Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 13 Rankings
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1.
Dalvin Cook
RB - MIN (vs . JAC)
He went down with what looked like a serious injury last week, but after missing a handful of plays, he returned. It's something to monitor as the week goes on, but for now, we'll assume he's good to go. Here's an odd stat I found while researching this game: Cook has accounted for just 58.1 percent of the Vikings' red zone rushing attempts. That's just the ninth-highest mark among running backs. We watched Nick Chubb rack up 144 yards on the ground against this Jaguars defense last week, which doesn't quite hit the 150-yard plateau that Cook has established this year. Fun fact: Cook has three 150-yard rushing games this year, while the rest of the NFL has seven of them. He's now broken 50 tackles on the ground, which is the most in the NFL, and that's despite missing some time. Even though the Jaguars have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, running backs have been getting theirs as well, averaging the fifth-most points per game. The Jaguars opponents run the ball 46.1 percent of the time bodes well for Cook, as the Vikings run the ball 48.5 percent of the time. The Vikings average 30.8 running back touches per game while the Jaguars see 29.9 running back touches per game. We could be looking at another 25-touch game for Cook against the team that allows the sixth-most fantasy points per weighted opportunity. Oddsmakers have opened this game with a 30.5-point team-implied total, which bodes well for all Vikings players, especially Cook. He's a smash-play in both redraft and DFS cash games, as he's now seen 13 targets over the last three weeks, raising that floor you need when paying top-dollar.
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2.
Derrick Henry
RB - TEN (vs . CLE)
I told you winter was coming. He leads the NFL with seven 100-yard games on the ground, while Dalvin Cook is the only other running back with more than four such performances. If the Titans wanted to, Henry could've rushed for 250-plus yards last week in the blowout win over the Colts. As we talked about last week, Henry gets better as the season goes on, and we're now in December, which is his time to shine. Of the production the Browns have allowed to skill-position players, running backs have only accounted for 27.9 percent of it, which is less than all but four other teams. Henry isn't involved much in the passing game, but it's worth noting that running backs have received just 15.6 percent of targets against the Browns, which is the fifth-lowest mark in football. Because of all that, the Browns have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs, but here's the thing... they've faced the fourth-least amount of weighted opportunity to them. When you factor in efficiency, they've allowed the 15th-most fantasy points per weighted opportunity, so it's far from a must-avoid matchup. There have been three running backs who've finished with more than 16 carries against them (James Robinson, Josh Jacobs, James Conner), and each of them finished with at least 100 yards on the ground. Henry is the No. 1 player in fantasy football right now and should be in lineups every week. In DFS, I'd prefer to keep Henry as a tournament play considering his lack of involvement in the passing game, but I won't argue if you wanted to play him in cash.
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3.
Davante Adams
WR - GB (vs . PHI)
Adams is an automatic start every single week. It doesn't matter who will be lining up across from him. He's a top-3 option again for week 13.
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4.
Nick Chubb
RB - CLE (at TEN)
Chubb has averaged a league-high 4.43 yards after contact, which has accounted for 72.7 percent of his yardage. No other running back with more than 60 carries has averaged more than 3.70 yards after contact. Knowing that, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he ranks second in the NFL of 15-plus-yard runs. Think about that... he's missed four games and he still ranks just one 15-yard-run behind Derrick Henry. Not by coincidence, just 11 of his carries this year have accounted for 44.9 percent of his rushing totals. The Titans have allowed seven 20-plus yard runs this year, which is essentially toward the middle of the pack. They've allowed 4.29 yards per carry and 92.7 yards per game to running backs, so it's tough to say it's a highly-efficient matchup, but the fact that their opponents average a massive 68.0 plays per game have allowed enough volume to make them an above average matchup. Running backs have averaged 26.5 touches per game against them, which isn't the greatest when Hunt is getting 43 percent of the touches since Chubb's return to the lineup. The reason both have been somewhat successful is due to the fact that they've combined for 35.7 touches per game over the last three weeks. Even knocking that down to 30 for this game wouldn't be good for Chubb, who has very limited involvement in the passing game. He's one of the best 1-2 down backs in the league, but we have to take weighted volume into consideration, which knocks him into the low-end RB1 conversation. As for Hunt, he was highly touted as the pass-catching option out of this backfield, but he hasn't totaled more than three receptions since back in Week 1, and he hasn't topped 28 receiving yards all season. Despite having more than double the red zone carries that Chubb does (33 to 16), Hunt has four rushing touchdowns to Chubb's six. In terms of weighted opportunity, Hunt is on par with someone like Ronald Jones. He should be considered a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 who needs to start finding the end zone at a higher rate.
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5.
Tyreek Hill
WR - KC (vs . DEN)
Holy explosion, Batman! Hill popped off for a ridiculous 57.9 PPR points in Week 12, which was the most by a wide receiver since Jerry Rice scored 60.9 PPR points in 1995. That performance by Hill was the sixth-highest number of all-time. For those wondering, Rice also holds the record for most PPR points in a game with 65.5 of them in 1990. Hill has now been targeted a ridiculous 47 times over the last three games, and even better, it hasn't affected his efficiency even a little bit, as he's recorded at least nine receptions and 102 yards in each game, while scoring six times. You cannot stop what is happening right now, though the Broncos will try. The last time Hill played them in Kansas City (Week 15 last year), he caught 5-of-7 targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns. They have been so much better than anyone realizes against wide receivers this year, allowing just 7.52 yards per target, which ranks third behind only the Rams and Titans. Will the Broncos shift their cornerbacks around for this game? If not, he'll see rookie Essang Bassey in the slot, who's easily been the one to target in coverage, as he's allowed 24-of-28 passing for 242 yards and a touchdown. Just play Hill everywhere, okay? With the targets he's getting, he can post record-breaking numbers.
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6.
James Robinson
RB - JAC (at MIN)
It's remarkable what Robinson's been able to accomplish this season, especially considering the Jaguars offensive line is creating just 1.08 yards before contact, which ranks as the second-worst number in the NFL to only the Bears. It's pretty crazy; Robinson leads the league with 81.8 percent of his team's red zone carries, but his 27 red zone carries rank 12th among running backs. This team just isn't in scoring position very often. Then you add in this little tidbit: Of the carries their opponents have had inside the five-yard line, the Vikings have allowed a touchdown on a league-low 25 percent of them. It'll be interesting to see if Robinson gets any carries in that area of the field, because the Jaguars are the only team to convert all of their carries (there's only been four) inside the five-yard line into touchdowns. The good news is that running backs have averaged a robust 28.7 touches per game against the Vikings, so despite ranking as the fifth-toughest defense against running backs in efficiency, we should be able to count on 20-plus touches out of Robinson. You're starting Robinson as a low-end RB1 almost every week, and though this matchup isn't great, you shouldn't be fading him.
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7.
Aaron Jones
RB - GB (vs . PHI)
Jones' fantasy managers are certainly concerned with the amount of work that Jamaal Williams has been seeing lately, but this is what we expected from the Green Bay Packers heading into the season. They're going to want to keep Jones' legs fresh for a deep playoff run, which is going to limit his overall ceiling for fantasy purposes. With that being said, he's still one of the best fantasy assets out there and he absolutely belongs in your starting lineup. He might not finish as a top-5 back this week, but he should still be viewed as a solid RB1.
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8.
Austin Ekeler
RB - LAC (vs . NE)
The return to the lineup was a major success for Ekeler, as he saw a ridiculous 16 targets to go along with his 14 carries. This was one of the biggest weighted opportunity games in the NFL this year. In PPR formats, it was the most in a single game this year. Despite not finding the end zone, Ekeler still managed to rack up 23.9 PPR points, highlighting a floor that's ridiculously high. The Patriots opponents have chosen to run the ball a league-high 48.8 percent of the time, which is fine for Ekeler, as he's averaged 4.6 yards per carry on the year. Despite teams running the ball at a high rate, it hasn't amounted to much success, as they've allowed just five running backs score 11.5-plus PPR points against them, which is the number it took to hit top-24 numbers in 2019. The Saints are the only other team in the league who's allowed fewer than them through 12 weeks. They have allowed the 19th-most fantasy points to running backs, so the production against them has just been spread out. They're also allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per weighted opportunity, so you shouldn't shy away from using Ekeler as a low-end RB1 this week.
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9.
D.K. Metcalf
WR - SEA (vs . NYG)
We talk about this all the time, but there's a positive and negative when shadow cornerbacks are on the schedule. The downside is that the receiver is covered by the most talented cornerback on the other team. The positive is that he's often trusted in one-on-one coverage, which is something you cannot do against Metcalf, as he's too big, too strong, and too fast. Darius Slay is one of the better cornerbacks in football who was made to look slow on Monday night trying to keep up with Metcalf, who racked up 10 catches for 177 yards. The Giants have James Bradberry, who's done a solid job in coverage this year, allowing just 33-of-59 passing for 343 yards and three touchdowns in his coverage. Prior to seeing Metcalf, here were Slay's numbers in coverage: 35-for-48 for 387 yards and one touchdown. Will they trust him in one-on-one coverage? I think it's fair to say that Metcalf and Russell Wilson hope so. You're starting him as a WR1 every week and you better not be left without exposure in tournaments.
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10.
Chris Carson
RB - SEA (vs . NYG)
What in the heck happened on Monday night? Hyde out-snapped Carson 41-25 and out-touched him 17-10. In totally unrelated news, Hyde totaled 29 total yards on his 17 touches. -_- Please stop this as soon as possible, Mr. Pete Carroll. Fortunately, Carson was hyper-efficient totaling 59 yards on his 10 touches, including a powerful touchdown run that 95 percent of running backs wouldn't have scored on. This timeshare is a real issue because the Giants have only faced 19.4 running back carries per game, which is the third-fewest in the league. Those carries have netted 4.23 yards per carry, which is slightly below the league average, so they're not a team who's going to allow heavy production on the ground. It is worth noting that a league-high 67 percent of carries inside the five-yard line have resulted as touchdowns against the Giants. If we can get Carson back as the primary pass-catching running back, it' would be a good thing because that's where the production stems from against the Giants. Running backs have been targeted a league-high 22.8 percent of the time against the Giants, and that's led to 12.7 PPR points per game through the air alone, which ranks as the third-highest mark in football. There have been 11 running backs who've caught at least three passes, while seven of them have racked up 35-plus receiving yards. I'm willing to write-off last week's game as them easing Carson back into the lineup, because he's clearly the better running back. You should feel pretty confident playing him as a solid RB2 in this game. Hyde should still have a role but knowing that the Giants have faced just 25.4 running back touches per game, it's tough to see two starter-worthy options out of this backfield. Hyde should be in the high-end RB4 range in case last week wasn't just a fluke.
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11.
David Montgomery
RB - CHI (vs . DET)
Is Montgomery a plodder? Sure. Is it all his fault he doesn't have success? No. Montgomery averages 3.02 yards after contact, which ranks 22nd among the 64 running backs who've carried the ball at least 50 times. The Bears running backs are averaging a league-low 1.00 yards before contact. The good news is that the Lions have allowed ball carriers a massive 2.45 yards before contact this year, which ranks as the fourth-highest number in the league. Not only have the Lions allowed the most fantasy points per game to running backs, but even when you factor in the level of competition, they're the best matchup in the league based on schedule adjusted rankings, as running backs have averaged a league-high 8.3 more half-PPR points per game against the Lions than they do in non-Lions matchups. Of the fantasy production the Lions allow to skill-position players, we've watched running backs score 40.0 percent of those points, which is the second-highest mark in the NFL. Who's the only team who's allowed more? The team he played last week (Packers). It certainly doesn't hurt to know the Lions have allowed a league-high 14 rushing touchdowns and seven receiving touchdowns to running backs. That's 21 touchdowns they've allowed to running backs, while no other team in the league has allowed more than 16. There are just three teams in the league who allow more than 16.5 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs, and the 19.3 points the Lions have allowed certainly qualifies as one of them. It's not just on the ground, as the Lions allow a massive 13.8 PPR points per game through the air alone to running backs, which ranks as the second-most in the NFL. The average RB1 performance in 2019 was 17.2 PPR points, which is a number that nine running backs have hit against the Lions. No other team has allowed more than seven such performances. Montgomery should be considered a high-end RB2 this week.
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12.
Miles Sanders
RB - PHI (at GB)
This is a dream matchup for opposing RBs. The Packers are allowing the 3rd most fantasy points to the position, but there's reason to be concerned with Sanders moving forward. Over the past few weeks, Sanders has seen his snap share percentage drop down while Boston Scott has seen his involvement in the offense dramatically increase. If we knew Sanders was going to receive 15+ carries and a few targets in this game, it would be very easy to rank him as a top-10 option in this matchup. However, with the state of the offense around him, plus Scott's increased involvement, Sanders is a risky mid-range RB2 play. It could certainly pay off in a big way for your lineup, but there's too much volatility to rank him higher than that.
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13.
A.J. Brown
WR - TEN (vs . CLE)
He's a monster with the ball in his hands and he continually shows it off. He's scored in seven of his last eight games, and it seems like he's never actually in the end zone when he scores a touchdown, but rather breaking tackles and running after the catch to get them. He's still yet to see more than nine targets in a game this season, yet he's managed 12.4-plus PPR points in seven of his last eight games. His 7.22 targets per game ranks 28th among wide receivers. Now on to play the Browns who don't have a shadow cornerback and simply play sides. He will line up the most against Terrance Mitchell, who has allowed 37.8 percent of his yardage in coverage after the catch. There have been 91 cornerbacks who've seen 30-plus targets in coverage, and Mitchell ranks 33rd in yards after the catch allowed. There have been five wide receivers who've posted top-12 numbers against the Browns, including three receivers who posted 100-plus yards. Ideally, we'd see him lined up in the slot a bit more, but we'll take him wherever we can. Keep plugging him in as a high-end WR2.
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14.
Raheem Mostert
RB - SF (vs . BUF)
Mostert saw plenty of work last week in a tough matchup and he came through for fantasy managers that took the shot on him his first week back. Mostert absolutely belongs in your starting lineup this week as a mid-range RB2 with upside. The Bills are currently allowing the 8th most fantasy points to opposing RBs and Mostert could be in line for a big performance. Otherwise, it's best to just avoid the other options in this backfield.
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15.
Travis Kelce
TE - KC (vs . DEN)
He has four 100-yard games this year. The rest of the tight ends in the NFL have combined for nine such games. I'm fairly certain he could stop playing right now and still finish with the most fantasy points among tight ends, as he has a comfy 55.7-point gap over Darren Waller with five games to go. The Broncos have allowed a massive 74.3 percent completion-rate to tight ends (4th-highest), but those receptions have gone for an average of just 9.73 yards (6th-lowest). So, are they just willing to allow the underneath stuff? That's why we've seen 10 tight ends total three-plus receptions against them. Kelce only finished with 3/31/0 in their first matchup, though that game was played in the snow and the Chiefs didn't throw the ball a whole lot. The previous time they played was in Week 15 of last year where Kelce torched them for 11/142/0, so it's clearly not Vic Fangio's scheme that slowed him in the first game. No tight end has topped 13.6 PPR points against the Broncos this year, so we do have to be mindful of that, especially when we know they've played against Kelce, Waller, Hunter Henry, Eric Ebron, Rob Gronkowski, Hayden Hurst, and Jonnu Smith. When you factor in their level of competition, they actually rank as the seventh-toughest matchup for tight ends. You're playing Kelce every week in redraft, but it might not be worth it to pay up for him in DFS cash lineups this week.
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16.
Adam Thielen
WR - MIN (vs . JAC)
Thielen's off the COVID list and he should be ready to go for this matchup here against the Jaguars secondary. The Jaguars are allowing the 5th most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season and Thielen should be in line for a big performance. He can be started as a mid-range WR1.
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17.
Keenan Allen
WR - LAC (vs . NE)
Another week goes by... another week Allen has seen 10-plus targets. He's also scored in seven of the last nine games, including each of the last five games. Because of all that, he's the WR4 in fantasy, behind only Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and D.K. Metcalf. Now, what happens when you mix a wide receiver who is essentially a lock for 10 targets against a defense that's allowed the second-most PPR points per target? The 2.03 PPR points per target the Patriots have allowed to wide receivers is behind only the Cowboys. Some will be concerned about Stephon Gilmore shadowing him, but you need to know that Allen plays 51 percent of his snaps in the slot, which is an area of the field that Gilmore doesn't typically travel. And to be fair, he really shouldn't be going in there, as he's allowed four catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns on just seven targets in slot coverage. It'll likely be Jonathan Jones on Allen most of the game, the cornerback who's allowed the fourth-most yardage in the slot this year. There have been eight wide receivers who've finished with 15-plus PPR points against the Patriots this year, and the best part is that none of them even required 10 targets to get there. Start Allen as a WR1 every week.
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18.
