Week 12 Flex Rankings: Thanksgiving Edition

Thursday marks the official beginning of Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season. It is also when we celebrate Thanksgiving in these here United States of America. To be honest, I have not felt super thankful lately. My current work situation is tenuous at best, and I feel like I am in limbo. I went to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago which was cool. But it turns out that paying a bunch of money to watch the New York Jets play football is not necessarily the wisest use of resources. Plus, I came back with Covid and have not been able to shake it yet. That has sucked for several reasons, not the least of which was that I was supposed to see my dad last weekend. Thursday is also his 71st birthday.

For those who do not know, my dad has had a rough few years. My mom passed away in 2018, which was obviously hard on everyone. Then in 2019, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had surgery towards the end of that year and began the long and winding road to recovery. Of course, even that would be understating his ordeal. After beating cancer the first time, he was diagnosed a second time last year. This time the surgery was a bit more complicated and they were not able to fully remove the cancer. The result was a ton of radiation and chemotherapy. Finally, the doctors told him last month that he was in remission, which is great. But I am totally underselling the toll it took on him physically and mentally. It is not like his quality of life returns to pre-diagnosis levels.

He lives by himself, though my aunt lives in the apartment upstairs from him. (Italians, amirite? BTW it is her birthday too. They’re twins.) Anyway, he cannot work anymore, so he is living off his pension, which is not a ton of money. My brother and sister pop over when they can with some food and other items, but I’m sure he wishes their visits were more frequent, especially so he can see his grandchildren. I have not seen him in person in months, which is why I was so bummed I got sick while I was away. His is not exactly an easy or particularly fun life at the moment. Obviously, it’s better than the alternative, and there were times we did not think he would see 67, 68, 69, 70, or 71. So things could definitely be a lot worse.

I think about the number of close calls he has had over the past few years and all of the people I know who have sadly passed away during that time. There often doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason for who goes and when. It’s just one of those crazy things about life. So even though I have things I can complain about, and complaining is one of my favorite pastimes, I am going to try to maintain the spirit of Thanksgiving and be grateful for all of the things I do have. And in the grand scheme of things, I do have quite a lot.

I have an adoring wife who is only slightly mad at me for going to Vegas without her and then bringing back Covid, thereby ruining the would-be Thanksgiving visit of her mother and sister. I have an amazing group of friends, most of whom I have known for more than half my life. Even when life gets in the way and we go weeks or months without speaking, we don’t miss a beat when we get back in touch. I have family that I love, even the dysfunctional members. To be fair, some of them may consider me to be the dysfunctional one. I have a great support system at FantraxHQ, including an editor who doesn’t give me too much crap even when I submit articles past their due times. And I have fantasy football.

Fantasy football has done a lot for me. It has made me a ton of friends in the online community. It has made me a fair chunk of change over the years, although I really would love it if some kind soul would make it possible for me to make a career out of this. (Again, not that I’m not grateful for the opportunities I have been granted to this point. Just saying.) Perhaps most importantly, it has given me an outlet to do something I enjoy without getting myself in too much trouble. So thank you fantasy football and to everyone who has helped build this beautiful game we all love so much. Even though there are universal scoring and roster fixes that would make it way better. See? I told you I like to complain! I can’t help it.

If you have read this far, I appreciate your support and your patience. Before I get to my Week 12 Flex rankings, check in with your people and take care of them whenever and however you can. The holidays are not necessarily a festive time for everyone, even if it may appear so on the surface. Also, if you make some money in fantasy football this year (and how can you not if you have been using my rankings?), then consider donating some of your winnings to those less fortunate. We know that many incredible people in the fantasy space such as Scott Fish do a ton of charitable work. There is also a great list put out every year by Michael Gehlken of some of the charities that some fantasy football stars help support. That is a great way to give back as well.

Now let’s get to the rankings! As always, these are based on half-PPR scoring, so adjust as you see fit based on your league specs. With all 32 teams in action this week, I ranked nearly 300 players. That should be plenty to help you with any start/sit decisions you may encounter, but feel free to drop any questions you may have below. Thanks again to all and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 12 Flex Rankings

More Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty