Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
Total: 42.5
Line: TEN by 6.5
QBs
Tom Savage: People didn’t actually expect Savage to play well against the Ravens, did they? Maybe Bill O’Brien for obvious reasons, but seeing him throw for 252 yards against them was actually the most they allowed all season, so it wasn’t the worst performance he’s ever had. It gets easier this week against the Titans who have allowed plenty of competent performances on the year. Going back to the Week 4 matchup between these two teams, Deshaun Watson was able to throw for 283 yards and four touchdowns. Keep in mind that Week 4 was when most were still undecided on Watson, so it might seem obvious now, but it wasn’t then. Savage at least knows to target Hopkins relentlessly, and the Titans don’t have a cornerback to cover him, as evidenced by his 10 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in their first meeting. Savage should be considered a top-20 quarterback this week. I know that isn’t saying much, but it’s saying that he’s playable in 2QB leagues. You can do better in 1QB leagues than him, though.
Marcus Mariota: When I spoke about Mariota this offseason, I mentioned that he was due for some massive touchdown regression and that they’d still be a run-first team. My thoughts from back then are the least of concerns surrounding Mariota at this point, as some are wondering if he’s the franchise quarterback they thought he was. I’m not going there yet, but it just seems like he’s not a quarterback to take over games without a run game, similar to a lot of quarterbacks in the league. It’s just rare to see a quarterback in his third season post nine touchdowns to 12 interceptions, especially when they surrounded him with better talent this offseason. He’s yet to throw more than two touchdowns in a single game this year (he’s thrown two in just two games), but will now go up against a Texans team that has been the worst in the league against the pass, allowing 13 passing touchdowns in their last five games against quarterbacks not named Joe Flacco or Kevin Hogan. With the way he’s played, he can’t be a QB1, but he’s a high-upside QB2 this week and one that makes a lot of sense in DFS tournaments.
RBs
Lamar Miller: He’s now scored in two straight games, including a rushing touchdown against the Ravens, so there’s hope after all. The Titans aren’t a team that many running backs can move the ball against, though they showed a slight weakness against older Lamar Miller (Frank Gore) last week when they allowed him 62 yards and a touchdown on the ground. And by the way, I mean production-wise, I’m not actually comparing Miller to Gore. In their first meeting, Miller actually scored twice and finished as the RB4 that week. Again, that was back when Watson was under center, which presented a different dimension to the offense. Miller should still see plenty of touches and because of that, he’s a middle-of-the-road RB2, just don’t expect a tournament winning performance.
DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry: The only thing saving Murray right now is the fact that he’s involved in the passing game. If not for that, he’d be benched for Henry, who has been outplaying him since Week 10 of last year. As mentioned on the podcast this week, most don’t realize that this is already close to a 50/50 timeshare, as Murray has totaled 73 carries since Week 6, while Henry has 71 carries in that timeframe. Murray has the massive edge in the passing game, though, totaling 31 receptions on the season, compared to just seven for Henry. Because of that, Murray is the slightly preferred option against the Texans, who just allowed their first rushing touchdown since Week 1. They are a tough unit to break through and have allowed just three RB1 performances all year, so it’s unlikely we see either of them make a big fantasy impact this week. I’d view Murray as a low-upside RB3, while Henry is just a flex-option.
WRs
DeAndre Hopkins: It’s been quite the season for Hopkins who has totaled at least 73 yards and/or a touchdown in every game. Even with Savage under center, he’s averaged 99.5 yards per game and has scored in two of the four games. He’s arguably right up there in the conversation with Julio Jones and Antonio Brown for best wide receiver in the game right now. He’s already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season, something he didn’t hit at all last year. The Titans will try to cover him with Adoree Jackson, but that doesn’t work. You have to double him or he’s going to eat up your man coverage. There’s little reason to doubt him as an elite WR1 this week. He took Jackson to school the last time they played, turning in 10 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Will Fuller: We don’t even know if he’ll play at this point, but as is the case with most wide receivers coming off a multi-week absence, give him a week on your bench. He hasn’t fared so well with Savage under center like Hopkins has.
Corey Davis: It wasn’t quite the week that everyone (myself included) had hoped for, but Davis did haul in all four of his targets against the Colts for 39 yards. Mariota only threw the ball 25 times, so it was hard to see him getting massive targets, but this is a week where they’ll have trouble moving the ball on the ground, which should lead to more pass attempts. He shouldn’t need many targets to do damage in this matchup, as there isn’t a single team who allows more fantasy points per target to wide receivers than the Texans. Their 1.30 points per target is just in front of the Dolphins and Bucs. It’s a risky proposition playing him when he’s done nothing to deserve it in a while, but we aren’t playing last week’s games, right? The matchup deserves WR3 consideration.
