Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 12 Rankings
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1.
Dalvin Cook
RB - MIN (vs . CAR)
We're starting to enter 2019 Derrick Henry league-winning numbers with Cook, who's now totaled at least 27 carries in four of the last six games. He's rewarded fantasy managers with 1,184 total yards and 11 touchdowns over his last seven games, which is flat-out ridiculous. We've actually seen the Vikings start to involve Cook more in the passing game the last few weeks, which is massive for this matchup. The Panthers have allowed running backs a massive 6.8 receptions and 46.6 yards per game against them. When you add in the two receiving touchdowns, you'll find the team that's allowed the fourth-most fantasy points through the air to running backs. They've also been pretty horrendous against the run as well, allowing 4.76 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns. There's legitimately nothing that stands out as a negative in this matchup, including the opportunity, as the Panthers have faced far more weighted opportunity to running backs than any other team in the league. There have already been six running backs who've posted top-five numbers against the Panthers, and Cook should make it seven.
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2.
Derrick Henry
RB - TEN (at IND)
He leads the league with 49 carries inside the red zone and 26 carries inside the 10-yard line. I continually tell people to beware of the Colts defense, and after holding the Packers running backs in check, they've allowed just 3.43 yards per carry on the season, which is tied with the Eagles for the second-lowest number in the league. They're one of just five teams who've allowed fewer than 100 fantasy points on the ground to running backs this year. They're extremely good against the run. The worst part about Henry's lack of passing-down usage is matchups like this, as the Colts have allowed the second-most points per target (1.82) to running backs. But are you ready for the good news? In Matt Eberflus' 42 games as the defensive coordinator for the Colts, there's been one running back who's been able to total 100-plus yards on the ground. It's Derrick Henry, and he's done it twice. In fact, here are his last three games against them (most recent first): 19/103/0, 26/149/1, and 15/82/1. We also know about Henry's late-season onslaught, right? Winter is coming, and Henry absolutely loves it. Keep him rolling as your RB1 who remains a bit touchdown dependent. Oh, and we just got word that interior lineman DeForest Buckner will be out for this week with COVID, only further enticing us.
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3.
Nick Chubb
RB - CLE (at JAC)
Chubb has now played in six games this year. He's totaled 100-plus rushing yards in four of them. He's averaging a league-high 6.0 yards per carry, and it's not just the offense. According to NFL's NextGenStats, Chubb should be averaging just 4.4 yards per carry based on the number of defenders he's seen in the box and the yards before contact he's been given. The 1.61-yard difference is the most in the NFL, as no other running back has a gap larger than 1.32 yards. Now he gets to go against the Jaguars? It seems unfair. The Jaguars have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game overall to their opponents, and we know the Browns run-game makes up for most of the production. Where do all the fantasy points they've allowed come from? Well, they've allowed a massive 29.8 points per game to their opponents and the Browns team-implied total sits at 27.5 points, so we're likely to see multiple touchdowns out of the Browns backfield this week. The issue is this... Chubb has seen 34.2 percent of the Browns' carries this year, but has seen just 22.6 percent of their carries inside the red zone, so it's clear they trust Kareem Hunt quite a bit in that area of the field. Chubb has also seen just five targets on the season, which essentially means he's touchdown or bust. When I say bust, it's a relative term, as he's viewed as an RB1 in fantasy leagues. Knowing both Joe Mixon and D'Andre Swift were able to rack up 115-plus rushing yards and two touchdowns apiece against them, Chubb is going to be okay. Start him as a low-end RB1 who should score at least once. As for Hunt, he's still received 37 opportunities in the last two games with Chubb back, and though they were certainly aided by the weather, this game should be aided by the lack of competition. Running backs have faced an average of 29.7 running back touches per game, while the Browns running backs have averaged 30.9 running back touches per game. That's more than enough for both of these running backs to be viable, so feel free to start Hunt as a mid-tier RB2 this week.
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4.
Aaron Jones
RB - GB (vs . CHI)
It's official, we have a timeshare with the Packers running backs, as it's been a 65/35 split over the last two weeks with both of them in the lineup. It does help that the Packers running backs have combined to average 30.3 touches per game, though. It also helps that the Bears offense has been bad enough to allow their opponents running backs to compile 28.6 running back touches per game, which is more than enough to do damage. The downside is that they've allowed the third-fewest points per opportunity to running backs this season and are fresh coming off their bye week. The Bears are also one of just four teams who've still yet to allow a receiving touchdown to a running back. That's been a contributing factor to them allowing just 1.22 PPR points per target to running backs, which ranks as the third-lowest number in the league. The only running back who's cracked 15 PPR points and finished better than the RB15 against the Bears this year was Alvin Kamara, who caught nine balls for 96 yards to go along with his 67 yards on the ground. He was the only running back who's topped four catches or 36 yards through the air against the Bears, too. Despite there being 11 different running backs who've tallied double-digit carries against them, just one running back (Ronald Jones) cracked the century mark, and he didn't even score. Jones is a must-play RB1 every week, but this may not be one of his bigger games. Williams will likely get 8-10 touches, though as we've discussed, they may not be worth a ton, making him a less-than-ideal RB4.
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5.
Josh Jacobs
RB - LV (at ATL)
After failing to score in 5-of-6 games from Week 2 through Week 8, Jacobs has bounced back and scored four touchdowns over the last three weeks. He's received at least 14 carries in 9-of-10 games this year, which is great news, though the matchup in Week 12 might cause some issues. We all know Jacobs isn't heavily involved in the passing game by now, right? He's seen just seven targets over the last four games combined. Well, this is a problem because the Falcons have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points on the ground to running backs. If you remove all the receiving totals against them, running backs have averaged just 9.1 fantasy points per game, which is behind only the Saints. Of the fantasy production the Falcons have allowed to skill-position players, running backs have accounted for just 25.7 percent of it. Again, the only team who's allowed a lower percentage is the Saints, a team we try to avoid with running backs. It doesn't help that running backs have combined to touch the ball just 23.9 times per game against the Falcons, which ranks as the second-fewest in the league. They've allowed just 3.63 yards per carry and a touchdown every 46.0 carries, which means it'll be tough for Jacobs to smash on the ground, though his 29.3-point team implied total is golden. Through the air, the Falcons have allowed 5.5 receptions and 40.6 yards per game to running backs, so we must hope the Raiders get him involved there, though it's concerning they haven't targeted him more than four times since way back in Week 1. He also hasn't topped 25 receiving yards since Week 1. You're going to start him as a high-end RB2 in this game because of the scoring potential but understand the Falcons have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season.
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6.
James Robinson
RB - JAC (vs . CLE)
We're now at 10 straight games where Robinson has seen at least 16 touches, which is remarkable given the state of the Jaguars as a team. He hasn't finished worse than RB31 all season, and he has finished as a top-12 running back in 5-of-10 games. In fact, he's played well enough to give the new coach (when they eventually get one this offseason) something to think about, as the Jaguars have tons of early-round draft picks next year. Last week was probably the toughest matchup he'll have all year against the Steelers, though this week is no walk in the park, either. Of the fantasy production to skill-position players against the Browns, we've watched running backs account for just 27.1 percent of it, which is the third-lowest mark in the league. There have been six running backs who've totaled 15-plus touches against the Browns (what Robinson is essentially guaranteed), and each of them finished with at least 11.1 PPR points but none of them finished with more than 20.6 PPR points. In terms of efficiency, they rank 16th in PPR points per weighted opportunity, which is the league average. They've only faced 25.0 running back touches per game, which is not extremely detrimental to Robinson's outlook, as he's a one-man band. With his workload, plug him in as a high-end RB2 this week, though the move to Glennon certainly doesn't help matters.
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7.
Alvin Kamara
RB - NO (at DEN)
While doing research for this game, I came across something pretty hilarious on Kamara. He's seen a remarkable 24.5 percent of the Saints targets, which ranks 11th in the NFL, but has seen just 3.0 percent of their air yards. These are the little tidbits I find that keep me amused. That target share number was actually 26.0 percent before Taysom Hill took over, so should we be worried about Kamara? I'll be honest, it's not great, as Kamara has totaled more than 14 carries just once all season. That receiving work is what offered most of his value. We can't completely panic about one game, and who knows, maybe the Falcons cornerbacks were just so bad that Hill couldn't help himself and didn't want to dump it down. But yes, it's worrisome. The matchup this week should allow for a lot of production on the ground, as the Broncos just haven't been the same since losing Mike Purcell on the defensive line. After being one of the best run defenses in the league, they've struggled to slow down much of anyone over the last five games, as they've allowed 595 rushing yards on 129 carries (4.61 yards per carry) with six rushing touchdowns. They've also allowed 143 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown over their last four games to running backs, so they're clearly struggling with the position, and it's not like their competition has been stellar. On top of that, their offense is struggling to put points on the board most weeks, which has led to running backs averaging 28.4 touches per game against them. You probably don't want to spend up for Kamara in cash games until we see his targets get back up to par, but you're still playing him as an RB1 in season-long formats in a plus-matchup. This is the first plus-matchup for Murray's role in quite a few weeks, as they've played the Bears, Bucs, 49ers, and Falcons over the last four weeks. Not many realize that Murray has just 15 fewer carries than Kamara on the year, though he's been on the short end of the stick in the touchdown department (Kamara 8, Murray 2). Knowing Murray has received at least nine touches in 9-of-10 games this year, he's in the low-end RB3/high-end RB4 conversation who just might make an appearance into the end zone.
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8.
Davante Adams
WR - GB (vs . CHI)
He's now scored eight touchdowns over the last five games, including at least one in every game. Last week was the first time he's seen fewer than 10 targets in a full game, though you'll take eight targets if it amounts to 7/106/1 against one of the better defenses in the league. He'll have to do it again in Week 12 against a Bears team that's been among the best in football at limiting wide receiver production. They've allowed a ridiculously-low 11.2 receptions per game to wide receivers and have allowed just five touchdowns to them. When you add in the 58.6 percent completion-rate and 7.77 yards per target, they rank as the second-toughest matchup in the league for wide receivers. Kyle Fuller has allowed just 1.07 PPR points per target in his coverage this year, which ranks as the third-lowest mark in football. Fortunately, the Bears don't shadow, which means Adams will also see plenty of rookie Jaylon Johnson. After playing extremely well at the start of the season, he's fallen off just a bit over their last six games, allowing 19-of-32 passing for 310 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage. Adams should remain in lineups as a WR1 despite the tough matchup.
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9.
Ezekiel Elliott
RB - DAL (vs . WAS)
Coming into last week, Elliott led the league with 16 carries inside the five-yard-line. It was only a matter of time before he started to convert some of those into touchdowns. He scored in Week 11, though it was on a target. He looked extremely good in that game against the Vikings, as his vision was better than I'd seen it all year, and it led to him tallying his first 100-rushing-yard game of the season. It's going to be tough to repeat that task against Washington, who's allowed just one running back (Nick Chubb) to finish with more than 86 yards on the ground against them this year. In their first meeting, Elliott was held to just 45 yards on 12 carries and caught just one pass for six yards. That's been a somewhat common thing against Washington, as D'Andre Swift has been the only running back who's topped four receptions or 37 receiving yards against them. All in all, they've allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points through the air to running backs, though much of that is due to lack of volume, as they've seen just 4.9 targets per game (2nd-fewest in NFL). We've talked about touchdowns, right? Well, of the seven running backs who've touched the ball 15-plus times against Washington, five have scored with the only exceptions being Devonta Freeman and Kenyan Drake. It's not a locked-and-loaded RB1-type week for Elliott, but he should remain in lineups as a high-end RB2 who's locked into 18-plus touches. Washington has faced 26.6 touches per game to running backs, so it doesn't leave a whole lot for Pollard, who has snuck in five-plus carries in each of the last six games, though that's not enough to play him as anything more than an emergency RB4.
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10.
Tyreek Hill
WR - KC (at TB)
It seems that Mahomes and Hill have hit their stride, as Hill's been more reliable than ever this year. He's totaled at least 78 yards and/or a touchdown in 9-of-10 games, including 368 yards and six touchdowns over the last four games. He's seen 32 targets over the last two weeks, which is more than he's ever had in a two-game stretch. Among wide receivers with 40-plus targets, Hill ranks No. 6 while averaging 2.35 PPR points per target. Did you know he's played in the slot on 59 percent of snaps this year? Of the 85 cornerbacks who've played at least 200 snaps in coverage, Bucs slot cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting ranks as the sixth-worst cornerback in the league, allowing 2.28 PPR points per target in his coverage. We watched the Rams abuse the slot last week against this Bucs secondary, as Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods racked up 12 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown in the slot. You're starting Hill as a WR1 every week and this one should be no different.
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11.
Keenan Allen
WR - LAC (at BUF)
If we were to pretend the Week 1 game with Tyrod Taylor never happened, Allen's 16-game pace with Herbert would be 185 targets, 137 receptions, 1,419 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Yeah, I know. Allen hasn't topped six touchdowns in a season since back in 2013, yet he has six of them with Herbert through eight and a half games together. The Bills matchup used to be one we were worried about for pass catchers. And knowing Allen is the top receiver, the matchup against Tre'Davious White may seem like a daunting task, but he's allowed 2.48 PPR points per target, which ranks as the ninth-most among 123 cornerbacks who've played 100-plus snaps in coverage. On top of that, Allen spends nearly half the time in the slot, which is not somewhere White goes. When Allen goes there, he'll see Taron Johnson, who's allowed a 101.8 QB Rating in his coverage. There's no matchup that would cause you to consider benching Allen, and this matchup isn't anything to be concerned with for a guy who's seeing 10-plus targets practically every game.
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12.
D.K. Metcalf
WR - SEA (at PHI)
If the Seahawks want to get the ball to Metcalf, they can. He continually made Patrick Peterson look slow (he's not) on Thursday night, and you're starting to see him become a much better route runner than he was in his rookie season. He's now averaging a massive 2.42 PPR points per target this season, which ranks second among 72 wide receivers who've seen 40-plus targets. The downside of this matchup is that there have been just seven wide receivers who've finished with 11.2 or more PPR points against the Eagles this year, which is the number it took to finish as a top-36 wide receiver last year. There's no other team in the league who's allowed fewer than nine of those performances. However, do you remember that big breakout performance that Chase Claypool had where he scored three touchdowns? Yeah, that was against the Eagles. He's big, strong, and fast, but he's behind Metcalf in all those categories. They're likely going to shadow Metcalf with Darius Slay, who's been one of the better cornerbacks in the league over the last few years, though he's not a complete shutdown cornerback. He does have 4.36-second speed, so it's unlikely that Metcalf will simply run right by him, but don't forget Patrick Peterson had 4.34-speed. Slay is likely to cap Metcalf's ceiling in this game, but let's not pretend you're even debating sitting him. He's one of the few players who can go from bust to stud in one play, and you'd bet on that happening because of who his quarterback is.
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13.
Miles Sanders
RB - PHI (vs . SEA)
The Eagles have now "officially" signed Jordan Howard to the practice squad, so you have to expect they'll activate him for this game after Doug Pederson said they want a committee approach. It wasn't too much of a timeshare last week, as Sanders totaled 21 opportunities to just eight of them for Scott, so faith in Sanders is still alive. But again, this is your reminder that in the nine games both Howard and Sanders were active last year, Howard totaled 119 carries and 14 targets (14.8 opportunities per game) while Sanders received 76 carries and 27 targets (11.4 opportunities per game). While I don't expect that to happen again, there's a reason they signed Howard. The Seahawks have allowed a ridiculous 114.4 PPR points per game to their opponents. That's including the quarterback, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. Unfortunately, running backs have accounted for only 27.6 percent of that production, but that number has been on the rise as of late. They've allowed a rushing touchdown once every 18.5 carries, which is the second-most often, behind only the Raiders. But again, touchdowns are volatile, and the 3.66 yards per carry they've allowed is one of the lowest marks in the league. It also hurts to know that teams have chosen to run the ball just 34.8 percent of the time, which is the lowest percentage in the league. Just one running back has been able to accumulate more than 65 yards on the ground against them this season. The good news for B.T. Sanders and Scott is that they're utilized in the passing game because the Seahawks have allowed 6.5 receptions and 49.6 receiving yards per game to running backs, which are both near the top of the league. Sanders should be considered a high-end RB2 if Howard is left on the practice squad due to his target share. Scott is nothing more than a lackluster RB4.
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14.
Stefon Diggs
WR - BUF (vs . LAC)
There are just two wide receivers who've seen at least six targets in every game they've played this year. Diggs and Terry McLaurin. In fact, Diggs hasn't seen fewer than eight targets since way back in Week 4. Through 10 games, he ranks as the No. 2 wide receiver in yards, just six yards behind DeAndre Hopkins. The Chargers opponents have chosen to target wide receivers just 51.9 percent of the time, which ranks as the second-lowest number in the league. That's led to them scoring just 44.7 percent of the points the Chargers allowed to skill-position players, which is the lowest percentage in the NFL. If you make a catch against the Chargers, it'd better be for a lot of yards, as they're allowing just 11.1 wide receiver receptions per game, the lowest mark in the NFL. The 13.83 yards per reception they've allowed (5th-most) helps even things out, but there's a reason they've allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to receivers. The combination of Casey Hayward and Michael Davis have been pretty good, allowing 61-of-110 passing for 898 yards, though six of those receptions have gone for touchdowns. The Chargers have allowed Hayward to shadow some receivers, which isn't a bad thing for Diggs, as he's allowed five of those six touchdowns, and they've all come over the last seven games. He doesn't allow a whole lot of receptions, but he is susceptible to the big play, allowing at least one 20-plus yard catch in each of his last four games. Diggs can win one-on-one with any cornerback in the league, so given his massive target share, keep him in lineups as a low-end WR1.
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15.
Travis Kelce
TE - KC (at TB)
If you were to stack Kelce's numbers up against wide receviers, he'd rank No. 4 behind only Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Keenan Allen. For those who took a shot on him in the middle of the second round in fantasy drafts, you're dancing in the streets. There's not another tight end within 55 PPR points from him. He's also riding a three-game streak of 100-plus yards into this matchup with the Bucs, who've allowed eight different tight ends finish as the TE14 or better. It surely helps that tight ends have seen 80 targets against them (fifth-most) because they've allowed a pedestrian 6.74 yards per target to them. But when you add in the level of competition, they rank as the 13th-best matchup for tight ends. Fellow athletic tight ends Darren Waller (6/50/1) and Jared Cook (5/80/0) had no issues getting production against them. Look, you're starting Kelce anywhere you can, especially in a game they're projected to score almost 30 points.
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16.
Chris Carson
RB - SEA (at PHI)
I thought Hyde looked fantastic on Thursday night, rumbling through a somewhat depleted Cardinals defense for 95 total yards and a touchdown. Carson was close to playing last week, so he should be ready to rock after another 11 days. How does this timeshare look upon his return? In the three full games they both played, Carson totaled 12, 20, and 17 touches, while Hyde had 7, 7, and 5 touches. Do they even it out a bit more with Carson coming off the multi-week injury? It's possible. The Eagles have allowed just 3.43 yards per carry on the year, which ranks as the second-lowest number in the league. The Eagles are also one of four teams who've yet to allow a receiving touchdown to a running back. Despite running backs averaging 28.0 touches per game against the Eagles (12th-most), they've combined for 113.3 total yards per game (8th-fewest), so efficiency will be hard to come by. Nick Chubb was the first running back who topped 81 yards on the ground against them this season, and just the second running back to top 63 yards. Considering no Seahawks running back has totaled more than 18 carries in a game this year, you're looking for production to come through the air. Carson is the only running back on the team who's seen more than five targets in a game, so he's clearly the one we'd look to. There have been just seven running backs who've cracked double-digit PPR points against the Eagles and all of them touched the ball at least 14 times. Put Carson in RB2 range for his return, but let's hope they don't ease him back in. Hyde is nothing more than a handcuff to Carson right now. If Carson were to sit again, Hyde would step into that low-end RB2 conversation.
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17.
