Fantasy Football Week 12 Sit/Start Advice: Thanksgiving Edition

Week 12 of the 2011 NFL season gets underway on Thursday with a full slate of Thanksgiving football. The day kicks off at 12:30pm ET on FOX with the Green Bay Packers taking their undefeated record into Ford Field to face a fired up Detroit Lions squad and fan base. At 4:15pm ET on CBS, the suddenly hot Miami Dolphins face a stiff test when they head into Dallas to face the Cowboys. The day wraps up with the first brother vs. brother coaching matchup as the Baltimore Ravens host the San Francisco 49ers at 8:20pm ET on NFL Network.

Given the significant teams and fantasy players involved in this year's Thanksgiving NFL schedule, we are putting together a midweek sit/start projection list. Fantasy football is fast approaching the playoffs, which means sit/start decisions bear so much more weight. Here are a look at some of the tougher decisions you will face this week. These are suggestions in a vacuum since every roster is different and everybody is dealing with different injury issues in week 12. You can view a variety of player projections at numberFire.com. Additionally, if you are trying to figure out some last minute add/drop ideas, check out this article at National Football Post.

Packers vs. Lions
RB James Starks, GB: Sit - Starks has been banged up all week and is looking like a game-time decision against the Lions. Given how questionable the Packers rushing game can be from week to week, even if Starks is active, I don't think he is a great start. Even if active, I could see Starks ending up with fewer carries than Ryan Grant.

RB Ryan Grant, GB: Situational Start - He's only a slightly better option than Starks as this could turn into an aerial battle. If you need some help at Flex or RB2, Grant is a decent start, but not particularly great.

RB Kevin Smith, Det: Start - It is entirely possible his performance last week was a fluke. I'd like to think it could turn into the story of the second half of the season and would be willing to roll the dice that he can put together another solid game. Maybe not 200+ combined yards, but solid nonetheless.

Dolphins vs. Cowboys
WR Laurent Robinson, Dal: Start - Miles Austin is out again and Robinson has a four-game touchdown streak. Some would say he's due to quiet down. I say, don't bet against the streak. It obviously depends on your other receivers, but if you have question marks, he's your guy.

RB Reggie Bush, Mia: Start - The Dolphins are hot and Reggie Bush is playing some of the best football of his career. As I said above, I don't bet against the streak.

QB Matt Moore, Mia: Situational Start - Basically if you had Schaub or Cutler, you should consider starting Moore this week. He is not a fantastic option, but he has contributed to the Dolphins recent run and might be worth a test-drive before your playoffs.

49ers vs. Ravens
WR Torrey Smith, Bal: Situational Start - The 49ers have a great rush defense, but their pass defense has shown an ability to get shredded from time to time. The Ravens have done some big things through the air at home and I think there is a chance for Smith to put up some good numbers if he doesn't have Carlos Rogers covering him. Smith hasn't been consistent which is why I don't upgrade him to a simple Start.

WR Michael Crabtree, SF: Situational Start - The 49ers receiver has done a solid job developing chemistry with QB Alex Smith. He nearly matched his career high in receiving yards this past week. He might not wow people on a consistent basis, but he is developing into a solid Flex, WR3 option.