Numbers matter in fantasy football. There’s no denying that. Passing yards are measured in numbers. Receiving TDs are measured in numbers. Rushing yards, receptions, interceptions, rushing TDs – that’s right, all numbers. The most critical fantasy number is points scored. Score more than your opponent, and you win. Score even a fraction of a point less, and you lose.
In the world of fantasy football, numbers are everything. Fantasy owners can read the box score of each game every week, but that doesn’t always tell the whole story. Numbers without context are meaningless. Some numbers matter more than others, some are good predictors of future behavior, some are fluky and hard to consistently forecast, and others merely reinforce what our eyes already tell us about a particular player.
I’m going to look at one stat that stood out from the Week 12 games for every team. Once again, let’s go “By the Numbers.”
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Arizona Cardinals
19 – David Johnson’s total touches in Week 12
DJ continues to be the only relevant player in a bad offense led by disappointing rookie Josh Rosen. His 17 carries were certainly nice considering the team got blown out, and the game was over very early. He’ll be an RB1 against Green Bay next week.
Atlanta Falcons
2 – 1,800-yard seasons for Julio Jones at his current pace
Only Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison, and Antonio Brown have two seasons of at least 1,600 yards receiving. Only four receivers have ever reached 1,800 receiving yards in a single season. At his current pace (1,898 yards), Jones would have two 1,800-yard receiving seasons and two of the top three receiving seasons of all time. He’s one of the best in the game.
Baltimore Ravens
118 – Gus Edwards‘ rush yards in Week 12
He now has two 100-yard efforts in his last two games after Alex Collins had none all season. “The Bus” should be a volume-based RB2 from here on out.
Buffalo Bills
99 – Josh Allen’s rush yards in Week 12
Allen finished 13-99-1 on the ground in the Bills’ win over the Jags and showed that he has some playmaking ability, despite his unpolished abilities in the passing game. With some decent matchups around the corner, he could very well be a streaming option.
Carolina Panthers
237 – Christian McCaffrey’s total yards in Week 12
C-Mac absolutely rolled in this one, racking up the most scrimmage yards in a single game in Panthers history. In addition to his 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving, he scored twice and caught 11 passes. It seems like there’s nothing the sophomore from Stanford can’t do, and he’ll continue to be a locked and loaded RB1.
Chicago Bears
3 – Career starts for Chase Daniel
Daniel got only his third career start, but he played well and led the Bears to a win over the reeling Lions. The Lions’ defense (and entire team) seem to be in cruise control until the season finally ends, so don’t get overly excited about Daniel. This win says far more about the Lions’ defense than Daniel’s abilities.
Cincinnati Bengals
155 – Jeff Driskel’s passing yards in Week 12
Andy Dalton has been placed on IR, and he’s certainly not giving a thumbs up now. It would be easy to say that the Bengals’ skill players will take a downturn, but Dalton’s play as of late suggests that the QB play couldn’t get much worse. Joe Mixon should benefit the most from the change at QB, as the team could rely on his services heavily moving forward.
Cleveland Browns
4 – Baker Mayfield’s TDs in Week 12
Mayfield carved up the Bengals on Sunday afternoon adding to a stellar streak he’s got going right now. In his last three games, Mayfield has averaged 257 yards passing to go along with a 9/1 TD/INT ratio — not bad. Keep him rolling as a QB1, though temper expectations in Week 13 against a tough Texans team. His playoff schedule is great and culminates with another clash against the Bengals in championship week.
Dallas Cowboys
180 – Amari Cooper’s receiving yards in Week 12
Coop broke out on Turkey Day with a monster receiving game, torching the Skins for 180 yards and two TDs. His scores of 40 and 90 yards showcased his speed and the ability to shed defenders. He’s now led the ‘Boys in receiving in all three of his games. He’s a legit WR2.