DeAndre Hopkins
WR - ARI (at NE)
It has been a rollercoaster with Hopkins this year. Don't believe me? Here are his PPR points by week: 29, 20, 23, 11, 25, 9, 24, 6, 25, 10. Since Week 3, we've had a lot of ups and downs, and I don't know if we should expect that to end with Murray's shoulder injury. Hopkins has still seen at least seven targets in 9-of-10 games, so it's not like you're too worried, but more from a DFS cash game perspective. The Patriots matchup isn't one to worry about, though Hopkins is surely going to get the Stephon Gilmore treatment. He hasn't been the defensive player of the year that he was last year, allowing 15-of-24 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage. That amounts to a 100.9 QB Rating, which is easily the worst mark of his career (previous high was a 91.2 QB Rating). Hopkins has played against the Patriots six times in his career, and though he's never totaled more than 78 yards or scored against them, this isn't the same team on the other side of the ball. As a whole, the Patriots have allowed a massive 2.12 PPR points per target to wide receivers, which ranks second to only the Cowboys. You're starting him as a WR1 this week, and the matchup has not been something to worry about. He's not someone I'd be playing in cash games, though.
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18.
Terry McLaurin
WR - WAS (at DAL)
McLaurin has totaled at least seven targets in each of Smith's three starts, but why does his target share (21.4 percent) pale in comparison to J.D. McKissic's (29.5 percent)? Still, did you know McLaurin is the only receiver in the league who's seen at least seven targets in every game? That's why he's posted at least 11.1 PPR points in 9-of-10 games, including five of them with 17.2-plus points. Despite facing a high run percentage against them (second-highest in NFL), opposing wide receivers have outscored running backs by 21.2 PPR points, which is the third-largest gap in the league. Touchdowns have been hard to come by for McLaurin in this offense, but if there's a team who can help accommodate him, it's the Cowboys who've allowed a league-high 19 touchdowns to wide receivers (one every 10.4 targets). That's a big contributing factor to the league-leading 2.13 PPR points per target they're allowing to the position. When you know McLaurin is locked into seven targets, that's massive. He should be locked into lineups as a WR1 this week.
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19.
Mike Davis
RB - CAR (at MIN)
With Christian McCaffrey ruled out for another week, it'll be Davis' backfield. We've had to dial back expectations for him after that hot start, as he's failed to crack 66 yards on the ground or 34 yards through the air since Week 5. He's scored just twice since that time, so maybe the workload caught up with him? There have been three running backs who've topped 75 yards on the ground against the Vikings, but all of them totaled 20-plus carries, which is a mark that Davis hasn't gotten to this season. Unfortunately, the Vikings have also limited production through the air to running backs as well, as there's been no running back who's topped 36 yards through the air against them. When you start factoring those things in with Davis' lack of ceiling over the last six weeks, it's a bit problematic. On top of that, the Vikings have allowed just seven total touchdowns to running backs, which ranks as the fifth-fewest in the league. In terms of efficiency, the Vikings have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points per weighted opportunity to running backs, but the good news is that they've had to face 28.7 running back touches per game. That's where Davis gets his value, as he's locked into 15-plus touches in this game, and maybe 20 of them. Because of that, he belongs in the mid-to-high-end RB2 territory.
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20.
Tyler Lockett
WR - SEA (at PHI)
I was a little worried about Lockett last week, as he's not someone who plays well through injuries, but he managed to make it work against the Cardinals, leading the team with nine catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Sadly, in his last five non-Cardinals matchups, Lockett has failed to top 66 yards or catch a touchdown. Will a matchup with the Eagles be better to him? That's tough to say because they've allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points through the air to wide receivers. Why do I specify through the air? Well, they've allowed a ridiculous 165 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to wide receivers, which props up the overall numbers they've allowed to receivers. Lockett is going to see a lot of Nickell Robey-Coleman in coverage, one of the free agents the Eagles brought over this offseason. He hasn't done a great job in coverage, though, allowing 18-of-21 passing for 213 yards and a touchdowns while in the slot. It's not like their backup Cre'Von LeBlanc has done better, allowing 18-of-23 passing for 206 yards and a touchdown in the slot. The only slot-heavy receivers who've seen more than five targets against them were Tyler Boyd (10/125/0) and Cooper Kupp (5/81/0), so it's not a matchup to avoid. Lockett should remain in lineups as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 who does have some volatility, but you'll live with it.
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21.
Calvin Ridley
WR - ATL (vs . LV)
The loss of Julio Jones certainly hurts the Falcons offense, but if there's someone who gains a bit of value, it's Ridley. He's going to be in line for double-digit targets if Jones sits, which is huge against a Raiders secondary that's allowed a rock-solid 8.66 yards per target to the wide receiver position. There have been five different wide receivers who've been able to rack up 100-plus yards against that secondary. Damon Arnette, the cornerback the Raiders took in the first round in this year's draft, has allowed 2.34 PPR points per target in his coverage, which is more than all but eight cornerbacks. Receivers have only seen a 53.8 percent target share against the Raiders, which is tied for the third-lowest mark in the league, but the Falcons have targeted their wide receivers 64.9 percent of the time. Ridley can beat every player in this secondary and is likely a lock for eight-plus targets.
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22.
A.J. Brown
WR - TEN (at IND)
After what was a brutal start to the game for Brown where he clearly dropped multiple passes, he made up for it by fighting for what was one of the more impressive touchdowns this season. He saw seven targets in that game, now making in 7-of-8 games with seven-plus targets, though he's still yet to see double-digits. The only game he didn't hit that number was against his Week 12 opponent, the Colts. After catching a pass for 21 yards on the first drive, Brown didn't record a single catch for the remainder of the game. He did drop what would've been a 70-plus-yard touchdown, though. Oddly enough, that's the only game he hasn't scored in since returning to the lineup in Week 5. The Colts have allowed just nine wide receiver touchdowns this season, which is tied for the ninth-fewest in the league. They've seen just 18.3 wide receiver targets per game, which is the fourth-fewest, and the reason why we've only seen two top-10 performances against them all season. They have allowed a decent floor considering the lack of targets available, as 15 different wide receivers have finished as top-36 options. While I wouldn't put him in the WR1 conversation this week, I would put him into lineups as a back-end WR2 who should bounce back in their second meeting.
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23.
Will Fuller V
WR - HOU (at DET)
Despite the Patriots getting Stephon Gilmore back in the lineup, Fuller was able to rack up six catches for 80 yards while seeing a team-high eight targets. He's now had 80-plus yards and/or a touchdown in 8-of-10 games this season, making him one of the safest plays week-in and week-out. Now onto a matchup with the Lions who've allowed 11 wide receivers to finish top-24 against them this year. The secondary has been getting better as the season goes on, and they rank as the No. 14 defense against opposing No. 1 wide receivers, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA metric. They've had Desmond Trufant do some shadowing in coverage, though it's tough to say they do that with Fuller/Cooks, as they're near equal in the offense. Fuller should hope that they do if we're being honest, as he's been much worse than Amani Oruwariye in coverage. If they play sides, Fuller would actually see more of Oruwariye, who's allowed just 1.17 PPR points per target in his coverage, which ranks as the fifth-lowest mark among the 107 cornerbacks who've played 150-plus snaps in coverage. You're starting Fuller regardless of matchup by this point, though he hangs out in the WR2 range this week.
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24.
Antonio Gibson
RB - WAS (at DAL)
The positive gamescript played right into Gibson's role last week, as he was able to accumulate 16 carries that amounted to 94 yards and a touchdown. The downside is that they felt the need to give Peyton Barber eight carries. To this point, Washington has hesitated to give Gibson the workload that fantasy managers crave. He's topped 13 carries just twice all season, though it's important to note that both those games came over their last four games. In Alex Smith's three starts, McKissic has totaled 17 carries and 33 targets, which is more than enough opportunity to be in the fantasy conversation every week. For those keeping track at home, that's a 29.5 percent target share. This should be interesting because the Cowboys have faced a running back target on a league-low 14.0 percent of pass attempts. They're also one of just four teams who've yet to allow a receiving touchdown to a running back. Even when targeted, they've allowed a league-low 4.29 yards per target. In fact, running backs have averaged just 5.2 PPR points per game through the air against the Cowboys, which is easily the lowest mark in the league. Meanwhile, they've faced a massive 26.6 carries per game (2nd in NFL), which bodes well for Gibson's role. That's happened because teams have chosen a run play on 47.8 percent of plays against them, which ranks as the second-highest rate in the league. Gibson had a career day in their first meeting, racking up 20 carries, 128 yards, and a touchdown. He's one of seven running backs who've finished with 70-plus yards on the ground alone against the Cowboys. There have also been three running backs who've scored multiple rushing touchdowns against them. The downside is that Gibson is a road underdog whose team is projected for just 21.5 points, but you have to keep him rolling as a mid-to-high-end RB2 in this matchup. McKissic's matchup is a bit tougher, though it's extremely hard to pass on his role with Smith under center. He's in the low-end RB3 conversation, particularly in PPR formats.
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25.
Kareem Hunt
RB - CLE (at JAC)
Chubb has now played in six games this year. He's totaled 100-plus rushing yards in four of them. He's averaging a league-high 6.0 yards per carry, and it's not just the offense. According to NFL's NextGenStats, Chubb should be averaging just 4.4 yards per carry based on the number of defenders he's seen in the box and the yards before contact he's been given. The 1.61-yard difference is the most in the NFL, as no other running back has a gap larger than 1.32 yards. Now he gets to go against the Jaguars? It seems unfair. The Jaguars have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game overall to their opponents, and we know the Browns run-game makes up for most of the production. Where do all the fantasy points they've allowed come from? Well, they've allowed a massive 29.8 points per game to their opponents and the Browns team-implied total sits at 27.5 points, so we're likely to see multiple touchdowns out of the Browns backfield this week. The issue is this... Chubb has seen 34.2 percent of the Browns' carries this year, but has seen just 22.6 percent of their carries inside the red zone, so it's clear they trust Kareem Hunt quite a bit in that area of the field. Chubb has also seen just five targets on the season, which essentially means he's touchdown or bust. When I say bust, it's a relative term, as he's viewed as an RB1 in fantasy leagues. Knowing both Joe Mixon and D'Andre Swift were able to rack up 115-plus rushing yards and two touchdowns apiece against them, Chubb is going to be okay. Start him as a low-end RB1 who should score at least once. As for Hunt, he's still received 37 opportunities in the last two games with Chubb back, and though they were certainly aided by the weather, this game should be aided by the lack of competition. Running backs have faced an average of 29.7 running back touches per game, while the Browns running backs have averaged 30.9 running back touches per game. That's more than enough for both of these running backs to be viable, so feel free to start Hunt as a mid-tier RB2 this week.
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26.
Justin Jefferson
WR - MIN (vs . CAR)
He's averaged 2.61 PPR points per target, which ranks as the most in the NFL among wide receivers who've seen at least 40 targets. His talent is not in question. His targets... that's a different story, as he once again saw just five targets last week. He's seen five or less targets in 7-of-10 games this year, which is quite ridiculous, but that's what happens when you're the No. 2 target on a team that throws the ball less than 28 times per game. On top of that, wide receivers have accounted for just 45.6 percent of the fantasy production by skill-position players against the Panthers, which ranks as the third-lowest number in the league. The 1.71 PPR points per target they've allowed to wide receivers ranks as the ninth-lowest number in the league. On the year, they've allowed just seven wide receivers to finish inside the top-24 and six of them needed double-digit targets to get there, which doesn't bode well for both him and Thielen to both accomplish that feat. Lowering the bar even more, there have been just nine wide receivers who've finished top-36 against them. If Thielen plays, Jefferson should be considered a low-end WR2/high-end WR3. If Thielen sits, Jefferson would be a must-play low-end WR1 who should see eight-plus targets.
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27.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
RB - KC (at TB)
The Chiefs ran the ball 21 times in Week 11, which may not seem like much, but it was the first time they hit 20 carries since back in Week 6. It certainly helps that they ran 78 plays and it was a good matchup for their running backs, but that's not going to be the case this week. The Bucs matchup is the last one you want to see on your running back's schedule, as they're simply the best. They've allowed an unheard of 2.97 yards per carry on the year, while no other team has allowed fewer than 3.43 yards per carry. It was the same story last year when they held backs to just 3.02 yards per carry. On the year, they've allowed just 50.5 rushing yards per game, so expecting much production on the ground doesn't make sense. So, let's travel to the passing game. Since Bell joined the team, the routes run have gone Edwards-Helaire 69, Bell 45, and Darrel Williams 34. This is not great, as Edwards-Helaire should be the clear front-runner of this trio. This is important because the Bucs have allowed the third-most fantasy points through the air to running backs. They've seen a league-high 86 targets to them, resulting in a league-high 70 receptions. Still, they've allowed just 90.6 total yards per game to running backs, so touchdowns are necessary for production. They've allowed 10 total touchdowns to running backs, so it's not impossible, but this matchup is bad for a timeshare running back. Edwards-Helaire should be considered just a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 while Bell is not a recommended play.
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28.
Cooper Kupp
WR - LAR (vs . SF)
It was great to see the Rams exploit the best matchup on the field last week, getting the ball in Kupp's hands 11 times for 145 yards. It's so great when coaches actually use mismatches to their advantage. Is Week 12 another one of those games? It should be considering the 49ers are missing their starting slot cornerback K'Waun Williams, who suffered a bad ankle sprain. In steps Jamar Taylor, a slot cornerback who's been on six different teams in the last four years. He's had limited playing time with the 49ers, allowing 14-of-20 passing for 185 yards in his coverage. We have a large 300-plus target sample size with him in coverage that shows he's allowed 9.30 yards per target in his career. When you think about the fact that Richard Sherman is likely coming back, the perimeter matchup against him and the combination of Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley, the slot is where they should be attacking. Kupp only finished with 3/11/0 in their first meeting, but he lost a bomb that would've gone for a touchdown in the lights, and then he dropped a touchdown later in the game, so it should've looked a lot different. Keep plugging him in as a WR2.
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29.
Wayne Gallman
RB - NYG (at CIN)
If you've sit down to watch the Giants games over the last few weeks, you'd see that Gallman is trying to do everything in his power to earn the workhorse role on this team, and he's succeeded. He's now scored in four straight contests, including two rushing touchdowns against the Eagles, who had allowed just seven rushing touchdowns in eight games coming into that one. They have only targeted him five times over the last three games, which is a bit worrisome, though the game against the Bengals should be a positive gamescript. While the routes run over the last three weeks have been Dion Lewis 44, Gallman 32, Alfred Morris 13, teams have targeted their running backs just 14.9 percent of the time against the Bengals, which ranks as the third-lowest mark in the league. That's led to them averaging just 3.6 receptions and 26.0 yards per game, so that's not where we should be expecting production. On the ground, however, the Bengals have allowed a massive 5.24 yards per carry. There's just one other team in the league who's allowed more than 4.78 yards per carry. There've been eight running backs who've totaled at least 75 yards on the ground against the Bengals, and that's while they've run the ball just 43.0 percent of the time (hint: that rate will go up moving forward). Gallman has totaled 32 carries over the last two games and is now coming off his bye week with fresh legs. He should be in lineups as a mid-to-low-end RB2 due to his lack of usage in the passing game but should offer a stable floor regardless.
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30.
Michael Thomas
WR - NO (at DEN)
Who would've thought that having Taysom Hill under center would unlock Thomas? Through three games with Brees, Thomas had just 10 catches for 95 yards. Through one game with Hill, he has nine catches for 104 yards. To be fair, the game was against the Falcons, but Hill looked Thomas' way early and often. Thomas received 12 of Hill's 23 pass attempts for a massive 52.2 percent target share. He'll have a tougher test this week against the Broncos, who've allowed just 7.47 yards per target to wide receivers this year, which is the second-lowest mark in the NFL, behind only the Rams. With that being said, alpha wide receivers have done well against them. On the year, there have been six wide receivers who've seen more than eight targets against them, and every one of those receivers finished with 15-plus PPR points. There have also been 13 wide receivers who've finished with five-plus receptions against them, which should present a great floor for Thomas. For now, we'll put him back in the WR1 conversation even though it is a small sample size with Hill because all we really wanted to know was that his target share would be there, and it was.
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31.
Darren Waller
TE - LV (at ATL)
There's Travis Kelce... then there's Darren Waller... then there's everyone else. Waller might not have the ceiling of Kelce, but his floor is mighty close. Waller has produced at least 7.0 PPR points in 24-of-26 games dating back to the start of last year. While that may not seem like much if you own Waller, you need to try and stream for a couple weeks. If you are buying into the fact that the Raiders are likely to throw the ball 40-plus times in this game, you should absolutely love Waller, as he's received a 27.8 percent target share this year, which is easily the most among tight ends (Travis Kelce is at 23.8 percent). On top of that, he leads the NFL with 17 red zone targets, which account for 35.4 percent of the Raiders' red zone targets. Despite tight ends being targeted just 6.8 times per game against the Falcons, they've generated 5.7 receptions, 62.2 yards, and 0.8 touchdowns per game, which are all near the top of the league. Remember how bad the Cardinals were against tight ends last year? They allowed 2.39 PPR points per target to them. The Falcons have played 10-of-16 games and have allowed 2.46 PPR points per target to them. Yeah, this matchup is extremely good. Waller just might beat out Kelce this week.
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32.
David Montgomery
RB - CHI (at GB)
He should be back in the lineup after now having two full weeks off with his concussion. It hasn't been a season fantasy managers will remember, but since Tarik Cohen went down with his season-ending injury, Montgomery's fantasy finishes have been 15, 14, 24, 21, and 49 (concussion). He's yet to eclipse 89 yards rushing or 45 yards receiving, and his team is almost never in scoring position, but he's getting 17-plus touches every single week, which has value as an RB2. When playing the Packers, running backs outscore quarterbacks by 14.72 fantasy points, which is the second-largest gap in the league. Running backs are averaging a robust 31.3 PPR points against the Packers, which is the second-highest number in the league. On average, wide receivers outscore running backs by 12-14 PPR points per game, but not against the Packers, as that gap is a league-low 2.59 PPR points. Here's the best way to lay it out: The Packers allow 74.3 PPR points per game to skill-position players, and a league-leading 42.1 percent of that goes to running backs. The Packers opponents have targeted their running backs on 23.1 percent of pass attempts, which ranks as the second-highest number in the league. That's led to running backs producing 14.1 PPR points per game through the air alone, which is the most in the NFL. That's crazy when you consider the Saints allow just 17.4 PPR points per game to the position as a whole. It's not just volume, either, as the 1.91 PPR points per target they've allowed is also the most in the league. All in all, the Packers have allowed 156.9 total yards per game to running backs, so knowing Montgomery receives at least 75 percent of their touches/production, he should be in lineups as an RB2.
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33.
Robert Woods
WR - LAR (vs . SF)
Sure, Woods sees in-between 5-8 targets in 8-of-9 games coming into Week 11 against the Bucs, but then suddenly gets targeted 15 times. Sometimes you just have to accept the volatility of the NFL and move on. Woods now has seven touchdowns on the season, which ties a career high. There have been times where McVay changes the offensive plan mid-season and you wonder if that happened a few weeks back, as Goff is throwing the ball a lot more over the last month. Unfortunately, Woods did see 10 targets against the 49ers the last time they played, though they only netted four catches for 29 yards, but he did sneak in a touchdown to salvage his fantasy day. There have been rumors that the 49ers might get Richard Sherman back from injury this week, though Jason Verrett has done a great job in his place, allowing just 16-of-25 passing for 162 yards and one touchdown. Whichever one plays, that's who Woods will see about 40-45 percent of the time, but the Rams have done a great job moving him around to get him better matchups. With the increased passing volume, the arrow is pointing up for Woods, even if this matchup isn't all great. Consider him a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 who comes with a solid floor.
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34.
Diontae Johnson
WR - PIT (vs . BAL)
There have been six games where Johnson has played all four quarters. His target totals in those games are 10, 13, 15, 10, 11, and 16. That's a bit ridiculous, but his fantasy managers won't be complaining. Over the last two weeks, he's caught 18 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. Will his ridiculous target share continue against the Ravens, who've seen just a 53.8 percent target share to wide receivers (third-lowest mark in NFL)? The average wide receiver reception against them goes for just 11.92 yards, which would benefit Johnson, whose average depth of target is just 8.8 yards. The last time they played, Johnson needed to leave the game for a bit (getting checked out for injury), and it led to him seeing just three targets. He played 41-of-53 snaps, so it wasn't a massive absence, which goes to show just how tough the matchup with the Steelers is. He plays most of his snaps at LWR, which is where Jimmy Smith is usually at, but he's very questionable for this game with an ankle injury. If he were to miss this game, that would move Marlon Humphrey out to the perimeter, and slide Tramon Williams into the slot. All-in-all, it would be a slight upgrade for Johnson, as Humphrey is dominant in the slot, but has been a bit more human on the perimeter, allowing 9-of-15 passing for 130 yards there. Johnson should offer a decent floor as a low-end WR2, but don't expect a massive performance.
