We did it! We got through all of the bye weeks. That means that the fantasy football playoffs are just around the corner. With that all-important time of the year upcoming, we all need to take in the lessons that the NFL season has taught us. Here are 10 things that we learned in week 12.
Clear to Doc
The former first-round pick finally arrived. In week 12, Josh Doctson led Washington in targets for only the second time this season. Coincidentally, the first instance was also against the Cowboys. With Colt McCoy taking over as the Washington starting QB, Doctson appears to be one of his favorite targets. He and Jordan Reed combined for almost half of McCoy’s targets (18 of 38) in the QB’s first start of 2018. Doctson made the most of his opportunities by catching a career-best 6 passes. I would definitely not call him a lock, but this development makes Doctson a starting option for the remainder of 2018.
As Prescribed
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how the Cowboys did not limit Amari Cooper‘s workload. In his first game with his new team, Cooper played in 84.7% of the offensive snaps. In this most recent contest, his snap % dropped to 67.1, but he had his best performance with Dallas. Even with the reduction in snap count, Cooper still received 9 targets. He caught 8 of them for 180 yards and 2 TDs, demonstrating that the connection between him and QB Dak Prescott is alive and well. Cooper has not had less than 5 targets in any of the 4 games he has played for the Cowboys. Both members of this QB-WR partnership will be viable options in the fantasy playoffs.
Buc and Forth
Speaking of young QB-WR duos, Jameis Winston and Mike Evans reestablished some chemistry. It has been a very trying year with the Buccaneers offense. The team has been going back and forth between Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick for the role of starting QB. This has obviously affected their receiving options as most have been boom or bust throughout 2018. In week 12, Evans demonstrated his dominance with 6 receptions for 116 yards and firmly reestablished himself as the top dog in Tampa. It is not as if Evans saw an absurd number of targets. The 8 he did receive was the same amount as DeSean Jackson, who was only able to catch 3 of them for 19 yards. Even though Winston went to him often, he and Jackson are just not clicking. For fantasy purposes, Evans should be played each week, while Jackson should be avoided, at least as long as Winston is the QB. The other most enticing option for the Buccaneers appears to be Adam Humphries who caught all 6 of his targets for 54 yards a 1 TD. He should at least be in consideration for flex spots in weakly lineups. As the TE position is very difficult to navigate, Cameron Brate is a starting option as well.
Driskel Down the Lineup
While these last two franchise QBs have been on the rise, the Bengals signal-caller went down. Cincinnati announced that Andy Dalton has been placed on injured reserve, thus ending his season. Jeff Driskel took over early in the 2nd half and went 17-of-29 for 155 yards and 1 TD. He also ran 3 times for 9 yards and 1 TD. Of the Bengals skill-position, the biggest beneficiary of Driskel’s presence appears to be Tyler Boyd. Driskel threw 5 of the 7 passes that Boyd caught in week 12, including his TD. With the uncertainty surrounding A.J. Green‘s return, look for Boyd to be Driskel’s top option down the stretch.
Eagles Soar
There has been some significant turnover on the Eagles roster of late. At WR, Golden Tate was acquired via trade and Jordan Matthews was signed as a free-agent. Meanwhile, Josh Adams established himself as a starting RB after being buried behind several backs. Beginning with the run-game, Adams has revitalized that position group in Philadelphia. Over the last 4 weeks, Adams has led the Eagles in rushing attempts and has run for 5.4 YPC (yards per carry). Before week 12, he had only received a maximum of 10 touches. In this most recent game, Adams proved that he could handle a big workload, as he had 22 rushing attempts. While the upcoming opponents will probably not be any easier to run against than the Giants, Adams’ slight involvement in the passing game should keep him from being completely taken out of any game.
When it comes to the Eagles pass-catchers, two players really established themselves as Carson Wentz‘s favorite to look for. Zach Ertz and Golden Tate combined for 16 of Wentz’s 28 pass attempts. Ertz was far more productive as he more than tripled Tate’s receiving yards (91 to 30). What we learned is that Alshon Jeffery is the Eagles player whose production is suffering most since Tate’s arrival. In the 3 weeks after the trade with the Lions, Jeffery has failed to top 4 receptions or 48 yards in any game. It was most evident against the Giants, as in their previous meeting, Jeffery torched them for 8 receptions, 74 yards and 2 TDs. It may be best to leave Jeffery on the bench until we see him regain his form.