Denver Broncos
110 – Phillip Lindsay’s rush yards in Week 12
That makes 189 yards and three TDs for Lindsay in back-to-back wins over the Steelers and the Chargers. Lindsay continues to separate from Royce Freeman (17 total yards in Week 12), and he’s an RB2 who continues to trend up.
Detroit Lions
6.2 – Marvin Jones‘ targets per game this season
Jones missed Weeks 11 and 12 with injury and is now headed to the IR. His 6.2 vacated targets per game should continue to add to Kenny Golladay’s value, while some of those looks will go to Theo Riddick and Bruce Ellington, the latter of which makes a good deep league add for leagues that offer any type of PPR scoring (six receptions on seven targets in Week 12).
Green Bay Packers
3 – Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s receiving yards in Week 12
After four straight games of 100 yards or a TD, MVS has eight catches for 55 over his last three games, and two catches for 11 in his last two. His usage is a major concern, and he shouldn’t be played until he posts another good game or two.
Houston Texans
162 – Lamar Miller’s rushing yards in Week 12
Miller exploded in this one, highlighted by a 97-yard scamper up the right sideline for a house call. He has at least 100 yards rushing in three of his last five games and three TDs in that span. In two of his last five, he only had 12 carries, but Week 12’s win over the Titans was decided fairly early, and Miller wasn’t needed much in the second half. He’s an RB2 on a hot Texans team, riding eight straight.
Indianapolis Colts
3 – Andrew Luck’s TDs to TEs in Week 12
Eric Ebron caught his 11th and 12th TDs of the season, and Jack Doyle was sent to the IR with kidney issues after snagging a TD of his own. Week 12 actually saw Ebron out-snap Doyle for the first time in three games, and Ebron will now be the clear #1 option at the position while Erik Swoope and Mo Alie-Cox deal with injuries of their own.
Jacksonville Jaguars
231 – combined pass yards for the Jaguars over their last two games
Blake Bortles absolutely stunk in Week 12, and his two week stretch from Weeks 11-12 saw him throw for only 231 yards, one TD, and two picks. He’ll now ride the pine for the final stretch of the season with Cody Kessler as the Jags starting QB. With Leonard Fournette suspended for Week 13, the Jags will be vulnerable, to say the least, and even with Fournette back, any D/ST playing the Jaguars becomes an instant streamer. The rest of season schedule is Indianapolis, Tennessee, Washington, and Miami.
Kansas City Chiefs
6 – 40-yard receptions from Tyreek Hill this season
That leads the league. Three of those have gone for scores, and he’s up to 11 reception TDs on the year. Always a threat to take a long ball to the house, Hill is a must-play WR1 in the league’s most electric offense.
Los Angeles Chargers
72 – Keenan Allen’s receiving yards in Week 12
Similar to last season, Allen started slow but has put up a ridiculous 28-342-3 line in four games since the Chargers’ bye week. He’s re-established himself as a weekly top-15 play.
Los Angeles Rams
3 – Gerald Everett’s TDs over his last two games
Cooper Kupp’s targets had to go to someone, and Everett has scored three times in his last two outings. He’ll look to keep building on his recent success against the Lions in Week 13, but he’s a streaming option most weeks.
Miami Dolphins
131 – Frank Gore’s carries this season
Kenyan Drake (shoulder) isn’t a lock to suit up this week, and Gore already has a 131-89 advantage in carries over the latter with both healthy. More opportunities should mean more fantasy points, and if Drake sits, Gore makes a solid flex in Week 13 against the Bills.
Minnesota Vikings
11 – Stefon Diggs‘ Week 12 targets
Over the last two games, Diggs is out targeting Adam Thielen 29-21. Diggs now has at least 11 targets in his last four games, compiling 55 in that time, nearly 14 per game. After a mid-season lull and a missed game due to injury, Diggs looks like a weekly WR1 again.
