Fantasy Fallout: Week 12

By: Billy Gabelman (StatATL) and Mike Johnson (Mjohnson86)

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. 

We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Saquon Barkley right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams.

Steelers at Browns

• Nick Chubb ran for two touchdowns, the second coming with less than a minute remaining as the Browns defeated the Steelers, 24-19, in a game played in heavy snow. 

• Cedric Tillman left the game with an apparent concussion and did not return. A situation to monitor for those counting on him.

• Jerry Jeudy was once again out-producing him and appears to have taken command of the WR1 position for Cleveland

• Mike Williams posted back-to-back zero-target efforts and has just one catch in his three games as a Steeler. He can probably be safely dropped/sent to waivers.

• The Steelers’ backfield was as close to a split as it has been all season, with Warren receiving 16 opportunities to 18 opportunities for Najee Harris. Both are Flex options until further notice.   

Cowboys at Commanders

• Austin Ekeler suffered a concussion on the final kickoff return of the game after suffering a brutal hit and did not return. The veteran running back remained down on the ground for several minutes before eventually being helped to his feet and off the field. It was a scary scene that had an early appearance of something much worse.

• Brian Robinson only had five carries, as he left in the first quarter with an ankle injury only to return later in the game. A situation to monitor, as he didn’t play any snaps in the second half. With Ekeler also suffering an injury, both Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols are intriguing waiver pickups.

• Along with passing for 275 yards, Jayden Daniels ran for 74 yards and a TD, becoming the fourth QB (Lamar/Purdy/Hurts) to rush for over 50 yards and a score against Dallas. Definitely a defense/matchup to target against mobile quarterbacks. 

• CeeDee Lamb saw double-digit targets for the sixth straight game. The move from Dak to Cooper Rush may have capped his ceiling, but Lamb continues to produce week in and week out.      

Patriots at Dolphins

• Tua Tagovailoa produced his best fantasy game of the season with 317 passing yards and four TDs. His return to form the past few weeks has sparked the Miami offense, which has scored 27 or more points in four out of five games since Tua’s return, with the only outlier a 23-15 win at the L.A. Rams.

• De’Von only produced 56 total yards on 13 touches, but he bailed out fantasy owners with two receiving TDs. 

• Jaylen Waddle had his best game of the season, turning eight receptions into 144 yards and a TD. He’ll likely continue to be a volatile start but has shown he still has immense upside.

• For the third time in the past six games, Jonnu Smith surpassed 20 fantasy points, producing 87 yards and a TD on nine receptions. He remains a focal point of the Miami offense and should remain a starter at TE on fantasy teams.

• Drake Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 221 yards and a TD in a 34-15, Week 12 loss to the Dolphins while adding 26 yards rushing. Maye is playing behind a bad offensive line but still has shown upside to be considered as a weekly starter for teams with shallow QB depth.

Lions at Colts

• Detroit controlled the game throughout, and despite a 24-6 victory, both teams suffered potentially significant injuries in the second half. David Montgomery accounted for 73 yards and a TD before leaving with a shoulder injury. The Lions face a quick turnaround hosting the Bears on Thanksgiving and if Montgomery is unable to go both, Jahmyr Gibbs and third-string running back Craig Reynolds would be the largest benefactors. 

• Gibbs saw an increased workload with Montgomery’s injury and converted 24 touches into 99 total yards and two TDs. 

• Anthony Richardson struggled through the air while only completing 11 of 28 pass attempts, but he added 61 yards rushing to salvage the day for fantasy owners.

• Josh Downs, who saw seven targets in the first half, left the game early in the third quarter with an apparent shoulder injury and did not return. A situation to monitor as Downs has looked like the WR1 in this offense most of the season. 

Vikings at Bears

• With Josh Oliver sidelined, TE T.J. Hockenson caught seven of nine targets for 114 yards in the Vikings’ 30-27 OT win over the Bears. He remains a weekly starter.

• Sam Darnold threw for 330 yards and two TDs, with Jordan Addison (8-162-1) and the aforementioned Hockenson his primary targets. The Bears blanketed Jefferson most of the afternoon, leading to a pedestrian 2-27 line for the superstar wide receiver. 

• Caleb Williams attempted 47 passes and threw for 340 yards and two TDs. DJ Moore eclipsed the 100 yards threshold (7-106-1) and Keenan Allen, Cole Kmet and Rome Odunze all saw double-digit targets.  

• Aaron Jones controlled the Vikings’ backfield, seeing 25 touches and converting them into 129 yards and a TD, while backup Cam Akers only had four touches. 

Chiefs at Panthers

• Patrick Mahomes completed 27 of 37 pass attempts for 269 yards as the Chiefs narrowly beat the Panthers, 30-27. Backup TE Noah Gray had the best fantasy day, catching two TDs. Despite back-to-back games with two TDs, Gray remains a thin start at TE moving forward.  