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35.
Mike Evans
WR - TB (vs . KC)
His targets may not be what they've been in the past, but he leads all players with 13 targets inside the 10-yard-line. It has felt like Brady is pushing the ball his way a bit more over the last few weeks, though that could be from the elevated volume, as his 20.0 percent target share over the last four games is nothing crazy. Evans still hasn't topped 77 yards since way back in Week 4, though touchdowns have carried him through, as he's scored in 8-of-11 games this year. The Chiefs have allowed just eight touchdowns on the season, which ranks as the fifth-fewest in the NFL. Everyone seems to be amazed when I tell them the Chiefs are one of the best in the league against wide receivers, as they expect tons of targets. That hasn't been the case, as they've seen just 18.3 targets per game to the position, which means there are just three teams who've seen less. While volume has been an issue, so has efficiency, as receivers have averaged just 7.61 yards per target (5th-lowest) and a touchdown every 22.9 targets (10th-least often). Through 10 games, the Chiefs have allowed just 10 top-36 wide receivers. The matchup is easier than last week against the Rams, so if you want to see the positives, there you go. Evans' touchdown prowess keeps him in the low-end WR2 range.
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36.
Brandin Cooks
WR - HOU (at DET)
Cooks only saw five targets last week, but he put up a solid 4-85-0 stat line on them. Additionally, Cooks reeled in a nice touchdown grab but it was called back due to an offensive holding penalty. He's done nothing but produce for your lineups here recently and he should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 this week with upside.
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37.
Allen Robinson II
WR - CHI (at GB)
Volume is one thing, but extremely bad quarterback play is another. There have been 112 wide receivers who've seen 20-plus targets this year. Here are the Bears wide receiver ranks among them: Robinson 79th, Mooney 100th, Miller 101st. Let me be clear, this is a quarterback issue. Their volume is not equal to other wide receivers' volume. The matchup is an issue, too. Of the fantasy points the Packers have allowed to skill-position players, wide receviers have accounted for just 45.6 percent of it, which is tied for the third-lowest mark in football. The average amount of points it took to finish as a top-12 wide receiver last year was 19.7 PPR points. That's a mark that just two wide receivers have hit against the Packers, and one was Adam Thielen way back in Week 1. The other was Richie James on that Thursday night game where Jaire Alexander left with a concussion. Outside of those two games, no wide receiver has finished better than WR18 against them. Robinson is sure to get the Alexander treatment, though he did finish with 7/102/0 and 7/125/0 against them last year, even if it did take him 27 targets to get there. Robinson should be viewed as a high-end WR2 this week.
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38.
Kalen Ballage
RB - LAC (at BUF)
We don't know if Ekeler will play as of right now, but there's certainly a chance after he tweeted saying he's been medically cleared. If he does return, there will likely be some sort of timeshare between these two, but we'll cross that bridge once we get word that he's playing. This game certainly favors the early-down work, as the Bills have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points on the ground to running backs but have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points through the air to them. They've still yet to allow a receiving touchdown to a running back and are one of four teams who can say that. When you break it down with weighted volume, the Bills are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per opportunity, so it's not a bad matchup. Considering Ballage has received an average of 16.3 carries per game over the last three weeks, the 4.65 yards per carry the Bills have allowed looks fantastic. Not just that, but they've also allowed a touchdown every 25.2 carries. Ballage has also earned some credit in the passing game, as he's received 15 targets over the last two weeks. With that type of volume, he's an RB2, at minimum. That hinges on Ekeler's absence. If Ekeler plays, I'd expect them to keep him on some sort of snap count. The Bills have seen 26.8 running back touches per game, which isn't great for a messy timeshare. Ekeler would have to move back into the most valuable back, though there's enough risk to keep him in the low-end RB2/high-end RB3 territory, while Ballage would move back to a low-end RB3 who should still offer some value.
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39.
D.J. Moore
WR - CAR (at MIN)
Who would've thought that all we needed to unlock Moore's production was a Teddy Bridgewater injury? P.J. Walker was willing to chuck it Moore's way 10 times, amounting to seven catches for 127 yards. Moore is currently the No. 4 in yardage among wide receivers. Seriously. It helps that he's now totaled 93-plus yards in five of his last seven games, though many are still questioning starting him. The Vikings have allowed a massive 2.03 PPR points per target to wide receivers, which ranks as the fourth-highest mark in the league. Even better is that he'll see backup Kris Boyd in coverage, last year's seventh-round pick who's allowed 20-of-26 passing for 267 yards and a touchdown in his coverage this year. There have been 15 wide receivers who've posted top-36 numbers against the Vikings, so the floor should be there for Moore as well. Go ahead and plug him in as a low-end WR2 who might have more volatility than Anderson, but his ceiling might be worth it.
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40.
Chase Claypool
WR - PIT (vs . BAL)
The only wide receivers who've seen 40-plus targets and averaged more fantasy points per target than Claypool are Justin Jefferson, D.K. Metcalf, Tyreek Hill, and Adam Thielen. He's seen eight-plus targets in each of his last four games and has finished with at least 14.9 PPR points in each of them. Will Jimmy Smith be back for the Ravens? His loss is a major one, as he's allowed just 0.90 PPR points per target thrown his way, which is easily the lowest mark in the NFL. It's always interesting to see a team that targets their receivers as much as the Steelers do, go up against a team like the Ravens, who've faced a wide receiver target on just 53.8 percent of attempts (third-lowest percentage in NFL). The Ravens have allowed just five wide receiver touchdowns all season. They've also allowed a minuscule 11.92 yards per reception to them, so this matchup actually benefits Johnson's role more than it does Claypool's. If he doesn't score in this game, it could be a disappointing one, and the Ravens have allowed a touchdown just once every 38.4 targets to wide receivers, which makes them the toughest team in the NFL to score against. You're still starting him, as it does seem less than likely that Jimmy Smith plays but understand it's a tough matchup. He should be considered a low-end WR2/high-end WR3.
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41.
Damien Harris
RB - NE (vs . ARI)
Now that Rex Burkhead is out for the year, we have narrowed down the running backs available to syphon touches to Harris and White. While there's surely someone else to come in and take a few touches, these are the mainstays. There are plenty of opportunities to go around, especially when it comes to White, who has newfound targets. Why should we assume he inherits most of the opportunity that Burkhead had? Well, because Harris and Sony Michel have totaled seven targets... combined. That's not one week. That's all season, so they're essentially non-factors, and it's the reason White saw a season-high nine targets last week. He's never going to be someone who gets more than a handful of carries, but in PPR formats, he's certainly valuable. The Cardinals have allowed 4.39 yards per carry, which is essentially the league average, though it's important to note that they lost interior lineman Corey Peters prior to their Week 10 game. He was their best interior lineman, and it allowed the Seahawks to rush for 123 yards and a touchdown on just 21 carries. Harris is extremely similar to the downhill runner that Carlos Hyde is, so that performance bodes well for Harris. It's still worrisome that no running back has totaled more than 84 yards on the ground against the Cardinals, but the loss of Peters is huge. Harris should be considered a high-end RB3 who is a bit gamescript dependent with his lack of pass-game usage. Running backs haven't seen many targets against the Cardinals (6.3 per game), but when they do get targeted, they're averaging a solid 5.89 yards per target and 1.57 PPR points per game, which are both above the league average. There's been just one running back who's totaled more than 31 receiving yards due to the lack of targets, but White should get at least 10 opportunities in this game, making him a worthwhile RB3/flex option, especially in PPR formats. Think of him like a J.D. McKissic-like option.
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42.
Chris Godwin
WR - TB (vs . KC)
He saw a season-high 10 targets last week, which is a welcomed sight considering Brady appears to be favoring Evans and Brown quite a bit. The Bucs should continue to involve Godwin more and more, as he's caught 80.4 percent of his targets and can play as the underneath receiver with the way Jones/Fournette have struggled in the passing game. The Chiefs have used a combination of Tyrann Mathieu and Rashad Fenton to cover the slot, which isn't a bad thing for Godwin. They've combined to allow 28-of-44 passing for 389 yards and a touchdown in their coverage. The Chiefs have allowed 11 wide receivers to finish as the WR38 or better and four of them have been slot-heavy wide receivers. Over the last three weeks, they've allowed the combination of Hunter Renfrow, Curtis Samuel, and Braxton Berrios combine for 19 receptions, 176 yards, and a touchdown. Godwin is someone who should be the safest and least touchdown-dependent of the Bucs wide receivers, so consider him a relatively safe low-end WR2.
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43.
Kenyan Drake
RB - ARI (at NE)
It was practically a 50/50 timeshare between these two last week, as Edmonds played 36 snaps to Drake's 33 snaps. Drake did touch the ball 15 times to Edmonds' six touches, including the goal-line carries, which are clearly worth a lot, especially with Kyler Murray dinged up. Drake also saw a season-high five targets against the Seahawks, which would be massive for his value moving forward. It's not like the Seahawks were a matchup to exploit through the air, but part of me wonders if it was due to Murray's shoulder issue. Time will tell, but Drake clearly has a valuable role. The Patriots opponents have run the ball a league-high 48.8 percent of the time, which has led to 22.4 carries per game against them by running backs. "Wait, why isn't it more than that for a team who faces such a high percentage of run plays?" It's due to the fact that teams have averaged just 57.6 plays per game against them. Removing the one game where Drake didn't play, the split in carries has been Drake 146 - Edmonds 39. We should be expecting 16-plus carries out of Drake this week. Efficiency hasn't been that much of an issue against the Patriots who've allowed 4.42 yards per carry and 6.47 yards per target to running backs; both of which are above the league average. Every running back who's received at least 14 carries against the Patriots (five running backs have) has finished with at least 83 total yards. Drake should be worth considering as a low-end RB2 for this week. Edmonds has averaged just 8.0 touches per game when Drake is active, which is hard to trust as anything more than an RB4.
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44.
Gus Edwards
RB - BAL (at PIT)
It happened. The Ravens have finally moved to JK Dobbins as their primary ball carrier. He played a season-high 64 percent of the snaps and touched the ball a career-high 17 times against the Titans. Prior to that game, Dobbins hadn't touched the ball more than seven times with all three running backs in the lineup (for the full game). Unfortunately, that doesn't matter, as he was hit with COVID and is out for this week, as is Mark Ingram. That leaves us Edwards and Hill. The matchup... isn't great. Not only are the Steelers limiting opposing skill-position players to a league-low 62.1 PPR points per game but running backs have accounted for just 28.0 percent of that production, the fifth-lowest percentage in the league. The 173.9 PPR points they've allowed to running backs is just 0.1 more points than the Saints have allowed, making them the second-toughest matchup in the league. The lack of production through the air is what drags that number down, as they have allowed 4.14 yards per carry, which isn't deadly. It's also why we watched Dobbins have some success against them back in Week 8 when he totaled a career-high 113 yards on 15 carries. The Ravens hardly throw to their running backs, which fits what's happened against the Steelers, as they've only seen a running back target on 14.8 percent of pass attempts this year (second-lowest number in NFL). We're expecting a big touch-share for Edwards this week and we're going to need it with running backs averaging just 23.3 touches per game against the Steelers, which is the lowest mark in the league. Ingram was out the last time these two teams played, and Edwards totaled 87 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries despite Dobbins getting some work. Knowing Edwards is the workhorse here, he should be in the mid-to-low-end RB2 range in what is a tough matchup, but one that he's ready for. Hill is likely going to get 5-8 touches in this tough matchup, so he's not a recommended play.
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45.
Ronald Jones II
RB - TB (vs . KC)
I'm surprised the Bucs didn't just flat-out cut Fournette mid-game last week, as he dropped three easy passes from Brady. The only reason he was in there was due to Jones dropping his first target. Pass-catching has clearly been a problem for these two, but the Bucs really don't have any other options. Jones has now finished with 13 or less carries and 34 or less yards in four of his last five games, though he's still averaging a robust 4.93 yards per carry. The Bucs should be riding him a bit more, especially in a matchup like this against the Chiefs. They struggle to stop the run and it's nothing new. Over the last two years in this 4-3 scheme, they've allowed 2,784 yards on 592 carries (4.70 yards per carry) with 16 touchdowns on the ground. They've struggled through the air, too. That's evidenced by the 6.60 yards per target they've allowed to running backs, which ranks fourth-highest in the league. The problem all comes back to the Bucs needing to establish some sort of run game, unless they want to go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes, which doesn't seem all that smart. After Fournette's disaster last week, I'd suspect Jones gets a decent run in this game, and considering there's 56-point total, he's in the high-end RB3 conversation who has more upside than most in that range, though you know his floor. Fournette is hard to recommend, even in a game there should be plenty of passing, as he likely lost a lot of trust last week. He falls into low-end RB3/high-end RB4 territory because there is a lot of potential in this matchup, making him hard to completely avoid. I'd pay attention to which running backs are active because we could see LeSean McCoy or Ke'Shawn Vaughn make an appearance.
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46.
Robby Anderson
WR - CAR (at MIN)
Did you know Anderson ranks ninth among wide receivers in yards, right behind Keenan Allen? The one touchdown he's scored has left fantasy managers feeling empty, especially knowing it came all the way back in Week 1. Can he get back into the end zone against the Vikings? They've allowed 17 wide receiver touchdowns this season, while there's just one other team who's allowed more than 14 of them. They've allowed a touchdown every 12.1 targets to wide receivers, which is the second-most often. This is great news for the receiver who's averaged 8.6 targets per game. He's likely going to see a lot of rookie Cameron Dantzler in coverage, who's been burned in coverage, allowing 29-of-40 passing for 331 yards and four touchdowns in his coverage. He just returned from a serious injury last week and played just 20 snaps, so he's still getting back into form. Anderson should be in lineups as a mid-to-low-end WR2 who should have a good shot to score.
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47.
Amari Cooper
WR - DAL (vs . WAS)
Despite all the quarterback changes and inconsistencies in this Cowboys offense, Cooper has managed to post at least five catches and 67 yards in 8-of-10 games. He's lacking that top-five upside he had with Dak Prescott under center, but he's still a very usable WR2. The Vikings matchup was a great one for the Cowboys, who target their receivers heavily, but the matchup against Washington hasn't been nearly as kind to receivers. Cooper has a touchdown issue to begin with, so when you add in that they've allowed just six wide receiver touchdowns all year, it's an issue for his projected ceiling. As a team, they've seen just 17.8 wide receiver targets per game, and that's led them to allow the second-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. It's worth noting that Cooper caught 7-of-7 targets for 80 yards the last time they played in a game the Cowboys threw for just 114 yards. He accounted for 63.6 percent of the receptions and 70.2 percent of the yards. That's not going to happen again, but it's clear Cooper can beat their cornerbacks. The problem is ceiling, as Washington has allowed just three top-20 wide receivers this year, and each of them saw at least nine targets. He's the best play on the Cowboys, but he's still stuck in high-end WR3 territory.
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48.
DeVante Parker
WR - MIA (at NYJ)
Parker was able to put together a solid performance last week, but the majority of his yardage came with Ryan Fitzpatrick in the game. Tua was able to connect with him in the end zone on a sharp goal-line fade, but that's difficult to comfortably project week after week. It's a fantastic matchup for Parker, so he's worth starting this week, but the unknowns with the QB situation keep his ranking from skyrocketing in week 12. Parker can be viewed as a high-end WR3 that certainly has upside.
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49.
Duke Johnson Jr.
RB - HOU (at DET)
Duke Johnson was an absolute dud last week against the New England Patriots. He's the clear leader in this backfield, but it's unfortunately not amounting to much from a fantasy perspective. With that being said, this is a fine matchup for opposing RBs and Johnson should have a little bit more room to run. If you're looking for a volume play, Johnson could be in consideration for your lineup as a low-end RB2. Otherwise, he's not going to provide much value for your roster.
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50.
Marvin Jones Jr.
WR - DET (vs . HOU)
Despite being without Kenny Golladay, Danny Amendola, and D'Andre Swift, Jones finished with just six targets against the Panthers. The Lions offense has been unpredictable almost all season and that extends to Jones, whose 5.7 targets per game ranks outside the top-50 at the wide receiver position. The matchup against the Texans is great for running backs - we've already discussed that - but it's also wonderful for wide receivers. They're one of just four teams who've allowed 2.0-plus PPR points per target to the wide receiver position. They're also one of just three teams who's allowed a 71-plus percent completion-rate to wide receivers. They have Bradley Roby do some shadowing in coverage, but he's far from untouchable, as he's allowed a 100.8 QB Rating in his coverage this year. He's actually better when they keep him on one side of the field, like they've done the last two games. He's been stuck at RCB, which is where Jones plays just 30 percent of his snaps, which means Jones will see plenty of Vernon Hargreaves, who's been a disappointment throughout his four-plus years in the league, allowing a massive 9.21 yards per target over 332 career targets in coverage. Jones didn't live up to his WR3 ranking last week, but he should be back in the low-end WR3 conversation this week.
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51.
Antonio Brown
WR - TB (vs . KC)
Brown has now seen 2.4 air yards per snap, which ranks as the third-highest in the NFL among receivers with 25-plus targets. Brady is clearly trying to get the ball to him, as evidenced by his 21 targets over the last two weeks. Brown has looked decent on them, though he's lacking that elite separation he used to get. It was a tough matchup last week, though this week isn't going to be much easier. He plays almost all his snaps on the perimeter, which means he'll see a mix of Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward in coverage. Both cornerbacks have allowed less than 1.72 PPR points per target in their coverage, though we did see Breeland slip a bit last week, allowing 4-of-4 passing for 55 yards and a touchdown to the Raiders' wide receivers. While Brown's talent can rise above the competition, the issue is that you can't expect all the Bucs receivers to post top-30 numbers, especially considering the Chiefs have allowed just nine wide receivers to do that all year. Knowing that Brown plays on the perimeter the most, he's the one who'll have the hardest time. Because of that, he's in the low-end WR3 territory, though Brady clearly wants him to be "the guy."
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52.
Raheem Mostert
RB - SF (at LAR)
It's going to be odd to have all three of these running backs back on the field, but that's what we should be expecting in Week 12. Unfortunately, we have zero clue about how Kyle Shanahan will use them. Mostert was the surefire starter through the four games he did play, but do his touches get dialed back now that multiple injuries have happened? Shanahan has always had an affinity for Coleman despite his inefficiency. And while McKinnon has played well in spurts, they clearly don't want him in the primary ball carrying role. This isn't a great matchup for timeshares, as the Rams have faced just 24.4 running back touches per week. In that Week 6 matchup this year, they all combined for 120 yards on 32 carries (3.75 yards per carry) while chipping in with another four receptions for 21 yards. That's a lot of volume but not a lot of production, which has been the case for most running backs as the Rams are allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per weighted opportunity. Provided Mostert returns, he should be the top play, but he'd be stuck in the high-end RB3 territory as someone who may be eased back in. Coleman's inefficiency combined with the Rams efficiency amounts to almost zero upside, so he's not a recommended option. McKinnon is a better play than Coleman, but we haven't seen him get many touches with Mostert and Coleman in the lineup, which makes him a hail-mary RB4-type option who you hope gets it done through the air.
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53.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR - PIT (vs . BAL)
He needed to leave the game multiple times against the Jaguars, so we could see a less-than-100-percent Smith-Schuster in the lineup this week. I'll be paying attention to the injury report now that this game is taking place on Sunday. It's a shame about his injury, too, because he'd been playing extremely well over the previous four weeks. Before the disappointing game last week, he'd posted at least six receptions and 67 yards in each of the previous four games while seeing at least seven targets in every game. The last time they played the Ravens, he saw eight targets and turned in a performance of seven catches for 67 scoreless yards. Not bad, not great. There's a silver lining to this week, though. If Jimmy Smith can't play, that would move Marlon Humphrey out to the perimeter and have Tramon Williams in the slot. Humphrey has allowed just 32-of-45 passing for 240 scoreless yards in the slot, while Williams is almost 38 years old and has played just 15 snaps all season. If Smith-Schuster isn't listed on the final injury report and Smith is out, he might be the best play among Steelers receivers, though that's multiple "ifs." I'll update the bottom of these notes later in the week based on reports.
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54.