New England Patriots
6 – Tom Brady’s TD passes in his last five games
After throwing 12 TD passes in his first five games, Brady has cooled off significantly, throwing only six in his last five games. He threw for zero scores in two of those five games, and his floor is far lower than it’s been in recent years. He can still get it done for fantasy owners, but he looks like a 50/50 shot for a dud on most weeks. That’s what you should expect.
New Orleans Saints
4 – UDFA players who caught a TD from Brees in Week 12
Brees lit up the Falcons for four scores, and Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara had…none of them? Really? Brees’ TD strikes went to Keith Kirkwood, Austin Carr, Dan Arnold, and Tommylee Lewis. Brees is matchup-proof and in the middle of one of the greatest seasons of his career. The MVP-candidate is an elite option.
New York Giants
142 – Saquon Barkley’s total yards in Week 12
Barkley racked up an impressive 142 scrimmage yards and two TDs in a Week 12 loss to the Eagles. In his last two games, he has 294 total yards and five TDs — those are Todd Gurley type numbers from the rookie, and he’s made performances like this commonplace. Consider him a top-three play every week.
New York Jets
26 – Elijah McGuire’s total yards in Week 12
McGuire has now played in three games for Gang Green this season, and his yardage totals have gone from 67 to 57 to 26. Although he out-snapped Isaiah Crowell in this one, his usage hasn’t translated to any value. He has a lot of upside but is just a handcuff for now.
Oakland Raiders
10 – Marcell Ateman’s targets in Week 12
Ateman led the Raiders in targets, but he only managed a three-catch, 16-yard line. He led the Raiders in receiving last week, and he now has seven receptions on 15 targets over his last two games. No member of Oakland’s putrid offense is appealing, but Ateman makes an interesting play as the Raiders face the Chiefs’ exploitable defense in Week 13 and will be likely chasing points.
Philadelphia Eagles
22 – Josh Adams‘ carries in Week 12
True to form, Doug Pederson gave Adams the lion’s share of the carries. Adams had only four carries at halftime, but he finished with 22 carries for 84 yards and a score, adding a two-point conversion. Adams is the workhorse back for the Eagles now, making him a low-end RB2.
Pittsburgh Steelers
95 – James Conner’s total yards in Week 12
Conner has struggled mightily as of late, combining for 217 yards and only one TD in his last three games after going for over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs in his first eight games. He’s experiencing a bad stretch of games, but he’s still an RB1 playing on a great offense behind a solid offensive line.
San Francisco 49ers
140 – Matt Breida’s total yards in Week 12
Breida seems to have put his injury concerns to bed for the moment, racking up 272 total yards and two TDs in his last two games. He’s been the only consistently good fantasy option on the 49ers outside of George Kittle. Keep him going as an RB2.
Seattle Seahawks
339 – Russell Wilson’s passing yards in Week 12
That’s a season-high for Wilson who led the charge in the fourth quarter to sneak past the Panthers for a win. He’s up to a 12/1 TD/INT ratio over his last five games, and the ‘Hawks have some favorable matchups for the fantasy playoffs. Wilson is a strong play for the rest of the season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4 – Adam Humphries’ receiving TDs in his last four games
Humphries went 6-54-1 in Week 12, and he now has at least 75 yards or a TD in four of his last five games. He has four receiving TDs in his last four games. Humphries isn’t flashy, but he’s putting in work. Consider him a great flex option in Week 13 against the Panthers.
Tennessee Titans
63 – Jonnu Smith’s receiving yards in Week 12
Smith finished with only two receptions, but he took one 61 yards for a long score on MNF. That’s four weeks in a row of double-digit points in PPR scoring, and he’s scored three TDs in that time. He’s a TE1 as his usage and production continue to improve.
Washington Redskins
75 – Jordan Reed’s receiving yards in Week 12
Reed had a solid Thanksgiving game, and he now has 13-146-1 on 18 targets over his last two games. Reed has been almost unplayable all season, but it looks like he’s a must-start TE again.
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Zachary Hanshew is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.