Rishard Matthews: We don’t know if he’ll be able to go at this point, but if he does, it’ll be hard not to trust him in this matchup. The Texans have allowed multiple touchdowns to one player in four of their last five games, and he’s the team leader in receiving touchdowns. While most (myself included) though Davis would breakout, Matthews has been the better fantasy option. His hamstring adds another level of concern, but if he’s out there, he also belongs in the WR3 conversation.
TEs
C.J. Fiedorowicz: We saw him get targeted quite a bit (eight times) by Savage last week, so maybe there’s some chemistry developing now that Fiedorowicz is back to full speed. The matchup against the Titans isn’t a bad one, either, as they have now allowed seven different tight ends to finish as top-10 options against them, including both Jesse James and Jack Doyle over the last two weeks. The issue with trusting him is that he’s still yet to find the end zone or top 46 yards, making him a high-risk option. On top of that, Savage has just one multiple touchdown game on his resume, so the chance of scoring is slim. Because of that, Fiedorowicz is just a middling-TE2 this week.
Delanie Walker: He finally found the end zone last week against the Colts, his first receiving touchdown of the season, despite the fact that he ranks fourth in yardage behind only Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, and Zach Ertz. The Texans are a team that you can target with high-volume tight ends, as they’ve only played against six tight ends who have seen five or more targets. Five of those tight ends finished as a top-five tight end in those weeks. Walker was actually the only one who didn’t, though I’m not betting on lightning striking the same place twice. He’s a rock-solid TE1.
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
Total: 40.5
Line: JAX by 9.5
QBs
Jacoby Brissett: Do we have to pretend like he’s an option? My answer is an emphatic “no.” Consider last week’s loss to the Cardinals a glitch in the matrix and something that’ll make the Jaguars defense show up bigger than ever. The last time they played, Brissett totaled just 200 yards and no touchdowns at home. He’s outside the top 24 quarterbacks this week.
Blake Bortles: While you really don’t want to consider him, you kind of have to. The Colts are now without their top two cornerbacks (one was cut, the other just got hurt) and top free safety. This was a defense that couldn’t stop anyone with them, so giddy up without them. They played in Indianapolis back in Week 7 where Bortles threw for 330 yards and one touchdown on just 26 pass attempts. While I don’t expect that to happen again, he should be a lock for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Of the 11 quarterbacks that have played against them, all but two have finished top-15 (Tom Savage and Marcus Mariota). The only quarterbacks to average less than 7.4 yards per attempt against them were DeShone Kizer and Tom Savage. Bortles is among those on the high-end QB2 radar who’ll likely finish top-12.
RBs
Frank Gore and Marlon Mack: So much for the Colts going with Mack out of their bye week, as we watched Gore total 19 touches against the Titans, while Mack finished with just six of them. It makes no sense for a team that needs to find out if Mack is the one to carry the workload next year to continue to use Gore, but hey, it’s not my team. Against the Jaguars, you don’t want to play either of them if you can help it. They’ll be out for blood after losing to the Cardinals and the line on this game suggests they’ll get that blood. Gore has now finished in between 42 and 62 rushing yards in all but two games, with one of them coming against the Jaguars when he totaled just 34 yards on a season-low nine carries. He’s just a boring RB4 in this game, while Mack is the riskier, though higher upside play because he can break a long run (Gore’s season long is 21 yards).
Leonard Fournette: We knew the matchup against the Cardinals wasn’t great, but we didn’t think game-script would be a problem. Fournette totaled a season-low 12 carries and 25 yards in that game, leaving him fresh for the game against the Colts. If you recall, he missed their Week 7 meeting where Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon combined for 26 carries, 169 yards, and two touchdowns. Fournette seems to have slowed a little bit since his ankle injury, so maybe there’s more to it than they’re letting on, but I’m banking on him hitting the 100-yard bonus this week and hitting pay-dirt for the first time since Week 6. Feel free to use him in DFS tournaments this week, though he’s likely to have high ownership.
