Week 12 winners and losers: Gibbs notches highest score of season, Taylor goes quiet

Week 12 of the 2025 fantasy football season featured an unbelievable performance by Detroit RB Jahmyr Gibbs in an overtime win over the New York Giants, while Jonathan Taylor had his worst game of the season.

Who were the big winners and losers around the league?

Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analyses.

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Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Biggest injuries and what’s next

Ranking fantasy winners of Week 12

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions: Overtime, and his 69-yard, game-winning rushing touchdown within said extra period, helped his cause, but Gibbs’ 55.4 fantasy point performance — the season’s best single-game score thus far — warrants celebration nevertheless. It’s tied for the 12th-best performance by a running back in NFL history and tied for 22nd among players at any position. Per Next Gen Stats, Gibbs rushed for 145 more yards than expected and had 15.5 rushing estimated points added, both the best single-game numbers of 2025. He now has three games with at least 36 fantasy points in his past five, and he’s averaging more yards per carry for the season (6.1) than he did in either of his first two seasons. Gibbs is a championship-caliber player for fantasy managers heading into their playoffs, and it’s good to see him performing at this high a level considering his remaining schedule is considered below average. — Cockcroft

2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Smith-Njigba’s 37.1 points in Sunday’s win over the Titans led all wide receivers through the early window. Smith-Njigba caught 8 of 10 targets, finishing with 167 yards and two touchdowns. We saw the big-play ability again on Smith-Njigba’s 63-yard scoring grab, plus he showcased that high-level route running on his red zone touchdown. With Smith-Njigba’s Week 12 numbers, he now has posted seven straight games of 20 or more points. The best wide receiver I’ve watched on tape this season, Smith-Njigba will remain my overall WR1 for the Week 13 matchup versus the Vikings. — Bowen

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3. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: With a positive matchup versus the Cowboys defense, Hurts had 30.86 points and 289 yards passing, both season-highs. Hurts completed 27 of 38 passes, with eight going to A.J. Brown (110 yards receiving, one touchdown). Hurts targeted the one-on-ones and the zone windows on Sunday, plus he added 33 yards rushing and two scores on the ground. The Eagles are back on a short week this Friday with a home game against the Bears, which keeps Hurts as a top-5 quarterback in Week 13. — Bowen

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions: This was a bounce-back game for St. Brown in the Week 12 win over the Giants. After posting a season-low 6.2 points in the Week 11 loss to the Eagles (catching just 2 of 12 targets), St. Brown had 29.9 points on Sunday versus New York. St. Brown caught 9 of 13 targets, finishing with a season-best 149 yards, plus he added a touchdown on a red zone screen concept. St. Brown has now seen 10 or more targets in five of his past six games, and he’ll remain a top-five play at wide receiver for the Thanksgiving Day matchup versus the Packers. — Bowen

5. Dak Prescott, QB, and George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys: Pickens was the star of the Cowboys’ 24-21 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles, scoring 29.6 fantasy points behind a pair of deep-ball catches in critical situations in the second half as well as a 23-yarder on the team’s game-winning drive. He caught all nine of his targets, and he now has 29-plus points in back-to-back weeks. In some ways, Pickens is now the Cowboys’ No. 1 receiver, though the designation isn’t really relevant when the offense is performing this well via the air, as he, CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson are all capable of being clear weekly starters. Credit Prescott for his fine season, his recovery from what was a poor first-half performance in this game, and for what was his seventh game with at least 22 fantasy points (27.06). The Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 will present another tough test, but this performance eases some of the worry about the Cowboys’ passing game for that matchup. — Cockcroft

6. Emanuel Wilson, RB, Green Bay Packers: He was exceptional as an injury fill-in for Josh Jacobs (knee), scoring a career-best 26.5 fantasy points, totaling 30 more rushing yards than expected and four explosive runs, per Next Gen Stats. Wilson punched in a pair of goal-line carries for touchdowns, and he even hauled in two passes for 18 yards. He’s critical insurance to keep on hand if you already roster Jacobs, though the veteran insists that he will be ready to play the 1 p.m. ET Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions. — Cockcroft

7. Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants: He and Jameis Winston, filling in for Jaxson Dart (concussion) for a second consecutive week, showed good chemistry in the Giants’ overtime loss to the Lions, with Robinson scoring a career-best 30.6 fantasy points and Winston totaling 32.24 (his fourth-best mark). Their day began with a 39-yard score less than two minutes in and saw the two connect on 9 of 14 targets for the day, and their final attempt saw Robinson nearly catching a deep pass in Lions territory that might’ve allowed the Giants to tie the game in overtime. Dart should be ready to return for the Giants’ Week 13 game against the New England Patriots — though keep in mind that their Week 14 bye could coax them to take a more conservative approach knowing that an extra week’s rest follows — and Robinson should be a WR3/flex for that matchup. — Cockcroft

8. Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots: In a very positive matchup versus the Bengals’ defense, Henry scored 24.5 points, his second-highest total of the season. Henry caught 7 of 10 targets (both team highs) for 115 yards, and he added a touchdown on a 28-yard throw from quarterback Drake Maye. Henry, who has seen at least six targets in three of his past four games, fits as a lower-tier TE1 for the Week 13 tilt against the Giants. — Bowen

