutive starts, including a 328-yard showing five weeks ago in Foxboro.

Starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw is dealing with an array of aches and pains, which means more work for Brown, who has made themost of limited playing time this season. Brown is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and has scored on seven of his 60 rushes. Even if Bradshaw plays, Brown has proven to be a solid flex option.

Wells returns from IR in time to take on a Rams team that let each of its last three opponents rush for well more than 100 yards, with two touchdowns on the ground. Arizona's line has led the way for 100-yard games in three of its last five contests while blocking solely for backups.

Veteran Willis McGahee is down with a knee injury, opening the door for Hillman to take the reins of a Denver rushing attack averaging 105.3 yards per game. The Chiefs are in the middle of the pack in terms of rushing yards allowed, but give up more than 20 fantasy points per game to enemy runners, which makes them one of the easiest clubs to score against. This should be Hillman's coming-out party.

Rashad Jennings had been invisible as Maurice Jones-Drew's replacement, so the Jags turned to Parmele in Houston. After entering Week 11 having carried a total of 15 times in his previous 33 NFL games, the former Ravens special teams ace exploded for 80 yards on 24 rushes against the Texans. Technically, a 3.3 yards-per-carry average may not be an explosion, but it's a far cry from what the Jaguars had been getting from Jennings. Parmele had not run 24 times in a game in five years, when he hit that mark as a Toledo senior against Ball State. Don't be surprised to see Parmele's first NFL touchdown come this week against Tennessee.

A date with the Dolphins' 27th-ranked pass defense should be a lot more pleasant for Russell Wilson than road games against the Cardinals, Rams, Panthers, Niners and Lions. While not necessarily a gauntlet of the NFL's elite (aside from San Francisco), all five of those teams are ranked in the top 20 against the pass and average at least 30 fewer passing yards per game than the Dolphins surrender. Tate has also seen his numbers spike at home and dive on the road (five touchdowns at home, one on the road), but the law of averages says things will change.

While his fellow Mount Union alum Cecil Shorts has been blowing up the NFL, Garcon has been sidelined by a sprained foot that kept him out for six weeks. His return against the Eagles was awfully quiet (three catches for five yards), but he's a big-game player who should answer the challenge of playing in Dallas in front of the entire football-watching world. He'll be a central figure in Robert Griffin III's return to Texas and instrumental to Washington's offensive output.

The Bills secondary had a great week against the Dolphins, but Ryan Tannehill is no Andrew Luck, so the receiving yards will be there for the Colts. Reggie Wayne is always option No. 1, but with two 100-yard games in his last three, T.Y. Hilton is likely to get special attention from the Bills. That will leave Avery to roam in space and do what everyone besides Miami has been able to do this year: get behind Buffalo's secondary.

Rob Gronkowski's injury opens up all sorts of possibilities for the Patriots. While Michael Hoomanawanui and Daniel Fells will likely be called on to pick up Gronk's blocking duties, Aaron Hernandez and Shiancoe will carry the pass-receiving chores. In 2009, Shiancoe became one of four tight ends over the past four seasons to score more than 10 touchdowns in a year, joining Vernon Davis, Jimmy Graham and, of course, Gronkowski.

In Week 11 Kansas City's Tony Moeaki became the latest tight end to feast on the Bengals, who have been especially kind to opposing tight ends this season. Moeaki's 73 yards tied for the second-most against the Bengals this season, and though he didn't reach the end zone, five other tight ends have. Myers has been on a tear, averaging 6.3 catches, 57 yards and a touchdown in his last four games. He's grossly under-owned and could be the difference in many fantasy lineups in Week 12.