Back(ups) to the Drawing Board
Week 12 marked a time of change for the Jaguars. For starters, during the game against the Bills, Leonard Fournette was ejected for throwing punches. As a result, he is also suspended for week 13. That will mean additional playing time for Carlos Hyde and T.J. Yeldon. Going against the Colts, Yeldon, especially, will be a great start in most leagues.
Shifting to QBs, Jacksonville announced that Blake Bortles will be benched in favor of Cody Kessler. Bortles’ poor play this season has cost the Jaguars a shot the Super Bowl and cost offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett his job. Former Grey Cup-winning head coach Scott Milanovich will take over the play calling for the Jaguars offense. These changes may slightly increase the value of Donte Moncrief and Dede Westbrook. That being said, I do not think I would trust either player during the fantasy playoffs.
As Good as New (England)
Week 12 marked the return of both Rob Gronkowski and Sony Michel to the football field. Both have been dealing with injuries in 2018 and both looked to be healthy coming out of the Patriots’ bye week. For starters, Gronkowski looked as though he was unaffected by the ankle and back injuries that almost derailed this season. On his 34-yard TD, he extended to catch the football and then turned upfield to the end zone. When playing at that level, Gronkowski appears to be unstoppable, thus making him one of the best TEs in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Sony Michel had a heavy workload with 22 carries and 2 targets. This is even after exiting the game with what appeared to be a back injury. Apparently, New England believes that Michel is close to fully healthy, considering his usage in this game. If there was any concern for Michel’s well being, then the Patriots likely would have given James White more than 10 total touches. With 1 reception, this was only the 3rd time in 2018, that White had less than 5 catches. Unless Michel suffers a setback, White may continue to see a reduced role down the stretch. I am not saying bench him, but I would temper my expectations. Michel meanwhile, can probably be started every week.
Charge to the Finish Line
The unfortunate news is that Melvin Gordon sprained his MCL and will likely miss a couple of weeks. This does open up playing time for Austin Ekeler as well as rookie Justin Jackson. After Gordon’s exit in week 12, Jackson got 7 rushing attempts and managed to produce 57 yards (8.1 YPC). In all likelihood, the rookie RB will probably take over as the early-down runner while Ekeler will expand role as the designated pass-catching back. The 10 receptions in week 12 were a season-high for Ekeler. For his part, Jackson is a capable pass-catcher as demonstrated by his 122 career receptions in college. That would easily allow him to step into Gordon’s role as the veteran has 44 catches so far this season. With 3 high-powered offenses (Steelers, Rams, Chiefs) on the upcoming schedule, Ekeler is a great fantasy play with his pass-catching pedigree. If Jackson demonstrates that same type of ability, he can also be played during those games. If not, Jackson should at least be started against the Bengals defense in week 14.
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Matching Fins
In week 12, Kenyan Drake demonstrated his explosiveness by producing 96 yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs. He was also very efficient as this was done on only 13 total touches. It may not come as a surprise as the Colts have been more generous to RBs who catch passes and run on the outside. However, it was interesting to note that Frank Gore received 14 rushing attempts even though this game seemed to favor Drake’s style. Now, with Drake having suffered a shoulder injury toward the end of the game, Gore may be in store for a much larger workload in week 13. With the Dolphins RBs, it’s all about the matchups. During the fantasy playoffs, with games against the Patriots and Vikings, Drake may be very useful if he can get healthy. For week 13, I would not hesitate to play Gore, especially if Drake is out.
Col. Sanders
Emmanuel Sanders is still leading the charge for the Broncos. In week 12, he saw 12 targets, three times more than any other Denver receiver. For those who thought that Courtland Sutton would come out of the bye week and take hold of the #1 spot, week 12 was a disappointment. He only caught 1 of his 4 targets and turned that into 14 receiving yards. Sanders meanwhile, almost doubled the receiving yards for any of his teammates and managed to get into the end zone. For the remainder of 2018, Sanders can be trusted as a high-end flex player, at the very least. Sutton meanwhile, may be best left on the bench during the fantasy playoffs.
Thank you for reading. As the fantasy football playoffs approach, be sure to check out Going for 2 for great advice. For any comments or questions, I can be found on Twitter @nyama_ks.
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