Stefon Diggs
WR - BUF (at SF)
Despite John Brown being out of the lineup, as well as the Chargers top cornerback Casey Hayward, Diggs finished with just seven catches for 39 yards in Week 12. It was just the second time all year where Diggs has finished outside the top-36 wide receivers, so we can't panic. It could be a coincidence, but both times he's finished outside of that range have been when Brown's been out of the lineup. The Bills are not going to be able to run the ball on the 49ers, so we should be expecting double-digit targets for Diggs in this contest. Production can be had in this matchup. It should be noted that the 49ers did get Richard Sherman back last week, which certainly doesn't hurt their defense. Diggs plays on both sides, though he will see Sherman the most. We don't have a big sample of targets against Sherman this year, though he did appear to be winding down at the end of last year. The 49ers have done a good job despite all the injuries they've dealt with, as the 7.84 yards per target they've allowed to receivers ranks as the 12th-lowest number in the league. But again, if Diggs gets those targets, he's going to perform just like the rest of those wide receivers did.
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19.
Calvin Ridley
WR - ATL (vs . NO)
Despite Matt Ryan throwing for just 185 yards last week, Ridley was able to get his, finishing with 6/50/1 on nine targets. Ridley has played nine full games this year and has finished with 14-plus PPR points in eight of them, giving him a top-24 seemingly every week, while we've also seen him post 17-plus PPR points in six of them, highlighting WR1 appeal. The matchup against the Saints is far from great, as they have two top-tier cornerbacks on the perimeter in Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins. Ridley was able to wiggle his way to five catches for 90 yards against them in Week 11, though it's worth noting that Lattimore was out for that game. There have been nine wide receivers who've finished as top-24 options against them, but if Julio Jones returns to the lineup, that would make things a bit trickier. Jenkins is the cornerback Ridley will see the most of and he's been pretty dang good this year, allowing just 27-of-50 passing for 342 yards and one touchdown in his coverage. Ridley should be considered a high-end WR2 if Jones returns but would creep into the WR1 conversation if Jones has to miss another game.
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20.
J.K. Dobbins
RB - BAL (vs . DAL)
Dobbins received the majority of the workload the last time all three of these running backs were healthy, which would cause Dobbins to skyrocket in rankings if that is the case here. The Cowboys are allowing the 5th most fantasy points to opposing RBs and they just got gashed by Antonio Gibson for three touchdowns on Thanksgiving. If we knew that Dobbins was going to receive 15+ touches in this backfield as the clear lead option, he'd be a top-10 play this week. We don't have large enough of a sample size to say that with certainty though, which pushes Dobbins down the board slightly. He can be viewed as a high-end RB2 this week with tremendous upside.
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21.
Justin Jefferson
WR - MIN (vs . JAC)
With the matchup this week, Jefferson's an automatic start. While he doesn't have top-5 upside due to Adam Thielen being back in the lineup, he's not that far off. Jefferson can be viewed as a low-end WR1 this week.
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22.
Antonio Gibson
RB - WAS (at PIT)
Gibson's been on fire recently and he's now established himself firmly in the low-end RB1 conversation. While it's hard to see how he has much upside in this matchup against the Steelers defense, he's still worth trotting out as a solid option. He's seeing too much work and he's way too talented to ignore this week. Fire him up with confidence.
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23.
Terry McLaurin
WR - WAS (at PIT)
Just like this entire season, there's only one Washington receiver that you should be looking at for fantasy purposes. McLaurin has been one of the most consistent options for your fantasy lineup and he's now the WR14 on the entire year. The matchup against the Steelers might scare off some fantasy managers, but McLaurin is matchup proof at this point. Continue to plug him into your lineup as a high-end WR2.
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24.
Tyler Lockett
WR - SEA (vs . NYG)
Has there been a more frustrating player to own than Lockett this year? He's taken a backseat to the D.K. Metcalf show, and has finished outside the top-30 wide receivers in six of his last eight games. And we should note that both games he did finish inside that territory were against the Cardinals. The Giants have been the 16th-best schedule adjusted matchup for wide receivers, though it's important to note that Football Outsiders has the Giants ranked as the No. 4 DVOA defense against No. 1 receivers, but they rank as the No. 22 and No. 32 defense against No. 2 and No. 3 receivers. Clearly, Lockett is no longer the No. 1 option on the Seahawks. He's going to see a lot of fourth-round rookie Darnay Holmes in the slot, which should go well for Lockett. Of the top four performances the Giants have allowed to wide receivers this year, three of them were to slot-heavy receivers (JuJu Smith-Schuster, CeeDee Lamb, and Cooper Kupp). If the Giants use Bradberry on Metcalf and bracket him with a safety, Lockett could have one of his "boom" performances, so keep him in lineups as a WR2 with upside.
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25.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
RB - KC (vs . DEN)
I tried warning you about his matchup last week, and Edwards-Helaire completely bombed, finishing with a career-low 4.9 PPR points against the Bucs. When you're seeing the workload he is, those games are going to happen. Over the last five weeks with Bell in the lineup, Edwards-Helaire has averaged 8.8 carries and 3.0 targets per game. Didn't realize it was that low, did you? He's averaging a great 4.58 yards per carry on the year, so that's not the issue. This week's matchup could be one for you to like him a bit more, though. Despite the Broncos being one of the better pass defenses in the league, the Chiefs have an implied team total of 31.3 points, which bodes extremely well for Edwards-Helaire. The Broncos lost interior lineman Mike Purcell on the first drive of Week 7. They haven't been able to stop the run lately, and those eight touchdowns don't even count Taysom Hill's two rushing touchdowns last week. Opponents have averaged 27.2 carries per game against them over that time, which should allow Edwards-Helaire to get back into the 12-15 carry range for this game, which should be enough for him to get into RB2 territory. The Broncos have allowed just 1.28 PPR points per target to running backs, which ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in the league, so don't count on too much production there. I'd play Edwards-Helaire as a solid RB2 this week who has top-five upside in this matchup, though he needs more work. Bell hasn't topped nine touches in a Chiefs uniform, and based on his lack of efficiency, we shouldn't expect his touches to increase. He's just an RB4/handcuff.
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26.
Alvin Kamara
RB - NO (at ATL)
We're officially panicked with Kamara now that we've seen just three targets over the last two games with Hill under center. Some are wondering if Murray is worth more with Hill under center considering his production in last week's game, though I'm not there just yet. That game was a blowout and keeping Kamara fresh makes a lot of sense. Still, Kamara's value has taken quite the hit, as his weighted opportunity is comparable to guys like Melvin Gordon and Kareem Hunt. The Falcons allow a lot of fantasy production, right? Unfortunately, running backs haven't accounted for too much of it. They've allowed a league-low 25.0 percent of skill-player production go to running backs, while no other team in the league is below 26.6 percent. Teams have realized it's more profitable to throw the ball against the Falcons, and that's why you've seen them face a league-low 17.8 carries per game. That's turned into just 70.0 rushing yards and 0.36 rushing touchdowns per game to running backs. For those doing the math at home, that's just 8.55 fantasy points per game on the ground, which is the lowest mark in the league. There have been six running backs who've totaled at least 33 yards through the air against them, so that's where you'd like to see production. How good have the Falcons been against running backs as a whole? Well, they've allowed just six of them to hit 11.5 PPR points this year, which is tied for the third-fewest in the league. That number is significant because it's the average number of points running backs needed to finish as a top-24 running back in 2019. Because of his decrease workload in the passing game, Kamara is more of a high-end RB2 at this point in time who's in a tough spot here. Don't forget he totaled just 45 yards on 13 carries against them just two weeks ago, though a touchdown salvaged his fantasy day. As for Murray, this matchup is brutal for his skill set, but he has fantasy value if he keeps getting the 12-plus carries he's gotten in the two games with Hill. Murray should be considered a mid-tier RB3 that you don't have to play in this game.
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27.
DeVante Parker
WR - MIA (vs . CIN)
Once we found out that Fitzpatrick was starting last week, Parker should've been locked into starting lineups. He saw a season-high 14 targets that netted 8/119/0 against the dreadful Jets secondary. The Dolphins trust Fitzpatrick to throw a lot more than they do Tagovailoa, so you don't have to panic so much about his efficiency. The matchup against the Bengals certainly isn't a bad one, as they've allowed the 13th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, including a solid 1.88 PPR points per target. We are likely to see a bit of a shadow matchup with William Jackson, who's been a bit hit-or-miss in coverage this year while allowing just a 56 percent catch-rate, but when he does allow a completion, it goes for 14.8 yards a pop. He's also allowed a touchdown every 16.7 targets, which is hardly shutdown material. Of the 19 wide receivers who've seen six-plus targets against the Bengals, 16 of them have finished as the WR38 or better, which presents a great floor for Parker. 10 of those receivers finished as the WR20 or better, providing with him with a ceiling as well. He should be in lineups as a low-end WR2 who has a WR3-type floor with Fitzpatrick under center.
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28.
Allen Robinson II
WR - CHI (vs . DET)
A lot of time, social media screams about something that makes no sense, but when it comes to the Bears targeting Robinson, they have it right. Here are the Bears' QB Rating when targeting each receiver: Robinson 90.5, Mooney 74.8, Miller 69.9. Despite playing for a team that's averaging just 19.6 points per game (29th), Robinson sits as the No. 10 wide receiver on the season in PPR formats. The Lions have been abused by the run, sure, but they've also allowed a massive 9.30 yards per target to wide receivers, which ranks as the third-highest mark in the league. Robinson has had their number over the last few years, finishing with 5/74/0, 8/86/1, and 6/86/0 in their last three games, and that's not even including his 6/133/2 line back in 2018 against the same scheme. The cornerback the Lions have had shadowing No. 1 receivers is Desmond Trufant, who suffered a hamstring injury on Thanksgiving, which means he's unlikely to play here. They were already without first-rounder Jeff Okudah, so they're starting to thin out quite a bit. Even with those guys healthy for most of the year, the Lions have allowed 18 wide receivers to finish as top-36 options against them, including six who scored 20-plus PPR points. Robinson should be locked into lineups as a WR1 who has more scoring opportunities with Trubisky under center.
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29.
DeAndre Hopkins
WR - ARI (vs . LAR)
Hopkins hasn't exactly been a top-tier contributor over the past few weeks and he now gets another tough matchup against Jalen Ramsey. Hopkins is still an automatic start every week, but he can't be viewed as a top-3 option in this matchup. Hopkins should be viewed as more of a low-end WR1 than anything else.
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30.
Robert Woods
WR - LAR (at ARI)
Have we watched a shift in the offensive philosophy for the Rams over the last few weeks? Sean McVay has done this multiple times in his coaching career, so when we see Woods get 27 targets over the last two weeks after averaging just 6.7 targets per game in the first nine games, we have to pay attention. Woods has also totaled 20 carries on the year, which provide that little bit of extra value. Wide receivers have seen a 61.7 percent target share against the Cardinals, which is the third-highest number in the league, so that bodes well for Woods, who crushed this team for 13/172/0 in their first meeting last year, and then 7/67/1 in the second one. They did add Dre Kirkpatrick this offseason, and he's been an upgrade on the perimeter, allowing 45-of-63 passing for 486 yards and two touchdowns. Still, we've watched them allow 10 receivers to finish as top-24 options this year. It is worth noting that eight of them saw at least nine targets, which is seemingly a very reachable number for Woods. He should be in lineups as a solid high-floor WR2.
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31.
D'Andre Swift
RB - DET (at CHI)
He was held out once again with his concussion symptoms last week and based on what Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson did against the Texans (153 total yards, two touchdowns), you wonder what could've been. We should still be expecting Swift to take over as the lead back despite the solid performances by Peterson and Johnson, as we can't forget about Swift's breakout performance in Week 10 that netted him 21 of the 27 touches available to Lions running backs, as well as 149 total yards and a touchdown. The firing of Matt Patricia shouldn't change the offense too much. There's one big injury you need to pay attention to on the Bears this week, as defensive tackle Akiem Hicks is the centerpiece of the Bears defense, and if he were to remain out with his hamstring injury, it upgrades the entire offense. Without him last week, the Packers running backs combined for 163 yards and a touchdown on the ground. They've allowed a slightly below average 4.14 yards per carry to running backs and have also done a good job limiting production through the air to running backs, as the 7.2 PPR points per game through the air suggests. All in all, the Bears have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per weighted opportunity to running backs, behind only the Saints and Steelers. We've seen just one running back total 17.2-plus PPR points against the Bears this year, which is the mark it took to finish as an RB1 last year. While Swift is a must-play if he has the role he had pre-concussion, this matchup isn't nearly as good as the one the Lions backs had last week, though if Hicks is out, it's not as bad as it could be. Consider Swift a solid RB2 for now.
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32.
Brandin Cooks
WR - HOU (vs . IND)
Going back to the time where Bill O'Brien was fired, Cooks has become an integral part of this offense, averaging 8.14 targets per game, including at least five targets in every game. Outside of the wind/rain game against the Browns, he's totaled at least 60 yards in every one of those games. To know that he's done this while Will Fuller has been a WR1, and that Deshaun Watson has failed to throw the ball 40 times in a game is pretty remarkable. But what changes now that Fuller is out for the year? Do teams double Cooks? Do they bracket him? You'd be surprised at how hard it is to do that with a wide receiver who moves around as much as Cooks, who plays 43 percent of his snaps at RWR, 29 percent at LWR, and 28 percent of his snaps in the slot. The Colts haven't been a matchup to flat out attack with wide receivers, as they've allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to them. However, the good news for Cooks is that they've allowed 14.16 yards per reception, which is the second-highest mark in football. On top of that, their starting safety Khari Willis was injured during their Week 12 game. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson has completed 21 passes that've gone 20-plus yards down the field, which ranks as the fourth-most in football. It's not a great spot for Cooks to straight up dominate, as there have been just four wide receivers who've totaled more than five receptions against the Colts. Still, you're starting a wide receiver who just might see double-digit targets no matter what, so put him in lineups as a WR2.
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33.
Kareem Hunt
RB - CLE (at TEN)
Chubb has averaged a league-high 4.43 yards after contact, which has accounted for 72.7 percent of his yardage. No other running back with more than 60 carries has averaged more than 3.70 yards after contact. Knowing that, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he ranks second in the NFL of 15-plus-yard runs. Think about that... he's missed four games and he still ranks just one 15-yard-run behind Derrick Henry. Not by coincidence, just 11 of his carries this year have accounted for 44.9 percent of his rushing totals. The Titans have allowed seven 20-plus yard runs this year, which is essentially toward the middle of the pack. They've allowed 4.29 yards per carry and 92.7 yards per game to running backs, so it's tough to say it's a highly-efficient matchup, but the fact that their opponents average a massive 68.0 plays per game have allowed enough volume to make them an above average matchup. Running backs have averaged 26.5 touches per game against them, which isn't the greatest when Hunt is getting 43 percent of the touches since Chubb's return to the lineup. The reason both have been somewhat successful is due to the fact that they've combined for 35.7 touches per game over the last three weeks. Even knocking that down to 30 for this game wouldn't be good for Chubb, who has very limited involvement in the passing game. He's one of the best 1-2 down backs in the league, but we have to take weighted volume into consideration, which knocks him into the low-end RB1 conversation. As for Hunt, he was highly touted as the pass-catching option out of this backfield, but he hasn't totaled more than three receptions since back in Week 1, and he hasn't topped 28 receiving yards all season. Despite having more than double the red zone carries that Chubb does (33 to 16), Hunt has four rushing touchdowns to Chubb's six. In terms of weighted opportunity, Hunt is on par with someone like Ronald Jones. He should be considered a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 who needs to start finding the end zone at a higher rate.
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34.
Ezekiel Elliott
RB - DAL (at BAL)
Things were looking up for Zeke a couple of weeks ago, but he disappointed fantasy managers yet again against Washington. There's just no guarantee that Zeke's going to see 15+ touches any given week and with the state of the offensive line in Dallas currently, it's probably wise to downgrade him significantly. Zeke should be viewed as a low-end RB2 this week.
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35.
Cooper Kupp
WR - LAR (at ARI)
We've watched Kupp's targets vary anywhere from five to 20 targets this season, which has made him a bit inconsistent to rely on as a WR2, but he's still reached double-digit PPR points in 8-of-11 games, giving him a decent floor, and we've seen his upside (three 100-yard games this year). Of the fantasy production the Cardinals allow to opposing skill-position players, wide receivers make up 55.7 percent of it, which ranks as the third-highest mark in the league. The best news for Kupp this week is that the three biggest performances the Cardinals have allowed this year were slot-heavy receivers, as Tyler Lockett (15/200/3), Cole Beasley (11/109/1), and Jamison Crowder (8/116/1) all finished as top-seven options against them, and that's not even including Lockett's follow-up performance where he totaled 9/67/1. The Cardinals have put Byron Murphy into the slot, which is not his natural position, and he's struggled a bit in that role. He's also the weakest link in the Cardinals secondary, so we should expect Kupp to get peppered with targets in this game. Go ahead and start him as a solid WR2.
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36.