WRs
T.Y. Hilton: If you own Hilton, you already know this, but he’s had just three games all season with more than 4.9 fantasy points, including 2.7 or less in five of his last six games. A matchup with the Jaguars isn’t likely to fix that issue. On the year, they’ve allowed just three wide receivers to finish inside the top-30 against them, and all of them saw at least 11 targets, something Hilton hasn’t seen since Week 17 of last season. That’s right, there hasn’t been a single game this year in which he’s seen more than nine targets. Matching him up with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, he’s just a long-play hopeful WR3 and that’s being generous.
Marqise Lee: Most will leave Lee on the bench after his disappointing performance of one catch for 13 yards, but you shouldn’t be one of them. When matched up with Patrick Peterson, a lot of top-tier wide receivers struggle against him, so it shouldn’t have been a shock to see Lee finish with a bad stat line. This week is going to be different, as the Colts are a team to target with wide receivers, especially after learning they’ll be without Rashaan Melvin for a bit, as he was their “top” cornerback. In case you forgot, the Colts already cut Vontae Davis and lost free safety Malik Hooker for the year. Lee tagged them for 72 yards in the first matchup with those players on the field, making him a desirable WR3 in this matchup who could post WR1 numbers. The only way he doesn’t produce is if Fournette goes nuclear and the Jaguars pass the ball 20 times. Even then, I like his chances.
Dede Westbrook: He saw a team-high 10 targets in Week 12, making him someone to monitor in fantasy leagues. His production hasn’t matched his target share just yet, but this matchup is one where it could. Keep in mind that if Allen Hurns returns this week, Westbrook becomes someone to approach with extreme caution, as he may lose his spot in 3WR sets. As of now, consider him a high-risk, high-reward WR4/WR5 in fantasy who can pay off with one catch. That can be said about a lot of wide receivers, but not many of those wide receivers have seen 16 targets over the last two weeks. He’s got the matchup to go bonkers, if that’s the way Bortles chooses to go, though I would think Lee is the best WR play on the Jaguars.
Keelan Cole: Despite being a “speedy” wide receiver who can go deep, Cole has turned in just 273 yards on 47 targets, which ranks him 97th among the 113 wide receivers with 20 or more targets in yards per target. He’ll lose his slot duties if Allen Hurns comes back and may be replaced by Westbrook in 3WR sets. He’s seen at least five targets in each of the last four games, so it’s possible that he hauls in a long one, but I wouldn’t bank on it.
TEs
Jack Doyle: After his dud against the Steelers, Doyle got back on track against the Titans last week, hauling in seven of his eight targets for 94 yards. He’s a favorite of Brissett, as he’s averaging 7.7 targets per game, which is more than Hilton’s 6.7 targets per game. Whether it’s right or wrong (it’s wrong), Doyle is the No. 1 option in this offense. The Jaguars just allowed Ricky Seals-Jones to catch four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown against them, piquing your interest. He was just the second tight end who saw more than five targets against the Jags, with the other one being Doyle himself in their Week 7 contest where he totaled six catches for 44 yards. He may not come with a Gronk or Kelce ceiling, but Doyle is a solid low-end TE1 every single week.
Marcedes Lewis: Now that Westbrook and Yeldon are involved in the offense, Lewis is taking a backseat in his pass-catching duties. He’s seen just two targets in each of the last two games and has failed to top 29 yards in seven of the last eight games. The Colts do allow the fifth-most fantasy points per target to opposing tight ends, but you need targets to do damage. Unless Lewis scores a touchdown (possible), he’s going to flop. He did score in their Week 7 matchup, though he caught just two balls for 29 yards in that contest, so he still finished as the TE15 in PPR formats. He’s just a low-ceiling TE2.
Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Chargers
Total: 42.5
Line: LAC by 13.5
QBs
DeShone Kizer: We’ve learned through Blake Bortles that you don’t need to be a great real-life quarterback in order to be a solid fantasy quarterback, right? Kizer is similar in a lot of ways and has now scored at least 15 fantasy points in three of his last four games, with the only one he didn’t coming against the Jaguars. He just got Corey Coleman back a few weeks ago and will now get Josh Gordon into the lineup. Between those two and David Njoku, he’s got some serious weaponry. The Chargers aren’t the best matchup, though, as they’ve allowed just two quarterbacks to finish top-10 against them all year, and one of them was way back in Week 1, while the other was Tom Brady. They will get after the quarterback, and considering Kizer has been sacked at least three times in three of the last four games, you can expect quite a few sacks in this game. Their team implied total is just over 14 points, not something that you typically want to target. Because of the tough matchup, he’s only an option in 2QB leagues, but you may want to add him for their matchup against the Packers next week.