Curtis Samuel
WR - CAR (at MIN)
I mentioned last week that Samuel is somewhat of an extension of the run game, and knowing the Lions were struggling with that, he made sense as a bounce-back play. He was tied for the team lead with 10 targets, turning them into a team-high eight receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. How do the Vikings stack up? Well, they've been very good against the run, but their defense in the slot has been lackluster, to put it nicely. They have rookie Jeff Gladney covering the slot, and of the 42 cornerbacks who've played 75-plus snaps in slot coverage, his 123.0 QB Rating ranks as the sixth-highest in the league. He's allowed five touchdowns in the slot, which is two more than any other cornerback. We know the running backs won't rack up 28.7 touches, which is what the Vikings have faced, which leaves even more targets and/or carries for Samuel, who should be considered a low-end WR3/high-end WR4.
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55.
CeeDee Lamb
WR - DAL (vs . WAS)
It's now been 10 straight games where Lamb has totaled five-plus targets, and he's one of just 11 wide receivers who can say they've seen at least five targets in every one of their games this year. He's also totaled at least 10.9 PPR points in 8-of-10 games, which is essentially a WR3-type floor. The concern is that he's finished with 34 or less yards in 3-of-4 games since Dak Prescott's departure. Unfortunately, one of the games he didn't reach that 10.9-point mark was against Washington, his Week 12 opponent. In fact, he didn't catch a single pass in that game. That was the only game this year he didn't catch at least four balls. Jimmy Moreland has done a much better job covering the slot than anyone would've expected, as he's allowed just 22-of-31 passing for 176 yards and no touchdowns in his coverage. The 0.97 yards per snap in coverage he's allowed ranks as the sixth-lowest mark among the 35 cornerbacks with 100-plus slot snaps. Lamb has been ultra-dependent on touchdowns lately, but Washington has allowed just six of them on the year, so it's not a great time to bet on that. He's earned the right to remain in the WR3/4 conversation, but he's not a must-start in this matchup.
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56.
Christian Kirk
WR - ARI (at NE)
It seems we've come back down to earth with Kirk, as he's finished with just eight catches for 77 yards in the last two weeks combined. There was a three-game stretch in there that made it mighty difficult to bench him, but he's no longer someone you must start, especially when you consider Murray's shoulder injury that could negatively impact his passing. The matchup against the Patriots is not a bad one, as evidenced by the league-leading 9.65 yards per target to wide receivers they've allowed. Kirk also leads the Cardinals starting wide receivers in average depth of target, so it helps to know the Patriots have allowed 14.52 yards per reception, which is second to only the Falcons. While Hopkins is sure to see Stephon Gilmore, that leaves Kirk with Jason McCourty. Of the 88 cornerbacks who've played at least 175 snaps in coverage, McCourty has allowed the second-most PPR points per target (2.48) in his coverage. The risk with Kirk comes back to Kyler Murray and his shoulder injury, as he needs to be able to get the ball downfield. Despite the Patriots being as bad as they are from an efficiency standpoint, they've allowed just 16 wide receivers to finish as top-48 options (12 of whom were top-36). That's not great when we view Hopkins as the No. 1 receiver for them. Kirk is in the WR4 conversation in a plus-matchup but there is concern, meaning he's not a must-start.
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57.
Darius Slayton
WR - NYG (at CIN)
His target totals are a thing that'll make you go crazy, as they've gone 4, 4, 9, 1, 7 over the last five weeks. He's certainly the more volatile between him and Shepard, but he's also the one with more upside, as he's finished with 93 yards and/or a touchdown in three games this year, while Shepard has finished every game with 29-74 yards and has scored just once. There have been 11 wide receivers who've finished as a top-30 wide receiver against the Bengals, though all of them saw at least six targets, a number that's hardly guaranteed with Slayton. The good news is that the Bengals have allowed 39 pass plays that have gone for 20-plus yards, which is the third-most in the NFL behind only the Falcons and Seahawks. Slayton has 11 deep targets, while no other receiver on the Giants has more than three of them. There's certainly splash-play potential here with him, making him a risk/reward high-end WR4 option.
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58.
Zack Moss
RB - BUF (vs . LAC)
In reality, it's not great for either of them, as they've combined to touch the ball just 19.5 times per game this year. If that continues, there's no way you can consistently rely on either of them to be a usable fantasy option. The Chargers have allowed a massive 4.78 yards per carry this year, which ranks as the third-most in the league. While they didn't allow a rushing touchdown in each of their first five games, they've now allowed seven of them over their last five games, including at least one in every game. This bodes well for Moss, who's received 33 percent of the teams carries inside the five-yard line (Allen is leading with 38.9 percent). Teams have chosen to concentrate a lot of their targets against the Chargers to the running back position, as they've seen a 22.8 percent target share, which ranks as the fourth-highest mark in the league. Singletary has run eight more routes than Moss over the last four games, but production is nearly identical. There have been nine running backs who've totaled 10-plus carries against the Chargers, and eight of them finished with at least 13.0 PPR points and as a top-26 option. Moss should be in the RB3 conversation due to how his strengths align with this matchup, while Singletary is just an RB4.
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59.
Mike Williams
WR - LAC (at BUF)
He's starting to climb into the reliable conversation now that he's totaled 27 targets over the last four games and has totaled 72-plus yards in three of them. The Chargers are allowing Herbert to throw the ball a ton (42-plus attempts in four of the last five games), which allows for Williams to get targets despite Keenan Allen getting 10-plus per week. If the Bills were going to use Tre'Davious White in shadow coverage this week, it would most likely be Williams considering Allen goes into the slot half the time. They could choose to play sides because it's not like White has been a shutdown cornerback this year. As a whole, the Bills defense has allowed 8.10 yards per target to receivers while allowing a touchdown once every 21.1 targets. Both of those marks are right around the league average. There have been three games where they've allowed multiple top-30 wide receivers (DeVante Parker/Isaiah Ford, Robert Woods/Cooper Kupp, D.K. Metcalf/David Moore), so it's not out of the question that both Allen and Williams can succeed. Williams should be placed into the low-end WR3/high-end WR4 conversation.
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60.
Michael Pittman Jr.
WR - IND (vs . TEN)
Did you know that despite Rivers completing 24 passes last week, it was Jonathan Taylor who led the team with four receptions, while no one else had more than three? Pittman had 15 targets in the previous two games but left that game with just three targets. Fortunately for those who took a chance on him, he turned them into three receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown, but we need more volume. Is it shocking to know Pittman saw a career-high eight targets against the Titans the last time they played? Not really. Their opponents have chosen to target wide receivers on 63.7 percent of their pass attempts, which is the second-highest number in the league. That's led to 17.2 receptions per game for wide receivers against them, which is second to only the Seahawks. Volume has been more important than people realize, though, as the Titans have allowed just 7.55 yards per target to receivers, which is tied for the third-lowest mark in football. As Dan Harris and I discussed on the FantasyPros Football Podcast, Pittman is the sexy WR3 option everyone wants to play, though you have to bake in both the best and worse case scenarios for him, and that makes him a solid WR4 who presents top-24 upside in a plus matchup, but if he gets three targets again, you're likely going to be upset.
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61.
Leonard Fournette
RB - TB (vs . KC)
I'm surprised the Bucs didn't just flat-out cut Fournette mid-game last week, as he dropped three easy passes from Brady. The only reason he was in there was due to Jones dropping his first target. Pass-catching has clearly been a problem for these two, but the Bucs really don't have any other options. Jones has now finished with 13 or less carries and 34 or less yards in four of his last five games, though he's still averaging a robust 4.93 yards per carry. The Bucs should be riding him a bit more, especially in a matchup like this against the Chiefs. They struggle to stop the run and it's nothing new. Over the last two years in this 4-3 scheme, they've allowed 2,784 yards on 592 carries (4.70 yards per carry) with 16 touchdowns on the ground. They've struggled through the air, too. That's evidenced by the 6.60 yards per target they've allowed to running backs, which ranks fourth-highest in the league. The problem all comes back to the Bucs needing to establish some sort of run game, unless they want to go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes, which doesn't seem all that smart. After Fournette's disaster last week, I'd suspect Jones gets a decent run in this game, and considering there's 56-point total, he's in the high-end RB3 conversation who has more upside than most in that range, though you know his floor. Fournette is hard to recommend, even in a game there should be plenty of passing, as he likely lost a lot of trust last week. He falls into low-end RB3/high-end RB4 territory because there is a lot of potential in this matchup, making him hard to completely avoid. I'd pay attention to which running backs are active because we could see LeSean McCoy or Ke'Shawn Vaughn make an appearance.
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62.
T.J. Hockenson
TE - DET (vs . HOU)
The missing pieces in the Lions offense led to seven targets for Hockenson, who's now seen 35 targets over his last five games. The 68 yards against the Panthers was his season-high, which is very much in line with what he's done all season, finishing in-between 53-68 yards in 6-of-10 games. The Texans have not been a matchup to shy away from with tight ends, as they've averaged 8.29 yards per target (6th in NFL), a 71.2 percent catch-rate (9th), and 11.64 yards per reception (8th). They've allowed just four touchdowns to tight ends, though we know those can be volatile, and Hockenson has done a good job finding them this year (5th among tight ends with five touchdowns). There have been just five tight ends who've seen more than three targets against the Texans, and four of them have finished as the TE14 or better, with Tyler Eifert being the only exception. Football Outsiders has the Texans ranked as the seventh-easiest matchup for tight ends on their DVOA metric. Hockenson should be in lineups as a TE1 nearly every week at this point, and this matchup doesn't scare you away from that.
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63.
Melvin Gordon III
RB - DEN (vs . NO)
After what seemed like an eternity, the Broncos running backs had some success in Week 11, combining for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries against the Dolphins, as they led throughout the game. Neither of them were targeted in the passing game, which could be a real problem this week. The Saints are one of just five teams who've allowed fewer than 3.50 yards per carry on the season. It's not just that, either, as they've allowed a rushing touchdown once every 63.7 carries, which is the least often. On the ground, they've allowed just 8.4 fantasy points per game to running backs, which is the lowest in the league, and it doesn't bode well for someone like Lindsay, who isn't involved in the passing game. It's not great through the air, either, as running backs have averaged just 4.50 yards per target against the Saints, which ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in the NFL. So, the yardage is bad on the ground and through the air. What about the touchdowns? Nope, they've allowed a league-low five touchdowns to running backs this year. Of the fantasy production the Saints allow to skill-position players, running backs account for just 25.4 percent of it, which is the lowest mark in the league. That's led to them scoring just 17.4 PPR points per game against the Saints, which is the lowest number in the league. When you see the Saints have faced just 24.0 running back touches per game, and been so efficient against them (94.8 total yards per game), it's tough to say Gordon is anything more than a middling RB3 this week and not someone you should feel it necessary to play.
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64.
Tyler Boyd
WR - CIN (vs . NYG)
He's the only receiver who has playing time with Finley, and the results were somewhat of a mixed bag. Boyd finished with 6/62/0 on eight targets against the Ravens (tough matchup), 1/0/0 against the Raiders (eww), and 5/101/1 against the Steelers (tough matchup). So, while we're certainly downgrading from Burrow to Finley, Boyd may retain the most value as the safety valve over the middle of the field (we don't know much about Allen in this offense). Boyd also has a plus matchup in the slot with fourth-round rookie Darnay Holmes. He's seen 41 targets in coverage this year, allowing 33 receptions for 321 yards on them, though he hasn't allowed a touchdown yet. Surprisingly, the Giants have allowed just three wide receivers to top 74 yards against them this year, with two of them being Washington players (Terry McLaurin, Cam Sims). It needs to be noted that four of the top-six performances they've allowed to receviers have gone to those who are slot-heavy, which is what Boyd is. He's my favorite Bengals receiver in this game, but he's still in WR3 territory.
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65.
Sterling Shepard
WR - NYG (at CIN)
It's kind of ridiculous at this point, but in games he's played from start to finish, Shepard has seen at least six targets in 21 straight games. We're heading into Week 12 and the only other wide receivers who can say they've seen at least six targets in every game are Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. Since returning from his foot injury, Shepard has caught at least six passes in each game, providing a great floor for those in PPR formats. The Bengals have not been a matchup to run from, either. If Shepard gets those six-plus targets, it's pretty big against a defense that allows 8.68 yards and 1.95 PPR points per target. The Giants have done a great job moving Shepard around the last few weeks, as he's played a lot more slot snaps than he was earlier in the season, though part of that could've been due to Golden Tate discipline. No matter the case, he moves around and doesn't have one specific cornerback matchup to look at. What I can tell you is that there've been 17 wide receivers who've seen six-plus targets against the Bengals, and 15 of them totaled at least 69 yards and/or a touchdown. Shepard looks like a high-floor WR3/4-type option.
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66.
Mark Andrews
TE - BAL (at PIT)
After a lull in production from Week 6 though Week 9, Andrews has bounced back in a big way over the last two weeks. He racked up 7/61/0 against the Patriots, who had been shutting down tight end production all season, and then he built on that while taking advantage of a plus-matchup against the Titans, churning out five receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Teams have continually tried to target their tight ends against the Steelers, though it hasn't worked. Despite seeing the 10th-most targets (74), they've allowed the fifth-fewest receptions (36), third-fewest yards (364), and the fewest touchdowns (1) to tight ends. That all amounts to just 4.92 yards and 1.06 PPR points per target to the position, which are both the best in football. We already know Andrews isn't a high-catch percentage tight end, so when you add that in with the fact that the Steelers have allowed a ridiculously-low 48.6 percent completion-rate (no other team under 58.2 percent), you have an issue. You also know why Andrews finished with just three catches for 32 yards on six targets the last time these two teams met. You have to keep plugging him in as a TE1 in season-long leagues, but this isn't a week to attack him in DFS.
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67.
Giovani Bernard
RB - CIN (vs . NYG)
With Joe Mixon finally landing on IR, Gio will get the start here yet again. Unfortunately, he's done very little with his expanded opportunity in recent weeks and he now gets a significant downgrade at QB. Bernard's going to have to deal with the Giants defense too, which has been playing pretty well as of late. All signs point to fading Bernard this week and it's going to be hard to trust him in your starting lineup. Gio can be viewed as a high-end RB3 purely based on the fantasy landscape.
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68.
Jakobi Meyers
WR - NE (vs . ARI)
What changed for Meyers in Week 11? Just three targets? During the previous two weeks, Meyers played 98 snaps on the perimeter and 37 snaps in the slot. In Week 11, he played 32 snaps on the perimeter and 33 snaps in the slot, so he much more of the slot receiver with N'Keal Harry back in a full-time role in the offense. It shouldn't have been a negative against the Texans, but it certainly led to less targets in a game Newton threw for 300-plus yards. Of the production the Cardinals have allowed to skill-position players, 56.2 percent of it has gone to wide receivers, which ranks as the third-highest mark in the league, behind only the Seahawks and Steelers. There have been just 14 wide receivers who've finished as top-40 options against the Cardinals, though they've been struggling a bit as of late, as they've allowed multiple wide receivers to finish with 12-plus PPR points in each of their last three games. It's also worth noting that four of the top-six performances they've allowed to wide receviers have gone to slot-heavy options. Considering the loss of Burkhead, there should be a tad more targets available for everyone, including Meyers. Despite a dud last week, he remains in the WR4 conversation this week.
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69.
Frank Gore
RB - NYJ (vs . MIA)
Now that Lamical Perine has been placed on injured reserve, this backfield is Gore's for what might be his last hurrah, as there's nowhere else for Adam Gase to go. The Jets running backs have combined for just 24.8 touches per game this year, but now that Gore should receieve the majority of them, he's actually playable. He scored his first touchdown in over 230 carries last week, though you shouldn't be relying on that trend to continue. Not only have the Jets running backs only scored four touchdowns the entire season, the Dolphins are one of just six teams who've allowed less than 21.0 points per game to their opponents (20.2), so scoring opportunities haven't been easy to come by. Now, with that being said, they have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per weighted opportunity this year, allowing 4.61 yards per carry and 6.55 yards per target, which are both well above the league average. They've allowed just 13 passing touchdowns through 10 games, but have allowed eight rushing touchdowns to running backs, so it's clear they're more of a reverse funnel defense. The last time these two teams met, Gore finished with 70 total yards on 15 touches, which was enough for the RB22 performance. Oddly enough, he should be locked into more touches this week, which puts him right smack in the middle of the RB3 range, just don't play him looking for upside.
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70.
Nyheim Hines
RB - IND (vs . TEN)
Now what do we do? Didn't I tell you to never fully trust a Colts running back? Just when you think it's Hines' job, Taylor comes out and gets a massive 26 touches. The good news is that it appears Jordan Wilkins is back to being the clear-cut third-string running back, which leaves us with Taylor and Hines to fight about. The last time these two teams met, it was Hines who was crushing them for 115 yards and two touchdowns. It wasn't really a fluke either, because when you factor in fantasy points per weighted opportunity, the Titans rank as the fifth-best matchup for running backs. They've allowed 10 top-24 running back performances through 10 games, including five top-10 performances. Most of the production has been on the ground, too, as Hines is the only running back who's accumulated more than 29 yards through the air against them. David Johnson was the only running back who's received 15-plus carries and didn't average at least 4.10 yards per carry, so it wasn't just one large performance that carried them. They've allowed eight running backs touchdowns (6 rushing, 2 receiving) in their last six games, and have been having issues in the secondary, so it's difficult to say which problem they want to address, though they can't let Hines run all over them again, as he had massive lanes to run through on seemingly every carry. The matchup here isn't the problem. Figuring out the timeshare is. Clearly, the Colts want Taylor to be the guy, though he's also on a short leash. For now, we should consider him the top back in the offense, though it's not an offense to take things for granted. Because of that, he'll remain in the high-end RB3 territory. As for Hines, he should be in play as an RB3/flex option considering what he did to this defense the last time around, but you already know the risk involved.
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71.
Tee Higgins
WR - CIN (vs . NYG)
It feels like we're at a funeral for all the Bengals pass-catchers, as they lost a ton of value once Joe Burrow was announced as out for the season. Higgins felt it last week, finishing with just three catches for 26 yards on 10 targets. Maybe he becomes a favorite of Finley but knowing he hasn't thrown for more than 192 yards in a game, it's problematic. The Giants have been a neutral matchup for wide receivers to this point, allowing 8.40 yards per target, which is right around the league average. We don't know if they'll use James Bradberry to shadow Higgins, but my guess would be that they just play sides. On top of that, the Bengals have moved Higgins around as of late, as he's even played 47-of-117 snaps in the slot the last two weeks. We really don't know how to properly value Higgins with Finley/Allen under center, but it's not great. However, we can't just forget about Higgins, as he has seen at least nine targets in each of his last three games. For now, we'll consider him a low-ceiling high-end WR4 option, though he should still have a semi-decent floor.
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72.
Brian Hill
RB - ATL (vs . LV)
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73.
Jalen Reagor
WR - PHI (vs . SEA)
With how poorly Wentz has played the last two weeks, it's surprising to see Reagor catch 8-of-12 passes for 99 yards. The upsetting part is that Reagor hasn't caught a pass of over 18 yards since way back in Week 1. There hasn't been a lack of deep balls in this offense, but Wentz has completed just 18-of-53 deep attempts, while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions on them. That's the third-most deep attempts in football, so give it time. Wide receivers have accounted for a league-leading 66.3 percent target share against the Seahawks. That's likely why wide receivers have outscored running backs by a league-leading 30.1 PPR points when playing against the Seahawks. Wide receivers have combined to amass 21.3 receptions per game against them. By comparison, there are just nine teams in the league who've seen more than 21.0 targets to the position. It certainly helps to know they've allowed a robust 72.2 percent completion-rate to receivers, which highlights the fact that all you really need is targets to produce against them. Check this out: There are three primary wide receivers who play against the Seahawks each week. They've played 10 games, which makes it 30 wide receivers. Well, 25-of-30 have finished as the WR50 or better. There are also another three non-starters who finished in that territory. 19 of those receivers have finished as the WR26 or better. Seriously, this matchup is good, putting Reagor in the high-end WR4 conversation with a chance to shine.
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74.
Cole Beasley
WR - BUF (vs . LAC)
We were worried the Bills started to move on from Beasley, only to watch him get targeted a career-high 13 times against the Cardinals. He also turned in a career-high 11 receptions for 109 yards, which was the fourth-highest total of his career. The Cardinals were without two starting cornerbacks for that game, but still, it shows that Beasley is alive and well. Now onto a matchup with the Chargers who've allowed just two wide receivers total more than five receptions all season. That's problematic for a receiver who averages just 11.7 yards per reception. It's not just that, as there've been just seven wide receivers who've totaled more than 60 yards against them. You might want some good news, so I'll point to the matchup Beasley has in the slot against Tevaughn Campbell, who's allowed 11-of-15 passing for 124 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage. It needs to be noted that we could see Chris Harris Jr. return for the Chargers, which severely downgrade his matchup. As of now, Beasley should be considered a low-end WR4 with a limited ceiling.