Diontae Johnson
WR - PIT (vs . WAS)
It wasn't the greatest game for Johnson, as he had two clear drops against the Ravens, but the one that matters stayed consistent. He saw a team-high 13 targets, bringing his total over the last four games to an astonishing 50 targets, or 12.5 per game. This should be interesting to see how the Steelers receivers fare in this matchup, as the Football Team has allowed just 1.63 PPR points per target to wide receivers, which is the fifth-lowest mark in the league. If you were to look at the combined performances of their opponent's WR1, WR2, WR3, and TE1 totals against them, you'd see that they have not combined to score more than 48.3 PPR points in any of their last 10 games. The competition has not been top notch, but that's an impressive stretch for any team against any opponent. The only teams who've allowed fewer points per game to skill-position players are the 49ers, Rams, and Steelers. Even adjusting for schedule, this is the fourth-toughest matchup in football, as opposing wide receivers have averaged 4.9 fewer PPR points against them than they've averaged on the year. Still, Johnson is continually seeing double-digit targets, which make him a must-start. If we look at the five wide receivers who've had nine-plus targets against Washington, four of them finished as top-24 options with three of them scoring 17.5-plus PPR points. Johnson isn't a can't-miss play this week, but he's worthy of a mid-to-low-end WR2 start.
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37.
Wayne Gallman
RB - NYG (at SEA)
In case you haven't realized it, Gallman has been a stud over the last five games. He's finished as a top-16 running back in each of those games, which included matchups with the Eagles (twice), Bucs, and Football Team. With McCoy under center, I'm sure the Giants would prefer to give the ball to Gallman a ton in this game, but Seahawks opponents have run the ball against them a league-low 33.7 percent of the time. It's kind of crazy to see, but the Giants running backs are averaging the second-most yards before contact, behind only the Cardinals. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are allowing 2.50 yards before contact to ball carriers, which is the second-highest mark in the league. So, when Gallman actually gets carries, he should be relatively efficient, though volume concerns are real. Just one running back has topped 65 yards on the ground against the Seahawks this year, which is due to there being just two running backs who've totaled more than 14 carries. Running backs have averaged just 24.2 touches per game against the Seahawks, but the good part is that Gallman has totaled 72 percent of the Giants running back touches over the last two games, so we should still get 15-18 touches for him. The Seahawks have allowed the 13th-most fantasy points per weighted opportunity, which factors in targets, so Gallman needs to get some passing-down work. Gallman did run two more routes than Dion Lewis last week, which is certainly a positive. It's not a great matchup like last week, but Gallman has done enough to stay in lineups as an RB2.
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38.
Darren Waller
TE - LV (at NYJ)
It was hardly the week we hoped it'd be for Waller last week, as Carr's incompetence had a butterfly throughout the offense. If you were to tell me Waller was going to get seven targets against the Falcons, I'd play him all over again. Not only does he rank second in targets (90) among tight ends, but he leads the NFL in red zone targets (17). We get another crack at elite production this week, as the Jets have allowed 2.24 PPR points per target to the position, which ranks third behind only the Jaguars and Falcons. Both Travis Kelce and Jordan Reed were able to post 24-plus PPR points against them this year, highlighting the ceiling, while six other tight ends have finished as the TE14 or better against them. Oh, and those red zone targets that Waller has been getting... yeah, the Jets have allowed a league-high nine touchdowns to tight ends, including one every 8.1 targets, which is more often than any other team in the league. Start Waller as the elite TE1 he is and forgive his hiccup in Week 12.
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39.
Chase Claypool
WR - PIT (vs . WAS)
He hasn't seen "Diontae Johnson-type targets" over the last five weeks, but he's close. He's now seen at least eight targets in five straight games but hasn't finished with more than 69 yards in any of those games, making him a bit touchdown-dependent. Washington has allowed just 10 wide receiver touchdowns on the year, which doesn't appear great. Neither does the fact that they've allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to them. This should get interesting because the Steelers rank as the No. 1 team in wide receiver points per game. He'll see veteran Ronald Darby for much of the contest, who's arguably been their weakest link, allowing 38-of-64 passing for 581 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage. While the 59.4 percent catch-rate isn't ideal, the 15.29 yards per reception is certainly a nice sight for Claypool's deep ball potential. He hasn't hit on one recently, but Claypool does lead the team with 19 deep-ball targets this year. He should be treated as a low-end WR2 who's worth the risk of the tough matchup.
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40.
Kenyan Drake
RB - ARI (vs . LAR)
Drake has finally established himself as the fantasy asset that we were all waiting for at the beginning of the season. He's delivering some key performances for fantasy lineups recently and he should be viewed as one of the safer options in all of fantasy football. Drake has a tough matchup in front of him this week, but he should be started as a high-end RB2 with upside if he can continue to find the end zone.
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41.
Jonathan Taylor
RB - IND (at HOU)
The Colts are supposed to get Taylor back this week, which is something they seem to need more than they know. With him out, Hines and Jordan Wilkins combined for just 51 yards on 16 carries against the Titans, though it didn't help they were without starting center Ryan Kelly (who they hope to get back this week). Fun fact: Hines doesn't have a single carry of 15-plus yards this year. There's not a running back who's seen as many carries as him (61) without one. Taylor should be happy to return to this matchup against the Texans, as its' arguably the best in the league for his skill set. We know there are a lot of fantasy points up for grabs against the Texans, right? Well, of the production they've allowed to running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, we've watched running backs account for 37.3 percent of it, which is the third-highest mark in the league. They've now allowed a league-high 1,564 yards on the ground to running backs, which is more than 23 teams have allowed to running backs as a whole (receiving included). When you look at strictly production on the ground, the Texans have allowed a league-high 240.4 fantasy points. No other team has allowed more than 215.8 of them. It's not the competition that's made them look bad, either. Running backs average 6.3 more half-PPR points per game against the Texans than they do versus their season average; that ranks as the second-most in the league. All-in-all, the Texans have faced more weighted volume to running backs than any other team in the league. That's led to them allowing a league-high 185.7 total yards per game to the position. The average top-24 running back performance in 2019 required 11.5 PPR points. That's a number that a league-high 14 running backs have hit against the Texans. This is your reminder that they've played just 11 games. Taylor is never a full 100 percent trust under Frank Reich, but he should be trusted enough to be played as a low-end RB2 with upside, because the last time we saw him on the field, he netted a massive 26 touches. Let's just hope Jacoby Brissett getting a few goal-line touches was due to Taylor being out, and not a regular thing moving forward. Production is there through the air as well for running backs in this matchup, as seven different backs have totaled 35-plus receiving yards, which bodes well for Hines' role. He should remain in the RB3 conversation, particularly in PPR formats.
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42.
Michael Thomas
WR - NO (at ATL)
The good news is that Thomas has seen 18 of Hill's 39 pass attempts over the last two games, which amounts to a massive 46.2 percent target share. The bad news is that he's finished with just 13 receptions for 154 yards and no touchdowns with that incredible target share. If the Saints are going to throw the ball just 20 times per game, that's going to be an issue for any pass catcher. The last time they played the Falcons, we watched Thomas rack up nine catches for 104 yards on 12 targets, and he even left some on the table with a rare drop that would've been a 20-plus yard reception. Oddly enough, his 8.67 yards per target in that game was lower than the Falcons have allowed to wide receivers this year. That's right, they've allowed a massive 9.46 yards per target to wide receivers on the season, which is the most in the NFL. They simply don't have the talent to hang with a receiver like Thomas. There have been 14 wide receivers who've finished as top-24 options against the Falcons this season, including eight wide receivers who've topped 100 yards, and that's not even including the three games where a receiver totaled 95, 93, and 92 yards. Thomas should come with a top-24 floor, but if he gets into the end zone, he should be a WR1 this week. Let's split the difference and call him a high-end WR2.
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43.
Amari Cooper
WR - DAL (at BAL)
Cooper was able to come through with a great performance in week 12 against Washington, but that's not going to be enough to push him up into the top-15 of my week 13 rankings. He's still a safe option to plug into your lineup, but the Cowboys offense is going to struggle to move the ball on the Baltimore defense in this one. Cooper is going to have to break away a big play in order to finish in the top-20 WRs. He can be viewed as a low-end WR2.
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44.
Melvin Gordon III
RB - DEN (at KC)
Despite just 82 carries (35th among running backs), Lindsay ranks fifth in the NFL with eight 15-plus yard runs. Those long runs account for most of his production this year. In fact, those eight runs make up 46.4 percent of his rushing yardage this year. Sadly, he looks likely to miss this game. That would put Gordon back in the driver's seat. In the three games without Lindsay in the lineup earlier this season, Gordon had 21, 12, and 25 touches. The 12-touch game came against the Bucs, so it was understandable. If you're looking for production against the Chiefs, the running back position is a good place to look. Of the production they've allowed to skill-position players, running backs have accounted for 34.9 percent of it, which ranks as the fifth-highest percentage in the league. Running backs have accumulated 27.8 touches per game against them, and those touches have netted solid fantasy production. The Chiefs rank right around the league average in efficiency against running backs, which explains why there have been nine running backs who've finished as the RB25 or better against them despite the negative gamescripts. Here's a great thing for Gordon's floor: There's been no running back who's totaled more than 12 touches and finished with fewer than 10 PPR points against them. Damien Harris was the only one who didn't finish as a top-25 option in that group, but he still posted 100 yards on his 17 carries, which is hardly a bad game. Gordon himself saw 19 touches against them back in Week 7 where he finished with 80 total yards and a touchdown. If Lindsay is out of the lineup, Gordon should be considered a solid RB2 for this game who should net 15-plus touches. If Lindsay plays, I'd still prefer Gordon, but he'd be more of a high-end RB3 while Lindsay would be a risky low-end RB3.
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45.
Deebo Samuel
WR - SF (vs . BUF)
Samuel delivered a huge performance last week and he helped lead several fantasy rosters to a victory. Samuel might not have as high of a ceiling this week with Brandon Aiyuk back in the lineup, but he's still worth starting as a mid-range WR3 with upside.
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46.
Damien Harris
RB - NE (at LAC)
Despite the fact that Harris has been a very good running back on the ground, we were reminded why it's tricky to evaluate him last week. Since taking over the starting job, Harris has averaged 13.8 carries per game. Heck, let's pretend that number has been 16.0 just for this exercise. He's failed to receive a target in four of the last five games, so we can't count on that. Even if Harris gets 16 carries and averages a rock-star-like 5.0 yards per carry, he ends the game with 80 yards. If he doesn't score, he's not getting into startable territory, especially in PPR formats. The Chargers have allowed 1.0 rushing touchdown per game this year, which is tied for 15th. Going back to what we were just talking about, the Chargers have allowed 4.98 yards per carry, which is the third-most in the NFL. So, that 5.0 yards per carry I mentioned was very relevant. There have been nine running backs who've totaled at least 61 yards on the ground against them. Harris should be considered an RB3 right now who's extremely touchdown dependent because of how little he's used in the passing game. As for White, he could have a decent outlook in this game. Running backs have been targeted 22.7 percent of the time against the Chargers, which ranks as the second-highest mark in the NFL. We were hoping that with Rex Burkhead out of the lineup that we'd see more targets for White, and we got them in Week 11 when he saw nine of them, but he followed that up with just one target last week. Fortunately, he snuck into the end zone twice on just five carries, which is something we'll likely never get again, as White had just eight rushing touchdowns over the course of his 86-game career coming into that game. We need the passing game usage, so Week 12 was certainly a letdown. White should be considered a high-end RB4 in fantasy right now who apparently has a lower floor than we thought with Burkhead out of the lineup.
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47.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR - PIT (vs . WAS)
It was a tough matchup for the entire team against the Ravens, but Smith-Schuster managed to sneak away with eight catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. It was a great performance for PPR leaguers, while it was still very serviceable in standard leagues with the touchdown. He's now finished with 67 yards and/or a touchdown in five of his last six games and looked healthy after dealing with some sort of lower leg injury at the end of Week 11's game. It'll be interesting to see how the Steelers distribute the targets this week knowing Washington has seen an average of just 18.3 wide receiver targets per game, which is the sixth-fewest in the league. That low number comes large in part because of the 31.1 pass attempts per game they see in total. Meanwhile, the Steelers wide receivers are used to splitting a monstrous 27.8 times per game. When targeted, Smith-Schuster will be covered by Jimmy Moreland, who's done a phenomenal job in slot coverage this year. He's allowed just 207 scoreless yards on 38 targets, including just 0.99 yards per snap, which ranks as the 10th-lowest among slot cornerbacks. Smith-Schuster might have it tougher than the other two Steelers receivers this week, making him a high-end WR3.
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48.
Benny Snell Jr.
RB - PIT (vs . WAS)
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49.
Corey Davis
WR - TEN (vs . CLE)
Davis was extremely efficient with his targets in Week 12, but he just didn't get enough of them. He tied his season-low with just three targets, but he still managed to hit double-digit PPR points, which is something he's done in 8-of-9 games this year. He's been a very competent/consistent WR3 on fantasy teams to this point, though not many view him as such. Even given his lack of true ceiling, he sits as the WR34 on the season in PPR formats. The Browns have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to wide receivers this year, which much of it stems from where they're being targeted. Wide receivers facing the Browns have seen a league-high 45 targets while no other team has seen more than 39 of them. Davis has only seen four of them himself, while A.J. Brown has seen 10 of them. Davis will see a lot of Denzel Ward, who is the most talented cornerback on the Browns, though he's not the shutdown cornerback they thought they were getting when they selected him at No. 4 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He's allowed just 6.24 yards per target in his coverage this year but has allowed four touchdowns on just 54 targets in coverage. Now that it's Derrick Henry season, we don't expect a whole lot of pass attempts for the Titans, which obviously affects Davis, like we saw last week. Because of that, he should be considered a low-ceiling, high-end WR4.
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50.
Jarvis Landry
WR - CLE (at TEN)
Landry was able to produce in a big way in week 12 against the Jags secondary. He saw 11 targets, while the next highest total on the team was three! Landry has another great matchup here against the Titans secondary and he can be plugged back into your lineup as a safe low-end WR3.
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51.
Michael Pittman Jr.
WR - IND (at HOU)
Pittman continued to be heavily targeted last week, although he wasn't able to do much with the nine targets he saw. Rivers just simply could not put the ball on target for him and Pittman's stats look a lot worse than what the film shows. Fantasy managers need to lean into the target volume and the talent with Pittman, but the QB play certainly downgrades his fantasy potential. Pittman can be plugged in as a mid-range WR3 this week with upside due to Bradley Roby now being out for the year.
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52.
Nyheim Hines
RB - IND (at HOU)
The Colts are supposed to get Taylor back this week, which is something they seem to need more than they know. With him out, Hines and Jordan Wilkins combined for just 51 yards on 16 carries against the Titans, though it didn't help they were without starting center Ryan Kelly (who they hope to get back this week). Fun fact: Hines doesn't have a single carry of 15-plus yards this year. There's not a running back who's seen as many carries as him (61) without one. Taylor should be happy to return to this matchup against the Texans, as its' arguably the best in the league for his skill set. We know there are a lot of fantasy points up for grabs against the Texans, right? Well, of the production they've allowed to running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, we've watched running backs account for 37.3 percent of it, which is the third-highest mark in the league. They've now allowed a league-high 1,564 yards on the ground to running backs, which is more than 23 teams have allowed to running backs as a whole (receiving included). When you look at strictly production on the ground, the Texans have allowed a league-high 240.4 fantasy points. No other team has allowed more than 215.8 of them. It's not the competition that's made them look bad, either. Running backs average 6.3 more half-PPR points per game against the Texans than they do versus their season average; that ranks as the second-most in the league. All-in-all, the Texans have faced more weighted volume to running backs than any other team in the league. That's led to them allowing a league-high 185.7 total yards per game to the position. The average top-24 running back performance in 2019 required 11.5 PPR points. That's a number that a league-high 14 running backs have hit against the Texans. This is your reminder that they've played just 11 games. Taylor is never a full 100 percent trust under Frank Reich, but he should be trusted enough to be played as a low-end RB2 with upside, because the last time we saw him on the field, he netted a massive 26 touches. Let's just hope Jacoby Brissett getting a few goal-line touches was due to Taylor being out, and not a regular thing moving forward. Production is there through the air as well for running backs in this matchup, as seven different backs have totaled 35-plus receiving yards, which bodes well for Hines' role. He should remain in the RB3 conversation, particularly in PPR formats.
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53.
Devontae Booker
RB - LV (at NYJ)
We talked about Jacobs' matchup last week and how it was tougher than most expected, but for him to total just 10 touches was something no one could've predicted. He hurt his ankle late in the third quarter, which knocked him out of the game, but he was mostly inefficient in that game. He will likely be questionable for this game, so pay attention to his status throughout the week. He now has 206 carries on the season, but just four of those carries have gone for 15-plus yards, so you kind of need him to get that high volume. Fortunately, he gets the Jets this week, who've allowed the fifth-most touches per game (29.4) to running backs. The downside is that they've allowed just 1.16 yards before contact to ball carriers, which ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in the league. We talked about it being necessary for Jacobs to get some of the passing game work last week, and though that didn't really happen, it helps to know the Jets have watched running backs get targeted 21.9 percent of the time against them, which is tied for the fourth-highest mark in the league. All in all, the Jets have faced the second-most weighted opportunity to running backs this year, behind only the Texans. To see they've allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to them should be considered an accomplishment, as they've been the 11th-toughest matchup for running backs from an efficiency standpoint. But again, that volume has allowed nine running backs to finish with top-24 numbers against them. If he practices in full at some point, he should be considered a high-end RB2 this week. If he doesn't, this is likely to be more of a timeshare between him and Booker, downgrading him into mid-to-low-end RB2 territory. If Jacobs were to sit this game entirely, Booker could be played as a middling RB2 who should be locked into 15-plus touches, and maybe even 20 of them.
