Adam Thielen has touchdowns in back-to-back games and will face a suspect Detroit pass defense in Week 12
It’s Thanksgiving week and that means food and football. Things can’t get much better except for a Week 12 win and being one step closer to a fantasy playoff spot. If you’re fighting for one of those final spots, we’ve got advice for you.
We asked five experts to look through the rankings to determine who could be sleepers this week and who could disappoint. With three games on tap for Thursday as well as injuries all over the map, it’s crucial to do your homework this week when planning your lineup.
If you don’t see any of your players listed below, be sure to check out our Who Should I Start? tool. You can also import your team into My Playbook for instant suggestions specific to your players.
Featured Experts:
Des Bieler – The Washington Post
Matthew Hill – DataForce Fantasy Football
Ben Standig – CSN Mid-Atlantic
Chris Meaney – FNTSY Sports Network
Scott Engel – RotoExperts
Q1. Give us a player outside of our top 100 Flex that represents a deep sleeper start.
Adam Thielen (WR – MIN): at DET
“While the ceiling as the Vikings number two wide receiver is plenty low, Adam Thielen has demonstrated to offer a fairly high floor for those in deep, PPR leagues. Thielen has caught at least three passes in four straight and found in the end zone in back-to-back games. This week he gets a Detroit team that has shown to be vulnerable to the pass, making Thielen a serviceable PPR flex.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)
Chris Thompson (RB – WAS): at DAL
“Robert Kelley is all the rage in Washington and with good reason, but perhaps the rookie receives a touch less work on this short week. The Redskins played Sunday night and now go Thursday afternoon against a Dallas defense allowing the 6th fewest points. Factor in three straight games with 20+ carries for the previously lightly-used back and the Redskins could choose a lighter day. Thompson is the pass-catching threat which means he’d be on the field if Washington faces catch-up mode.”
– Ben Standig (CSN Mid-Atlantic)
Michael Floyd (WR – ARI): at ATL
“C.J. Fiedorowicz can certainly help you out this week and I like Tyler Lockett a bit more with C.J. Prosise out, but I’m thinking there’s something there with Michael Floyd as a deep sleeper start. Nobody is in on Floyd and the Cardinals offense and I get it. As good as D.J. and Fitz have been, Floyd has been inconsistent all season and only has three touchdowns. He was able to exploit a weak SF defense two weeks ago (6 targets, five receptions and 101 yards), and he gets a great matchup this week against the Falcons who allow the second most fantasy points to opposing wideouts and the second most receiving yards per game (297). Floyd has 18 targets in his last three games, John Brown has 12 and two catches in his last two weeks. Floyd also out-snapped J.J. Nelson 53-30 last week.”
– Chris Meaney (FNTSY Sports Network)
Tajae Sharpe (WR – TEN): at CHI
“Sharpe has scored in consecutive games and has started to re-emerge in the Tennessee offense. The Bears pass defense has been bad all year long and Sharpe should deliver another viable fantasy performance.”
– Scott Engel (RotoExperts)
Rex Burkhead (RB – CIN): at BAL
“He is expected to fill in for Giovani Bernard, and while Jeremy Hill stands to see an increase in work, I think the Bengals’ coaching staff has a lot of confidence in Burkhead, who arrived in the same draft as Bernard. The Ravens are much more easily attacked through the air than on the ground, so Burkhead’s versatility might even give him a better shot at big yardage than Hill.”
– Des Bieler (The Washington Post)
Q2. On the flip side, what player inside the top 35 Flex is likely to disappoint fantasy owners this week?
Rob Kelley (RB – WAS): at DAL
“With his nationally televised, three-touchdown performance against the Packers, Rob Kelley cemented his standing as one of this season’s true waiver wire gems. A power rusher with fresh, healthy legs, Kelley has the potential to log significant carries down the stretch for a six-win Washington team that is expected to frequently be in a position to run out the clock… except this week. Dallas comes into Thursday’s home game as a near touchdown favorite against Washington. With its high-scoring offense and a nine-game winning streak, it would not be a big surprise to see Dallas force Washington to abandon the run early, severely capping Kelley’s upside. If you own him, you are likely starting him, but don’t expect another 30+ point fantasy outburst and you may want to limit your DFS exposure. ”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)
Jordan Howard (RB – CHI): vs. TEN
“While the Bears will likely lean on Howard plenty, Chicago’s offense could get rather ugly with Matt Barkley taking over for the injured Jay Cutler. They face a Titans defense that allowed fewer than 65 rushing yards in six of their last seven games. Touches will be there, but hard seeing Howard having a big day.”
– Ben Standig (CSN Mid-Atlantic)
Todd Gurley (RB – LA): at NO
“Isn’t the answer to this question always either Todd Gurley or Allen Robinson? I’ll go with Gurley, who many will think has an easy matchup at New Orleans. However, the Saints have been much tougher against RBs of late, and there’s no telling how shaky Jared Goff could be in his first road start.”
– Des Bieler (The Washington Post)
Frank Gore (RB – IND): vs. PIT
“Without Andrew Luck to run the offense, Frank Gore is a dicey option. The Colts could fall far behind and the run may be abandoned, and there is no evidence to suggest Scott Tolzien can move the offense well at all. Gore could suffer as the Colts sputter.”
– Scott Engel (RotoExperts)
Mike Evans (WR – TB): vs. SEA
“Hate to say it, but it’s Mike Evans. Him and Jameis Winston have to deal with a Seattle defense that has allowed only eight touchdowns to wide receivers. This is more on the defense and Winston as it is on Evans. Winston ranks 26th in the league with a 60.3 completion percentage and Seattle is fairly healthy on defense now. Play him, but don’t be shocked by a dud performance.”
– Chris Meaney (FNTSY Sports Network)
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Thank you to the experts for their start/sit picks in Week 12. Be sure to listen to our latest podcast below for more fantasy advice and happy Thanksgiving!
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