Philip Rivers: Some are starting to jump on the Chargers as the dark horse out of the AFC, but would it surprise anyone if they lost to the Browns? You remember last year, right? I’m not saying that’s going to happen again, but it may be a closer game than the 13.5 line suggests. Rivers has been playing solid football as of late, throwing seven touchdowns over the last three games compared to just one interception. His 13.2 yards per attempt against the Cowboys was his highest mark since Week 13 of 2009, when coincidentally, he threw for 14.9 yards per attempt against the Browns. Through 11 games, the Browns defense has allowed eight different quarterbacks to throw for at least two touchdowns against them. Oddly enough, no quarterback has thrown for more than 288 yards against them, though, and that’s likely because there’s been just one quarterback to throw more than 36 passes against them. Knowing that Rivers doesn’t add any value on the ground, he’s likely to end up with somewhere in the range of 250-275 yards and two touchdowns, which would wind up in the low-end QB1/high-end QB2 range.
RBs
Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson: It was supposed to be the week the Browns used Johnson more, but with the way Crowell started the game, it was more of the same for Johnson. After starting the year allowing four straight running backs to eclipse 80 yards on the ground, there’s been just one running back (LeSean McCoy) who has been able to top 69 rushing yards against them in their last seven games, which is quite the accomplishment. This may be a game to pay attention to Johnson, as the Chargers have allowed 20 or more receiving yards to 11 different running backs. Knowing that, it shouldn’t come as a shock to know they’ve allowed the fifth-most receiving yards to running backs this season. Johnson has caught at least four passes in each of his last five games, collecting at least 32 yards in four of them. Add in a few carries and he becomes a safe RB3 to play in standard formats, and borderline RB2 in PPR. Crowell will have a harder time in this matchup, though he’s still averaging 15 touches per game, so he belongs in the flex conversation.
Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler: Did you know that Ekeler has more fantasy points than Kareem Hunt since Week 6? Don’t take that and assume he’s the better play, but it just goes to show it wasn’t just one week that sparked interest in Ekeler. In fact, Ekeler has outscored all but 11 running backs since the start of Week 7, including his teammate Gordon. Maybe we should start approaching him as we approached Chris Thompson earlier in the season, though Gordon is a better back than Rob Kelley. The Browns started out the year strong against the run, but have shown weaknesses over the last few weeks, allowing back-to-back 100-yard games to both Leonard Fournette and Joe Mixon. Even going back to Week 10, they allowed Ameer Abdullah 52 yards and a score. Because of that, you should plug Gordon in as a low-end RB1, while Ekeler can be played as a flex-option.
WRs
Corey Coleman: He’s now played in four games with Kizer, averaging eight targets, seeing at least six targets in every game. That’s something to build upon, as is the fact that he’s totaled at least 53 yards in three of those games. The issue with relying on him as an every week starter is that he has new-found competition for those targets with Gordon returning to the field. Still, Coleman went through offseason activities with Kizer and has built chemistry, while Gordon and he have worked together for just under two weeks. It’ll be interesting to see how the Chargers handle the two, as Casey Hayward has been shadowing opposing No. 1 receivers. There’s a chance he shadows the physically dominant receiver in Gordon, while Coleman sees the impressive Trevor Williams in coverage. Either way you slice it, Coleman is in the high-end WR4 category for me this week.
Josh Gordon: We’ve been waiting for this moment a long time, as this will be the first time Gordon takes the field for a regular season game since Week 16 of 2014. He hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 15 of 2013. So, while we’re all excited to see him back on the field, keep your expectations in check this week. On top of the fact that he’s playing his first game in essentially three years, the matchup against the Chargers isn’t a good one. Hue Jackson did say that they’ll have him out there a lot, but he also said that Duke Johnson would see an increased role multiple times, and we all know that never happened. He’s an upside WR4 at best this week, though I’d like to sit him this week wherever possible. If he goes off, great, you have yourself a stud for the playoffs. If not, then it’s obviously a good thing you benched him.
Keenan Allen: We’ve been down this road before – if Allen is getting 10 or more targets, he’s going to go off. If he doesn’t, well, he’s not going to. I’m leaning towards the whole Chargers won’t need to throw a bunch argument this week, which concerns me a bit, as does his matchup. Most tie the Browns to being awful, and while they are, there have been just two wide receivers to see 10-plus targets against them this year. Let’s be clear – you aren’t benching Allen in season-long leagues, ever. What I’m saying is that he may not have the ceiling you’re looking for in DFS this week. He’s been playing near a 50/50 mix in the slot and out of it, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Browns use Jason McCourty, their top cornerback who has shadowed opposing No. 1 wide receivers on the perimeter. Allen is still in the high-end WR2/low-end WR1 conversation.
