Now that many are still lying on their couches stuffed with turkey, mashed potatoes and either pumpkin or apple pie crumbs still on their sweaters, it is time to look ahead to Week 13. This past week did not disappoint in all phases. There was lots of drama and fantasy points to be had. Regarding my streaming recommendations for Week 12, my quarterback streamer of the week, Lamar Jackson was solid, scoring 19 fantasy points.
My second suggestion, Baker Mayfield, finally broke out, throwing four touchdowns and amassing well over 30. Unfortunately, both Jackson and Mayfield are now more than 40% owned in Yahoo Leagues, so they are off the streaming table.
As for tight ends, Jeff Heuerman was efficient, yet hardly used in Denver’s surprise win over the Steelers. He got over six points despite only catching two of his three targets for 44 yards. It was my dark horse, Chris Herndon, who had seven receptions for 57 yards, proving yet again to be one of the more reliable tight ends left to stream. Jonnu Smith plays on Monday night so it will be interesting to see how he will fare against the Texans in a juicy matchup for tight ends.
This is an important week because it determines whether or not you clinch a spot in your fantasy playoffs. So it is time to peel yourself off the sofa and wake up from those post-Thanksgiving naps and get right down to business.
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Quarterback Streamer of the Week: Case Keenum (DEN) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
When quarterbacks like Jameis Winston, Mayfield, and Jackson are no longer streamable, a guy like Keenum might be your best bet. Although he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in 2018, the Broncos are coming off two huge wins against two of the best teams in the AFC, the Chargers and the Steelers. Keenum has been good, not great, but if Denver hopes to sneak into the playoffs, they have to win out. This is a great week to keep the momentum alive against a team that has totally imploded.
The Bengals were once poised to win the AFC North just over a month ago. Now they are hoping to at least salvage respectability. Sure, they have the same record as the Broncos, but seem to be a team no longer in the playoff hunt. They are hurting at quarterback, have been missing their best player (A.J. Green), and their defense most importantly has been depleted. Cincinnati has allowed the most points (347) in the entire NFL. They are now even worse than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that has been ridiculed all season.
The Broncos are not quite the offensive powerhouse like the Chiefs, Rams, or Saints, but one thing is for certain — they have been very consistent. They have only scored under 20 points three times all season. Don’t expect a four-touchdown game out of Keenum, but assume you will get a quarterback that will get you around 20 fantasy points like he did this past week against Pittsburgh. And remember he will be up against a leaky defense that just gave up 35 points to the Cleveland Browns.
Derek Carr (OAK) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Even though Oakland is vying for the first overall pick in next year’s rookie draft, don’t think for a minute that Carr is going out every week to fail. Sure, his wide receiver corps is now arguably the worst in the league, relying more on Jalen Richard and Jared Cook to be the primary targets. That being said, he finds himself against a tasty matchup in Week 13. Even though Oakland has nowhere near the caliber of talent the Chiefs have on offense, Kansas City’s Achilles’ heel is definitely on the other side of the ball.
Only behind the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Raiders, the Chiefs have surrendered the fourth-most points after 11 games. In fact, both the Raiders and Chiefs are the third- and fourth-worst ranked defenses in the league, which means this should be a high scoring affair on both sides. Kansas City should win easily but as a sacrifice should give up enough points to the Raiders, even if it’s in garbage time.
Oakland will try to make this affair look closer than it actually is. Carr is also playing at home, where he plays significantly better. Hopefully, the “Black Hole” will provide Carr with enough gravitational pull to attract decent fantasy numbers. I think it will.
Dark Horse: Colt McCoy (WAS) vs. Philadelphia Eagles
McCoy did not have a great game against a formidable Cowboys’ defense in Dallas last week. However, despite throwing three interceptions, McCoy was able to move the ball more effectively than Alex Smith did most of the season as Washington’s quarterback. The Eagles narrowly escaped elimination last week with a come-from-behind victory over the New York Giants. This division is still up for grabs. Though the momentum is definitely not in the Redskins’ favor, receivers are starting to come to life with McCoy under center.
Josh Doctson is beginning to look more like a competent first-round pick, Jordan Reed is playing like we expected him to when healthy, and don’t forget 2018’s Mr. Irrelevant, Trey Quinn, who has just come back from IR. The Eagles are playing tough but don’t forget that they are also playing without many healthy key players. If McCoy can move the ball as well as he did in Dallas without turning it over, he should have a decent fantasy day.
Tight End Streamer of the Week: Chris Herndon (NYJ) vs. Tennessee Titans
Herndon has been the most consistent tight end streaming option during the past month and a half. What fantasy streamers need at the tight end position right now is someone they can rely on. Although he has been allergic to the end zone during these past three games, he is producing. In fact, he has been the best receiver on the Jets, period. Last week he had his most targets (eight), most receptions (seven), and second-most yards (57). In the past six games, Herndon has scored 10 or more fantasy points in five of them. He might not win you your week, but having him in your lineup at least gives you a chance to not lose.
Jonnu Smith (TEN) vs. New York Jets
As I write this piece, I have no idea how Smith did in Week 12 against the Houston Texans with a quarterback that is recovering from another injury. Assuming Marcus Mariota finishes the Monday night affair in one piece and can play again in Week 13, Smith remains one of the better options. Without Mariota in the mix, then you should look elsewhere and go with Heuerman or hope that the Saints’ Dan Arnold is no one-week fluke. But if Mariota is playing this week and isn’t plagued with a nagging injury, Smith has demonstrated that he can be productive. Besides Herndon, he has been the tight end that streaming managers can rely on the most lately. The Jets are a good matchup for Smith to break out and finally have that game we have been anticipating for a long time.
C.J. Uzomah (CIN) vs. Denver Broncos
Uzomah has left many fantasy owners very frustrated. This is the problem with the tight end position — consistency. However, we are at this time of year where many of us just need to get something out of this dreaded roster spot. We do not have the time nor the energy to dwell on the past either. Sometimes we simply need to just dive into the most recent statistics and hope that there is some kind of positive hangover. Now Uzomah did not have a stellar Week 12, but he was productive, catching six passes for 39 yards, which was good for almost 10 points in PPR leagues.
The most encouraging stat was his team-leading 13 targets. Now, much depends on Green’s status. If Green is back, then don’t expect the same amount of attention.
Also, we are in quarterback limbo when discussing the Cincinnati Bengals. Last week, Andy Dalton left the game with a sprained thumb and is now viewed as day to day. For Uzomah enthusiasts, they hope that Dalton does not play since it was the backup quarterback, Jeff Driskel, who looked considerably better than Dalton. The good news is both seemed to like targetting Uzomah. Hopefully, regardless of who’s chucking the ball, this continues this week for Uzomah.
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Marc Mathyk is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Marc, check out his archive and follow him @Masterjune70.