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75.
Corey Davis
WR - TEN (at IND)
Who would you rather have on your fantasy team? Davis or A.J. Brown? While the answer is surely going to be Brown, the gap isn't nearly as large as you might think. We know touchdowns are volatile, right? Outside of that one bad game against the Bears, Davis has totaled at least 67 yards and/or a touchdown in every game, including five catches for 67 yards against the Colts in Week 10. I'm not saying that Davis doesn't benefit from Brown's presence - he does - but it doesn't matter to us; fantasy production is fantasy production. As mentioned in the Brown notes, the Colts have allowed 15 receivers to finish with top-36 numbers (WR3 or better). Davis does have the better cornerback matchup in this game, too, as he'll primarily see Rock Ya-Sin, who's allowed 31-of-45 passing for 434 yards (9.64 yards per target), though he hasn't allowed a touchdown in his coverage. There is a limited ceiling with him, as this is still a tough matchup, which is what keeps him in the low-end WR3/high-end WR4 territory.
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76.
Hunter Henry
TE - LAC (at BUF)
I feel like I'm living out Groundhog Day with Henry. I swear he's had like the same game for each of the last eight games. It feels like that because he's finished with exactly four receptions in five of his last six games and has posted between 23-50 yards in each of his last eight games. Oh, and he's finished between 4-8 targets in every game this season. Here are his weekly finishes: 14, 12, 17, 28, 10, 29, 18, 26, 2, 6. So, he's been a top-10 tight end three times, yet we always rank him as a top-10 option because, well, tight ends. Opponents have given their tight ends a 24.0 percent target share against the Bills, which is the second-highest mark in the league. That's obviously led to production, as tight ends make up 21.3 percent of the production by skill-position players against them, which is the fourth-highest mark. They've allowed a league-high 5.9 receptions and 64.2 yards per game to tight ends, which is massive for Henry, who's obviously been struggling with his yardage. There have been five tight ends who've seen five-plus targets against the Bills, and four of them were able to finish with 17.8 or more PPR points. Could this be the week where Henry enters beyond four-catch territory? It probably should be. Start him as a rock-solid TE1.
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77.
Chase Edmonds
RB - ARI (at NE)
It was practically a 50/50 timeshare between these two last week, as Edmonds played 36 snaps to Drake's 33 snaps. Drake did touch the ball 15 times to Edmonds' six touches, including the goal-line carries, which are clearly worth a lot, especially with Kyler Murray dinged up. Drake also saw a season-high five targets against the Seahawks, which would be massive for his value moving forward. It's not like the Seahawks were a matchup to exploit through the air, but part of me wonders if it was due to Murray's shoulder issue. Time will tell, but Drake clearly has a valuable role. The Patriots opponents have run the ball a league-high 48.8 percent of the time, which has led to 22.4 carries per game against them by running backs. "Wait, why isn't it more than that for a team who faces such a high percentage of run plays?" It's due to the fact that teams have averaged just 57.6 plays per game against them. Removing the one game where Drake didn't play, the split in carries has been Drake 146 - Edmonds 39. We should be expecting 16-plus carries out of Drake this week. Efficiency hasn't been that much of an issue against the Patriots who've allowed 4.42 yards per carry and 6.47 yards per target to running backs; both of which are above the league average. Every running back who's received at least 14 carries against the Patriots (five running backs have) has finished with at least 83 total yards. Drake should be worth considering as a low-end RB2 for this week. Edmonds has averaged just 8.0 touches per game when Drake is active, which is hard to trust as anything more than an RB4.
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78.
Nelson Agholor
WR - LV (at ATL)
He's leading all wide receivers in efficiency, averaging 2.74 PPR points per target. Naturally, the Raiders have targeted him just 38 times on the year. The difference between him and Ruggs is that he's actually had two games with good volume, including last week when he saw nine targets against the Chiefs. Now going into a matchup with the Falcons, it could be another big one. They've seen a remarkable 22.1 wide receiver targets per game, which is much more than the 13.0 per game the Raiders are averaging. The Falcons have also allowed 210.8 yards per game to wide receviers alone, which ranks as the second-most in the league. There have already been 17 wide receivers who've posted 11.2 or more PPR points against them this year, which is the average number it took to finish as a top-36 wide receiver last year. Seeing the 29.3-point team implied total, you're hoping Agholor gets a piece of that action in this great matchup. He should be considered a WR4 with upside this week, though you're likely sacrificing a floor to put him in lineups.
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79.
Jarvis Landry
WR - CLE (at JAC)
Did you know Mayfield has completed just 12 passes or less in four of his last five games? That's extremely problematic for a receiver like Landry who relies on receptions to rack up the points. If you're searching for that elusive first receiving touchdown from Landry this week, you probably need to know the Jaguars have faced just 10 red zone targets to wide receivers this season, which is easily the lowest in the NFL; no other team has seen fewer than 13 of them. However... they have allowed 11 wide receiver touchdowns this year, so when targeted in that area of the field, they typically lead to production. The Jaguars got D.J. Hayden back into the lineup last week, but he was hurt again and will miss this week. They had Tre Herndon fill in for him before, but with the injuries to both C.J. Henderson and Chris Claybrooks, he may be forced to play on the perimeter (as he did last week), so you have no clue how they'll field their cornerbacks this week. But this all comes back to Landry. When you peruse through the game logs, he looks like a Larry Fitzgerald-type player, as he's failed to top 61 yards in 9-of-10 games and has zero touchdowns on the season. There's just not enough of a floor to play him, and the ceiling is extremely minimal on a team that throws the ball just 26.5 times per game. I wouldn't be surprised if he caught his first touchdown in this game, but still, he's nothing more than a low-ceiling WR4.
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80.
Jamison Crowder
WR - NYJ (vs . MIA)
There's clearly a disconnect between Flacco and Crowder, so if you're relying on Crowder, you're rooting for Darnold to get back under center. Over the last three games with Flacco, Crowder has seen 18 targets and turned them into nine receptions, 90 yards, and one touchdown. Meanwhile, the combination of Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims have been just fine. In each of the three games with Darnold, Crowder finished with at least seven catches and 104 yards. Despite the Dolphins having one of the better cornerback duos in the league, their opponents have chosen to target wide receivers 62.8 percent of the time, which is the third-highest mark in the league. That's led to 22.5 targets per game to wide receivers, which should be more than enough for Crowder to get back onto the fantasy radar. The good news is that Nik Needham is the weakest link in the slot, allowing 27-of-41 passing for 333 yards in his coverage, though he's yet to allow a touchdown. The last time these two teams played, Crowder finished with seven catches for 48 yards, which is fine for PPR leagues, but it took him 13 targets to get there. Again, that game was with Flacco, who he clearly hasn't connected with. If Flacco starts, Crowder is just a low-upside WR4. If Darnold starts, Crowder moves up into the low-end WR3 consideration.
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81.
Adrian Peterson
RB - DET (vs . HOU)
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82.
Jerry Jeudy
WR - DEN (vs . NO)
Similar to the Bears offense, the volume that Broncos wide receivers see isn't quite the same as most. They need more targets to produce startable numbers, and the best way to show that is this: Heading into Week 11, there were 112 wide receviers who'd seen 20-plus targets. Here are the Broncos' wide receivers ranks among them: Tim Patrick 44th, DaeSean Hamilton 83rd, Jeudy 95th, and KJ Hamler 99th. That's a quarterback efficiency problem. So, while Jeudy has seen eight-plus targets in each of the last four games, it's not worth as much as someone who got the same eight targets in a different offense. Jeudy was also shadowed by Xavien Howard last week, so teams clearly view him as the No. 1 receiver. The Saints were without their top cornerback Marshon Lattimore last week, which would be a good thing for all Broncos players if he were out again, though he wasn't ruled out until gameday, so he was probably close to playing. The Saints have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per target to wide receivers this year, though that number has been sliding down over the last three weeks, as they've held Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown outside the top-24 options over the last three weeks. We did see Brandon Aiyuk finish with seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, though he did see 14 targets, something that's highly unlikely with Jeudy. If Lattimore is held out again, Jeudy would get a solid bump in the rankings, but for now, he stays in the WR4 territory with a decent floor considering his target share.
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83.
Travis Fulgham
WR - PHI (vs . SEA)
He's now seen 12 targets over the last two weeks that have netted just two catches for 16 yards. It makes no sense considering Fulgham was clearly on the same page as Wentz in Weeks 4-8. What happened during their bye week? Sure, Alshon Jeffery is back, but he has barely seen the field. The only good news is that he's led the team in targets. Wide receivers have racked up 295 targets against the Seahawks, which is easily the most in the NFL. In fact, no other team has seen more than 251 targets. A league-leading 61.1 percent of fantasy production allowed to skill-position players goes to wide receivers against the Seahawks. No other team is above 59.1 percent to the receiver position. That's led to a ridiculous 259.7 yards per game to receivers alone. There are 18 teams in the NFL who haven't allowed that many passing yards in general to their opponents. If there's a matchup that can save Fulgham, it's this one. The Seahawks have allowed 21 different wide receivers finish as top-36 options against them, which is more than two per game. Fulgham certainly comes with Wentz-risk, but he should be in the WR4 conversation with top-20 upside.
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84.
Kerryon Johnson
RB - DET (vs . HOU)
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85.
Julio Jones
WR - ATL (vs . LV)
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86.
J.D. McKissic
RB - WAS (at DAL)
The positive gamescript played right into Gibson's role last week, as he was able to accumulate 16 carries that amounted to 94 yards and a touchdown. The downside is that they felt the need to give Peyton Barber eight carries. To this point, Washington has hesitated to give Gibson the workload that fantasy managers crave. He's topped 13 carries just twice all season, though it's important to note that both those games came over their last four games. In Alex Smith's three starts, McKissic has totaled 17 carries and 33 targets, which is more than enough opportunity to be in the fantasy conversation every week. For those keeping track at home, that's a 29.5 percent target share. This should be interesting because the Cowboys have faced a running back target on a league-low 14.0 percent of pass attempts. They're also one of just four teams who've yet to allow a receiving touchdown to a running back. Even when targeted, they've allowed a league-low 4.29 yards per target. In fact, running backs have averaged just 5.2 PPR points per game through the air against the Cowboys, which is easily the lowest mark in the league. Meanwhile, they've faced a massive 26.6 carries per game (2nd in NFL), which bodes well for Gibson's role. That's happened because teams have chosen a run play on 47.8 percent of plays against them, which ranks as the second-highest rate in the league. Gibson had a career day in their first meeting, racking up 20 carries, 128 yards, and a touchdown. He's one of seven running backs who've finished with 70-plus yards on the ground alone against the Cowboys. There have also been three running backs who've scored multiple rushing touchdowns against them. The downside is that Gibson is a road underdog whose team is projected for just 21.5 points, but you have to keep him rolling as a mid-to-high-end RB2 in this matchup. McKissic's matchup is a bit tougher, though it's extremely hard to pass on his role with Smith under center. He's in the low-end RB3 conversation, particularly in PPR formats.
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87.
Breshad Perriman
WR - NYJ (vs . MIA)
These two are highly unpredictable from week-to-week, and if Perriman hadn't caught that 49-yard touchdown late in the game, he would've finished with just one catch for five yards. In the end, he only got four targets, which is not enough to start anyone with confidence, especially when he has Flacco or Darnold as his quarterback. Mims has seen a much more consistent target share (at least seven targets in 3-of-4 games), and though he hasn't topped 71 yards, he also hasn't fallen below 42 yards. Don't forget he's a rookie who didn't play a single snap until Week 7, so he should only get better. The issue for both of these receivers this week is the Dolphins cornerback duo of Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. They're the cornerbacks these guys will see all game, and they've combined to allow just 54-of-96 passing for 783 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions in their coverage. They're not unbeatable, as there have been eight wide receivers who've totaled 82-plus yards against them, but it's hardly a matchup to target. Mims would be my preferred option of the two due to his seemingly more consistent target share but they're both stuck in WR5 territory.
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88.
Dallas Goedert
TE - PHI (vs . SEA)
Ahh, that's more like it. Even though Richard Rodgers stole more production, Goedert was able to catch 5-of-6 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown last week, which was his best game since way back in Week 1. Unfortunately, the matchup this week is among the worst in football for his position. Tight ends have been targeted just 12.4 percent of the time against the Seahawks, which is 2.9 percent less than any other team in the league (the league average is 20 percent). That's led to tight ends accounting for a league-low 11.3 percent of fantasy production against the Seahawks. To be fair, there's a lot of production to go around, and there's no way the Eagles are targeting their tight ends just 12.4 percent of the time. In fact, they've received a 26.9 percent target share on the year. The Seahawks have allowed just a 58.2 percent catch-rate to tight ends, but when they do catch the ball, they've gone for a league-high 14.3 yards per reception. Because of that, they're allowing 8.33 yards per target, which is the fifth-highest mark in the league. Still, seeing them allow just 3.2 tight end receptions per game is always concerning. Goedert has received six targets in each of the last two games, and the Eagles figure to be passing even more in this game, so go ahead and play him as a TE1.
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89.
Latavius Murray
RB - NO (at DEN)
While doing research for this game, I came across something pretty hilarious on Kamara. He's seen a remarkable 24.5 percent of the Saints targets, which ranks 11th in the NFL, but has seen just 3.0 percent of their air yards. These are the little tidbits I find that keep me amused. That target share number was actually 26.0 percent before Taysom Hill took over, so should we be worried about Kamara? I'll be honest, it's not great, as Kamara has totaled more than 14 carries just once all season. That receiving work is what offered most of his value. We can't completely panic about one game, and who knows, maybe the Falcons cornerbacks were just so bad that Hill couldn't help himself and didn't want to dump it down. But yes, it's worrisome. The matchup this week should allow for a lot of production on the ground, as the Broncos just haven't been the same since losing Mike Purcell on the defensive line. After being one of the best run defenses in the league, they've struggled to slow down much of anyone over the last five games, as they've allowed 595 rushing yards on 129 carries (4.61 yards per carry) with six rushing touchdowns. They've also allowed 143 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown over their last four games to running backs, so they're clearly struggling with the position, and it's not like their competition has been stellar. On top of that, their offense is struggling to put points on the board most weeks, which has led to running backs averaging 28.4 touches per game against them. You probably don't want to spend up for Kamara in cash games until we see his targets get back up to par, but you're still playing him as an RB1 in season-long formats in a plus-matchup. This is the first plus-matchup for Murray's role in quite a few weeks, as they've played the Bears, Bucs, 49ers, and Falcons over the last four weeks. Not many realize that Murray has just 15 fewer carries than Kamara on the year, though he's been on the short end of the stick in the touchdown department (Kamara 8, Murray 2). Knowing Murray has received at least nine touches in 9-of-10 games this year, he's in the low-end RB3/high-end RB4 conversation who just might make an appearance into the end zone.
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90.
Devin Singletary
RB - BUF (vs . LAC)
In reality, it's not great for either of them, as they've combined to touch the ball just 19.5 times per game this year. If that continues, there's no way you can consistently rely on either of them to be a usable fantasy option. The Chargers have allowed a massive 4.78 yards per carry this year, which ranks as the third-most in the league. While they didn't allow a rushing touchdown in each of their first five games, they've now allowed seven of them over their last five games, including at least one in every game. This bodes well for Moss, who's received 33 percent of the teams carries inside the five-yard line (Allen is leading with 38.9 percent). Teams have chosen to concentrate a lot of their targets against the Chargers to the running back position, as they've seen a 22.8 percent target share, which ranks as the fourth-highest mark in the league. Singletary has run eight more routes than Moss over the last four games, but production is nearly identical. There have been nine running backs who've totaled 10-plus carries against the Chargers, and eight of them finished with at least 13.0 PPR points and as a top-26 option. Moss should be in the RB3 conversation due to how his strengths align with this matchup, while Singletary is just an RB4.
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91.
Darrell Henderson
RB - LAR (vs . SF)
Whew boy. It seems like Sean McVay has made good on his promise to model his run game after Kyle Shanahan. We now have a three-man timeshare where none of them have finished with more than 10 touches in either of the last two games. Even worse, there are just five teams in the NFL who've held running backs to 3.50 or less yards per carry this season, and the 49ers are one of them. The 49ers are also one of five teams who've allowed less than 10.0 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs. Running backs have combined to touch the ball just 24.9 times per game against them, which doesn't bode well for a three-way timeshare. There hasn't been a game this year where the 49ers have allowed more than 96 yards on the ground to an entire team of running backs. They've been less efficient through the air as a defense, but even when you add the receiving production in, they've allowed just 110.1 total yards per game to running backs. While Henderson looks better than the others, he's totaled just 15 carries over the last two games combined, so when you look at his limited involvement in the passing game, there's no way you can start him with confidence as anything more than a back-end RB3/high-end RB4. Brown is the primary receiving back but with Akers' involvement as of late, Brown has totaled just 12 touches over the last two weeks and is just a low-ceiling/low-floor RB4. Akers' role is growing but he's played just 30 snaps over the last two games combined. He's just a touchdown-or-bust RB4/5 option, and not a great one in this matchup.
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92.
Deebo Samuel
WR - SF (at LAR)
We thought he might come back before their bye, but they played it safe and held him out. As long as he practices in full at some point this week, we should feel confident he'll be playing a full-time role in this offense. The last time they played the Rams, he had one of the best games any wide receiver has against them, racking up six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, though if you recall, he totaled 98 yards AFTER the catch in that game. How is that possible? His average depth of target was 5.3 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Odd, I know. But give them credit for finding a way to get the ball into his hands. That's basically the only thing they're below average against, is allowing a 64.9 percent completion-rate to receivers, though those receptions go for a league-low 10.68 yards a pop. Unfortunately, the Rams are also the only team in the NFL who's allowed negative yards on wide receiver carries. Seriously, they've faced nine carries by wide receivers, but those have netted -1 yard. You're best off playing it safe and waiting to see Samuel play a full game before putting him back in lineups, as he's just a risky WR4 option this week.
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93.
Marquise Brown
WR - BAL (at PIT)
We know fantasy managers have been fed up with Brown's struggles, and it appears that maybe the Ravens are, too. He saw a season-low three targets in Week 11 that netted zero catches for zero yards. Only one of those targets was catchable, but he led it go right through his hands. You'd have to go all the way back to Week 5 to find the last time Brown finished with double-digit PPR points. He's the No. 50 wide receiver in PPR formats this year, right behind Russell Gage and Greg Ward. Not great, Bob. Of the fantasy production allowed to skill-position players against the Steelers, wide receivers account for 59.1 percent of it, which ranks as the second-highest percentage in the league, only to the Seahawks. The matchup isn't as bad as some make it out to be for wide receivers against the Steelers, as they are essentially right around the league average. The benefit to Brown is that they've allowed 14.08 yards per reception to receivers, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league. Brown tweeted after last week's game, "What's the point of having souljas when you never use them (Never!!)." He deleted it, but John Harbaugh addressed the concerns and said, "We want him to be a huge part of our offense. We've got to find ways to get that done." He's right, they do need him to stretch the field and at least be considered a threat. He's in the boom-or-bust WR4 conversation this week, and this could be the wake-up they needed to get the ball into his hands.
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94.
Denzel Mims
WR - NYJ (vs . MIA)
These two are highly unpredictable from week-to-week, and if Perriman hadn't caught that 49-yard touchdown late in the game, he would've finished with just one catch for five yards. In the end, he only got four targets, which is not enough to start anyone with confidence, especially when he has Flacco or Darnold as his quarterback. Mims has seen a much more consistent target share (at least seven targets in 3-of-4 games), and though he hasn't topped 71 yards, he also hasn't fallen below 42 yards. Don't forget he's a rookie who didn't play a single snap until Week 7, so he should only get better. The issue for both of these receivers this week is the Dolphins cornerback duo of Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. They're the cornerbacks these guys will see all game, and they've combined to allow just 54-of-96 passing for 783 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions in their coverage. They're not unbeatable, as there have been eight wide receivers who've totaled 82-plus yards against them, but it's hardly a matchup to target. Mims would be my preferred option of the two due to his seemingly more consistent target share but they're both stuck in WR5 territory.
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95.
Michael Gallup
WR - DAL (vs . WAS)
Gallup's a talented receiver, but he's not someone that you can look at in typical redraft leagues. He's not worth holding onto and can be dropped to your waiver wire.
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96.