Tyrell Williams: Now that Mike Williams was back out of the lineup, we expected to see a bigger target share for Tyrell, but three targets aren’t going to cut it. Sure, he scored a touchdown, but he’s now been held to below 60 yards in all but one game this season, meaning he needs a touchdown to produce for your fantasy team. If McCourty goes and follows Allen, it’s definitely possible, but it’s also possible that they just stick him on Williams, who is primarily a perimeter wide receiver. He’s just an upside WR5.
Travis Benjamin: Revenge game, anyone? Most forget that he played for the Browns with how little he was used at times, but not much has changed with the Chargers. He’s been their most efficient receiver on a per-target basis, but he’s seen more than three targets just one time in the last seven games, making him a boom-or-bust option. If you’re looking for someone on the waiver wire as a hail-mary, he’s not the worst if we’re expecting Rivers to throw two or three touchdowns.
TEs
David Njoku: He’s now eclipsed 57 percent of the snaps in two of the last three games, something he didn’t do in the first eight games, but with Gordon coming back, his target share is going to decrease. Despite the fact that he’s seen 28 targets in the last six games, he’s failed to score in every one of them. The Chargers are one of the best in the league when it comes to defending the tight end position, allowing just 0.76 fantasy points per target, the second-lowest number in the league. They have allowed just one touchdown to tight ends and it was to Rob Gronkowski, who can score on anyone. There are better options than him on the waiver wire this week.
Hunter Henry: It never fails… every time I trust Henry, he lets me down. But when I start to move away, he reels me back in with a game like he had against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Now that Mike Williams is shelved, we should see Henry used like he was back in Weeks 4-7, where he totaled at least 7.3 standard fantasy points in every game. He’s now got four games over 70 yards this season, not something many tight ends can say. Three, actually. Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and Zach Ertz. Knowing that, how do you bench him against a defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to the position? You don’t. He’s a TE1 this week. Let’s hope the trend of letting me down doesn’t continue.
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Total: 45.5
Line: LAR by 6.5
QBs
Jared Goff: We talked about Goff and his ability to beat bad defenses last week here in The Primer, and while the Saints had been good this season, missing two cornerbacks proved to be enough for Goff to excel. The Cardinals are a team he played back in Week 7 where he threw for 235 yards and one touchdown, though that game should be taken with a grain of salt, considering it was played in London, where stats make no sense for some teams. The Cardinals aren’t the defense they used to be and have now allowed 8-of-11 quarterbacks to finish as top-14 options against them, with the only ones left out including Tom Savage, Brian Hoyer, and Jacoby Brissett. There has been just one quarterback to throw for 300 yards against the Cardinals and that was MVP candidate Carson Wentz back in Week 5. Goff is someone who is teetering on the QB1/QB2 line this week.
Blaine Gabbert: We’re all here for the Gabbert world tour, as Bruce Arians announced the team is sticking with him for now. He’s thrown five touchdown passes over the last two weeks, something I don’t think anyone ever expected to say. The Rams have been tough on fantasy quarterbacks, though so was his Week 12 opponent, the Jaguars. Through 11 games, the Rams have allowed just three quarterbacks to total more than 14.8 fantasy points, though two of them came back in Weeks 3 and 4. Since Week 4, they have allowed just seven passing touchdowns over the span of seven games. Don’t expect miracles and start Gabbert as a QB1 this week, there are much better options in better spots. Even if you’re playing in a 2QB league, keep your expectations tempered.
RBs
Todd Gurley: There hasn’t been a running back who’s offered the consistency that Gurley has, totaling at least 11.6 standard points in all but one game this season. We knew he already came with a high floor, but with Robert Woods on the shelf, we saw him get seven targets in the Week 12 game, a great sign of things to come, especially when you consider who his Week 13 opponent is. The Cardinals are one of the better run-stopping teams in the league, allowing just 3.4 yards per carry, and are coming off a game where they held Leonard Fournette to just 25 yards on 12 carries. Gurley had 26 more yards than the next closest running back against the Cardinals this year back in their Week 7 meeting, though it was in London with a lot of variables. Still, even if he can’t get anything done on the ground, he’s heavily involved in the passing game. He’s an RB1 and one that makes for a solid low-floor option in DFS, though he’s expensive.
