As always, in this space, we journey through some Interesting Tidbits to highlight important fantasy football related changes and trends entering the week. This can include notable recent performances, changes in playing time, intriguing matchups, and so on. Let’s see what’s on tap for Week 12 and beyond!
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Kareem Hunt is averaging 23 touches in Chiefs wins
With the Kansas City Chiefs coming off a bye week and facing a struggling New York Giants team, Week 11 looked like the perfect spot for Kareem Hunt to end his scoreless streak and put up a huge fantasy performance. If anything, the concern of high winds in the forecast only seemed to further justify a massive workload for him. Instead, the Chiefs inexplicably put up a stinker, scoring a mere nine points on field goals in an overtime loss, and Hunt reaching just 77 total yards. While it’s disappointing all around, especially considering that Andy Reid entered the game 16-2 as a coach coming out of bye weeks, don’t jump off a cliff if you’re counting on Hunt this week. The good news is despite the underwhelming results, Hunt saw 21 touches and 67% of the snaps, so he still got reasonable workload. And in Week 12, the Chiefs once again have a golden opportunity as 10-point home favorite against a Buffalo Bills team getting shredded on the ground that ranks 31st in DVOA against the run. In games the Chiefs have won, Hunt has averaged 23 touches, with a season-high of 32 in Week 5 against the Houston Texans. Like last week, all signs point to Hunt having a big day, and he has a solid rest of season schedule. If he can’t get things going this time, then maybe we really need to start worrying.
Corey Coleman is targeted 11 times in his first game back
Corey Coleman played his first game since breaking his hand in Week 2, and wasted no time in resuming his role as the Cleveland Browns number one wide receiver despite a brutal matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars rank first in both DVOA against the pass and fantasy points allowed per game to wide receivers, but Coleman still managed to catch 6-of-11 targets for 80 yards. He also saw the field on 93% of the snaps, showing there aren’t any workload concerns coming off the injury. Of course, expectations must be tempered in a poor Cleveland offense, and outside of a Week 14 spot against the Green Bay Packers, the upcoming schedule isn’t forgiving. Still, double-digit targets don’t come around every day, so he’s worthy of a bench spot. The return of the enigmatic Josh Gordon also potentially looms in Week 13, and while there’s plenty of intrigue here, he remains just an end-of-the-bench lottery ticket.
Devontae Booker gets a season-high 19 touches and 59% of the snaps in Week 11
Devontae Booker was seeing a modest boost in snaps and touches over the three games prior to last week, but in Week 11 we finally saw the backfield usage tip in his favor. Booker out-touched C.J. Anderson 19-15 and out-snapped him 48-29 against the Cincinnati Bengals, reaching 98 total yards. Should this role reversal continue, that puts Booker on the flex radar, and the upcoming schedule looks favorable, including an appealing matchup against the hapless Oakland Raiders defense in Week 12. Still, we probably can’t elevate Booker much higher than that, as Anderson should remain involved, and Booker disappointed as a feature back when given the opportunity last year. The Broncos offense has also struggled as a whole, although perhaps new starter Paxton Lynch can breathe some new life into it.
Alex Collins sees more targets than Danny Woodhead in Week 11
Against the Green Bay Packers, Alex Collins saw seven targets to Danny Woodhead‘s six, which is hardly an indictment on Woodhead in his first game back, but was surprising given Collins’ lack of a pass-catching role prior to this game. Entering Week 11, Collins had five targets the entire season, so this is an incredibly promising development for him moving forward even with Woodhead back in the mix. Collins saw a season-high 24 touches and 64% of the snaps, and his role as the lead back appears secure despite all of the Baltimore Ravens running backs now healthy. Buck Allen only saw four touches, and Terrance West was a healthy scratch. Woodhead’s role should grow as the pass-catching back, and he’ll likely see the field more in negative game scripts, but overall, it’s a good sign for those relying on Collins.
J.D. McKissic looks like the next man up in the Seattle backfield
The Seattle Seahawks backfield has continued to be an utter disaster since Chris Carson went down in Week 4, but J.D. McKissic may be the next guy to have a shot at taking the reins. With Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls failing to impress all season, it was Mike Davis who got the start on Monday night — only to exit the game with a groin injury. With Davis going down, McKissic ultimately led the backfield in touches (12) and snaps (68%). Davis is unlikely to play in Week 12 against the San Francisco 49ers, leaving McKissic as the last man standing. Keep an eye on the chatter later in the week, but assuming the Seahawks don’t go back to the well with Lacy or Rawls as the starter, the woeful 49ers defense is a perfect spot for McKissic to succeed, and his pass-catching ability will particularly play well in PPR leagues.
Julio Jones only has one touchdown despite leading the Falcons in red zone targets
Julio Jones continues to frustrate the masses, but the truth is he leads the Atlanta Falcons in red zone targets (11), despite the lack of scores. And while we want more results, Jones is still seeing a very reasonable 8.6 targets a game, including 10 in Week 11, and has garnered 40% of the team’s air yards. Yes, it might not feel like it, but there’s still a very real chance of a Jones blowup game, and Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sure looks like one such spot. The Bucs rank 28th in DVOA against the pass and have been among the most generous to wide receivers in fantasy points this season.
Tyrod Taylor is starting for the Bills in Week 12
Well, the Nathan Peterman experiment didn’t exactly go as planned for coach Sean McDermott, as we saw Peterman flame out in spectacular fashion with five interceptions against the Los Angeles Chargers before being mercifully benched for Tyrod Taylor at halftime. Not surprising, Taylor has been announced as the starter this week, and ought to pick up right where he left off as a solid quarterback option against the Chiefs. Kansas City ranks 20th in DVOA against the pass, and Taylor always adds to his floor with his legs, ranking third among quarterbacks in rushing yards (275). The Chiefs also rank 24th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks this season.
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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.