Ranking fantasy losers of Week 12

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts: He’s apparently human. For the second time in his past three games, Taylor was held beneath 10 fantasy points, scoring only 8.6 despite his game against the Kansas City Chiefs going into overtime. He simply couldn’t get anything done against the Chiefs’ top-eight run defense, getting stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on 5 of 16 carries, and only once did he break off a run greater than 8 yards. It’s a bit of a concern, considering he and the Colts were fresh off the bye, as well as the fact that they face a similarly challenging matchup in Week 13 in the Houston Texans. That said, it was a tough matchup and Taylor has both a history of strong finishes as well as the skill set to rise above future such challenges. Continue to ride with him as a top-three weekly play. — Cockcroft

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2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens: Jackson had 7.22 points in the Week 12 win over the Jets, his second straight game with fewer than 10 points. Jackson completed 56.5% of his throws here, finishing with 153 yards passing, and he had just 11 yards rushing on seven carries. Sure, this Ravens offense lacks rhythm. We can see that. But Jackson, who was on the injury report again this week (ankle), doesn’t look as explosive when carrying the ball. Plus, Jackson has topped the 15-yard rushing mark only once in his past four games since returning from a hamstring injury. Jackson and this Ravens offense will try to get right on Thanksgiving night versus the Bengals. — Bowen

3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings: The low-level play from quarterback J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota continues to impact the fantasy value of Jefferson. In Sunday’s loss to the Packers, Jefferson had 8.8 points, catching 4 of 6 targets for 48 yards. And since Week 9, when McCarthy returned from an ankle injury, Jefferson is averaging only 11.1 PPG. Despite the QB-friendly system under Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, McCarthy’s poor footwork, pocket awareness and ball location have put the league’s top route runner in a limited position. Jefferson should be viewed as a WR2 for the Week 13 game against Seattle. — Bowen

4. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills: For only the eighth time since the beginning of the 2019 season — and two of those came in regular-season finales in which he scarcely played as the team rested him for the playoffs — Allen was held beneath 10 fantasy points, putting his teams in an early hole due to his 8.12 points on «Thursday Night Football.» The Houston Texans, the league’s best defense in terms of yards allowed per game entering the week, stymied Allen, picking him off twice and sacking him a career-high eight times. Worse yet, Allen indicated he suffered left shoulder numbness on a hit in the first quarter, though he didn’t miss any time and said afterward that he should be fine for Week 13. Here’s hoping that’s the case, and his managers should still feel confident that he’ll give them every chance to make their leagues’ playoffs, considering his next three matchups are plus ones: @PIT, CIN, @NE. — Cockcroft

5. D’Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears: He scored a season-low 1.9 fantasy points, the second consecutive week he has been held beneath 10, but more importantly, he appeared to lose his grip on the starting job to rookie Kyle Monangai. Swift played only 43% of the offensive snaps and had nine total touches, both of those a decent step shy of Monangai’s numbers (56% and 12), and the rookie has generally looked the better player since he filled in for an injured Swift in Week 9. Barring there being some clarity on either being a clear lead back, neither will be much more than a weak flex play for Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. — Cockcroft

6. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans: Collins was on a heater entering Week 12, scoring 22 or more points in back-to-back games, with at least seven receptions in his last three. On Thursday night in the win over the Bills, however, Collins caught three passes — on only three targets — for 55 yards (8.5 points). That also snapped a four-game streak with at least 10 targets. Collins will look to rebound in Week 13 versus the Colts, with starting quarterback CJ Stroud (concussion) potentially returning to the field. — Bowen

7. Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions: After totaling 60.2 fantasy points on 20 targets the past three weeks combined, Williams was a mere afterthought in the Lions’ 34-27 overtime win over the Giants. Amon-Ra St. Brown absorbed a massive 34% target share (13 of the team’s 38), leaving Williams to be shut out on his three targets. Although Williams brings big-play potential and high upside, his range of weekly outcomes is among the widest in the game. He’ll face the Green Bay Packers, against whom he scored 6.6 points in the season opener, in Week 13. — Cockcroft

Injury impact

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

What we know: He suffered a concussion when he hit his head into the turf while attempting a one-handed catch in the fourth quarter of the Bengals’ 26-20 loss, and was quickly put into protocol.

What’s next: The Bengals play the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night, so Higgins seems like a long shot to be ready for that game. Ja’Marr Chase will be eligible to return from suspension and can take over No. 1 receiver duties, though the Ravens might have an easier time defending him with Higgins out. Andrei Iosivas, who is worth stashing, could see more looks if Higgins indeed sits. — Cockcroft

Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

What we know: He left in the first quarter following a tackle, and was ruled out shortly thereafter with a knee injury. Kamara scored 3.5 fantasy points before exiting.

What’s next: Devin Neal, who scored 11.1 points filling in for Kamara for the rest of the game, would take over as the Saints’ starter if Kamara is unable to play in Week 13. It’s a favorable matchup against the Miami Dolphins, so Neal should be one of the week’s top pickups. — Cockcroft