The Carolina Panthers will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB Jonathon Brooks.
Is Jonathon Brooks Playing in Week 12?
Rookie Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks is on track to make his long-awaited NFL debut in Week 12. He fully practiced every day this week, and while Brooks is listed as questionable, head coach Dave Canales said he is “absolutely” playing on Sunday.
The Panthers activated the second-round pick from the non-football injury list ahead of Week 10, but Brooks didn’t play. Carolina went on bye in Week 11, leaving Week 12 vs. the Chiefs as Brooks’ first pro game.
Brooks will have to earn touches behind thriving starting Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard. However, fellow RB Miles Sanders (ankle) won’t play on Sunday, vacating a role for Brooks.
We’ll continue to monitor the Panthers’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Jonathon Brooks in Week 12?
The expectation is for Jonathon Brooks to make his NFL debut on Sunday, and that gives us something to monitor, but this is pretty clearly a read-and-react situation. The Panthers have no motivation to push the rookie during this lost season: their goal over the final seven weeks of 2024 is to set themselves up for 2025.
The Chiefs own the best per-carry rush defense in the league (3.1 yards per carry to running backs), so Carolina is in a bind to return any viable running numbers, let alone from a kid returning from a knee injury that sidelined him from game action for over a year.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 12 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jonathon Brooks’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 12
As of early Sunday morning, Brooks is projected to score 9.5 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 11.1 rushing attempts for 50.1 yards and 0.3 touchdowns. It also includes 0.9 receptions for 14.4 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Jonathon Brooks’ Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
3) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Kareem Hunt | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at PHI)
7) Ray Davis | BUF (at KC)
8) Ty Johnson | BUF (at KC)
9) Samaje Perine | KC (vs. BUF)
10) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. WAS)
11) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at PHI)
12) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. WAS)
13) Carson Steele | KC (vs. BUF)
14) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (at KC)
15) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