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54.
Latavius Murray
RB - NO (at ATL)
We're officially panicked with Kamara now that we've seen just three targets over the last two games with Hill under center. Some are wondering if Murray is worth more with Hill under center considering his production in last week's game, though I'm not there just yet. That game was a blowout and keeping Kamara fresh makes a lot of sense. Still, Kamara's value has taken quite the hit, as his weighted opportunity is comparable to guys like Melvin Gordon and Kareem Hunt. The Falcons allow a lot of fantasy production, right? Unfortunately, running backs haven't accounted for too much of it. They've allowed a league-low 25.0 percent of skill-player production go to running backs, while no other team in the league is below 26.6 percent. Teams have realized it's more profitable to throw the ball against the Falcons, and that's why you've seen them face a league-low 17.8 carries per game. That's turned into just 70.0 rushing yards and 0.36 rushing touchdowns per game to running backs. For those doing the math at home, that's just 8.55 fantasy points per game on the ground, which is the lowest mark in the league. There have been six running backs who've totaled at least 33 yards through the air against them, so that's where you'd like to see production. How good have the Falcons been against running backs as a whole? Well, they've allowed just six of them to hit 11.5 PPR points this year, which is tied for the third-fewest in the league. That number is significant because it's the average number of points running backs needed to finish as a top-24 running back in 2019. Because of his decrease workload in the passing game, Kamara is more of a high-end RB2 at this point in time who's in a tough spot here. Don't forget he totaled just 45 yards on 13 carries against them just two weeks ago, though a touchdown salvaged his fantasy day. As for Murray, this matchup is brutal for his skill set, but he has fantasy value if he keeps getting the 12-plus carries he's gotten in the two games with Hill. Murray should be considered a mid-tier RB3 that you don't have to play in this game.
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55.
Marvin Jones Jr.
WR - DET (at CHI)
It was another uninspiring performance out of Jones last week, as he finished with just six catches for 48 yards, and that's despite seeing a team-high 12 targets. He wasn't gaining much separation against the weak Texans cornerback unit, which has been a common thing for him this year, averaging just 2.6 yards of separation, which ranks in the bottom-20 among wide receivers. He's averaged just 1.18 yards per route run this year, which ranks 51st among 57 wide receivers who've seen 50-plus targets. He's topped 55 yards just twice all season, with one of those games coming against the Falcons, so we need to start looking at Jones as if he's nearing the end of his career as a fantasy option. The Bears are allowing 1.57 PPR points per target to wide receivers, which ranks as the second-lowest mark in the league, behind only the Rams. They've allowed just six wide receivers to top 61 yards against them all season, and that's despite 13 wide receivers seeing seven or more targets. Jones saw eight targets in their first matchup this year with Golladay out of the lineup but finished with just four catches for 55 yards. The good news is that Jones has been playing about 33 percent of his snaps in the slot, which is where Buster Skrine is, a cornerback who's been struggling as of late. Jones' target floor goes down if Golladay returns and would be just a low-end WR4, but if Golladay were held out, he'd move into high-end WR4 consideration.
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56.
Frank Gore
RB - NYJ (vs . LV)
Gore continues to see a significant workload each week and he now has a fantastic matchup against the Raiders run defense. Gore can be viewed as a high-end RB3 with little upside.
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57.
CeeDee Lamb
WR - DAL (at BAL)
Lamb reeled in five catches last week, but he was only able to produce 21 receiving yards. The Ravens have a shutdown secondary and it's hard to see how Lamb can do enough to finish higher than a low-end WR3. He could receive a slight bump up in Full PPR formats, but he can't be trusted as anything more than a low-end WR3 option.
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58.
T.J. Hockenson
TE - DET (at CHI)
It was a very productive game for Hockenson on Thanksgiving, as he racked up five catches for 89 yards, but it was maddening at the same time. He caught a 51-yard pass early in the game where he had nothing but green in front of him towards the sideline, but instead, he cut back towards the middle of the field and was tackled by two defenders. It was odd to say the least. Most see the Bears on the schedule and worry, but if there's a position you shouldn't worry about against them, it's tight ends. The Bears have watched tight ends get targeted 23.2 percent of the time, which ranks as the fifth-highest mark in the league. That's not all... the Bears have also allowed tight ends a league-high 23.4 percent of the skill-position players' production while no other team in the league is over 20.8 percent. That all amounts to them allowing the third-most fantasy points per game (15.6) to tight ends this year. There have been just two tight ends who failed to finish top-18 against them, and both tight ends were targeted fewer than four times, something Hockenson doesn't have to worry about. With six tight ends topping 50 yards, Hockenson should have a stable floor in this matchup. He should remain in lineups as a TE1.
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59.
Jakobi Meyers
WR - NE (at LAC)
Despite Newton not throwing the ball very well, Meyers has finished with at least six targets and 52 yards in five of his last six games. Over that time (Week 7-12), Meyers is the No. 16 wide receiver in half PPR formats. He's not someone you play for a ceiling, but his floor is respectable. Wide receivers have seen just a 53.1 percent target share against the Chargers, which ranks as the second-lowest mark in the league. Meanwhile, the Patriots quarterbacks have targeted their wide receivers 70.0 percent of the time. Lack of production has followed the lack of targets, as receivers have accounted for just 45.7 percent of the fantasy points the Chargers have allowed to skill-position players. The only team who's allowed a lower percentage is the Bears. All in all, there have been just 10 wide receivers who've scored 11.2-plus PPR points against the Chargers this year, which ranks as the second-fewest in football. They were without Casey Hayward last week but did get Chris Harris Jr. back into the lineup. If Hayward returns, the Chargers suddenly have a deadly trio between Hayward, Harris Jr, and Michael Davis. It would be Harris Jr. in coverage with Meyers most of the time, as he's their slot cornerback. Harris has just returned from a seven-game absence, so maybe he's catching him at the right time? He hasn't been shutdown in his coverage to this point, so Meyers isn't a must-avoid or anything, as the bigger risk is his quarterback. Consider him a decent WR4-type option who you're sacrificing a bit of ceiling to play.
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60.
D.J. Chark Jr.
WR - JAC (at MIN)
He was ruled out early last week, so there's no guarantee he plays through his rib injury this week, so stay tuned for updates to his status. Of the fantasy production the Vikings have allowed to skill-position players, wide receivers have accounted for 55.4 percent of it, which is the fourth-highest percentage in the NFL. They have allowed 18 wide receiver touchdowns on the season, which ranks as the second-most in football. Only the Cowboys have allowed touchdowns more often than the one every 12.6 targets that the Vikings do. The 2.03 PPR points per target they've allowed ranks second again to only the Cowboys. There have been 20 wide receivers who've finished as the WR41 or better against the Vikings, including nine top-16 receivers. We don't know what Chark looks like with Glennon, but Collin Johnson made it look pretty good. If Chark is able to play this week, he belongs in the high-end WR3 conversation with top-15 upside.
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61.
Cole Beasley
WR - BUF (at SF)
I remember the good ol' days when we knew exactly what to expect out of Beasley. He lacked upside, but at least he gave you a floor. Suddenly, that floor is gone. He's finished with fewer than 40 yards in three of his last four games. Meanwhile, sandwiched in between all those games are two 11-catch, 100-plus-yard performances. The matchup against the 49ers is better than it used to be in the slot, as they lost starting cornerback K'Waun Williams for what might be the year. His replacement is Jamar Taylor, a veteran cornerback who's played for 22 percent of the teams in the NFL. Since joining the 49ers, he's allowed 14-of-19 passing for 185 yards, though he's still yet to allow a touchdown and has intercepted two passes. There has been just one slot-heavy wide receiver who's posted more than 8.6 PPR points against the 49ers this year, and that was Braxton Berrios when he caught 6-of-8 targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. So, it's not a clear-cut must-start situation for Beasley this week, but with Brown out, he should receive more targets than the four he did last week (though Allen threw just 24 passes). He's in the high-end WR4 territory but he lacks much of a ceiling in this matchup.
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62.
Brandon Aiyuk
WR - SF (vs . BUF)
Aiyuk will be back on the field this week and he should be worth considering if you're in need of some upside. With Samuel on the field, Aiyuk might not see a ton of volume, but Kyle Shanahan is going to do everything he can to get the ball in his playmakers' hands. Aiyuk's a solid FLEX play that only needs one big play to help push your fantasy lineup over the edge.
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63.
Mike Williams
WR - LAC (vs . NE)
He's now seen a solid five-plus targets in five straight games, which is something we couldn't rely on earlier in the season. He's still a bit of a boom-or-bust play but it helps when your quarterback is throwing for 300-plus yards in 60 percent of his games. The one thing we need to pay attention to is how much of an effect Austin Ekeler has on his target totals because even though Williams saw five targets, it was just 9.6 percent of the targets. Herbert isn't going to throw the ball 52 times every week. In fact, the Patriots see just 17.3 wide receiver targets per game, which is the lowest mark in football. The good news is that they've allowed a massive 9.24 yards per target to wide receivers (5th-most) and have allowed a touchdown once every 13.6 targets, which is the third-most often. As you can see, it's somewhat of a mixed bag, but the reason I'm fading Williams this week is because I believe he's going to see a lot of Stephon Gilmore, as Keenan Allen goes into the slot far too often to be shadowed by Gilmore. Because of that, Williams is a high-risk WR4 this week.
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64.
Tyler Boyd
WR - CIN (at MIA)
The good news is that we were right about Boyd still being the focal point of the offense, gathering a team-high six targets, but efficiency was gone. He caught just three of those targets for a measly 15 yards in Allen's first start of the season. It could've been just one bad game against a tough defense, but it was not a great start to the Burrow-less Bengals. Wide receivers have received a massive 64.2 percent target share against the Dolphins, which ranks as the second-highest number in the NFL, behind only the Seahawks. Unfortunately, wide receivers have only accounted for 52.7 percent of the fantasy production by skill-position players against them, which ranks as the ninth-highest number. It just highlights that wide receivers haven't been efficient against them despite seeing plenty of targets. The 1.61 PPR points per target ranks as the fourth-fewest in the NFL, behind only the Rams, Bears, and Ravens. The lone positive for Boyd is that Nik Needham is likely the least talented cornerback on the Dolphins roster, but he's still played fairly well this year, allowing just 28/297/0 on 42 targets in coverage. The only team who aggressively targeted their slot receiver was the Rams back in Week 8 when Cooper Kupp saw 21 targets that netted 11 receptions for 110 yards. We aren't going to see that for Boyd, but he should continue to lead the team in targets. He's just a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 with Allen under center.
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65.
Zack Moss
RB - BUF (at SF)
The duo combined for a respectable 25 touches in Week 12, which was one of the higher marks on the season for them. Singletary looked good while finishing with 102 total yards, though he did fumble early in the fourth quarter, which has been a problem for him over his career. Moss out-snapped him 37-25 in the game, so the touches should still favor Moss, who also gets the goal-line work. The matchup this week is not good. The 49ers have faced just 24.8 running back touches per game (6th-fewest), so when you combine that with the minuscule 20.7 touches that the Bills running backs average. As a team, the Bills rank 29th in running back fantasy points. Meanwhile, the 49ers have allowed the seventh-fewest points per game to them. You don't need to be great at math to handle this equation. Not a single running back has topped 88 yards on the ground against the 49ers, while just five running backs have found the end zone. There have been six running backs who've totaled 30-plus yards through the air, but there's been just one game all year where any of the Bills running backs have totaled more than 33 receiving yards. Knowing Moss gets the goal-line touches, he is the preferred option because he could fall into the end zone, but he's just a low-end RB3 with a low floor. Singletary can be considered a high-end RB4 who should net 10-12 touches, even if they aren't particularly efficient.
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66.
Sterling Shepard
WR - NYG (at SEA)
Keeping the streak alive after seeing eight targets in Week 12, Shepard has now seen six-plus targets in 22 straight games (removing the game he left early in the second quarter against the Bears). He managed to turn those targets into seven catches for 64 yards despite both Daniel Jones and Colt McCoy struggling to get much going. Shepard has totaled at least six receptions and 39 yards in each of the six games he's played from start to finish, which may not sound like much, but that 9.9 PPR point floor is hard to find on a weekly basis, especially when the receiver isn't considered an auto-start. We now mix his target floor with the fact that wide receivers have been targeted a ridiculous 63.5 percent of the time against the Seahawks. The Dolphins are the only other team higher than a 61.7 percent share. It's not just targets, either. Wide receivers have also accounted for 58.4 percent of the fantasy production against them by skill-position players. The average number of points it took to finish as a top-36 wide receiver in 2019 was 11.2 PPR points. Despite not allowing any on Monday night, there have been a league-high 22 wide receivers who've hit that mark against the Seahawks this year. In fact, there have been no other teams who've allowed more than 18 such performances. The quarterback situation is ugly, but it's really been all year. It's a small sample, but Shepard did see four of McCoy's 10 pass attempts last week. Shepard is in the WR3/4 conversation as someone who should offer a stable floor, though his ceiling is extremely limited.
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67.
Tee Higgins
WR - CIN (at MIA)
Higgins saw only five targets in week 12, but he was still able to produce for fantasy football by finding the end zone. It's hard to trust Higgins as anything more than a low-end WR3 with Brandon Allen at QB, but he's still worth plugging into your lineup due to the safe floor he provides.
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68.
Myles Gaskin
RB - MIA (vs . CIN)
Both these running backs were ruled out late in the week, so I'm guessing they both have a shot to play this week, though Gaskin seems like the safer bet. He's also the one who'll likely have the bigger role, so he's the one we really care about. The Bengals have allowed ball carriers 2.46 yards before contact this year, which ranks as the third-most in football. That's led to them allowing a massive 5.07 yards per carry, which ranks as the second-highest mark in football. It'A also good to know that Gaskin has averaged a team-high 2.58 yards after contact. Running backs haven't been targeted much against the Bengals, receiving just a 15.5 percent target share, which ranks as the third-lowest in football. Because of that, they've averaged just 7.1 PPR points per game through the air, which ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in football. There have been nine running backs who've totaled at least 16 touches against the Bengals, and each one of them were able to total at least 87 total yards, while five of them were able to find the end zone. Gaskin had totaled at least 21 touches in each of the last three games he played, and it seems like the Dolphins wanted to hold him out until he was 100 percent, so if he's active, he should probably be in lineups as a high-end RB3 because he does come with a little bit of risk as a running back coming off a multi-week injury. As for Ahmed, he'd likely fall into the 5-10 touch range, though Matt Breida has been used in some sort of role throughout the year, so we really don't know what the split would look like.
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69.
Hunter Henry
TE - LAC (vs . NE)
Despite Austin Ekeler coming back to the lineup, Henry managed to see a season-high 10 targets against the Bills. He also turned them into a season-high seven receptions for 67 yards, so he's now finished with at least 13.7 PPR points in each of his last three games. It took a little while for him and Herbert to get on the same page, but it appears we've finally gotten there. This is the game where we're going to find out how a smaller portion shakes out, as the Patriots haven't faced more than 37 pass attempts in any one game. The Chargers would be wise to look at others for production, as the Patriots have been one of the worst matchups in the league for tight ends, and that's backed up by Football Outsiders' DVOA that has them ranked as the seventh-toughest matchup for the position. No tight end has topped 13.3 PPR points against them this year, and they've played against Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Darren Waller, and Mark Andrews. Tight ends have scored 3.5 fewer PPR points per game against the Patriots versus what they've averaged in non-Patriots game, which makes them the fourth-worst schedule adjusted matchup for tight ends. It's impossible to sit Henry considering the stability he brings to lineups but dial back expectations this week and avoid him in cash DFS lineups.
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70.
Jerry Jeudy
WR - DEN (at KC)
We're not going to even talk about last week because it's a game that shouldn't have been played. Removing that game from existence, Jeudy was the WR20 from Week 8 through Week 11, so don't forget about him just yet. Now, he does have another brutal matchup against the Chiefs in Week 13, so we have to exercise caution once again. "Teams are going to fall behind and be forced to pass!" Sure, but the Chiefs are allowing the 11th-fewest fantasy points to skill-position players despite that. On top of that, wide receivers have accounted for just 46.3 percent of that production, which ranks as the third-lowest mark in the league. Going back to the start of last year, the Chiefs have allowed just 129.9 yards per game to wide receivers, which is the best in the NFL and a problem for Jeudy, as Lock doesn't throw a whole lot of touchdowns. Based on where he aligns, he's going to see the most of Bashaud Breeland, who's allowed 17-of-30 passing for just 139 yards in his coverage, though he has allowed two touchdowns. But still, that's just 0.57 yards allowed per snap, which ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in the NFL behind only Jimmy Smith, Jalen Ramsey, and Bryce Callahan. Jeudy should be considered a low-upside WR4 option for this game.
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71.