Rob Gronkowski
TE - TB (vs . KC)
It appears we've lost some of the luster to Gronkowski with all three wide receivers healthy, as he's totaled just 19 targets over the last four games. He's caught just five passes over the last three games, which is certainly now what we want out of our tight end. Will the trend change against the Chiefs? They've allowed the 12th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends this year, but it's not as bad as you might think, as tight ends have averaged 3.7 percent more fantasy points against the Chiefs than they have in non-Chiefs matchups. That makes them the 14th-best matchup for tight ends when you adjust for level of competition. There have been five tight ends who've finished as the TE13 or better against them, including six tight ends who've totaled 38-plus yards. They've also allowed a touchdown every 13.0 targets to tight ends, so maybe we see Gronk find his way back into the end zone in this projected high-scoring affair? He should be considered a low-end TE1 with his recent lack of production, though the 56-point total is appealing.
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97.
James White
RB - NE (vs . ARI)
Now that Rex Burkhead is out for the year, we have narrowed down the running backs available to syphon touches to Harris and White. While there's surely someone else to come in and take a few touches, these are the mainstays. There are plenty of opportunities to go around, especially when it comes to White, who has newfound targets. Why should we assume he inherits most of the opportunity that Burkhead had? Well, because Harris and Sony Michel have totaled seven targets... combined. That's not one week. That's all season, so they're essentially non-factors, and it's the reason White saw a season-high nine targets last week. He's never going to be someone who gets more than a handful of carries, but in PPR formats, he's certainly valuable. The Cardinals have allowed 4.39 yards per carry, which is essentially the league average, though it's important to note that they lost interior lineman Corey Peters prior to their Week 10 game. He was their best interior lineman, and it allowed the Seahawks to rush for 123 yards and a touchdown on just 21 carries. Harris is extremely similar to the downhill runner that Carlos Hyde is, so that performance bodes well for Harris. It's still worrisome that no running back has totaled more than 84 yards on the ground against the Cardinals, but the loss of Peters is huge. Harris should be considered a high-end RB3 who is a bit gamescript dependent with his lack of pass-game usage. Running backs haven't seen many targets against the Cardinals (6.3 per game), but when they do get targeted, they're averaging a solid 5.89 yards per target and 1.57 PPR points per game, which are both above the league average. There's been just one running back who's totaled more than 31 receiving yards due to the lack of targets, but White should get at least 10 opportunities in this game, making him a worthwhile RB3/flex option, especially in PPR formats. Think of him like a J.D. McKissic-like option.
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98.
Keelan Cole Sr.
WR - JAC (vs . CLE)
Who else misses the days when we could count on Cole for at least 8.3 PPR points every week? With Minshew under center (and not playing with broken bones in his hand), Cole finished with at least 8.3 PPR points in six straight games to start the season, but since that time, he's been wildly unpredictable. The Browns have Kevin Johnson covering the slot, allowing 20-of-25 passes to be completed, though they've only gone for 178 yards and no touchdowns. You might look at the games the Browns let slot-heavy receivers Willie Snead go for 4/64/1, Tyler Boyd 7/72/1, and CeeDee Lamb 5/79/2, but you know what all those games had in common? Johnson wasn't active. The lone big game by a slot receiver with him in the lineup was Boyd (the second time) when the Browns and Bengals got into that crazy shootout. It's not like Cole is a sure thing with Glennon under center, so I'd prefer to wait a week to ensure he gets targeted. Cole is in the WR5/6 discussion.
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99.
Tim Patrick
WR - DEN (vs . NO)
He posted his third 100-yard game in Week 11, which ranks 10th among wide receivers. What makes it that much more impressive is that he's had all three of those games over the last six games played. He's been extremely impressive when you take a look at the competition they've played and the lack of efficiency by Drew Lock, as he's has just one game with more than 270 yards. While teams are treating Jeudy like the No. 1 receiver, Patrick is taking full advantage. He has 21 fewer targets than Jeudy, but he trails him by just one reception and 26 yards. The Saints cornerback duo of Janoris Jenkins and Marshon Lattimore have played better as of late, but Lattimore was forced to miss last week's game, which slid Patrick Robinson into the starting lineup. If Lattimore were to miss again, Patrick would get Robinson in coverage, and that's a major upgrade, as he stepped in and proceeded to allow 5-of-6 passing for 83 yards in his coverage last week. If Lattimore plays, that's problematic, as he's the cornerback Patrick would see most of the day (if they play sides). When Lattimore is on and playing with confidence, he's one of the best in the league. Stay tuned for updates on Lattimore's status later in the week, but for now, Patrick belongs in the WR4 conversation right alongside Jeudy.
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100.
Carlos Hyde
RB - SEA (at PHI)
I thought Hyde looked fantastic on Thursday night, rumbling through a somewhat depleted Cardinals defense for 95 total yards and a touchdown. Carson was close to playing last week, so he should be ready to rock after another 11 days. How does this timeshare look upon his return? In the three full games they both played, Carson totaled 12, 20, and 17 touches, while Hyde had 7, 7, and 5 touches. Do they even it out a bit more with Carson coming off the multi-week injury? It's possible. The Eagles have allowed just 3.43 yards per carry on the year, which ranks as the second-lowest number in the league. The Eagles are also one of four teams who've yet to allow a receiving touchdown to a running back. Despite running backs averaging 28.0 touches per game against the Eagles (12th-most), they've combined for 113.3 total yards per game (8th-fewest), so efficiency will be hard to come by. Nick Chubb was the first running back who topped 81 yards on the ground against them this season, and just the second running back to top 63 yards. Considering no Seahawks running back has totaled more than 18 carries in a game this year, you're looking for production to come through the air. Carson is the only running back on the team who's seen more than five targets in a game, so he's clearly the one we'd look to. There have been just seven running backs who've cracked double-digit PPR points against the Eagles and all of them touched the ball at least 14 times. Put Carson in RB2 range for his return, but let's hope they don't ease him back in. Hyde is nothing more than a handcuff to Carson right now. If Carson were to sit again, Hyde would step into that low-end RB2 conversation.
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101.
T.Y. Hilton
WR - IND (vs . TEN)
He's averaged just 1.23 PPR points per target this season, which ranks 111th among 117 wide receivers who've seen 20-plus targets. Whew. The Titans have allowed just 11.0 yards per reception to wide receivers this year, which is the lowest mark in the league, so you need to accumulate receptions to succeed. Hilton has still racked up five-plus targets in 7-of-9 games this year, which is why it's tough to completely erase him from consideration, but when you see him as the No. 84 wide receiver on the year, behind guys like Jalen Guyton and Gabriel Davis, you're reminded that there's almost no upside here. There have been 19 wide receivers who've finished as top-48 options against the Titans, too, but still, by playing him you're likely sacrificing upside with another player. He's just a low-ceiling WR5.
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102.
Evan Engram
TE - NYG (at CIN)
After seeing 29 targets over a three-week sample size, Engram fell off the face of the earth against the Eagles, seeing just three targets. Fortunately, it was a low-scoring week for tight ends, so he may not have buried you, but it's not great. Engram still hasn't finished a game this year with more than 65 yards, as his measly 5.2 yards per target is among the lowest in football. His 5.7-yard average depth of target is the third-lowest among pass-catchers with 40-plus targets. The Bengals opponents have targeted their tight ends 23.1 percent of the time against them, which is the third-highest mark in the league, so we can hope his targets come back. There have already been seven tight ends who've totaled double-digit PPR points against the Bengals, including five of them who totaled 56-plus yards, so it wasn't just touchdowns they were leaning on for production. From an efficiency standpoint, they've been relatively average, allowing 1.79 PPR points and 7.72 yards per target, but the volume has allowed some consistent production. We have to consider his three-target game a blip on the radar, as he's seen five-plus targets in 7-of-10 games. Engram remains in the low-end TE1 conversation.
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103.
Josh Reynolds
WR - LAR (vs . SF)
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104.
Phillip Lindsay
RB - DEN (vs . NO)
After what seemed like an eternity, the Broncos running backs had some success in Week 11, combining for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries against the Dolphins, as they led throughout the game. Neither of them were targeted in the passing game, which could be a real problem this week. The Saints are one of just five teams who've allowed fewer than 3.50 yards per carry on the season. It's not just that, either, as they've allowed a rushing touchdown once every 63.7 carries, which is the least often. On the ground, they've allowed just 8.4 fantasy points per game to running backs, which is the lowest in the league, and it doesn't bode well for someone like Lindsay, who isn't involved in the passing game. It's not great through the air, either, as running backs have averaged just 4.50 yards per target against the Saints, which ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in the NFL. So, the yardage is bad on the ground and through the air. What about the touchdowns? Nope, they've allowed a league-low five touchdowns to running backs this year. Of the fantasy production the Saints allow to skill-position players, running backs account for just 25.4 percent of it, which is the lowest mark in the league. That's led to them scoring just 17.4 PPR points per game against the Saints, which is the lowest number in the league. When you see the Saints have faced just 24.0 running back touches per game, and been so efficient against them (94.8 total yards per game), it's tough to say Gordon is anything more than a middling RB3 this week and not someone you should feel it necessary to play. Lindsay is an even worse bet considering how little he's used in the passing game, making him an RB4.
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105.
Jamaal Williams
RB - GB (vs . CHI)
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106.
Malcolm Brown
RB - LAR (vs . SF)
Whew boy. It seems like Sean McVay has made good on his promise to model his run game after Kyle Shanahan. We now have a three-man timeshare where none of them have finished with more than 10 touches in either of the last two games. Even worse, there are just five teams in the NFL who've held running backs to 3.50 or less yards per carry this season, and the 49ers are one of them. The 49ers are also one of five teams who've allowed less than 10.0 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs. Running backs have combined to touch the ball just 24.9 times per game against them, which doesn't bode well for a three-way timeshare. There hasn't been a game this year where the 49ers have allowed more than 96 yards on the ground to an entire team of running backs. They've been less efficient through the air as a defense, but even when you add the receiving production in, they've allowed just 110.1 total yards per game to running backs. While Henderson looks better than the others, he's totaled just 15 carries over the last two games combined, so when you look at his limited involvement in the passing game, there's no way you can start him with confidence as anything more than a back-end RB3/high-end RB4. Brown is the primary receiving back but with Akers' involvement as of late, Brown has totaled just 12 touches over the last two weeks and is just a low-ceiling/low-floor RB4. Akers' role is growing but he's played just 30 snaps over the last two games combined. He's just a touchdown-or-bust RB4/5 option, and not a great one in this matchup.
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107.
Rashard Higgins
WR - CLE (at JAC)
So, what do we make of Higgins? It's really difficult to say right now, as he totaled 110 yards in the game Odell Beckham had to leave, leading many to the waiver wire to snag him, only to then have three straight games in high-wind/rainy conditions. He has caught six passes for 113 yards over the last two weeks, which is quite the accomplishment considering Mayfield hasn't thrown the ball much at all. The Jaguars cornerback depth chart is a mess, as C.J. Henderson is out, D.J. Hayden is out, Chris Claybrooks is likely out, and Sidney Jones missed last week with an Achilles injury. It's possible they're without four of their top five cornerbacks for this game. Even with them, the Jaguars have allowed a robust 9.17 yards per target to wide receivers. We shouldn't see a whole lot of pass attempts out of Mayfield this week, but when we do, they should be quality. Higgins is on the WR4/5 radar.
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108.
KJ Hamler
WR - DEN (vs . NO)
His 26 targets over the last three weeks have netted just 14 receptions for 160 scoreless yards. It feels eerily similar to Jerry Jeudy earlier in the year where he was getting the targets in the slot, but he just wasn't doing much with them. Hamler offers one-play upside but not in the role they have him in. It feels like this matchup on the other side of the ball is similar to Hamler's performance to this point, as Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has been targeted plenty but hasn't allowed much production. On the year he's seen 51 targets, allowing 40 receptions for 321 yards and one touchdown. While that 78.4 percent catch-rate is massive, the 6.29 yards per target is one of the lowest marks in the league. Hamler is on the WR4/5 radar due to his targets, but he just feels like a lineup filler and not someone you'll be excited to start.
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109.
Emmanuel Sanders
WR - NO (at DEN)
We've now had three weeks with Michael Thomas back, and it's official, Sanders is not a full-time player. His snap percentages with Thomas in the lineup this year are 48, 30, 58, and 59. That hasn't stopped him from getting some targets when on the field, but he hasn't topped five targets in any game Thomas has played, which certainly caps his appeal. Now going into a matchup with the Broncos who've allowed just 7.47 yards per target to wide receivers, which is the second-lowest mark in the league. Of the 16 wide receivers who've totaled double-digit PPR points against the Broncos, just two of them finished with less than five targets, and they both needed to score to get there. It's Hill's first start in a road game against a competent opponent, Sanders isn't seeing the field more than 58 percent of the time, and he has a five-target ceiling with Thomas in the lineup. Sanders looks like a relatively weak WR5 option this week.
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110.
Jerick McKinnon
RB - SF (at LAR)
It's going to be odd to have all three of these running backs back on the field, but that's what we should be expecting in Week 12. Unfortunately, we have zero clue about how Kyle Shanahan will use them. Mostert was the surefire starter through the four games he did play, but do his touches get dialed back now that multiple injuries have happened? Shanahan has always had an affinity for Coleman despite his inefficiency. And while McKinnon has played well in spurts, they clearly don't want him in the primary ball carrying role. This isn't a great matchup for timeshares, as the Rams have faced just 24.4 running back touches per week. In that Week 6 matchup this year, they all combined for 120 yards on 32 carries (3.75 yards per carry) while chipping in with another four receptions for 21 yards. That's a lot of volume but not a lot of production, which has been the case for most running backs as the Rams are allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per weighted opportunity. Provided Mostert returns, he should be the top play, but he'd be stuck in the high-end RB3 territory as someone who may be eased back in. Coleman's inefficiency combined with the Rams efficiency amounts to almost zero upside, so he's not a recommended option. McKinnon is a better play than Coleman, but we haven't seen him get many touches with Mostert and Coleman in the lineup, which makes him a hail-mary RB4-type option who you hope gets it done through the air.
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111.
Henry Ruggs III
WR - LV (at ATL)
Just how bad has it gotten for Ruggs? Well, NFL's NextGenStats requires 28 targets to be a part of the results. Ruggs is no longer part of the results. It's maddening and confusing, as he's averaging 9.8 yards per target, so he hasn't been bad or anything. When playing against the Falcons, wide receivers have outscored running backs by a massive 22.1 PPR points, which is the second-largest gap in the league. Touchdowns aren't even required against them, as they've allowed a massive 9.54 yards per target to wide receivers. Even better is that they've allowed a massive 14.64 yards per reception, which is the most in the league. Ruggs has a ridiculously-high 19.5 air yards per target, so maybe he connects with Carr deep down the field? That's what we have to hope for considering he's go what seems like a four-target ceiling. For what it's worth, no receiver who's played the Falcons and seen fewer than five targets has finished as a top-50 option. If you're playing Ruggs, you're doing it because you know how great the matchup is and you're willing to take the risk. You're going to need a major offensive philosophy change for that upside to happen. He's just a boom-or-bust WR5.
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112.
Hayden Hurst
TE - ATL (vs . LV)
Just when it felt like Hurst was becoming one of the top-tier tight ends, he goes out and posts his third game of the season with fewer than 10 yards. I'm not sure what happened for him to get just two targets on the day, but we must consider it a blip on the radar considering he'd seen at least six targets in five of the last six games. He'd also finished as a top-14 tight end in six of his previous eight games, which is consistency that's hard to find at the tight end position. One thing I'd like to note, and it could be a coincidence, but all three games Hurst finished with fewer than 10 yards came with Julio Jones out of the lineup for all/most of the game. It's incredible how Jones opens things up for everyone else. The Raiders have allowed two massive games to Travis Kelce, a solid game to Rob Gronkowski, and nothing to anyone else, which include seven-target games to Hunter Henry and Noah Fant (neither of them topped 33 yards). Despite Kelce ruining their day twice, they've still allowed just 1.58 PPR points per target to tight ends, which ranks as the sixth-fewest in football. Football Outsiders have them listed as the third-toughest matchup for tight ends in their DVOA metric. Hurst isn't likely to put up a dud again, but this matchup isn't a great one. He's just a low-end TE1 for this game.
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113.
Eric Ebron
TE - PIT (vs . BAL)
We talk about it every week, but the Steelers have too many pass-catchers for all of them to remain consistent. However, with Roethlisberger throwing the ball 40-times seemingly every game, there should be plenty of opportunity for Ebron. He's now totaled at least five targets in eight of the last nine games. He's not someone who'll get you tons of yardage, as he's yet to finish with more than 52 yards, but he is averaging 3.8 receptions per game since the start of Week 2, which is a floor that's hard to find at the tight end position. The matchup against the Ravens has been decent for tight ends, as we've watched six different tight ends finish with double-digit PPR days against them, including Ebron who caught four balls for 48 yards and a touchdown in their Week 8 meeting when he finished as the TE3 on the week. While the Ravens have been a below average matchup for running backs and wide receivers, they rank as the 18th-best matchup for tight ends based on adjusted opponent rank. I suppose that's slightly below average, but it's nothing to downgrade Ebron over. Zach Ertz was the only tight end who's seen five-plus targets and failed to finish with at least 12.0 PPR points against them. That's a target number Ebron has hit that target mark in 8-of-10 games, making him a solid mid-to-low-end TE1 this week.
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114.
Mecole Hardman
WR - KC (at TB)
It shouldn't come as a surprise, but Hardman ranks No. 4 among wide receivers with 2.61 PPR points per target. This comes just one year after he averaged 2.77 PPR points per target in 2019, which was the fourth-best mark in the NFL over the last 10 years. Yeah, he's efficient. The issue is reliability in his role, which has been week-to-week. It might not seem like much, but Byron Pringle going to IR is big for Hardman. Pringle had averaged 31.2 snaps per game over the last five weeks. Hardman plays over half of his snaps in the slot, which is why they struggle to get him on the field with Hill, who plays most of his snaps there. It wouldn't surprise me to see Andy Reid test the depth of the Bucs cornerback unit and utilize Hardman in this game, though he's nothing more than a hail-mary WR4/5 play who has more upside than most in that range.
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115.
Noah Fant
TE - DEN (vs . NO)
Some may have been disappointed by Fant's performance last week, but they really shouldn't have been, as the Dolphins have been one of the better teams in the league against tight ends. Even better, it appears that Fant is moving around well and is back at full health. He's managed to finish in-between 35-57 yards in seven of the last eight games, but he hasn't scored since way back in Week 2. Both him and Hunter Henry have had very similar seasons, though Fant has certainly dealt with worse quarterback play. Unfortunately, tight ends have averaged 5.6 percent fewer fantasy points against the Saints than they do in non-Saints games, which ranks as the 10th-toughest matchup in the league. Outside of the game where Darren Waller went bananas against them back in Week 2, the Saints haven't allowed a tight end more than five catches or 62 yards, so the ceiling has been limited. The positive news is that we're expecting more pass attempts out of the Broncos this week, and Fant has a 16.2 percent target share, so he should offer a somewhat stable floor. He'll need them, as the 5.99 yards per target they've allowed to tight ends ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in the league.
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116.
Austin Hooper
TE - CLE (at JAC)
It's going to be difficult for any pass-catcher to be successful when Mayfield is throwing the ball as little as he is, though Hooper did see 22.7 percent of the targets last week. Still, he's topped 34 yards just twice all season and he's scored one touchdown on 40 targets. That's not upside you can't live without, though the matchup this week could present a floor that might entice you. The Jaguars have allowed a league-high eight touchdowns to tight ends. It's not due to a bunch of volume, either. They've allowed a touchdown every 7.9 targets to tight ends, which is more often than any other team in the league. While just one tight end has topped 57 yards against them, six tight ends have totaled at least 33 yards with limited volume. In fact, there's been just two tight ends who've seen more than five targets against them all year, which is likely due to the plus matchups everywhere else on the field. Now that they're not playing in the wind or rain, we could see them throw the ball a bit more and it's not like they have a bevy of wide receivers to target. Because of that, Hooper is a high-end TE2 this week.
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117.
