Each week, you can try to predict the perfect fantasy lineup on NFL.com for a chance to win $1 million. Never played before? Don't worry, it's super simple and completely free. All you have to do is select who you think will be the highest scoring player at each position in a given week. Easy. And it gets better. Each week I'll collect the perfect lineup from each of our fantasy experts to try and help guide you all to the $1 million prize. Haven't joined NFL Perfect Challenge yet or bothered to play? Don't worry, you can get started in just a few seconds **RIGHT HERE**.
Below are the Perfect Challenge picks for Week 12 from Marcas Grant, Matt Franciscovich, Alex Gelhar and myself, Matt Harmon.
Marcas Grant's Week 12 lineup (on Twitter @MarcasG)
Carson Palmer at quarterback will be a popular Perfect Challenge pick this week. The 49ers are a slightly better pass defense at home, which may limit Palmer's ceiling. However, he's playing at an elite level right now and comes attached to the deepest wide receiver corps in the NFL. With the hits New England keeps taking on offense, it's not hard to argue that Palmer is the QB1 going forward. Last year, Odell Beckham had his most nuclear of all his nuclear performances against Washington, catching 12 passes for 143 yards and three scores. He could enjoy a similar day against the defense that seems to regress by the week. Charcandrick West is an interesting pick by Marcas. He has one of the best workloads in the league, let's just hope he plays.
Matt Franciscovich's Week 12 lineup (on Twitter @MattFranchise)
Adrian Peterson drops in for the second consecutive lineup. The Vikings star disappointed last week, with just over 60 yards and one score against a Packers team he usually dominated. He gets another great matchup this week in the Atlanta Falcons. After a solid start Atlanta is regressing, and Peterson in an out of character way could make good through the air in this spot. The Falcons have given it up to pass catching running backs all season. Franchise is also willing to go back to the well with Doug Martin. The Buccaneers are an ascending team, and the Colts don't have the points ceiling we're used to with Matt Hasselbeck under center. Martin is better in positive or neutral game scripts where he can rack up rushing attempts, which this game should play out as. With the Patriots offense on the downslide, there's reason to gamble on someone other than Gronkowski finishing as the top tight end. Franchise believes that's the case with Eifert as his tight end pick.
Alex Gelhar's Week 12 lineup (on Twitter @AlexGelhar)
Gelhar had two incredibly interesting picks here. T.J. Yeldon is a sneaky candidate to finish as the top scoring running back this week. Every running back the Chargers faced this year gets big leeway with the defense giving up the edge and providing a soft interior push. Yeldon ran really well on Thursday night and runs with the power and open field agility to crush this Chargers defense. Don't be surprised if he scores the most fantasy points of his career. Delanie Walker is a fine sleeper pick to go off at tight end this week. The Raiders should have allowed touchdowns to Kyle Rudolph and Eric Ebron the last two weeks, but both dropped perfect passes in the end zone. Marcus Mariota loves throwing to the tight end positon, and Walker is often his first read. Facing Oakland at home, Walker is a threat to score multiple touchdowns this week. Green Bay's defense at home on Thanksgiving against Jay Cutler, why didn't any of the rest of us think of that?
Matt Harmon's Week 12 lineup (on Twitter @MattHarmonBYB)
With news that Marshawn Lynch will miss about a month coming down this morning, Thomas Rawls comes back into consideration as the potential highest scoring running back of the week. Rawls is a tough sustaining runner, with enough agility to slip through tight creases behind Seattle's subpar offensive line. The Steelers run defense isn't too formidable of late, and Rawls will once again be Seattle's catalyst on offense. Cam Newton has the highest weekly ceiling of any quarterback, even if he's on the road. In the Perfect Challenge game, you're obviously searching for that ceiling, and not worried about much else. Newton should probably figure into this spot regularly because of that. Lastly, we all went with DeAndre Hopkins. For one, it's not hard to argue that he's one of the top five wideouts in football right now, and still owns an inordinate target share in his offense. To cap it all off, he faces the horrific Saints secondary in Week 12, who can't stop bleeding yards through the air. Hopkins may well break DFS ownership percentage records in Week 12.
Anyway, that's how we're rolling for Week 12. We aren't in this for ourselves though. We are men of the people. We want you to use our picks to make your own perfect lineup and come away with the $1 million prize. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for NFL Perfect Challenge and prove that you're indeed smarter than all of us. We will gladly celebrate with you if and when you take home that grand prize. Please keep us posted.
Matt Harmon is an associate fantasy writer/editor for NFL.com, and the creator of #ReceptionPerception, who you can follow on Twitter _**@MattHarmonBYB**_.