Breshad Perriman
WR - NYJ (vs . LV)
It's pretty remarkable when you consider everything he's been through with three different teams, but Perriman has averaged 10.2 yards per target over the last three years, which ranks fifth among wide receivers with 100-plus targets over that time. His targets have been inconsistent all year, as we've talked about several times. Here are his target totals by week: 5, 2, 8, 2, 7, 4, 8. If the trend were to hold, we'd be looking at a 2-4 target game this week, though we hope that's not the case. The Raiders have seen just 53.6 percent of targets directed at wide receivers, which ranks as the third-lowest mark in the league. Another downside is that Darnold has thrown the ball deep on just 9.7 percent of his attempts, while Joe Flacco threw the ball deep on 19.4 percent of his attempts. That's where Perriman makes up most of his value. The Raiders might be missing starting cornerback Damon Arnette for this game, as he suffered a pretty bad concussion in Week 12. His replacement, Isaiah Johnson, allowed 5-of-9 passing for 42 yards and a touchdown in his coverage last week. The Raiders haven't been too susceptible to the deep ball (32 completions of 20-plus yards), which makes Perriman a boom-or-bust WR5 with his fluctuating target share.
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72.
Evan Engram
TE - NYG (at SEA)
Engram obviously loses some of his shine with Daniel Jones out of the lineup this week, but he's still worth starting due to the TE landscape. McCoy should look to get him the ball in the short passing game and pepper him with targets. He can be viewed as a mid-range TE1.
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73.
T.Y. Hilton
WR - IND (at HOU)
He found the end zone against the Titans for the first time since Week 7 of last year. He also saw five targets, which makes it five-plus targets in 8-of-10 games this year. Hilton has not lived up to his reputation, but he has started to make strides to be considered as a streamer. Can he be trusted against the Texans, who are one of just three teams who've allowed a 70-plus percent catch-rate to wide receivers? As mentioned in the Pittman notes, they lost their top cornerbacks Bradley Roby for the season, which will force them to move forward with Vernon Hargreaves and Keion Crossen. Over the course of their careers, the two have combined to allow 253-of-358 passing for 3,331 yards and 13 touchdowns. That's a massive 9.30 yards per target, which is more than Stefon Diggs is averaging this year. Even with Roby there were 15 wide receivers who were able to finish as the WR42 or better against them, which puts Hilton into the WR4 conversation, though I prefer Pittman.
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74.
Marquise Brown
WR - BAL (vs . DAL)
Brown was finally able to put together a solid fantasy performance, but it came with the third-string QB in the game. Brown has enormous potential in this matchup against the Cowboys receivers, but he can't be trusted, no matter who is at QB. He's a volatile high-end FLEX play for week 13.
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75.
Dallas Goedert
TE - PHI (at GB)
At this point, there's no clarity just yet on Ertz's return to the lineup. If he does return, he's not someone that you can look at for fantasy football, but it hurts Goedert's outlook. Goedert is a top-5 play if Ertz misses this game, but he'd fall to a high-end TE2 if Ertz plays.
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76.
Darius Slayton
WR - NYG (at SEA)
Well, this is not great. We talked about Slayton being a boom-or-bust option last week, though nobody (myself included) expected a zero-catch game. Once McCoy came into the game, Slayton didn't see any of his 10 pass attempts. The Giants weren't taking many shots down the field with Daniel Jones under center, so it's extremely unlikely we see many more with Slayton. Some will still be considering Slayton considering the Seahawks have allowed a ridiculous 12 wide receivers to hit 20-plus PPR points against them this year while no other team has allowed more than nine such performances. There have been 26 wide receivers who've posted top-48 numbers against the Seahawks, which is WR4 or better territory. Slayton lines up all over the formation, though LWR is his primary spot, which means he'll see Tre Flowers most of the time, a cornerback who's been beat for 37-of-49 passing with 403 yards and a touchdown in his coverage, which is good for a 106.1 QB Rating. Slayton is a risky play with McCoy under center, though the matchup doesn't make him the worst hail-mary WR4/5 option.
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77.
Christian Kirk
WR - ARI (vs . LAR)
Kirk is an intriguing name for fantasy managers heading into this game, but this is all depends on Murray's health status. If Murray's shoulder is still bothering him, it's hard to see how Kirk has a good game as the downfield threat in this offense. Against one of the toughest matchups for opposing WRs, it's probably best just to sit Kirk in this one if you can. Otherwise, he can be viewed as a high-end FLEX play.
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78.
Nelson Agholor
WR - LV (at NYJ)
He had a competent performance against the Falcons last week with five catches for 54 yards, which really isn't bad when you consider how bad Derek Carr was in that game. It was just the third time all year Agholor has seen more than four targets. In fact, 51.2 percent of his production this year has come on just five receptions. While he's struggled to get consistent targets, the Jets have allowed a robust 9.28 yards per target to wide receivers, which certainly helps you feel better about starting Agholor in a pinch. The Jets starting cornerback trio of Bryce Hall, Lamar Jackson, and Arthur Maulet have allowed 28-of-41 passing for 296 yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks. If the alignment stays the same, it'll be Jackson who sees Agholor the most, a rookie cornerback who's allowed a ridiculous 146.4 QB Rating in his coverage. Knowing there have been 20 wide receivers who've finished as a top-48 wide receiver (WR4 or better) against them, Agholor certainly deserves WR4 consideration once again this week, especially given his 15 targets over the last two weeks.
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79.
Giovani Bernard
RB - CIN (at MIA)
At this point, all the shine has worn off with Gio and he's now merely a bye week fill-in option. He's simply not getting enough volume to have sustainable fantasy value in a poor offense. He can be viewed as a mid-range RB3 this week.
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80.
Chase Edmonds
RB - ARI (vs . LAR)
Edmonds isn't seeing enough work to be viewed as a viable fantasy asset. He can be plugged into your lineup if you're in a pinch, but he offers very little upside.
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81.
Cam Akers
RB - LAR (at ARI)
At this point, there's a little bit more clarity on who to play in this backfield, but it's still not a situation that I want to deal with here. Akers seems to be establishing himself as the main option, but that doesn't exactly mean that he's seeing enough carries to be a viable fantasy asset. Akers can be viewed as a mid-range RB3 this week, but there's always the possibility that it turns into a Darrell Henderson or Malcolm Brown game and Akers is stuck riding the bench.
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82.
Duke Johnson Jr.
RB - HOU (vs . IND)
We're expecting David back to the lineup this week after missing three games due to his concussion he suffered back in Week 9. It seemed like Duke injured himself early in the Thanksgiving game, which led to C.J. Prosise stealing some work, though Duke did wind up playing 42-of-56 snaps and posting 80 total yards with a touchdown. It's clear they didn't want him taking over David's role, which has netted 16.7 touches per game this year. He's not returning to a matchup that should get you excited, though. The Colts have allowed ball carriers just 1.13 yards before contact this year, which is the third-lowest mark in the league. This is bad news for Johnson. There have been 64 running backs who've rushed 50-plus times this year, and Johnson's 2.13 yards after contact ranks 62nd on that last, behind only Peyton Barber and Devonta Freeman. Sure, Derrick Henry ran all over them last week, but they were without their best defensive lineman (DeForest Buckner) and one of their starting linebackers (Bobby Okereke) for that game. Henry is also the only running back to run for 100-plus yards against the Colts under Matt Eberflus (span of 43 games). In fact, Henry is the only one who's topped 72 yards on the ground against them this year. In non-Henry games, the Colts have allowed just 641 rushing yards on 196 carries with five rushing touchdowns. That's just 3.27 yards per carry and 71.2 rushing yards per game, and that's to entire teams of running backs. Even factoring in schedule adjusted fantasy points, the Colts rank as the fifth-toughest matchup for running backs. David should return to 15 touches but they're not likely to net a whole bunch of yardage, putting him in that high-end RB3 territory without much of a ceiling. If he can't go, Duke would take his spot in the rankings.
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83.
Devin Singletary
RB - BUF (at SF)
The duo combined for a respectable 25 touches in Week 12, which was one of the higher marks on the season for them. Singletary looked good while finishing with 102 total yards, though he did fumble early in the fourth quarter, which has been a problem for him over his career. Moss out-snapped him 37-25 in the game, so the touches should still favor Moss, who also gets the goal-line work. The matchup this week is not good. The 49ers have faced just 24.8 running back touches per game (6th-fewest), so when you combine that with the minuscule 20.7 touches that the Bills running backs average. As a team, the Bills rank 29th in running back fantasy points. Meanwhile, the 49ers have allowed the seventh-fewest points per game to them. You don't need to be great at math to handle this equation. Not a single running back has topped 88 yards on the ground against the 49ers, while just five running backs have found the end zone. There have been six running backs who've totaled 30-plus yards through the air, but there's been just one game all year where any of the Bills running backs have totaled more than 33 receiving yards. Knowing Moss gets the goal-line touches, he is the preferred option because he could fall into the end zone, but he's just a low-end RB3 with a low floor. Singletary can be considered a high-end RB4 who should net 10-12 touches, even if they aren't particularly efficient.
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84.
Allen Lazard
WR - GB (vs . PHI)
Lazard wasn't able to get much done last week in terms of receiving yards, but he was able to find the end zone. He's got another great chance to score here this week and he can be viewed as a low-end WR3.
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85.
Sammy Watkins
WR - KC (vs . DEN)
He returned to the lineup successfully last week, playing 57-of-79 total snaps and seeing seven targets. They amounted to four receptions for 38 yards, so nothing to write home about, but he's seen at least seven targets in all four games he's played from start to finish this year. The Broncos play stations on the field, so there aren't any shadow matchups to wonder about. They've been one of the more efficient defenses against receivers, allowing just 7.52 yards per target (3rd-fewest). They have allowed 13 wide receivers to finish top-36 against them, though you need to know that 10 of those wide receivers scored touchdowns. Watkins should be considered that WR4-type option you plug-in when there's an emergency and just hope he has one of those big games. But most of the time, you're left with something like four catches for 42 yards.
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86.
Jamison Crowder
WR - NYJ (vs . LV)
Where has his role gone in this offense? We thought it was due to Joe Flacco under center, but after seeing just five targets in Week 12 with Darnold under center, you have to wonder if they're trying to move away from the slot receiver as the primary option. You'd have to go all the way back to Week 5 to find the last time Crowder finished with more than 48 yards. He's no longer someone who absolutely needs to be started. The Raiders matchup is tougher in the slot than it is on the perimeter, too. Lamarcus Joyner has allowed 34-of-48 passing for just 353 yards and no touchdowns in his coverage this season. The Raiders did allow big games to both Keenan Allen and Chris Godwin, but both of those wide receivers see plenty of time on the perimeter, which is something Crowder knows nothing about. The more comparable receivers would be Cole Beasley (3/32/1), Jarvis Landry (4/52/0), Curtis Samuel (5/38/0), and Russell Gage (3/34/0), who were all held in check against them. Crowder should be considered a low-upside WR4/5-type option who might have a higher floor than some in that range, but you might be better off sacrificing some floor for ceiling.
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87.
Robert Tonyan
TE - GB (vs . PHI)
At this point, Tonyan belongs in your starting lineup every week. He's now finished as the TE7 and TE2 in back-to-back weeks and Rodgers is looking his way repeatedly. Tonyan can be viewed as a mid-range TE1 this week.
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88.
Denzel Mims
WR - NYJ (vs . LV)
He now has three straight games with eight targets, which is certainly good news, and he's also totaled at least 62 yards in each of them. We noticed that other rookies took some time to acclimate to the NFL, so it could be starting to click for Mims. The matchup he'll have against the Raiders will be primarily against Damon Arnette (who suffered a concussion last week) or Isaiah Johnson. Neither of them has been particularly good this year, allowing a combined 33-of-47 passing for 473 yards and three touchdowns. That's over 10.0 yards per target and a touchdown every 15.7 targets. Still, the production against them has been quite spread out, as there've been just nine wide receivers all year who've topped 68 receiving yards against them. Ultimately, Mims should offer a somewhat stable floor as a low-end WR4 but it's hard to love him in this offense that's constantly underachieving.
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89.
Darrell Henderson
RB - LAR (at ARI)
We've talked about this backfield and it's unpredictability on a weekly basis. In fact, you may not be able to predict it from quarter-to-quarter, as Akers saw just one carry in the first half, but then saw eight of them in the second half. Over the last three weeks, here are the touches and yardages for each back: Henderson (28 - 61), Akers (25 - 141), and Brown (17 - 98). Akers has had the most success, but 61 of his yards came on one play. He's been stuck in the 5-10 carry range for the last month, so it's tough to see that changing overnight. The Cardinals haven't faced more than 21 carries by a team of running backs since way back in Week 7, which doesn't bode well for this timeshare. The good news is that the Cardinals have allowed a massive 2.44 yards before contact to ball carriers this year, which ranks as the fifth-most in the league, and much of that was with interior lineman Corey Peters in the lineup (he's out for the year). All in all, the Cardinals have faced 25.5 running back touches per game, so even if Akers were to get a bump into 40-45 percent of the touches (he's averaged 35.7 percent over the last three weeks), we're talking about 10-12 touches if that number holds true. There have been six running backs who've totaled 15-plus PPR points against the Cardinals, but five of them totaled at least 16 touches. Akers might be the preferred option right now, but he's still nothing more than an RB3 until we see him get a larger share of the touches. Henderson is still in the high-end RB4 conversation, as he's received the most touches over the last three games, and it's possible he is still the most valuable one, though he's been trending downward. Brown is seemingly an afterthought with Akers earning a bigger role.
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90.
Jamaal Williams
RB - GB (vs . PHI)
Williams continues to see work in this offense and he could be heavily utilized here again. He's a risky play due to the uncertainty, but he can be viewed as a high-end RB3 option in week 13.
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91.
Julio Jones
WR - ATL (vs . NO)
The Falcons are reportedly "hopeful" to get Jones back this week, but there's one thing you need to pay attention to, and that's his practice schedule. If he practices, even limited, he should be good to go. If he doesn't, don't count on him taking the field Sunday. The Saints are not the best matchup to be returning to, as they've been one of the best defenses in the league over the last month. Jones saw two targets on his 22 snaps that he was able to play in Week 11, which led to two receptions for 39 yards, though it's worth noting the Saints were also without Marshon Lattimore for that game. He's the cornerback Jones would see most of in coverage. After a rough start to the season, Lattimore has gotten back on track over his last five games, allowing just 15-of-27 passing for 157 yards, though two of those receptions have gone for touchdowns. Teams seemingly understand the talent in the Saints cornerback unit, as receivers have averaged just 17.9 targets per game, the third-fewest in the NFL. If Jones can suit up, you're playing him as a WR1, albeit a low-end one in this tough matchup.
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92.
Hayden Hurst
TE - ATL (vs . NO)
With Julio most likely out for this game, Hurst does receive a bit of a boost from a target share perspective. He has a tough matchup in front of him, but he should do enough to return low-end TE1 value.
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93.
Tim Patrick
WR - DEN (at KC)
Just like we did with Jeudy, we're removing Week 12 from existence. Patrick has surprisingly finished as a top-36 wide receiver in six of his last eight games. Wide receivers have accounted for just 140.9 yards per game against the Chiefs, which is the second-lowest mark in the league. There have been just nine wide receivers all year who've topped 50 yards against the Chiefs. Even adjusting for schedule, the Chiefs rank as the eighth-toughest matchup for wide receviers, as they've averaged 9.6 percent fewer fantasy points per game than their seasonal average. Patrick is right alongside Jeudy in the back-end WR4 conversation, though both lack upside in this matchup.
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94.
Jalen Reagor
WR - PHI (at GB)
Well, this stinks. Reagor has gotten the targets we've expected (25 over the last four games) but production has been hard to come by. Sure, we knew Wentz was struggling but there are a lot of wide receivers who are producing with bad quarterback play, which is why it made sense for Reagor to turn things around. Jeffery didn't have a role on the team the last few weeks, but then ran more routes than Fulgham in Week 12, though neither of them produced. After flopping against the Seahawks, we've reached the end of the little trust we had in all Eagles receivers. The Packers have allowed the fifth-fewest yards per target (7.61) to wide receivers this year and have only allowed 149.4 wide receiver yards per game. Their opponents have lacked overall play volume, and it really makes sense to keep the ball on the ground against them. Reagor is still in WR5 territory due to the targets he's getting, but you're probably better off moving on. The others are waiver wire fodder right now.
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95.
Keelan Cole Sr.
WR - JAC (at MIN)
Despite Chark and Chris Conley being out, Cole was unable to get much going against the Browns last week, finishing with 3/44/0 on six targets. To be fair, we shouldn't be expecting a whole lot out of Cole considering he's topped 58 yards just once all season. He's more of a floor option than one you're playing to get a ceiling out of. The Vikings have allowed 2.03 PPR points per target, which is tied for the second-most in the league, so him seeing at least five targets in 9-of-11 games this year is somewhat of a big deal. The Vikings have rookie Jeff Gladney covering the slot, and he's been... well, like a rookie, allowing 30-of-48 passing for 364 yards and five touchdowns in his slot coverage. If you want to play Cole as a high-floor WR5 type option, that's fine, but understand he's had a very limited ceiling this year despite seeing solid targets.
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96.