Adrian Peterson: It’s been a really up-and-down year for Peterson, as he’s posted 79 or more yards in three games with the Cardinals, but has also posted three games with 29 or less yards. The Rams were one of the teams that shut him down, but that was the second time in three weeks where Peterson had to fly back-and-forth to London, which can definitely impact his performance. The Rams are one of the worst run defenses in the league and have now allowed a league-high seven 20-plus point PPR games to running backs this year. Keep in mind that we’ve only played 11 games this year and that’s quite remarkable. It also helps that Peterson was targeted a season-high five times last week, raising his fantasy floor. Knowing that he’s going to see 15-plus touches, I’m trusting him as a strong RB2 this week.
WRs
Sammy Watkins: It was good to see Watkins get more than five targets for just the second time all season, totaling four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. I’d normally be calling for a ton of targets again this week, though there’s a slight problem, and his name is Patrick Peterson. He’s a tough cookie to crack, especially when you aren’t seen double-digit targets like DeAndre Hopkins or Mike Evans. In the first meeting, Peterson limited Watkins to just three catches for 42 yards on five targets. I’m a big fan of Watkins the player, but I’m not a fan of this matchup. Consider him a high-risk WR3/WR4 option, even with Woods out of the lineup.
Cooper Kupp: A week after posting career-highs in targets (11), receptions (8), and yards (116), Kupp will have another plus matchup in Week 13 against Tyrann Mathieu. He’s played better as of late, as has their new safety Budda Baker, making the matchup a little less enticing than the one earlier this season when Kupp totaled 51 yards and a touchdown against them. But with Woods out, Kupp is going to be the first read for Goff in his progressions a lot of time, and he’s also the one he’ll throw to as his safety blanket. Because of that, Kupp should be played as a low-end WR3 in standard leagues and a high-end WR3 in PPR formats.
Josh Reynolds: The Rams were apparently set on keeping the role for Watkins the same, while having Reynolds step into the Woods role, which is obviously a valuable one. The fourth-round pick from this year’s draft saw six targets, hauling in four of them for 37 yards and a touchdown. He actually could have had another one, but just missed it. He’s going to see a lot of Tramon Williams, who has been a massive upgrade over Justin Bethel since Week 6, as quarterbacks have just a 55.6 rating when targeting him in coverage. Reynolds should still see a decent number of targets, putting him on the WR4/WR5 radar, but don’t expect a Woods-like performance this week.
Larry Fitzgerald: Who would’ve thought that Gabbert would throw for 241 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars, but Fitzgerald would end up with just three catches for 12 yards? Both were season-lows for him, though there’s no reason to believe it’s a trend with Gabbert, as he hit Fitzgerald nine times for 91 yards the previous week. The concern is that Fitzgerald was kept in check against the Rams back in Week 7, totaling just three catches for 29 scoreless yards. The Rams have allowed just one wide receiver to finish as a top-12 option this year, though they’ve allowed nine wide receivers finish as a top-30 option. It’s still impressive through 11 games, but Fitzgerald needs to be played as a high-end WR3 who is seeing eight or more targets in essentially every game.
TEs
Tyler Higbee: It’s been the same ol’ story with Higbee seemingly every week. He sees anywhere from 2-5 targets and finishes with 0-22 yards 80 percent of the time. There have been three games this year where he’s totaled 47 or more yards, and those games came against the Cowboys, Seahawks, and Saints. What do they have in common? Nothing. It’s all by happenstance, as the Rams are taking what the opponent gives them. The Cardinals were one of the defenses to avoid with tight ends last year, but have now allowed four 15-point performances to tight ends. The issue is that those tight ends were on a completely different level than Higbee (Jimmy Graham, Cameron Brate, Zach Ertz, Jack Doyle). He’s just a mediocre TE2 for this week.
Ricky Seals-Jones: I’m not going to say that Seals-Jones is a fluke, because it’s apparent that he and Gabbert have a connection. His snap count in Week 11 was worrisome (8 snaps), and while it increased in Week 12 (17 snaps), it would be nice to see him on the field more often before trusting him in season-long leagues. The reason to consider him in DFS is because he’s totaled 11 targets on his 25 snaps over the last two weeks, an insane number. The Rams have allowed just 440 yards to the tight end position, which ranks as the fourth-lowest in the league, and they’ve allowed just four touchdowns on the year to them. Seals-Jones is on the streaming radar, though this isn’t a great matchup for the athletic tight end.