Jonnu Smith
TE - TEN (at IND)
After scoring three touchdowns over the last three weeks, Smith is back as a top-five tight end. The good news? He's seen six targets in each of the last two games. The bad news? He hasn't topped 32 yards since back in Week 5. He's turned into a touchdown-or-bust tight end, but fortunately, he's scored eight total touchdowns this year. Teams have chosen to target their tight ends 22.9 percent of the time against the Colts, which ranks as the fifth-highest percentage in the league. Despite that high percentage, they allowed the first receiving touchdown to a tight end just last week. The 1.19 PPR points per target they've allowed to tight ends is the second-lowest number in football to only the Steelers. Football Outsiders' DVOA metric has them as the sixth-toughest matchup for tight ends. Smith was targeted six times against them in their last meeting that only netted two catches for 14 yards, but he did score a rushing touchdown, salvaging his fantasy day. Considering the Colts have allowed just 5.19 yards per target and one touchdown on 74 targets to the position, it's probably not wise to bet on Smith as anything more than a middling TE2 this week.
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118.
Le'Veon Bell
RB - KC (at TB)
The Chiefs ran the ball 21 times in Week 11, which may not seem like much, but it was the first time they hit 20 carries since back in Week 6. It certainly helps that they ran 78 plays and it was a good matchup for their running backs, but that's not going to be the case this week. The Bucs matchup is the last one you want to see on your running back's schedule, as they're simply the best. They've allowed an unheard of 2.97 yards per carry on the year, while no other team has allowed fewer than 3.43 yards per carry. It was the same story last year when they held backs to just 3.02 yards per carry. On the year, they've allowed just 50.5 rushing yards per game, so expecting much production on the ground doesn't make sense. So, let's travel to the passing game. Since Bell joined the team, the routes run have gone Edwards-Helaire 69, Bell 45, and Darrel Williams 34. This is not great, as Edwards-Helaire should be the clear front-runner of this trio. This is important because the Bucs have allowed the third-most fantasy points through the air to running backs. They've seen a league-high 86 targets to them, resulting in a league-high 70 receptions. Still, they've allowed just 90.6 total yards per game to running backs, so touchdowns are necessary for production. They've allowed 10 total touchdowns to running backs, so it's not impossible, but this matchup is bad for a timeshare running back. Edwards-Helaire should be considered just a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 while Bell is not a recommended play.
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119.
Allen Lazard
WR - GB (vs . CHI)
As expected, Lazard was eased back into the offense, playing 36-of-60 snaps and seeing just four targets. He came out of that game setback-free, so he should be good to go against the Bears. If you're playing a receiver against the Bears, you need targets, plain and simple. They've allowed a league-low 1.52 PPR points per target to the position. However, when we look at Lazard's matchup a bit closer, it gets better. He's played in the slot on 54 percent of his snaps, which means he'll see Buster Skrine more than any other Packers wide receiver. This is a great thing for Lazard, as Skrine has resorted back to his Jets days when he was the cornerback everyone attacked. He's allowed 40-of-51 passing for 426 yards and four touchdowns in his coverage, with all four of those touchdowns coming over the last four games, so he's reeling right now. Lazard still needs the targets, but he has a much better matchup than someone like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, making him a WR4/5-type option.
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120.
Tony Pollard
RB - DAL (vs . WAS)
Coming into last week, Elliott led the league with 16 carries inside the five-yard-line. It was only a matter of time before he started to convert some of those into touchdowns. He scored in Week 11, though it was on a target. He looked extremely good in that game against the Vikings, as his vision was better than I'd seen it all year, and it led to him tallying his first 100-rushing-yard game of the season. It's going to be tough to repeat that task against Washington, who's allowed just one running back (Nick Chubb) to finish with more than 86 yards on the ground against them this year. In their first meeting, Elliott was held to just 45 yards on 12 carries and caught just one pass for six yards. That's been a somewhat common thing against Washington, as D'Andre Swift has been the only running back who's topped four receptions or 37 receiving yards against them. All in all, they've allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points through the air to running backs, though much of that is due to lack of volume, as they've seen just 4.9 targets per game (2nd-fewest in NFL). We've talked about touchdowns, right? Well, of the seven running backs who've touched the ball 15-plus times against Washington, five have scored with the only exceptions being Devonta Freeman and Kenyan Drake. It's not a locked-and-loaded RB1-type week for Elliott, but he should remain in lineups as a high-end RB2 who's locked into 18-plus touches. Washington has faced 26.6 touches per game to running backs, so it doesn't leave a whole lot for Pollard, who has snuck in five-plus carries in each of the last six games, though that's not enough to play him as anything more than an emergency RB4.
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121.
Mike Gesicki
TE - MIA (at NYJ)
After finishing as a top-15 tight end in three of his first five games this year, Gesicki has failed to finish better than TE17 over his last five games. I do feel like he's inching up the radar a bit, though, as he's now totaled at least four targets and 40-plus yards in each of the last three games. You'd expect his targets to increase with Preston Williams out of the lineup and really no No. 2 wide receiver available to take those targets. If you just looked at his target share over the last three games, you'd see he's sitting at 15.4 percent, which isn't horrible. Knowing the Jets face an average of 36.8 pass attempts per game, we could see a six-target day for Gesicki. Against the Jets, that could be massive, as they've allowed 2.22 PPR points per target to tight ends, which is the third-highest mark in the league. It's a combination of both yardage (8.21 yards per target ranks as the 8th-most) and touchdowns (have allowed a touchdown every 9.0 targets, which is the fourth-most often). Through 10 games, there have been seven tight ends who've finished as the TE14 or better against them, including five top-eight performances. Gesicki is in the low-end TE1/high-end TE2 conversation this week.
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122.
Cam Akers
RB - LAR (vs . SF)
Whew boy. It seems like Sean McVay has made good on his promise to model his run game after Kyle Shanahan. We now have a three-man timeshare where none of them have finished with more than 10 touches in either of the last two games. Even worse, there are just five teams in the NFL who've held running backs to 3.50 or less yards per carry this season, and the 49ers are one of them. The 49ers are also one of five teams who've allowed less than 10.0 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs. Running backs have combined to touch the ball just 24.9 times per game against them, which doesn't bode well for a three-way timeshare. There hasn't been a game this year where the 49ers have allowed more than 96 yards on the ground to an entire team of running backs. They've been less efficient through the air as a defense, but even when you add the receiving production in, they've allowed just 110.1 total yards per game to running backs. While Henderson looks better than the others, he's totaled just 15 carries over the last two games combined, so when you look at his limited involvement in the passing game, there's no way you can start him with confidence as anything more than a back-end RB3/high-end RB4. Brown is the primary receiving back but with Akers' involvement as of late, Brown has totaled just 12 touches over the last two weeks and is just a low-ceiling/low-floor RB4. Akers' role is growing but he's played just 30 snaps over the last two games combined. He's just a touchdown-or-bust RB4/5 option, and not a great one in this matchup.
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123.
Robert Tonyan
TE - GB (vs . CHI)
He's the No. 6 tight end on the season, but here's a fun fact for you. He's the only tight end inside the top-15 who's seen fewer than 49 targets this year... he's seen 37 of them. This year has not been friendly to those who stream tight ends. Sure, Tonyan may be the No. 6 tight end on the season, but he's finished as a top-12 tight end just four times. While the Bears are one of the worst matchups in the league for offenses as a whole, tight ends have accounted for 22.2 percent of the fantasy production by skill-position players against them, which is the most in the league. Opposing tight ends have averaged 9.3 percent more fantasy points against the Bears than they do on the year, making this the 10th-best schedule adjusted matchup for tight ends. It's the only positional matchup that's above average against the Bears. It may not sound like much, but there have been eight tight ends who've finished as the TE18 or better against the Bears, which is a rock-solid floor for streamers, making Tonyan a high-end TE2 in this matchup.
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124.
Jordan Reed
TE - SF (at LAR)
Back in a full-time role before their bye, Reed hauled in 5-of-6 targets for 62 yards against the Saints. In three full games without Kittle in the lineup, he's posted lines of 7/50/2, 2/23/0, and 5/62/0. I understand having worries about playing him every week due to his health concerns, but while he's healthy, he's playable. The Rams cornerback trio has been arguably the best in the NFL, which will certainly limit the appeal of the 49ers receivers, and why tight ends have accounted for 20.6 percent of the production to skill-position players against them, which ranks as the fifth-highest number in the league. It helps that opponents have also given their tight ends a 23.8 percent target share (2nd-most in NFL) against them, so you'd think Reed should come with a solid floor. The issue is that those percentages are on small numbers overall. On the season, there have been just two tight ends who've finished with 10-plus PPR points against them, so it's not like this is a smash spot or anything. One of the tight ends who did do well against them was George Kittle, who caught 7-of-10 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. Obviously, Reed isn't Kittle, but it helps to know that Kittle's done well against the Rams every time they play. Seriously, they've had no answer, as he's totaled at least 79 yards in each of their last six meetings. In a world where surefire tight ends are hard to find, Reed can be considered as a high-end TE2 this week.
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125.
Logan Thomas
TE - WAS (at DAL)
We continually say, "Thomas has seen at least four targets in every game, which is stability you can't find at the tight end position." Unfortunately, that needs to turn into fantasy points at some point, otherwise, there's no point. Thomas has finished with at least three catches in 8-of-10 games, but he's finished with more than 42 yards just twice. Fortunately, one of those games came against the Cowboys when he caught all four of his targets from Kyle Allen for 60 yards and a touchdown. The downside is that just 32 percent of the pass attempts the Cowboys opponents have been thrown have been directed at running backs or tight ends, which typically have a high correlation. With J.D. McKissic eating up so many of those targets (29 percent target share under Smith), it's tough to say Thomas will see more than five targets. The good news is that there have been just six tight ends who've seen four-plus targets against the Cowboys, and five of them have finished as top-10 tight ends, with the only exception being Tyler Higbee who still managed to catch 3-of-4 passes for 40 yards. Thomas is in the high-end TE2 conversation as someone who at least comes with a decent floor.
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126.
A.J. Green
WR - CIN (vs . NYG)
Green was able to find the end zone last week, but it's going to be impossible to look his way this week with Finley at QB. Green's a low-end FLEX play at best.
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127.
Dalton Schultz
TE - DAL (vs . WAS)
Similar to the tight end on the other sideline, Schultz has had a consistent role in his offense and has seen at least four targets in 9-of-10 games, including six-plus targets in six of them. He hasn't topped 53 yards since way back in Week 4, so his ceiling is a bit limited with all the receivers they have, but it's hard to find tight ends who average 6.1 targets per game. Everyone on the Cowboys offense struggled the last time these two teams played, and Schultz was no exception, finishing with just two catches for 22 yards. The good news is that against Washington, tight ends have averaged a 23.1 percent target share, which is tied as the third-most in the league. When you break down where the fantasy production to skill-position players goes against Washington, you'll see that tight ends account for 21.4 percent of it, which ranks as the second-most in the league. There have been just four tight ends who've topped 30 yards, so it's far from a guarantee, but given his target share, Schultz deserves mid-to-high-end TE2 consideration.
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128.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR - GB (vs . CHI)
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129.
Anthony Miller
WR - CHI (at GB)
The good news? Miller has finally started to get consistent targets. The bad news? He still hasn't topped 76 yards and hasn't scored since way back in Week 3. From Week 8 through Week 10, Miller ranked 11th among wide receivers with 26 targets. Have the Bears started to play him more, or was it a product of more pass plays? Considering he played just 47 percent of the snaps in Week 10, I'm going with the latter. The Packers have been tough on slot receivers and rank seventh in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric that factors in level of competition. There have been just four wide receivers who've topped 66 yards against the Packers, which highlights the need for receptions or touchdowns for receivers to be considered startable, and that's not something we've come to expect out of Miller, who's topped four receptions just twice this season. Miller is nothing more than a low-ceiling WR5-type option.
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130.
Samaje Perine
RB - CIN (vs . NYG)
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131.
Laviska Shenault Jr.
WR - JAC (vs . CLE)
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132.
James Conner
RB - PIT (vs . BAL)
After totaling at least 18 touches in each of his first six full games he played this year, Conner has been an afterthought in the Steelers offense. He's received just 42 touches over the last three games despite outscoring their opponents 87-32 in those games. Even worse, he's scored just one touchdown over the last five weeks while Benny Snell has vultured two touchdowns in that time. The last time these two teams played, Conner did total 18 touches, though they amounted to just 60 total yards without a touchdown. The Ravens have allowed a rushing touchdown once every 51.3 carries, which is the second-largest number in the league, though the status of their interior linemen is important. We already know that Brandon Williams has been ruled out with COVID, while Calais Campbell hasn't practiced. It seems they'll be without both players this week, which is certainly a big plus for Conner. I mentioned this last week with Henry, but the Ravens allowed just 4.12 yards per carry with Williams on the field last year but allowed a massive 5.31 yards per carry without him. While the Ravens sold out to stop Derrick Henry last week, they can't do that with the receivers that the Steelers have. There have been three running backs who've totaled 115-plus yards on the ground against the Ravens this year, and Conner should have relatively fresh legs with his limited work the last three weeks. Conner makes for a solid RB2 play who'll likely be under-owned in DFS tournaments with his recent performances.
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133.
Jared Cook
TE - NO (at DEN)
He's fading into the background over the last three weeks, as he's failed to see more than three targets in each of those games, and he's caught just three ball for 36 yards in all three games combined. You think that's bad enough? Well, how about the fact that rookie Adam Trautman actually out-snapped Cook 32-25 in last week's game with Hill under center. Is it a changing of the guard? Cook has actually played 26 or less snaps in each of the last three weeks, so it's probably best to just move on. The Broncos have allowed just 1.68 PPR points per target to tight ends, which ranks as the 11th-lowest number in football, so there's not a whole lot of reason to even contemplate him.
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134.
Hunter Renfrow
WR - LV (at ATL)
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135.
Russell Gage
WR - ATL (vs . LV)
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136.
Jimmy Graham
TE - CHI (at GB)
The Vikings had allowed the most yards per target to tight ends coming into the Bears game in Week 10, yet the Bears chose to target Graham twice. Rational coaching thoughts must be thrown out the window at this point in time, as we just can't rely on them to take advantage of the matchups in the game. Teams have chosen to target their tight ends just 15.3 percent of the time against the Packers, which is the second-lowest number in the league. The production has lacked because of that, as they've allowed just 12.3 percent of fantasy production go to them, which is also the second-lowest mark in the league. It's a shame, too, because when targeted, tight ends have averaged 8.49 yards per target, which ranks as the fourth-highest mark in the league. But again, we can't forget about the Vikings matchup just two weeks ago. Ugh. Due to the lack of targets, the Packers have allowed just one tight end to crack 10.5 PPR points against them this year, and that was Rob Gronkowski who saw eight targets. Tight ends have averaged 40.9 percent fewer fantasy points against the Packers than they have averaged in non-Packers games, making this the third-worst matchup based on adjusted opponent rank, though much of that comes from lack of targets. Graham is just a middling TE2 who's finished with 34 yards or less in 8-of-10 games.
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137.
Jordan Wilkins
RB - IND (vs . TEN)
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138.
Keke Coutee
WR - HOU (at DET)
He's going to take over the slot role with Randall Cobb out, which has plenty of value in this matchup. The Lions have been abused in the slot this year, as Justin Coleman and Darryl Roberts have combined to allow 35-of-49 passing for 348 yards and three touchdowns. We saw the Panthers take advantage of that last week with Curtis Samuel who racked up eight catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. If you're looking for a last-minute hail-mary WR5, Coutee could be someone who pays off.
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139.
Matt Breida
RB - MIA (at NYJ)
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140.
Devontae Booker
RB - LV (at ATL)
Booker had become more and more involved in the offense recently, but he took a back seat with the Raiders staying in that game all the way to the end. Booker should receive plenty of work when the game-script gets favorable, but it's hard to rely on that for fantasy purposes. He's nothing more than a low-end RB3 that should only be plugged into your lineup if you're absolutely desperate.
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141.
Benny Snell Jr.
RB - PIT (vs . BAL)
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142.
Trey Burton
TE - IND (vs . TEN)
With all the tight ends active once again in Week 11, it was a mess. The routes run were Burton 15, Mo Alie-Cox 15, and Jack Doyle 10. You don't feel confident in any of those numbers in any given week. Burton led them with five targets, and though they netted just two catches for 25 yards, one of them was for a touchdown. Doyle wasn't on the field the last time these two teams met, which led to Burton and Alie-Cox combining for seven targets, six receptions, and 43 scoreless yards. That's not great against a defense that's allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to the tight end position. In fact, everything they've allowed is in the green. The 76.1 percent completion-rate (3rd-highest), 8.21 yards per target (8th-highest), and touchdown every 11.2 targets (6th-most often) are all attractive for streamers, but not when you have a three-way timeshare. Because of that, Burton remains in middling TE2 territory, though he looks like the best play of the bunch.
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143.
Cam Sims
WR - WAS (at DAL)
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144.
Jakeem Grant
WR - MIA (at NYJ)
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145.
Marvin Hall
WR - DET (vs . HOU)
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146.
Jordan Akins
TE - HOU (at DET)
Rewind back to last week to my quote: "It blows my mind they don't utilize their tight ends more, as they've been efficient over the last two years." Adding in last week's performance, there have now been three games where the Texans have targeted their tight ends more than four times. In those games, the finishing lines were 6/85/1, 7/55/0, and 5/83/0. Will there be more room for tight ends to get targeted with Cobb out of the mix? It's tough to say yes considering how we have a large sample size of Deshaun Watson not throwing to them. Meanwhile, tight ends have seen just a 15.5 percent target share against the Lions this season which ranks as the third-lowest mark in the league. Tight ends have accounted for just 12.4 percent of the fantasy production the Lions have allowed to skill-position players, which is the third-worst percentage in the NFL. The odd part is that they've allowed five top-12 tight ends in their last five games, but it makes more sense when you find out that three of them failed to record more than 18 yards and relied on touchdowns to get there. Without the five touchdowns they've allowed, the Lions have allowed just 3.3 receptions and 34.4 yards per game to tight ends, which both rank as the second-fewest in the league. So, you're looking at a touchdown-or-bust TE2 here with Akins.
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147.
Willie Snead IV
WR - BAL (at PIT)
Over the last four games the Ravens have played, Snead is the No. 1 receiver on this team. He has totaled 25 targets, 17 receptions, 230 yards, and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Marquise Brown has 17 targets, six receptions, 55 yards, and one touchdown. Crazy, right? It's not like you really want to play Snead, as he's finished with more than 64 yards just once all season, but it's worth noting. The Steelers have Cameron Sutton covering the slot as of late, and he's done a better job than Mike Hilton was doing. Sutton has allowed just 1.02 yards per covered snap while Hilton allowed 2.06 yards per snap in coverage. Over the last few weeks, Sutton has held Keelan Cole to 2/26/0 and Tyler Boyd to 6/41/0. So, they seemed to have worked things out since Snead tagged them for 5/106/0 back in Week 8. You shouldn't feel the need to play him as anything more than a WR5 with a limited ceiling.
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148.
Damiere Byrd
WR - NE (vs . ARI)
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149.
Justice Hill
RB - BAL (at PIT)
It happened. The Ravens have finally moved to JK Dobbins as their primary ball carrier. He played a season-high 64 percent of the snaps and touched the ball a career-high 17 times against the Titans. Prior to that game, Dobbins hadn't touched the ball more than seven times with all three running backs in the lineup (for the full game). Unfortunately, that doesn't matter, as he was hit with COVID and is out for this week, as is Mark Ingram. That leaves us Edwards and Hill. The matchup... isn't great. Not only are the Steelers limiting opposing skill-position players to a league-low 62.1 PPR points per game but running backs have accounted for just 28.0 percent of that production, the fifth-lowest percentage in the league. The 173.9 PPR points they've allowed to running backs is just 0.1 more points than the Saints have allowed, making them the second-toughest matchup in the league. The lack of production through the air is what drags that number down, as they have allowed 4.14 yards per carry, which isn't deadly. It's also why we watched Dobbins have some success against them back in Week 8 when he totaled a career-high 113 yards on 15 carries. The Ravens hardly throw to their running backs, which fits what's happened against the Steelers, as they've only seen a running back target on 14.8 percent of pass attempts this year (second-lowest number in NFL). We're expecting a big touch-share for Edwards this week and we're going to need it with running backs averaging just 23.3 touches per game against the Steelers, which is the lowest mark in the league. Ingram was out the last time these two teams played, and Edwards totaled 87 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries despite Dobbins getting some work. Knowing Edwards is the workhorse here, he should be in the mid-to-low-end RB2 range in what is a tough matchup, but one that he's ready for. Hill is likely going to get 5-8 touches in this tough matchup, so he's not a recommended play.
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150.
Demarcus Robinson
WR - KC (at TB)
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151.
