Colin Kaepernick has disappointed this season but the experts think he’ll rebound nicely Monday Night in D.C.
With the fantasy playoffs fast approaching, there’s a lot on the line this weekend. Whether you’re jockeying for seeding or sitting on the postseason bubble, your squad’s week 12 performance can go a long way towards setting the table for a run to fake football glory.
Wherever your team sits we’re here to help out. There are several pressing questions heading into this week’s slate of games and we’ve rounded up a new batch of Featured Experts to serve up some advice. If you need more tips, be sure to check out our Start/Sit links below.
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Q1: Which set of owners should be most concerned this week: Antonio Brown (Joe Haden matchup), Stevan Ridley (fumblitis, Vereen back), Adrian Peterson (groin injury), Philip Rivers (at KC), or RG3 (vs. SF)?
“I stopped reading this question after seeing “matchup” and “Joe Haden” in the same sentence. When you have a receiver facing the league’s top corner, you run in the other direction. Haden shut down the dynamic A.J. Green last week — two catches seven yards and a big fat goose egg in the fantasy box score — and will continue to do work against Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown.”
“They all should be concerned, but Philip Rivers owners should be most concerned. Rivers has averaged only 14 fantasy points over the past 2 weeks. He travels from sunny San Diego to Kansas City where the weather will be between 36-29 degrees and the Kansas City defense will be looking to avenge their loss to Denver from last week.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Sports Empires)
“I would say Philip Rivers. That is a tough matchup for sure even though the Chargers will keep it close. That is going to be a hard-fought divisional matchup and the points will not be easy to come by for either side.”
“Woof, I’d probably have to say Ridley because the issue could stretch further than just week 12 if he goes to the dog house AND Vereen explodes. Heck, he even found pine when the only other option was Blount. Never trust the Hoodie.”
– Sky Sperling (Razzball)
Q2: Miles Austin & Nate Burleson are expected back this week. Is either fantasy relevant and, if so, who is the better play?
“Nate Burleson is the better play and more relevant. He has never been reliable, but with Megatron and Bush in the mix too now, he may see more opportunities against single coverages or can find the softer spots in zones more frequently. Austin may be overlooked for other primary targets.”
“Though it’s impossible to be confident in either player, Nate Burleson is the one to take a flier on. Matthew Stafford’s 41 pass attempts per game tops the league and Burleson has shown ability to provide PPR owners with solid value in the past.”
“Both Burleson and Miles Austin are WR3 this week, with the advantage to Burleson. Nate Burleson faces a Tampa Bay defense that gives up the 14th most fantasy points to the WR position, while Miles Austin faces the New York Giants that give up the 13th fewest fantasy points to the WR position. Burleson averaged 80 receiving yards through the first 3 games of the season before his car accident. Tampa Bay will be focusing on Calvin Johnson, which should offer Burleson an opportunity for decent fantasy stats.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Sports Empires)
“I’m not buying into either very hard but if I had to pick one who might be worthy down the stretch, it would be Miles Austin due to history. Burleson is competing with Bell and Bush for the under yardage now and isn’t getting any younger.”
– Sky Sperling (Razzball)
Q3: What struggling player gets back on track & rewards patient fantasy owners this week?
“It just has to be Colin Kaepernick. The Niners need to make sure their playoff hopes don’t start fading any further, and he is the key.”
“Things have not exactly gone well for Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco this season. The inconsistency is startling, quite frankly, but he did toss a pair of touchdowns last week and he now takes a trip to Washington to face a Redskin’s defense that has been regularly shredded to the tune of 18.5 points per game yielded to opposing quarterbacks this season.”
“Well OF COURSE, I would’ve said Steven Jackson if I’d received this request prior to the start of Thursday Night Football. Instead, I’ll say Danny Amendola, especially in PPR leagues. I think the connection is developing w/Tom and he’s in for a good stretch run as long as he doesn’t fall apart before the season ends.”