Henry Ruggs III
WR - LV (at NYJ)
He tied a career-high in targets last week... with five of them. The 56 yards he posted against the Falcons was the second-highest mark of the season for him, so baby steps, I guess. The Jets have allowed a massive 72.0 percent catch-rate to wide receivers, a number that's only grown as the year has gone on. There have been 19 wide receivers who've seen at least five targets against the Jets, and 17 of them finished as top-48 wide receivers, so volume is really all we need for Ruggs to get into WR4 territory. Knowing the Raiders run game isn't particularly healthy and may struggle against the Jets run defense (that's better than most believe), we should see a bit more pass attempts out of the Raiders offense. The Jets have also allowed 38 pass plays that have gone for 20-plus yards, the seventh-most in football. You know the risk you're getting into with Ruggs by now, though this matchup is one that really should allow him to shine a bit. He's a risk/reward WR4/5-type option.
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97.
James White
RB - NE (at LAC)
Despite the fact that Harris has been a very good running back on the ground, we were reminded why it's tricky to evaluate him last week. Since taking over the starting job, Harris has averaged 13.8 carries per game. Heck, let's pretend that number has been 16.0 just for this exercise. He's failed to receive a target in four of the last five games, so we can't count on that. Even if Harris gets 16 carries and averages a rock-star-like 5.0 yards per carry, he ends the game with 80 yards. If he doesn't score, he's not getting into startable territory, especially in PPR formats. The Chargers have allowed 1.0 rushing touchdown per game this year, which is tied for 15th. Going back to what we were just talking about, the Chargers have allowed 4.98 yards per carry, which is the third-most in the NFL. So, that 5.0 yards per carry I mentioned was very relevant. There have been nine running backs who've totaled at least 61 yards on the ground against them. Harris should be considered an RB3 right now who's extremely touchdown dependent because of how little he's used in the passing game. As for White, he could have a decent outlook in this game. Running backs have been targeted 22.7 percent of the time against the Chargers, which ranks as the second-highest mark in the NFL. We were hoping that with Rex Burkhead out of the lineup that we'd see more targets for White, and we got them in Week 11 when he saw nine of them, but he followed that up with just one target last week. Fortunately, he snuck into the end zone twice on just five carries, which is something we'll likely never get again, as White had just eight rushing touchdowns over the course of his 86-game career coming into that game. We need the passing game usage, so Week 12 was certainly a letdown. White should be considered a high-end RB4 in fantasy right now who apparently has a lower floor than we thought with Burkhead out of the lineup.
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98.
Carlos Hyde
RB - SEA (vs . NYG)
What in the heck happened on Monday night? Hyde out-snapped Carson 41-25 and out-touched him 17-10. In totally unrelated news, Hyde totaled 29 total yards on his 17 touches. -_- Please stop this as soon as possible, Mr. Pete Carroll. Fortunately, Carson was hyper-efficient totaling 59 yards on his 10 touches, including a powerful touchdown run that 95 percent of running backs wouldn't have scored on. This timeshare is a real issue because the Giants have only faced 19.4 running back carries per game, which is the third-fewest in the league. Those carries have netted 4.23 yards per carry, which is slightly below the league average, so they're not a team who's going to allow heavy production on the ground. It is worth noting that a league-high 67 percent of carries inside the five-yard line have resulted as touchdowns against the Giants. If we can get Carson back as the primary pass-catching running back, it' would be a good thing because that's where the production stems from against the Giants. Running backs have been targeted a league-high 22.8 percent of the time against the Giants, and that's led to 12.7 PPR points per game through the air alone, which ranks as the third-highest mark in football. There have been 11 running backs who've caught at least three passes, while seven of them have racked up 35-plus receiving yards. I'm willing to write-off last week's game as them easing Carson back into the lineup, because he's clearly the better running back. You should feel pretty confident playing him as a solid RB2 in this game. Hyde should still have a role but knowing that the Giants have faced just 25.4 running back touches per game, it's tough to see two starter-worthy options out of this backfield. Hyde should be in the high-end RB4 range in case last week wasn't just a fluke.
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99.
Darnell Mooney
WR - CHI (vs . DET)
It's kind of crazy to think that Mooney has 65 targets on the year, which ranks 37th among wide receivers, and is precisely as much as A.J. Brown. It puts him on pace for 95 targets for the year, though his projected 560 yards are nowhere close to where they should be. Mooney saw nine targets in Week 12, so they're not shying away from targeting him despite the 5.9 yards per target. He's the one they take deep shots down the field to, as his 14.8 average air yards suggests (11th-highest) in the league. Meanwhile, the Lions have allowed 42 pass plays of 20-plus yards, which ranks as the third-most in the league. The 12.1 yards per reception they're allowing to pass catchers in general is the highest in the NFL. They've been moving players around the defense with injuries to both Desmond Trufant and Jeff Okudah, so we are likely to see Mooney against some backup cornerbacks. He's nothing more than a hail-mary WR4/5 but one who sees more targets than almost everyone in that range.
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100.
Eric Ebron
TE - PIT (vs . WAS)
Ebron saw an absurd 11 targets last week. At the TE position, it doesn't get much better than that. Ebron had a bad drop in the red zone that could've turned into a score too. He's worth firing up as a mid-range TE1 against the defense that's allowing the 13th most fantasy points to opposing TEs.
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101.
Keke Coutee
WR - HOU (vs . IND)
Thank goodness Bill O'Brien isn't still the coach. He'd probably snag a few guys off the street rather than play Coutee. If you didn't watch the Thanksgiving game, you'd see Coutee's finishing line of 2/17/0 as horrendous, but he just missed what would have been a 40-yard completion, but the ball was slightly overthrown. Coutee has the speed (4.4) to stretch the field for Watson, even though many view him as a slot receiver. The Colts have allowed 33 pass plays of 20-plus yards, so even though they've been one of the better defenses in the league, they're not incapable of being beat down the field, and that's evidenced by the 14.16 yards per reception they've allowed, which ranks second in the NFL. I'm guessing they'll keep Coutee in his slot-heavy role, which would put him against Kenny Moore in the slot, who's been solid in coverage, allowing just 32-of-50 passing for 337 yards and two touchdowns on the season. There have been just seven wide receivers who've topped 70 yards against the Colts this year, so this doesn't set up for a big game out of Coutee, but he should be added in all leagues to see what Fuller's absence means for him in the pecking order.
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102.
Gabriel Davis
WR - BUF (at SF)
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103.
Josh Reynolds
WR - LAR (at ARI)
It's now been five straight games where Reynolds has seen six-plus targets, which puts him on the fantasy map, though three of those games have netted 9.0 or less PPR points. Is the matchup against the Cardinals great enough to consider him? Probably not considering Reynolds plays almost all his snaps on the perimeter, which is where Patrick Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick play, the Cardinals two top cornerbacks. Here's the list of perimeter-heavy wide receviers who've finished top-36 against them: Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Kenny Golladay, and D.K. Metcalf. That's it. The only other perimeter receiver who totaled more than 51 yards was DeVante Parker, who caught six balls for 64 yards. Reynolds isn't a recommended start in this matchup.
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104.
Brian Hill
RB - ATL (vs . NO)
Raheem Morris said they're "hopeful" to get Gurley back this week, though that's hardly a guarantee. With him out of the lineup Hill and Smith shared the touches, though it was Smith who was more efficient, finishing with 75 total yards and a touchdown on 16 touches compared to Hill's 55 total yards on 13 touches. We could sit here and talk about what this timeshare is without Gurley, but it won't make much of a difference in Week 13, as you really don't want to play either of them against the Saints, who've allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs. The competition they've played isn't in question either, as running backs have averaged 6.9 fewer half-PPR points against the Saints than they do in non-Saints games. That's easily the biggest gap in the league. Of the production the Saints have allowed to skill-position players (63.0 PPR points per game), just 26.6 percent of it goes to running backs, which is the second-lowest percentage in football. There are just three teams in the NFL who've allowed fewer than 10.0 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs. The Falcons, Saints, and Bucs. We know that touchdowns are important to production in this backfield by now, right? Well, the Saints have allowed just five total touchdowns to running backs this year, or one every 53.8 touches. Both of those are the best numbers in the league. They've allowed just 27 percent of carries inside the five-yard line be converted into touchdowns, which is the third-lowest percentage in the league, so even if Gurley plays, his touchdown-dependent stat lines are problematic. That should be enough for you to worry, but what about when I tell you they've allowed a league-low 1,049 total yards to running backs this year (95.4 per game)? When you factor in weighted opportunity, the Saints have allowed 8.6 percent fewer points per opportunity than any other team in the league. The average RB1 performance in 2019 was 17.2 PPR points. The Saints are the only team in the league who've yet to allow a running back hit that mark. Even if Gurley suits up, he's just a boring RB3 who will bust if he doesn't score. If he doesn't play, Smith would be the preferred option, as he at least gets passing-down usage, but he'd be just a low-end RB3/high-end RB4.
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105.
Michael Gallup
WR - DAL (at BAL)
Gallup bounced back to relevancy this past week, but he's been too hit-or-miss for you to feel confident plugging him into your lineup in such a crucial week. Gallup's a boom-or-bust FLEX option.
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106.
Gus Edwards
RB - BAL (vs . DAL)
Ravens running backs are averaging 1.68 yards before contact, which is the second-highest number in the league, behind only the Cardinals. It would appear having a mobile quarterback helps. When you combined this with the fact that the Cowboys have allowed the most yards before contact, you have the recipe for major success. The only team who's allowed more yards on the ground than the Cowboys are the Texans. No other team is within 150 yards of those two teams. It surely helps that running backs have been able to accumulate 27.1 rushing attempts per game against them, which is enough to feel comfortable with a timeshare, which is something that may be a thing of the past if Dobbins returns to the role he had in Week 10. If you look at production on the ground alone, the Cowboys have allowed 215.8 fantasy points, or 19.6 points per game. They are one of just three teams who've allowed more than 16.5 points per game on the ground. Most of this stems from the fact that their opponents have chosen to run the ball 48.4 percent of the time (2nd-most), though efficiency has been there, too. We know the Ravens running backs aren't targeted much in the passing game, but it's even less likely they are against the Cowboys, who've seen a running back target on just 15.5 percent of pass attempts, tied for the third-lowest mark in the league. Even when they get targeted, it hasn't amounted to much, as the Cowboys have allowed a league-low 5.5 PPR points per game through the air to running backs. When you look at explosive performances against teams, I require 20-plus PPR points for running backs and wide receviers and 15-plus PPR points for tight ends. The Cowboys have allowed a league-high 15 explosive performances this year, so when you think about the Ravens, you want to find that gem for this game. I'm comfortable playing Dobbins as an RB2 this week who comes with top-five upside if he returns to his workhorse role. Edwards can fill an RB4 role, as it appeared like he passed Mark Ingram on the depth chart a few weeks ago.
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107.
Rashard Higgins
WR - CLE (at TEN)
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108.
Laviska Shenault Jr.
WR - JAC (at MIN)
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109.
Mike Gesicki
TE - MIA (vs . CIN)
It's kind of frustrating playing Gesicki this year, as both Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe have been thorns in our sides. Those two combined for as many targets (5) as Gesicki last week. On the year, they've combined for five touchdowns, while Gesicki himself has three of them. Gesicki does lead all tight ends with an 11.1-yard average depth of target. Just two other tight ends have an average depth of target over 9.8 yards, so theoretically, his targets should be worth more than the average target to tight ends. The Bengals have faced a tight end target 23.3 percent of the time, which ranks as the fourth-most in the NFL. Those targets have been worthwhile too, as they've allowed a league-high 65.3 yards per game to tight ends. The Bengals are one of four teams in the league who've allowed four 15-plus point performances to tight ends. Even lowering the bar a bit, there have been seven tight ends who've cracked 10.6 PPR points, which is the average number of points it took to finish as a top-12 tight end last year. Even factoring the level of competition they've played, they rank as the eighth-best matchup for tight ends. Gesicki doesn't have the guaranteed targets that most tight ends inside the top-10 do, but he's close. Consider him a low-end TE1 for this week's game who comes with some upside if he gets the end zone targets instead of Shaheen and Smythe.
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110.
Le'Veon Bell
RB - KC (vs . DEN)
I tried warning you about his matchup last week, and Edwards-Helaire completely bombed, finishing with a career-low 4.9 PPR points against the Bucs. When you're seeing the workload he is, those games are going to happen. Over the last five weeks with Bell in the lineup, Edwards-Helaire has averaged 8.8 carries and 3.0 targets per game. Didn't realize it was that low, did you? He's averaging a great 4.58 yards per carry on the year, so that's not the issue. This week's matchup could be one for you to like him a bit more, though. Despite the Broncos being one of the better pass defenses in the league, the Chiefs have an implied team total of 31.3 points, which bodes extremely well for Edwards-Helaire. The Broncos lost interior lineman Mike Purcell on the first drive of Week 7. They haven't been able to stop the run lately, and those eight touchdowns don't even count Taysom Hill's two rushing touchdowns last week. Opponents have averaged 27.2 carries per game against them over that time, which should allow Edwards-Helaire to get back into the 12-15 carry range for this game, which should be enough for him to get into RB2 territory. The Broncos have allowed just 1.28 PPR points per target to running backs, which ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in the league, so don't count on too much production there. I'd play Edwards-Helaire as a solid RB2 this week who has top-five upside in this matchup, though he needs more work. Bell hasn't topped nine touches in a Chiefs uniform, and based on his lack of efficiency, we shouldn't expect his touches to increase. He's just an RB4/handcuff.
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111.
Malcolm Brown
RB - LAR (at ARI)
We've talked about this backfield and it's unpredictability on a weekly basis. In fact, you may not be able to predict it from quarter-to-quarter, as Akers saw just one carry in the first half, but then saw eight of them in the second half. Over the last three weeks, here are the touches and yardages for each back: Henderson (28 - 61), Akers (25 - 141), and Brown (17 - 98). Akers has had the most success, but 61 of his yards came on one play. He's been stuck in the 5-10 carry range for the last month, so it's tough to see that changing overnight. The Cardinals haven't faced more than 21 carries by a team of running backs since way back in Week 7, which doesn't bode well for this timeshare. The good news is that the Cardinals have allowed a massive 2.44 yards before contact to ball carriers this year, which ranks as the fifth-most in the league, and much of that was with interior lineman Corey Peters in the lineup (he's out for the year). All in all, the Cardinals have faced 25.5 running back touches per game, so even if Akers were to get a bump into 40-45 percent of the touches (he's averaged 35.7 percent over the last three weeks), we're talking about 10-12 touches if that number holds true. There have been six running backs who've totaled 15-plus PPR points against the Cardinals, but five of them totaled at least 16 touches. Akers might be the preferred option right now, but he's still nothing more than an RB3 until we see him get a larger share of the touches. Henderson is still in the high-end RB4 conversation, as he's received the most touches over the last three games, and it's possible he is still the most valuable one, though he's been trending downward. Brown is seemingly an afterthought with Akers earning a bigger role.
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112.
J.D. McKissic
RB - WAS (at PIT)
McKissic has not been needed much with Antonio Gibson playing lights out recently. However, this is a matchup where we could see Alex Smith throw the ball quite a bit, which lends itself to McKissic being a bit more involved. It's a risky play, but if you're in a pinch and need someone to plug in, McKissic's a fine mid-range RB3 option.
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113.
Noah Fant
TE - DEN (at KC)
Removing last week from existence, Fant has totaled in-between 35-57 yards in seven games this season. He's also seen at least five targets in 8-of-9 games, which gives us what we want out of a tight end. If there's someone Fant would like to impress, it's the guy on the other sideline, who his game most resembles from the time they came into the league, as Kelce wasn't always a great blocker. When you adjust for the schedule they've played, the Chiefs are the eighth-best matchup for tight ends in PPR formats, as they average 12.5 percent more fantasy points against the Chiefs than they do in non-Chiefs games. Fant only totaled 3/38/0 on seven targets against them in the first game they played this year, but he was hobbling around all game as it was his first game back from his ankle injury. The game was also played in the snow. There have been five tight ends who've finished with at least five catches and 48 yards against them, which should present a decent floor for Fant in a game they fall behind. The 1.87 PPR points per target the Chiefs have allowed to tight ends is more than enough to go ahead and plug him in as a mid-to-low-end TE1.
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114.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR - GB (vs . PHI)
When we heard that he was dealing with an Achilles injury mid-week, it seemed like he wouldn't play last week. He wasn't targeted at all, so clearly, he's playing through something. The Eagles have allowed just seven wide receivers to hit 11.2-plus PPR points against them this year, which is the lowest in the NFL. Why choose that specific point mark, Mike? Well, because that's the average number of points it took to finish as a top-36 wide receiver in 2019. If you were to look at the last seven teams the Eagles have played and add up their WR1, WR2, WR3, and TE1 yardage, none of the teams have surpassed 206 yards. When you have Davante Adams soaking up most of the production, that's problematic. Add in the injury Valdes-Scantling is dealing with and you have a fade.
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115.
Kyle Rudolph
TE - MIN (vs . JAC)
It's looking unlikely that Irv Smith suits up for this game, which instantly puts Rudolph into the streaming conversation. With the matchup against the Jaguars, who are allowing the second most fantasy points to opposing TEs, Rudolph should be viewed as a high-end TE2 this week.
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116.