Darnell Mooney
WR - CHI (at GB)
After seeing at least five targets in each of his previous seven games, Mooney saw just two of them against the Vikings injury-plagued defense. Just another reason not to trust the Bears. Their quarterback play is among the worst in the league, and the coaching staff isn't taking advantage of mismatches. It would help Mooney if Trubisky were to go back under center, as he's much more accurate down the field than Foles, and we saw that when Taylor Gabriel offered streaming viability in this offense. With Jaire Alexander likely locked onto Allen Robinson, Mooney will see a lot of Kevin King, who has been someone to target with the deep ball, as he's allowed a robust 15.7 yards per reception in his coverage over the three-plus years he's been in the league. That's a span of 169 targets, so it's a big sample size. Mooney is just a WR5 because of the lack of competence in this offense, but his matchup is a good one.
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152.
Joshua Kelley
RB - LAC (at BUF)
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153.
Kyle Rudolph
TE - MIN (vs . CAR)
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154.
Will Dissly
TE - SEA (at PHI)
After witnessing what may have been Greg Olsen's final snap as an NFL player, Dissly stepped in and played 43-of-66 snaps in Week 11 while Jacob Hollister played just 13 of them. Dissly is playing the three-down tight end while Hollister is on the field for clear passing situations. This should mean good things for Dissly, who has caught 14-of-17 targets for 163 yards and a touchdown while battling back from an Achilles injury this year. The Eagles have been the sixth-best matchup for tight ends this year, allowing 14.5 PPR points per game to them. They've allowed a 77.8 percent catch-rate (2nd-highest), 7.44 yards per target (13th-most), and a touchdown every 12.0 targets (10th-most often), so it's across the board. What about the competition they've played? It hasn't been that tough, as tight ends have averaged a massive 16.2 percent more fantasy points against the Eagles than they have on the season, making it the sixth-easiest schedule adjusted matchup for tight ends. There's certainly some risk that Hollister steals some appeal, so we want to be careful, but if you're playing the showdown slate, Dissly would be my pick among the Seahawks tight ends.
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155.
Zach Pascal
WR - IND (vs . TEN)
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|
156.
Andy Isabella
WR - ARI (at NE)
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157.
Tyler Higbee
TE - LAR (vs . SF)
The Rams are moving back to more 2TE sets, as Higbee was on the field for 52-of-72 snaps Monday night while Everett was out there on 41 snaps. They've combined to run 86 routes over the last two weeks and have seen 31 targets the last three weeks, which is more than enough to be considered, though they're kind of canceling each other's upside out. Tight ends have combined to average just 3.4 receptions and 32.9 yards per game against the 49ers, which puts a damper on our parade. It's not like touchdowns have helped make up for the lack of yardage, either, as they've allowed just two tight end touchdowns this year. However, if we go back to the Week 6 meeting between these two teams, Higbee finished with 3/56/0 on four targets while Everett totaled 3/27/0 on four targets, so the Rams didn't shy away from targeting their tight ends in that game. Still, it's a tad worrisome that the 3/56/0 performance by Higbee in that game was the second-best tight end performance against them all season. They're both hanging out in the mid-to-low-end TE2 conversation in this tough matchup, with Higbee getting the nod as he's the only one who's been targeted inside the 10-yard-line (twice).
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158.
Boston Scott
RB - PHI (vs . SEA)
The Eagles have now "officially" signed Jordan Howard to the practice squad, so you have to expect they'll activate him for this game after Doug Pederson said they want a committee approach. It wasn't too much of a timeshare last week, as Sanders totaled 21 opportunities to just eight of them for Scott, so faith in Sanders is still alive. But again, this is your reminder that in the nine games both Howard and Sanders were active last year, Howard totaled 119 carries and 14 targets (14.8 opportunities per game) while Sanders received 76 carries and 27 targets (11.4 opportunities per game). While I don't expect that to happen again, there's a reason they signed Howard. The Seahawks have allowed a ridiculous 114.4 PPR points per game to their opponents. That's including the quarterback, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. Unfortunately, running backs have accounted for only 27.6 percent of that production, but that number has been on the rise as of late. They've allowed a rushing touchdown once every 18.5 carries, which is the second-most often, behind only the Raiders. But again, touchdowns are volatile, and the 3.66 yards per carry they've allowed is one of the lowest marks in the league. It also hurts to know that teams have chosen to run the ball just 34.8 percent of the time, which is the lowest percentage in the league. Just one running back has been able to accumulate more than 65 yards on the ground against them this season. The good news for B.T. Sanders and Scott is that they're utilized in the passing game because the Seahawks have allowed 6.5 receptions and 49.6 receiving yards per game to running backs, which are both near the top of the league. Sanders should be considered a high-end RB2 if Howard is left on the practice squad due to his target share. Scott is nothing more than a lackluster RB4.
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159.
Gabriel Davis
WR - BUF (vs . LAC)
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160.
David Moore
WR - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
161.
Alexander Mattison
RB - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
162.
Gerald Everett
TE - LAR (vs . SF)
|
|
163.
Mo Alie-Cox
TE - IND (vs . TEN)
|
|
164.
Golden Tate
WR - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
165.
Sammy Watkins
WR - KC (at TB)
|
|
166.
Dez Bryant
WR - BAL (at PIT)
Dez saw five targets last week and there's reason to believe that he could become a focal point of this offense down the road, but with Jackson struggling as a passer this season, it's hard to get excited about Bryant for fantasy football. He's a low-end FLEX play this week.
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167.
Adam Thielen
WR - MIN (vs . CAR)
He's now seen a league-high 46.9 percent of his team's red zone targets. No other player in the league has seen more than 35.4 percent. Now you know why he ranks 19th in yards (646) among wide receivers, but first in touchdowns (11). The issue is that we don't know if he'll play this week after getting mixed reports from a COVID test. It's something we will be paying attention to as the week goes on. We don't know if Donte Jackson will play this week, either, but it's something to monitor as his replacement Troy Pride has only been targeted 28 times, but when targeted, he's allowed a robust 2.37 PPR points per target, which ranks as the 12th-most among 128 cornerbacks who've played 100-plus snaps in coverage. Oddly enough, the Panthers have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, so it's not a great spot for a team that throws the ball just 27.5 times per game, but when they do throw, it often goes Thielen's way. If he's active, go ahead and play him as a high-end WR2.
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168.
Tyler Eifert
TE - JAC (vs . CLE)
It's hard to complain about the opportunity Eifert has received this year, as he's now seen at least five targets in five of the last eight games. Unfortunately, he's not done much with them, as he's failed to top 48 yards all season and hasn't scored a touchdown since way back in Week 2. For those who are desperate, he may be worth a flier in 2TE leagues this week. Tight ends have averaged 5.8 receptions and 58.3 yards per game against the Browns, which are both near the league high. They've also allowed seven touchdowns, which ranks as the fourth-most in the league, so there aren't many concerns in this matchup outside of Eifert himself. He's nothing more than a desperation TE2 but he kind of makes sense as long as James O'Shaughnessy sits out again.
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169.
Greg Ward
WR - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
170.
Jalen Guyton
WR - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
171.
C.J. Prosise
RB - HOU (at DET)
|
|
172.
N'Keal Harry
WR - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
173.
Richie James Jr.
WR - SF (at LAR)
|
|
174.
Steven Sims
WR - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
175.
James Washington
WR - PIT (vs . BAL)
|
|
176.
Alfred Morris
RB - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
177.
Jacob Hollister
TE - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
178.
Ty Johnson
RB - NYJ (vs . MIA)
|
|
179.
Sony Michel
RB - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
180.
Austin Ekeler
RB - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
181.
Anthony Firkser
TE - TEN (at IND)
|
|
182.
Richard Rodgers
TE - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
183.
Cordarrelle Patterson
WR,RB - CHI (at GB)
|
|
184.
Olamide Zaccheaus
WR - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
185.
Alshon Jeffery
WR - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
186.
KhaDarel Hodge
WR - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
187.
Kendrick Bourne
WR - SF (at LAR)
|
|
188.
Jack Doyle
TE - IND (vs . TEN)
|
|
189.
Tre'Quan Smith
WR - NO (at DEN)
|
|
190.
Anthony McFarland Jr.
RB - PIT (vs . BAL)
|
|
191.
Brandon Aiyuk
WR - SF (at LAR)
|
|
192.
Troymaine Pope
RB - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
193.
Jeremy McNichols
RB - TEN (at IND)
|
|
194.
Darrel Williams
RB - KC (at TB)
|
|
195.
Drew Sample
TE - CIN (vs . NYG)
|
|
196.
Patrick Laird
RB - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
197.
Darren Fells
TE - HOU (at DET)
|
|
198.
D'Onta Foreman
RB - TEN (at IND)
|
|
199.
Peyton Barber
RB - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
200.
Quintez Cephus
WR - DET (vs . HOU)
|
|
201.
Ito Smith
RB - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
202.
DeeJay Dallas
RB - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
203.
Bryan Edwards
WR - LV (at ATL)
|
|
204.
Dion Lewis
RB - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
205.
Rodney Smith
RB - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
206.
Scotty Miller
WR - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
207.
Deonte Harris
WR - NO (at DEN)
|
|
208.
Trayveon Williams
RB - CIN (vs . NYG)
|
|
209.
Dawson Knox
TE - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
210.
Dare Ogunbowale
RB - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
211.
Devin Duvernay
WR - BAL (at PIT)
|
|
212.
Chris Herndon IV
TE - NYJ (vs . MIA)
|
|
213.
Royce Freeman
RB - DEN (vs . NO)
|
|
214.
Marcus Johnson
WR - IND (vs . TEN)
|
|
215.
Dan Arnold
TE - ARI (at NE)
|
|
216.
Isaiah Wright
WR - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
217.
Kyle Juszczyk
RB - SF (at LAR)
|
|
218.
DeAndre Washington
RB - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
219.
Cameron Brate
TE - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
220.
DaeSean Hamilton
WR - DEN (vs . NO)
|
|
221.
Kendall Hinton
WR - DEN (vs . NO)
|
|
222.
Trenton Cannon
RB - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
223.
Van Jefferson
WR - LAR (vs . SF)
|
|
224.
Corey Clement
RB - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
225.
Devine Ozigbo
RB - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
226.
Lamar Miller
RB - CHI (at GB)
|
|
227.
Ross Dwelley
TE - SF (at LAR)
|
|
228.
AJ Dillon
RB - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
229.
Alex Armah
RB - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
230.
Jalen Richard
RB - LV (at ATL)
|
|
231.
Cole Kmet
TE - CHI (at GB)
|
|
232.
C.J. Ham
RB - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
233.
Collin Johnson
WR - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
234.
Jakob Johnson
RB,TE - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
235.
Ian Thomas
TE - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
236.
Ameer Abdullah
RB - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
237.
Jason Witten
TE - LV (at ATL)
|
|
238.
Chad Beebe
WR - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
239.
Ryan Nall
RB - CHI (at GB)
|
|
240.
Harrison Bryant
TE - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
241.
Jamal Agnew
CB,WR - DET (vs . HOU)
|
|
242.
Alec Ingold
RB - LV (at ATL)
|
|
243.
D'Ernest Johnson
RB - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
244.
Jace Sternberger
TE - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
245.
Olabisi Johnson
WR - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
246.
Jeff Wilson Jr.
RB - SF (at LAR)
|
|
247.
Buddy Howell
RB - HOU (at DET)
|
|
248.
LeSean McCoy
RB - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
249.
Durham Smythe
TE - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
250.
Freddie Swain
WR - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
251.
Maxx Williams
TE - ARI (at NE)
|
|
252.
Isaiah McKenzie
WR - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
253.
Alex Collins
RB - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
254.
Jesse James
TE - DET (vs . HOU)
|
|
255.
Cedrick Wilson
WR - DAL (vs . WAS)
|
|
|
256.
Malcolm Perry
RB,WR - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
257.
Tyron Johnson
WR - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
258.
Ryan Izzo
TE - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
259.
David Njoku
TE - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
260.
Pharaoh Brown
TE - HOU (at DET)
|
|
261.
Cam Batson
WR - TEN (at IND)
|
|
262.
Mohamed Sanu
WR - DET (vs . HOU)
|
|
263.
Adam Trautman
TE - NO (at DEN)
|
|
264.
Antonio Callaway
WR - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
265.
Austin Mack
WR - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
266.
Ray-Ray McCloud
WR - PIT (vs . BAL)
|
|
267.
Qadree Ollison
RB - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
268.
Mack Hollins
WR - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
269.
Miles Boykin
WR - BAL (at PIT)
|
|
270.
Christian Blake
WR - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
271.
Auden Tate
WR - CIN (vs . NYG)
|
|
272.
Adam Shaheen
TE - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
273.
Foster Moreau
TE - LV (at ATL)
|
|
274.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
275.
DeMichael Harris
WR - IND (vs . TEN)
|
|
276.
Braxton Berrios
WR - NYJ (vs . MIA)
|
|
277.
Kalif Raymond
WR - TEN (at IND)
|
|
278.
Donald Parham Jr.
TE - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
279.
Marcedes Lewis
TE - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
280.
Troy Fumagalli
TE - DEN (vs . NO)
|
|
281.
Zach Ertz
TE - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
282.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn
RB - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
283.
Trent Taylor
WR - SF (at LAR)
|
|
284.
Zay Jones
WR - LV (at ATL)
|
|
285.
Ben Ellefson
TE - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
286.
Josh Adams
RB - NYJ (vs . MIA)
|
|
287.
Tyler Kroft
TE - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
288.
Nick Vannett
TE - DEN (vs . NO)
|
|
289.
Marquez Callaway
WR - NO (at DEN)
|
|
290.
Nick Keizer
TE - KC (at TB)
|
|
291.
Mike Thomas
WR - CIN (vs . NYG)
|
|
292.
Ryan Griffin
TE - NYJ (vs . MIA)
|
|
293.
Vance McDonald
TE - PIT (vs . BAL)
|
|
294.
Chris Manhertz
TE - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
295.
Dontrelle Inman
WR - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
296.
Jeff Smith
WR - NYJ (vs . MIA)
|
|
297.
Gabe Nabers
RB - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
298.
Brandon Zylstra
WR - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
299.
Equanimeous St. Brown
WR - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
300.
Michael Burton
RB - NO (at DEN)
|
|
301.
Levine Toilolo
TE - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
302.
Jonathan Williams
RB - DET (vs . HOU)
|
|
303.
Kaden Smith
TE - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
304.
Blake Bell
TE - DAL (vs . WAS)
|
|
305.
Elijhaa Penny
RB - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
306.
Tyler Johnson
WR - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
307.
Deon Yelder
TE - KC (at TB)
|
|
308.
Donte Moncrief
WR - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
309.
Jaylen Samuels
RB - PIT (vs . BAL)
|
|
310.
Isaiah Ford
WR - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
311.
John Hightower
WR - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
312.
Charlie Woerner
TE - SF (at LAR)
|
|
313.
Tyler Conklin
TE - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
314.
Luke Willson
TE - BAL (at PIT)
|
|
315.
Luke Stocker
TE - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
316.
Riley Ridley
WR - CHI (at GB)
|
|
317.
Jake Kumerow
WR - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
318.
Trent Sherfield
WR - ARI (at NE)
|
|
319.
Colin Thompson
TE - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
320.
Lee Smith
TE - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
321.
Demetrius Harris
TE - CHI (at GB)
|
|
322.
Artavis Pierce
RB - CHI (at GB)
|
|
323.
Khari Blasingame
RB - TEN (at IND)
|
|
324.
Brandon Powell
WR - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
325.
Geoff Swaim
TE - TEN (at IND)
|
|
326.
Jordan Thomas
TE - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
327.
Austin Walter
RB - SF (at LAR)
|
|
328.
Noah Brown
WR - DAL (vs . WAS)
|
|
329.
Malik Taylor
WR - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
330.
James O'Shaughnessy
TE - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
331.
Tyler Ervin
RB - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
332.
Cethan Carter
TE,RB - CIN (vs . NYG)
|
|
333.
Jaeden Graham
TE - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
334.
Jeremy Sprinkle
TE - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
335.
Keith Smith
RB - ATL (vs . LV)
|
|
336.
Derek Carrier
TE - LV (at ATL)
|
|
337.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
WR - TEN (at IND)
|
|
338.
Temarrick Hemingway
TE - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
339.
James Proche
WR - BAL (at PIT)
|
|
340.
Isaac Nauta
TE,RB - DET (vs . HOU)
|
|
341.
K.J. Hill
WR - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
342.
Gunner Olszewski
WR - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
343.
Colby Parkinson
TE - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
344.
C.J. Board
WR - NYG (at CIN)
|
|
345.
Joe Reed
WR - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
346.
Darrius Shepherd
WR - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
347.
Eric Saubert
TE - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
348.
Mason Schreck
TE - CIN (vs . NYG)
|
|
349.
KeeSean Johnson
WR - ARI (at NE)
|
|
350.
Anthony Sherman
RB - KC (at TB)
|
|
351.
Pharoh Cooper
WR - CAR (at MIN)
|
|
352.
Josh Hill
TE - NO (at DEN)
|
|
353.
Caleb Wilson
TE - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
|
354.
Kirk Merritt
WR - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
355.
Robert Foster
WR - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
356.
Scottie Phillips
RB - HOU (at DET)
|
|
357.
Andre Roberts
WR - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
358.
Kahale Warring
TE - HOU (at DET)
|
|
359.
Terry Godwin
WR - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
360.
Evan Baylis
TE - ARI (at NE)
|
|
361.
Reggie Gilliam
RB,TE - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
362.
Ross Travis
TE - NYJ (vs . MIA)
|
|
363.
Stephen Anderson
TE - LAC (at BUF)
|
|
364.
Johnny Stanton
RB - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
365.
Travis Homer
RB - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
366.
Sean McKeon
TE - DAL (vs . WAS)
|
|
367.
Jordan Howard
RB - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
368.
J.P. Holtz
TE - CHI (at GB)
|
|
|
369.
Ty'Son Williams
RB - BAL (at PIT)
|
|
370.
Mike Boone
RB - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
371.
Jeremy Cox
RB - DEN (vs . NO)
|
|
|
372.
Isaiah Zuber
WR - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
373.
Trey Quinn
WR - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
374.
Steven Mitchell Jr.
WR - HOU (at DET)
|
|
375.
J.J. Taylor
RB - NE (vs . ARI)
|
|
376.
Johnny Mundt
TE - LAR (vs . SF)
|
|
377.
Xavier Grimble
TE - BAL (at PIT)
|
|
378.
River Cracraft
WR - SF (at LAR)
|
|
379.
Derek Watt
RB - PIT (vs . BAL)
|
|
380.
Theo Riddick
RB - LV (at ATL)
|
|
381.
Alex Erickson
WR - CIN (vs . NYG)
|
|
382.
Garrett Griffin
TE - NO (at DEN)
|
|
383.
Lynn Bowden Jr.
WR,RB - MIA (at NYJ)
|
|
384.
Cole Hikutini
TE - DAL (vs . WAS)
|
|
385.
Nathan Cottrell
RB - JAC (vs . CLE)
|
|
386.
Antony Auclair
TE - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
387.
Penny Hart
WR - SEA (at PHI)
|
|
388.
Andy Janovich
RB - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
389.
Ricky Seals-Jones
TE - KC (at TB)
|
|
390.
Kenjon Barner
RB - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
391.
Tajae Sharpe
WR - MIN (vs . CAR)
|
|
392.
DeAndre Carter
WR - CHI (at GB)
|
|
393.
Justin Watson
WR - TB (vs . KC)
|
|
394.
Antonio Gandy-Golden
WR - WAS (at DAL)
|
|
395.
D.J. Foster
RB - ARI (at NE)
|
|
396.
T.J. Yeldon
RB - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
397.
Elijah Holyfield
RB - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
398.
Dontrell Hilliard
RB - CLE (at JAC)
|
|
399.
Ashton Dulin
WR - IND (vs . TEN)
|
|
400.
Jonathan Ward
RB - ARI (at NE)
|
|
401.
Dwayne Washington
RB - NO (at DEN)
|
|
402.
Seth Roberts
WR - GB (vs . CHI)
|
|
403.
Duke Williams
WR - BUF (vs . LAC)
|
|
404.
JJ Arcega-Whiteside
WR - PHI (vs . SEA)
|
|
405.
Eno Benjamin
RB - ARI (at NE)
|
|
406.
Javon Wims
WR - CHI (at GB)
|
|
407.
Darwin Thompson
RB - KC (at TB)
|
|
408.
Darrynton Evans
RB - TEN (at IND)
|