• In likely his last game as lead back, Kareem Hunt totaled 87 yards on 19 touches but failed to find the end zone. The Chiefs have hinted that Isiah Pacheco will return Friday against Las Vegas. 

• Rookie running back Jonathon Brooks made his NFL debut for Carolina, but the second-round pick was limited to seven yards on two carries.

• Veteran WR David Moore led the Panthers in targets and yards, totaling 81 yards and a TD on six receptions. He can safely remain on your waiver wire.

Titans at Texans

• Tyjae Spears was inactive with a concussion, leaving the backfield to Tony Pollard, who turned 27 touches into 129 total yards and a TD as the Titans defeated the Texans, 32-27.

• C.J. Stroud threw for 247 yards and two TDs, but he struggled with his accuracy and also had two INTs on the day. He faces a very porous Jacksonville secondary next week and should remain a weekly starter for your fantasy team.

• Joe Mixon had his most unproductive non-injury-shortened fantasy game of the year, producing just 45 yards on 19 touches. This marked the first game that Mixon failed to score and is likely just a blip on the radar. Continue to start him with confidence.

• Calvin Ridley once again led the Titans in receiving with 93 yards on five receptions. He has seen the lion’s share of the targets since the Hopkins trade, and should continue to be a weekly starter.

Bucs at Giants

• Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 294 yards as the Buccaneers throttled the Giants, 30-7. Mike Evans returned from a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury to lead the Bucs in targets and receiving yards and should safely be plugged into your fantasy roster moving forward.

• Rookie RB Bucky Irving looked great, totalling 150+ total yards and a TD. He has out-gained Rachaad White in five of the past six games and is the preferred fantasy starter moving forward.

• Tommy DeVito started for the Giants and wasn’t effective, only throwing for 189 yards. Malik Nabers was his leading receiver, with 64 yards on six receptions. Fantasy owners likely need to temper their expectations with Nabers going forward. 

Broncos at Raiders

• Broncos QB Bo Nix continued to play at a high level and display a great connection with WR Courtland Sutton, who had his best game of the season with nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns. Both are starting-caliber fantasy options on a weekly basis.

• Broncos WR Devaughn Vele had a big game and has asserted himself as the clear second option in the passing game. He is worthy of Flex consideration in good matchups.

• The Broncos’ backfield has devolved into a “do not touch” situation.

• Raiders RB Ameer Abdullah had a nice game, primarily because of his ability in the passing game. He’s a Flex consideration if the Raiders RB injuries continue to be an issue.

• Brock Bowers (TE) and Jakobi Meyers (WR) are clearly the top Raiders receiving options and should be started weekly.

49ers at Packers

• The 49ers’ offense was a shell of itself without QB Brock Purdy and All-Pro LT Trent Williams. There’s not much to be taken from this one for the outlook of San Francisco other than the Niners need to get Purdy back ASAP.

• Green Bay RB Josh Jacobs predictably had a massive game as the Packers controlled things from the start and were able to lean on the running game and shove the ball down the throats of a depleted 49ers defense. 

• Packers WR Romeo Doubs took a scary fall in the second half and did not return with a head/neck injury. Green Bay plays on a short week against the Dolphins on Thanksgiving. Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks should be priority waiver pickups if available and are worthy of starting consideration.

Cardinals at Seahawks

• Cardinals TE Trey McBride continued to be a bright spot for the offense as he amassed 12 receptions for 133 yards, but he once again failed to reach the end zone. He is an every-week starter and a top-three option at the position.

• Kyler Murray, James Conner, and Marvin Harrison Jr. all disappointed this week as the Cardinals were held to only six points by the Seahawks. Seattle did a great job shutting down the running game and perimeter while keeping Murray’s scrambling in check.

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the Seahawks in receiving for the third straight game. He and DK Metcalf are every-week starters.

Eagles at Rams

• Saquon Barkley continued to dominate and is clearly the top running back in the league right now, while nobody is playing QB better than Jalen Hurts at the moment. 

• A.J. Brown dominated the receiving work with DeVonta Smith on the shelf. This offense gets very condensed when one of their key players is out, as the “Big 3” of Hurts, Barkley, and Brown account for almost all of the team’s offense.

• Kyren Williams lost a fumble but bounced back for a solid outing. His yardage was limited because the Rams fell behind and had to abandon the run, but he is still firmly the lead RB and has some solid matchups down the stretch.

• We need to make a mental note to always play the Rams WRs anytime they are facing a team that plays a high rate of man coverage, as Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have put up some massive games in those spots.

Join us Tuesday for Week 13 Waiver Targets!