Anthony Miller
WR - CHI (vs . DET)
I almost didn't write Miller up for this game because it's so hard to recommend playing him, but he has seen at least six targets in each of his last four games. Similar to Mooney, he's averaging a minuscule 6.0 yards per target, but the targets mean you should at least consider him. The Lions have been a matchup that Miller has done well with in their last two meetings, as he totaled 4/76/1 against them back in Week 1 and finished with 9/140/0 in Week 13 of last year. The Lions have been shifting cornerbacks around with the injuries to Jeff Okudah and Desmond Trufant, so it's tough to say which cornerback Miller will see in this game. Knowing the Lions have allowed 1.89 PPR points per target (7th-highest), Miller's targets need to be accounted for, putting him in the WR5 conversation.
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117.
Russell Gage
WR - ATL (vs . NO)
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118.
Austin Hooper
TE - CLE (at TEN)
Hooper only saw two targets last week, but he made them count by finding the end zone. The minimal target share is concerning moving forward, but there aren't many tight ends who are seeing a significant and consistent target share every week. Hooper's worth plugging into your lineup again as a low-end TE1.
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119.
Travis Fulgham
WR - PHI (at GB)
Well, this stinks. Reagor has gotten the targets we've expected (25 over the last four games) but production has been hard to come by. Sure, we knew Wentz was struggling but there are a lot of wide receivers who are producing with bad quarterback play, which is why it made sense for Reagor to turn things around. Jeffery didn't have a role on the team the last few weeks, but then ran more routes than Fulgham in Week 12, though neither of them produced. After flopping against the Seahawks, we've reached the end of the little trust we had in all Eagles receivers. The Packers have allowed the fifth-fewest yards per target (7.61) to wide receivers this year and have only allowed 149.4 wide receiver yards per game. Their opponents have lacked overall play volume, and it really makes sense to keep the ball on the ground against them. Reagor is still in WR5 territory due to the targets he's getting, but you're probably better off moving on. The others are waiver wire fodder right now.
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120.
Damiere Byrd
WR - NE (at LAC)
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121.
Adrian Peterson
RB - DET (at CHI)
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122.
Emmanuel Sanders
WR - NO (at ATL)
After a one-target game, you probably aren't considering Sanders an option, but knowing the Falcons stop the run well as well as they do, you might want to. The last time they played against the Falcons, he finished with four catches for 66 yards on just five targets, and it could've been much more than that had his 57-yard touchdown not gotten called back due to a penalty. The Falcons have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers and have allowed 21 wide receivers finish as top-40 options against them. Sanders can be in the WR4/5 conversation despite his lack of targets in Week 12, but understand he comes with a lower floor than most in that range.
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123.
Ito Smith
RB - ATL (vs . NO)
Raheem Morris said they're "hopeful" to get Gurley back this week, though that's hardly a guarantee. With him out of the lineup Hill and Smith shared the touches, though it was Smith who was more efficient, finishing with 75 total yards and a touchdown on 16 touches compared to Hill's 55 total yards on 13 touches. We could sit here and talk about what this timeshare is without Gurley, but it won't make much of a difference in Week 13, as you really don't want to play either of them against the Saints, who've allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs. The competition they've played isn't in question either, as running backs have averaged 6.9 fewer half-PPR points against the Saints than they do in non-Saints games. That's easily the biggest gap in the league. Of the production the Saints have allowed to skill-position players (63.0 PPR points per game), just 26.6 percent of it goes to running backs, which is the second-lowest percentage in football. There are just three teams in the NFL who've allowed fewer than 10.0 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs. The Falcons, Saints, and Bucs. We know that touchdowns are important to production in this backfield by now, right? Well, the Saints have allowed just five total touchdowns to running backs this year, or one every 53.8 touches. Both of those are the best numbers in the league. They've allowed just 27 percent of carries inside the five-yard line be converted into touchdowns, which is the third-lowest percentage in the league, so even if Gurley plays, his touchdown-dependent stat lines are problematic. That should be enough for you to worry, but what about when I tell you they've allowed a league-low 1,049 total yards to running backs this year (95.4 per game)? When you factor in weighted opportunity, the Saints have allowed 8.6 percent fewer points per opportunity than any other team in the league. The average RB1 performance in 2019 was 17.2 PPR points. The Saints are the only team in the league who've yet to allow a running back hit that mark. Even if Gurley suits up, he's just a boring RB3 who will bust if he doesn't score. If he doesn't play, Smith would be the preferred option, as he at least gets passing-down usage, but he'd be just a low-end RB3/high-end RB4.
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124.
Jordan Reed
TE - SF (vs . BUF)
Reed has a fantastic matchup this week against the Bills, who are currently allowing the 9th most fantasy points to opposing TEs. He hasn't exactly been producing recently, but he's certainly seeing the target volume that pushes him into the streaming conversation. He doesn't break the top-12 in my TE rankings this week, but he's certainly worth considering if you're looking for an option at the position that could bring some upside.
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125.
Hunter Renfrow
WR - LV (at NYJ)
With the Raiders playing catch up for the majority of last week's game, Renfrow was heavily targeted. The Raiders are unlikely to fall behind that badly yet again here against the Jets, but the matchup is fantastic. Due to the projected game-script, Renfrow can't be viewed any higher than a high-end FLEX play.
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126.
KJ Hamler
WR - DEN (at KC)
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127.
Mecole Hardman
WR - KC (vs . DEN)
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128.
Tony Pollard
RB - DAL (at BAL)
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129.
David Moore
WR - SEA (vs . NYG)
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130.
Demarcus Robinson
WR - KC (vs . DEN)
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131.
Joshua Kelley
RB - LAC (vs . NE)
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132.
Jordan Wilkins
RB - IND (at HOU)
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133.
Golden Tate
WR - NYG (at SEA)
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134.
Jakeem Grant
WR - MIA (vs . CIN)
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135.
Trey Burton
TE - IND (at HOU)
He started out last week's game on fire, snagging three balls for 50 yards and a touchdown in the game's first 16 minutes, but he failed to do anything after that. He out-targeted Mo Alie-Cox in the game 6-2, but if you look at the routes run, you're not feeling great: Alie-Cox 23, Burton 21, Jack Doyle 11. This is a timeshare every single week and why we can never play a Colts tight end with much confidence, though we certainly want to try, as they've combined for seven performances with 9.8-plus PPR points. The Texans haven't allowed a lot of touchdowns (4) to tight ends, but the 58.7 yards per game they've allowed to them ranks as the third-most in the NFL, as does the 8.61 yards per target they've allowed to them. Over the last two weeks, we've watched Ryan Izzo and T.J. Hockenson combine for seven catches and 148 yards on just 10 targets, so it's not as if they're trending in the right direction, either. Football Outsiders has them ranked as the fifth-worst team in DVOA against tight ends, which factors in level of competition they've played. Knowing it's Burton who's seen 14 targets over the last three weeks while Alie-Cox has eight of them, I suppose Burton's the best bet, though the Colts have plus-matchups all over the field in this game, so he's just a middling TE2.
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136.
Boston Scott
RB - PHI (at GB)
Scott's become more involved in this offense, but he's not someone worth plugging into your lineup confidently just yet. He's a fine bye week fill-in option in Full PPR formats, but otherwise he can be left on your bench.
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137.
Jerick McKinnon
RB - SF (vs . BUF)
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138.
Dalton Schultz
TE - DAL (at BAL)
Schultz reeled in all five of his targets last week, but he didn't exactly make the most of his opportunity. Schultz is a mid-range TE2 in this tough matchup and it's probably wise to look elsewhere, if you can.
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139.
Zach Ertz
TE - PHI (at GB)
It seems likely that Ertz will return this week, removing some of the luster around Goedert as a must-play TE1, though there has been enough room for two tight ends in this offense. Goedert and Richard Rodgers have combined for 34 targets, 25 receptions, 346 yards, and four touchdowns over the last three weeks. How is that possible with Wentz playing the way he has? Good question. All their production is being funneled through the tight ends. Similar to the matchup they had last week, the Packers have seen a tight end targeted on just 15.6 percent of passes this year, which ranks as the third-fewest in the NFL. But this is where the heavy targets of the Eagles come into play, as the Packers have allowed 8.00 yards per target to tight ends when they do get targeted, which is the seventh-most in the league. Is there a reason tight ends haven't been targeted much against the Packers or is it just the competition they've played? The three big-name tight ends they've played have been Rob Gronkowski (5/78/1), T.J. Hockenson (4/62/0), and Hayden Hurst (4/51/0), so it wasn't all that bad. Football Outsiders has them ranked as the 15th-toughest matchup for tight ends, so it's not bad as long as you're targeted. Goedert should remain in lineups as a TE1 unless he gives us a reason not to. Provided Ertz returns, he'll be in the high-end TE2 conversation just because he comes with a bit more risk in his first game back.
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140.
Jordan Akins
TE - HOU (vs . IND)
There were some who believed that with Randall Cobb and Kenny Stills out, we might see more of Akins in the offensive gameplan. Nope. He was targeted just twice against the Lions, and though they were both in the end zone, he couldn't haul either of them in (one was a drop). When you've seen more than four targets just twice all year, you need to make the most of your opportunities. Will he get more with Fuller out of the lineup? The targets have to go somewhere. Unfortunately, it's not a great week to consider him against a Colts team that's allowed just 1.21 PPR points per target to tight ends. It's not just lack of touchdowns either, as they've allowed just 5.31 yards per target, which is the second-lowest mark in the league. The competition they've played hasn't been all that great, but still, tight ends have averaged 35.7 percent fewer PPR points against the Colts than they do on the season, which makes it the fifth-toughest schedule adjusted matchup for tight ends. Like I said, the targets have to go somewhere, which is why Akins should definitely be added for those who constantly stream tight ends, but this matchup keeps him well into the TE2 range. All we want to see is targets this week.
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141.
Logan Thomas
TE - WAS (at PIT)
Thomas was involved in this offense last week, which makes him an intriguing option at the TE position for week 13. However, this is a very tough matchup for opposing TEs. If you're looking to play Thomas, you're hoping that he's able to find the end zone to help him crack the top-12. He can be viewed as a high-end TE2 this week.
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142.
Zach Pascal
WR - IND (at HOU)
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143.
Kerryon Johnson
RB - DET (at CHI)
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144.
Alexander Mattison
RB - MIN (vs . JAC)
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145.
Gerald Everett
TE - LAR (at ARI)
When both Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett are healthy, it's wise to just avoid either of them for fantasy purposes.
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146.
Anthony Firkser
TE - TEN (vs . CLE)
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147.
Tyler Eifert
TE - JAC (at MIN)
The good news is that he scored a touchdown in a great matchup last week. The bad news is that he split the targets with James O'Shaughnessy and finished with just 16 yards. He has seen 18 targets over the last four weeks, so he's not the worst option for desperate fantasy managers looking for a streamer, though he doesn't offer much of a ceiling (hasn't topped 48 yards all year). The Vikings have allowed a league-high 9.03 yards per target, but teams haven't felt it necessary to pepper them with targets, as they've averaged just 5.9 targets per game. But again, with the efficiency they've had, we've seen six tight ends finish with 11-plus PPR points against them. It's worth noting that five of those tight ends saw at least six targets, a mark that Eifert has hit three times this season, but all those games came over the first five weeks of the season. If you're in a league that starts two tight ends, Eifert can be played as a top-24 option at the position, but his lack of ceiling doesn't make him a very enticing streamer in standard leagues.
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148.
Jimmy Graham
TE - CHI (vs . DET)
The Bears have started to include rookie Cole Kmet a bit more in their offense the last few weeks, and that's led to Graham losing his target floor. He's seen just six targets over the last two games, which is hardly enough to consider him as a must-start, so you need a great matchup. Tight ends have been targeted just 15.3 percent of the time against the Lions, which ranks as the second-lowest mark in the league. The team Graham played last week (Packers) had seen the third-fewest targets. Then you look at the fact that tight ends have accounted for just 11.4 percent of the fantasy production by skill-position players against the Lions (2nd-lowest in NFL), and you have a lot of concern for Graham's production in this game. Those lack of targets show up in the box score, as tight ends have caught just 56.9 percent of their targets and combined to average a league-low 3.0 receptions per game. If Graham doesn't score, he's going to hurt your fantasy team, which puts him in the lower end of the TE2 discussion.
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149.
Mark Ingram II
RB - BAL (vs . DAL)
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150.
Jared Cook
TE - NO (at ATL)
We can put Cook in the "do not start" category moving forward, and to be fair, he's been there the last few weeks. He hasn't seen more than three targets or topped 30 yards since way back in Week 8, which is no coincidence since he hasn't played more than 26 snaps since that game. It stinks because tight ends have averaged 4.8 more half-PPR points per game against the Falcons than they do in non-Falcons games, which is the largest difference in the league. Despite the blunder by the Raiders last week, the Falcons have still allowed more fantasy points per game than any other team in the league. But again, Cook isn't playing enough to consider as anything more than a hail-mary tournament play.
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151.
Andy Isabella
WR - ARI (vs . LAR)
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152.
A.J. Green
WR - CIN (at MIA)
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153.
Tyler Higbee
TE - LAR (at ARI)
When both Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett are healthy, it's wise to just avoid either of them for fantasy purposes.
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154.
Richie James Jr.
WR - SF (vs . BUF)
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155.
Collin Johnson
WR - JAC (at MIN)
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156.
Todd Gurley II
RB - ATL (vs . NO)
Raheem Morris said they're "hopeful" to get Gurley back this week, though that's hardly a guarantee. With him out of the lineup Hill and Smith shared the touches, though it was Smith who was more efficient, finishing with 75 total yards and a touchdown on 16 touches compared to Hill's 55 total yards on 13 touches. We could sit here and talk about what this timeshare is without Gurley, but it won't make much of a difference in Week 13, as you really don't want to play either of them against the Saints, who've allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs. The competition they've played isn't in question either, as running backs have averaged 6.9 fewer half-PPR points against the Saints than they do in non-Saints games. That's easily the biggest gap in the league. Of the production the Saints have allowed to skill-position players (63.0 PPR points per game), just 26.6 percent of it goes to running backs, which is the second-lowest percentage in football. There are just three teams in the NFL who've allowed fewer than 10.0 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs. The Falcons, Saints, and Bucs. We know that touchdowns are important to production in this backfield by now, right? Well, the Saints have allowed just five total touchdowns to running backs this year, or one every 53.8 touches. Both of those are the best numbers in the league. They've allowed just 27 percent of carries inside the five-yard line be converted into touchdowns, which is the third-lowest percentage in the league, so even if Gurley plays, his touchdown-dependent stat lines are problematic. That should be enough for you to worry, but what about when I tell you they've allowed a league-low 1,049 total yards to running backs this year (95.4 per game)? When you factor in weighted opportunity, the Saints have allowed 8.6 percent fewer points per opportunity than any other team in the league. The average RB1 performance in 2019 was 17.2 PPR points. The Saints are the only team in the league who've yet to allow a running back hit that mark. Even if Gurley suits up, he's just a boring RB3 who will bust if he doesn't score.
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157.
Anthony McFarland Jr.
RB - PIT (vs . WAS)
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158.
Dez Bryant
WR - BAL (vs . DAL)
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159.
Jacob Hollister
TE - SEA (vs . NYG)
Hollister was targeted five times this past week, but he wasn't able to turn it into much. He's worth keeping your eye on this week to see if he can do more with his opportunity, but he's not worth playing just yet.
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160.
Jeff Wilson Jr.
RB - SF (vs . BUF)
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161.
Cam Sims
WR - WAS (at PIT)
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162.
Jeremy McNichols
RB - TEN (vs . CLE)
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163.
Jalen Guyton
WR - LAC (vs . NE)
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164.
Royce Freeman
RB - DEN (at KC)
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165.
Alshon Jeffery
WR - PHI (at GB)
Well, this stinks. Reagor has gotten the targets we've expected (25 over the last four games) but production has been hard to come by. Sure, we knew Wentz was struggling but there are a lot of wide receivers who are producing with bad quarterback play, which is why it made sense for Reagor to turn things around. Jeffery didn't have a role on the team the last few weeks, but then ran more routes than Fulgham in Week 12, though neither of them produced. After flopping against the Seahawks, we've reached the end of the little trust we had in all Eagles receivers. The Packers have allowed the fifth-fewest yards per target (7.61) to wide receivers this year and have only allowed 149.4 wide receiver yards per game. Their opponents have lacked overall play volume, and it really makes sense to keep the ball on the ground against them. Reagor is still in WR5 territory due to the targets he's getting, but you're probably better off moving on. The others are waiver wire fodder right now.
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166.
D'Onta Foreman
RB - TEN (vs . CLE)
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167.
Samaje Perine
RB - CIN (at MIA)
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168.
Will Dissly
TE - SEA (vs . NYG)
Well, we were right about Dissly playing more snaps as the primary tight end with Greg Olsen out of the lineup, but Hollister ran just as many routes as Dissly did, and he saw all five targets that Wilson directed at his tight ends. That's eight targets over the last two weeks while Dissly has seen just one. This will likely even out with Dissly on the field as the full-time player, but it's Hollister as the primary pass-catcher for now. The Giants have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, so it's not like it's a matchup you need to attack anyway. They've seen just 6.5 targets per game to tight ends, and those targets have netted just 49.6 yards per game and two touchdowns over 11 games. They have allowed four top-12 performances to tight ends this year, but two of those tight ends only got there because of touchdowns. You shouldn't be trusting either of these tight ends as a streamer right now.
