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Fantasy Football Week 12 Start or Sit: San Francisco 49ers WR Michael Crabtree

Michael Crabtree San Francisco 49ers

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Everyone expected a big season this year from San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, but King Crab has been rather underwhelming through 11 weeks. Crab has just 43 receptions on 76 targets this season and hasn’t eclipsed 100 yards in a game once this year. Fortunately for Crabtree and his owners, the Washington Redskins’ secondary gives up a lot of plays and ranks 28th in DVOA against opposing teams’ top wideouts. In particular, No. 2 wide receivers have averaged almost 81 yards per contest against the Washington defense.

Crabtree has not looked confident through the season’s first 11 weeks, perhaps because a sizable portion of his targets are now given to wide receivers Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd. Crab’s big play last week against the New York Giants, however, might be a harbinger of greater things in the second half of the season.

That was the case two years ago, when Crabtree broke out for 538 yards and four touchdowns in the five games from Week 12 to 16 after totaling just 560 yards and five touchdowns in the first 11 weeks. The trend didn’t continue last season due to Crabtree’s rehabbing from a torn ACL, but look for Crab to break out in a similar manner to 2012 in the next few weeks.

Crabtree is still much too inconsistent to be your No. 1 fantasy wideout, but if you’re a bit short on players due to bye weeks or need a high-ceiling, high-variance option at your second wide receiver or flex positions, Crabtree is a great candidate.

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