– Sky Sperling (Razzball)
“Danny Amendola. Owners of Amendola have dealt with the injuries and only 1 TD all season, and Monday night’s 45 yards receiving has not helped matters. But this week, Tom Brady will make owning Amendola worthwhile as this game will be high scoring and the Denver defensive secondary hasn’t stopped slot receivers all season.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Sports Empires)
Q4: Who is your top sleeper for the week?
“Cordarrelle Patterson. The numbers don’t reflect it yet, but he has already looked like a guy who can really challenge defenses with his size and speed. He is on the verge of a breakout.”
– Scott Engel (RotoExperts)
“Chris Ogbonnaya. He tallied over 80 yards last week and gets a PIT defense that hasn’t been all that strong against the run. I think he puts up a solid RB2 line, especially in PPR leagues. McGreyhee gotta go.”
– Sky Sperling (Razzball)
“Three straight weeks of 8+ targets will put Brandon Lafell in the Week 12 conversation. Defenses may pay a little more attention to Steve Smith in the Carolina passing game, but Cam Newton is tossing plenty of balls in the direction of his No. 2.”
“Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger had 367 yards and 4 TDs in week 11 against Detroit. Over the past 4 weeks, Roethlisberger ranks 3rd in QB fantasy points at 89. Cleveland gives up the 17th most fantasy points to the QB position.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Sports Empires)
Q5: Who will be week 12’s biggest bust?
“Ray Rice. Fantasy Football League Managers should not be fooled with Rice’s 20 fantasy points last week against Chicago as they are one of the worst defenses against the run. This week, Rice faces a New York Jets defense that gives up the 2nd fewest fantasy points to the RB position.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Sports Empires)
“DeMarco Murray is shaping up as a rough gamble in Week 12. He put together a solid game against New Orleans in his last action, but the Cowboys get away from the run all too often. Consider that the improving Giants’ defense has not allowed a 100-yard rushing game since Week 3 and has yielded just 2.5 yards per carry during their four game winning streak when leaving Murray on your bench this week.”
“Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos have already said they want to limit his reps to keep him fresh for the playoffs and he just had 2 TDs taken from him via Montee Ball to go with zero receptions. I have him as a mid-tier RB2 this week but I’m seeing him ranked a lot higher elsewhere. Trust isn’t there for me.”
– Sky Sperling (Razzball)
“Carson Palmer. Last week was a fluke of sorts. I think the Colts are really going to rattle and expose him.”
Q6: Bobby Rainey will have OVER/UNDER 90 total yards and OVER/UNDER .5 TDs at Detroit?
| Expert | 90 Total Yards | .5 TDs |
| Scott Engel | Over | Under |
| Sky Sperling | Over | Over |
| Wayne Bretsky | Under | Under |
| Jeff Boggis | Under | Under |
“I say over 90 total yards without a TD. The better percentage of it will come on receiving yards. The Detroit front wall will be ready to contain him, but Glennon will hit Rainey with some passes out of the backfield that will get him out in space.”
“Over to both and I would’ve said the same for Mike James. TB is changed of late on the offensive line, getting plenty of push for their backs. Rainey will be a solid RB2 this week.”
– Sky Sperling (Razzball)
“Give me the under on both totals for Week 11’s breakout running back. The strength of Detroit’s defense is their front seven and it’s highly unlikely you are going to see the kind of holes for Rainey that he got last week versus Atlanta. Brian Leonard remains in the mix too. Rainey is a decent flier, but he’s not a top-15 back.”
“Definitely under on both. On the season, Detroit averages 54 yards rushing and 27 yards receiving, or 80 total yards allowed. But if you look at their last 4 games, the Detroit defense has averaged 31 yards rushing and 30 yards receiving, or 60 total yards to opposing RBs.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Sports Empires)
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Thanks to this week’s Featured Experts for sharing their insight with us. If you’d like to get more advice from the experts, please visit their sites (click their names below) and follow them on Twitter.