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169.
Peyton Barber
RB - WAS (at PIT)
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170.
Drew Sample
TE - CIN (at MIA)
He saw five targets in Brandon Allen's first start, which accounted for a solid 17.2 percent target share. It was just the fourth time this year where Sample has seen five-plus targets, so he's not completely off the map, but rather someone who comes with a high degree of variance. It should be noted that he's totaled at least 40 yards in each of those four games. The Dolphins are not a team to attack with borderline streamers, though. There's been just one tight end all season who's reached double-digit PPR points against them, and it was Hunter Henry who totaled just 30 yards... but he scored a touchdown. Just one tight end has topped 44 yards against them all year, and it was Noah Fant with 55 of them. Sample isn't someone you should be looking to stream this week.
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171.
Dawson Knox
TE - BUF (at SF)
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172.
Cordarrelle Patterson
WR,RB - CHI (vs . DET)
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173.
Marvin Hall
WR - DET (at CHI)
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174.
Mo Alie-Cox
TE - IND (at HOU)
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175.
Darren Fells
TE - HOU (vs . IND)
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176.
Darrel Williams
RB - KC (vs . DEN)
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177.
Isaiah Coulter
WR - HOU (vs . IND)
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178.
David Johnson
RB - HOU (vs . IND)
We're expecting David back to the lineup this week after missing three games due to his concussion he suffered back in Week 9. It seemed like Duke injured himself early in the Thanksgiving game, which led to C.J. Prosise stealing some work, though Duke did wind up playing 42-of-56 snaps and posting 80 total yards with a touchdown. It's clear they didn't want him taking over David's role, which has netted 16.7 touches per game this year. He's not returning to a matchup that should get you excited, though. The Colts have allowed ball carriers just 1.13 yards before contact this year, which is the third-lowest mark in the league. This is bad news for Johnson. There have been 64 running backs who've rushed 50-plus times this year, and Johnson's 2.13 yards after contact ranks 62nd on that last, behind only Peyton Barber and Devonta Freeman. Sure, Derrick Henry ran all over them last week, but they were without their best defensive lineman (DeForest Buckner) and one of their starting linebackers (Bobby Okereke) for that game. Henry is also the only running back to run for 100-plus yards against the Colts under Matt Eberflus (span of 43 games). In fact, Henry is the only one who's topped 72 yards on the ground against them this year. In non-Henry games, the Colts have allowed just 641 rushing yards on 196 carries with five rushing touchdowns. That's just 3.27 yards per carry and 71.2 rushing yards per game, and that's to entire teams of running backs. Even factoring in schedule adjusted fantasy points, the Colts rank as the fifth-toughest matchup for running backs. David should return to 15 touches but they're not likely to net a whole bunch of yardage, putting him in that high-end RB3 territory without much of a ceiling. If he can't go, Duke would take his spot in the rankings.
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179.
Patrick Laird
RB - MIA (vs . CIN)
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180.
Jack Doyle
TE - IND (at HOU)
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181.
Olabisi Johnson
WR - MIN (vs . JAC)
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182.
N'Keal Harry
WR - NE (at LAC)
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|
183.
Greg Ward
WR - PHI (at GB)
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|
184.
James Washington
WR - PIT (vs . WAS)
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185.
Kendrick Bourne
WR - SF (vs . BUF)
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186.
Ty Johnson
RB - NYJ (vs . LV)
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187.
Chris Herndon IV
TE - NYJ (vs . LV)
So much for potentially building some momentum, eh? After his three-target game in Week 11 where he scored, Herndon went back to more of the 2020 version of himself in Week 12, finishing with as many targets as you and I had. Zero. It's not like this matchup is one to target with tight ends, either. Outside of Travis Kelce, they've allowed just one tight end to top 9.3 PPR points.
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188.
Steven Sims
WR - WAS (at PIT)
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189.
Mark Andrews
TE - BAL (vs . DAL)
It's a major question mark as to whether or not Andrews suits up in this game. I'm projecting that he's unlikely to suit up though. In that case, none of the Ravens TEs should be considered for fantasy football. However, if he does end up suiting up, he belongs in your starting lineup as a mid-range TE1.
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190.
Willie Snead IV
WR - BAL (vs . DAL)
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191.
Trayveon Williams
RB - CIN (at MIA)
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192.
Chad Beebe
WR - MIN (vs . JAC)
|
|
193.
Sony Michel
RB - NE (at LAC)
|
|
194.
Tre'Quan Smith
WR - NO (at ATL)
|
|
195.
Devine Ozigbo
RB - JAC (at MIN)
|
|
196.
Mack Hollins
WR - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
197.
Tyron Johnson
WR - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
198.
Dion Lewis
RB - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
199.
Alfred Morris
RB - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
200.
Mohamed Sanu
WR - DET (at CHI)
|
|
201.
Troymaine Pope
RB - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
202.
Jalen Richard
RB - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
203.
Corey Clement
RB - PHI (at GB)
|
|
204.
Dan Arnold
TE - ARI (vs . LAR)
We've still yet to see a Cardinals tight end finish with more than 9.1 PPR points in a single game. A big part of that is due to the fact that none of them have ever seen more than four targets. No matter how good the matchup, you cannot trust any of them.
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205.
Adam Humphries
WR - TEN (vs . CLE)
|
|
206.
Christian Blake
WR - ATL (vs . NO)
|
|
207.
Justice Hill
RB - BAL (vs . DAL)
|
|
208.
Cole Kmet
TE - CHI (vs . DET)
|
|
209.
Equanimeous St. Brown
WR - GB (vs . PHI)
|
|
210.
Bryan Edwards
WR - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
211.
Devin Duvernay
WR - BAL (vs . DAL)
|
|
212.
Ray-Ray McCloud
WR - PIT (vs . WAS)
|
|
213.
Miles Boykin
WR - BAL (vs . DAL)
|
|
214.
Quintez Cephus
WR - DET (at CHI)
|
|
215.
Phillip Lindsay
RB - DEN (at KC)
|
|
216.
Kyle Juszczyk
RB - SF (vs . BUF)
|
|
217.
DeAndre Washington
RB - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
218.
Cedrick Wilson
WR - DAL (at BAL)
|
|
219.
Josh Adams
RB - NYJ (vs . LV)
|
|
220.
Marcus Johnson
WR - IND (at HOU)
|
|
221.
Ryan Nall
RB - CHI (vs . DET)
|
|
222.
Alec Ingold
RB - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
223.
Brandon Powell
WR - ATL (vs . NO)
|
|
224.
James Conner
RB - PIT (vs . WAS)
Why haven't the Steelers run the ball more? Well, part of it is due to the fact that their offensive line just isn't getting much push. Conner and the Steelers backs have averaged just 1.12 yards before contact, which ranks third-lowest mark in the NFL. That's not something they're used to, but the passing game has been working, so there's not much of a reason to force the issue with Conner. So, if the Steelers will throw the ball a lot, can we rely on Conner to catch quite a few passes? Not really. Running backs may be asked to stay in and block against Washington's fierce pass-rush, which could be the reason for them seeing just 15.8 percent of the targets against them (sixth-fewest in NFL). Running backs haven't seen much volume against Washington in general, as running backs have combined to average 25.7 touches per game. Knowing Conner concedes some work to the other backs, combined with the fact that he'd be coming off COVID, we could see them split the workload a bit more. All in all, running backs have faced the second-least amount of weighted volume against Washington, behind only the Steelers themselves. With just one running back topping 86 rushing yards against them all year, it's not an obvious great spot for Conner to get back on track, which makes him a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 this week. If he had to miss another week, Benny Snell would jump right into his spot in the rankings.
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225.
Richard Rodgers
TE - PHI (at GB)
|
|
226.
DeeJay Dallas
RB - SEA (vs . NYG)
|
|
227.
Ross Dwelley
TE - SF (vs . BUF)
|
|
228.
Antonio Callaway
WR - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
229.
Maxx Williams
TE - ARI (vs . LAR)
|
|
230.
Geoff Swaim
TE - TEN (vs . CLE)
|
|
231.
James O'Shaughnessy
TE - JAC (at MIN)
|
|
232.
Buddy Howell
RB - HOU (vs . IND)
|
|
233.
Harrison Bryant
TE - CLE (at TEN)
|
|
234.
Dontrelle Inman
WR - WAS (at PIT)
|
|
235.
Jaylen Samuels
RB - PIT (vs . WAS)
|
|
236.
Adam Shaheen
TE - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
237.
Larry Fitzgerald
WR - ARI (vs . LAR)
|
|
238.
Dwayne Washington
RB - NO (at ATL)
|
|
239.
Malcolm Perry
RB,WR - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
240.
Dare Ogunbowale
RB - JAC (at MIN)
|
|
241.
Durham Smythe
TE - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
242.
D'Ernest Johnson
RB - CLE (at TEN)
|
|
243.
Jesse James
TE - DET (at CHI)
|
|
244.
Jakob Johnson
RB,TE - NE (at LAC)
|
|
245.
Kalen Ballage
RB - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
246.
Luke Willson
TE - BAL (vs . DAL)
|
|
247.
C.J. Ham
RB - MIN (vs . JAC)
|
|
248.
Steven Mitchell Jr.
WR - HOU (vs . IND)
|
|
249.
David Njoku
TE - CLE (at TEN)
|
|
250.
Lynn Bowden Jr.
WR,RB - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
251.
Ryan Izzo
TE - NE (at LAC)
|
|
252.
Ameer Abdullah
RB - MIN (vs . JAC)
|
|
253.
Cam Batson
WR - TEN (vs . CLE)
|
|
254.
Jace Sternberger
TE - GB (vs . PHI)
|
|
255.
Pharaoh Brown
TE - HOU (vs . IND)
|
|
256.
Isaiah McKenzie
WR - BUF (at SF)
|
|
257.
Kalif Raymond
WR - TEN (vs . CLE)
|
|
258.
Danny Amendola
WR - DET (at CHI)
|
|
259.
Marcedes Lewis
TE - GB (vs . PHI)
|
|
260.
Salvon Ahmed
RB - MIA (vs . CIN)
|
|
261.
DaeSean Hamilton
WR - DEN (at KC)
|
|
262.
Tyler Ervin
RB - GB (vs . PHI)
|
|
263.
KeeSean Johnson
WR - ARI (vs . LAR)
|
|
264.
Jason Witten
TE - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
265.
Freddie Swain
WR - SEA (vs . NYG)
|
|
266.
Elijhaa Penny
RB - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
267.
Tyler Kroft
TE - BUF (at SF)
|
|
268.
AJ Dillon
RB - GB (vs . PHI)
|
|
269.
Adam Trautman
TE - NO (at ATL)
|
|
270.
Donald Parham Jr.
TE - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
271.
Gunner Olszewski
WR - NE (at LAC)
|
|
272.
Tyler Conklin
TE - MIN (vs . JAC)
|
|
273.
Van Jefferson
WR - LAR (at ARI)
|
|
274.
Darwin Thompson
RB - KC (vs . DEN)
|
|
275.
Foster Moreau
TE - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
276.
Nick Vannett
TE - DEN (at KC)
|
|
277.
Kahale Warring
TE - HOU (vs . IND)
|
|
278.
Isaiah Wright
WR - WAS (at PIT)
|
|
279.
Qadree Ollison
RB - ATL (vs . NO)
|
|
280.
DeMichael Harris
WR - IND (at HOU)
|
|
281.
Devonta Freeman
RB - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
282.
James Proche
WR - BAL (vs . DAL)
|
|
283.
Jamal Agnew
CB,WR - DET (at CHI)
|
|
284.
Kaden Smith
TE - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
285.
Ryan Griffin
TE - NYJ (vs . LV)
|
|
286.
Braxton Berrios
WR - NYJ (vs . LV)
|
|
287.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR - CLE (at TEN)
|
|
288.
Gabe Nabers
RB - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
289.
Austin Mack
WR - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
290.
Auden Tate
WR - CIN (at MIA)
|
|
291.
Riley Ridley
WR - CHI (vs . DET)
|
|
292.
Nick Keizer
TE - KC (vs . DEN)
|
|
293.
Deonte Harris
WR - NO (at ATL)
|
|
294.
Blake Bell
TE - DAL (at BAL)
|
|
295.
Jaeden Graham
TE - ATL (vs . NO)
|
|
296.
Trey Quinn
WR - JAC (at MIN)
|
|
297.
Deon Yelder
TE - KC (vs . DEN)
|
|
298.
Donte Moncrief
WR - NE (at LAC)
|
|
299.
Lee Smith
TE - BUF (at SF)
|
|
300.
Mike Thomas
WR - CIN (at MIA)
|
|
301.
Vance McDonald
TE - PIT (vs . WAS)
|
|
302.
Jeff Smith
WR - NYJ (vs . LV)
|
|
303.
Zay Jones
WR - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
304.
Demetrius Harris
TE - CHI (vs . DET)
|
|
305.
Troy Fumagalli
TE - DEN (at KC)
|
|
306.
Luke Stocker
TE - ATL (vs . NO)
|
|
307.
Alex Erickson
WR - CIN (at MIA)
|
|
308.
Isaac Nauta
TE,RB - DET (at CHI)
|
|
309.
River Cracraft
WR - SF (vs . BUF)
|
|
310.
C.J. Board
WR - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
311.
Theo Riddick
RB - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
312.
Brandon Dillon
TE - MIN (vs . JAC)
|
|
313.
Cethan Carter
TE,RB - CIN (at MIA)
|
|
314.
Levine Toilolo
TE - NYG (at SEA)
|
|
315.
Eric Saubert
TE - JAC (at MIN)
|
|
316.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
WR - TEN (vs . CLE)
|
|
317.
Jordan Thomas
TE - NE (at LAC)
|
|
318.
Jonathan Williams
RB - DET (at CHI)
|
|
319.
Michael Burton
RB - NO (at ATL)
|
|
320.
Jeremy Sprinkle
TE - WAS (at PIT)
|
|
321.
Charlie Woerner
TE - SF (vs . BUF)
|
|
322.
Laquon Treadwell
WR - ATL (vs . NO)
|
|
323.
Mike Boone
RB - MIN (vs . JAC)
|
|
324.
Marcus Kemp
WR - KC (vs . DEN)
|
|
325.
Derek Carrier
TE - LV (at NYJ)
|
|
326.
Temarrick Hemingway
TE - WAS (at PIT)
|
|
327.
Josh Hill
TE - NO (at ATL)
|
|
328.
Scottie Phillips
RB - HOU (vs . IND)
|
|
329.
Lamar Miller
RB - CHI (vs . DET)
|
|
330.
Stephen Carlson
WR - CLE (at TEN)
|
|
331.
MyCole Pruitt
TE - TEN (vs . CLE)
|
|
332.
John Hightower
WR - PHI (at GB)
|
|
333.
Chris Conley
WR - JAC (at MIN)
|
|
334.
Noah Brown
WR - DAL (at BAL)
|
|
335.
J.P. Holtz
TE - CHI (vs . DET)
|
|
336.
Austin Carr
WR - NO (at ATL)
|
|
337.
Jonathan Ward
RB - ARI (vs . LAR)
|
|
338.
Tajae Sharpe
WR - MIN (vs . JAC)
|
|
339.
Jake Kumerow
WR - BUF (at SF)
|
|
340.
Tyrie Cleveland
WR - DEN (at KC)
|
|
341.
Mason Schreck
TE - CIN (at MIA)
|
|
342.
Keith Smith
RB - ATL (vs . NO)
|
|
343.
D.J. Foster
RB - ARI (vs . LAR)
|
|
344.
Daniel Brown
TE - NYJ (vs . LV)
|
|
345.
Anthony Sherman
RB - KC (vs . DEN)
|
|
346.
Stephen Anderson
TE - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
347.
Terry Godwin
WR - JAC (at MIN)
|
|
348.
Evan Baylis
TE - ARI (vs . LAR)
|
|
349.
Reggie Gilliam
RB,TE - BUF (at SF)
|
|
350.
Khari Blasingame
RB - TEN (vs . CLE)
|
|
351.
Eric Tomlinson
TE - BAL (vs . DAL)
|
|
352.
Trent Taylor
WR - SF (vs . BUF)
|
|
353.
Johnny Mundt
TE - LAR (at ARI)
|
|
354.
Malik Taylor
WR - GB (vs . PHI)
|
|
355.
Joe Reed
WR - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
356.
K.J. Hill
WR - LAC (vs . NE)
|
|
357.
Sean McKeon
TE - DAL (at BAL)
|
|
358.
J.J. Taylor
RB - NE (at LAC)
|
|
359.
Andy Janovich
RB - CLE (at TEN)
|
|
360.
Dontrell Hilliard
RB - CLE (at TEN)
|
|
361.
Derek Watt
RB - PIT (vs . WAS)
|
|
362.
Andre Roberts
WR - BUF (at SF)
|
|
363.
Penny Hart
WR - SEA (vs . NYG)
|
|
364.
Diontae Spencer
WR - DEN (at KC)
|
|
365.
Chris Moore
WR - BAL (vs . DAL)
|
|
366.
Isaiah Ford
WR - NE (at LAC)
|
