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Week 12 Fantasy Football Game Preview
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Contributed by:
Jason Stolberg
and Scott Boyter
Last Updated: Nov 25, 2011 3:53 PM |
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Texans at Jaguars
The Texans spent their bye week breaking in a new quarterback while the Jaguars lost to the Browns in a game where they were nearly devoid of offense.
All eyes will be on Matt Leinart in this one, as people will want to know if the former Heisman winner will be up to the task of keeping the Texans on track for the playoffs. You have to feel for this team; the franchise has never made the postseason, and in the midst of their best season yet they lose Matt Schaub. But no one cries for anyone else in the NFL, and Leinart will have to show he can handle the pressure. It will help, obviously, that Houston has the No. 2 rushing attack in the NFL, with Arian Foster and Ben Tate spearheading a ground game that averages nearly 160 yards a contest. And the probable return of stud wideout Andre Johnson can’t hurt, either.
The phrase “Jaguar offense” can be regarded as a contradiction in terms. Blaine Gabbert isn’t worth Fantasy consideration in even the deepest of leagues, while Maurice Jones-Drew continues to try and shoulder the load. Against a Houston defense that has done a 180 from last season, it doesn’t figure to get much better for the Jags. Jones-Drew remains the only Jaguar who is worthy of a Fantasy start.
Leinart will encounter a Jacksonville D that has been pretty strong against the pass (189 YPG, 12 TDs allowed). Houston coach Gary Kubiak said, “all systems were go” regarding Johnson. They should be, since he’s missed six games due to a bad hammy. By now he should be full speed, and a full speed Andre Johnson is worth a start no matter who his quarterback may be. And while you’re obviously starting Foster – and Tate as well if you’re having issues with your regular No. 2 running back – the Jaguars have not been particularly generous from a rushing TD perspective, having allowed 7 TDs on the season. From a yardage standpoint, though, they have been susceptible, having given up an average of 111 YPG.
GOOD STARTS: RB Maurice Jones-Drew, RB Arian Foster, RB Ben Tate, WR Andre Johnson,
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Matt Leinart, WR Kevin Walter, WR Jacoby Jones
BAD STARTS: Any Jaguar not named Maurice Jones-Drew
Bills vs. Jets
The Bills continued their slide down the toilet with a beatdown at the hands of the Dolphins, while the Jets suffered a disheartening loss to the Broncos.
Buffalo faces the team that started their three-game slide. Counting their 27-11 loss to New York in Week 9, the Bills have been outscored, 106-26. Wow. The only player to perform on even a fairly consistent basis during the slide has been Fred Jackson and now he's out for the year. Jackson had good games against the Jets (82 yards rushing/38 yards receiving) and Cowboys (114 yards rushing), but was basically shut down by Miami (14 yards rushing/50 yards receiving) before breaking his leg. CJ Spiller will take over in the Bills backfield but will run behind a banged up O-Line.
The Jets have their own issues, of course, after looking inept offensively against Denver. Matt Sanchez could not manage a TD pass against a team that had surrendered 18 going into the game, and the running game was putrid, gaining only 83 yards on 28 carries. Huh?
You’ve got to think this is going to be a huge bounce-back game for New York, considering how injured Buffalo is and how pissed the Jets have to be after two straight stinkers against New England and the Broncos. Buffalo has allowed 250 YPG and 17 TDs passing and a 122 YPG and an astounding 12 TDs on the ground. If Shonn Greene, (who had to leave the Denver game early with a rib problem but is expected to play against Buffalo) doesn’t contribute in this one, that should be the beginning of the end of his time in New York.
GOOD STARTS: QB Mark Sanchez, WR Santonio Holmes, WR Plaxico Burress
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB CJ Spiller, RB Shonn Greene, TE Dustin Keller
BAD STARTS: WR Steve Johnson, who will likely be shadowed by Darrelle Revis all day.
Browns vs. Bengals
The Browns won against Jacksonville but looked anything but good doing it, while the Bengals lost a tough one against the Ravens.
The Browns… eh. Chris Ogbonnaya was a surprise with 115 yards rushing and a score, but Colt McCoy was once again so-so at best with 199 yards and a TD and 27 yards on the ground. The Bengals lost their best DB, Leon Hall, and that makes McCoy worth at least a little starting consideration in a deep league, but it’s hard to have a lot of faith in a QB with only three multi-TD games this season, and only three passing TDs total in his last five. No Browns receiver looks to be worth starting.
Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton shredded the Baltimore secondary to the tune of 373 yards, but he had only 1 TD and 3 INTs. And while the Browns have been tough against the pass, allowing 167 YPG and 10 scores, Dalton has done well enough in his last four games (232 YPG, 8 TDs) to warrant starting consideration, not only in deeper leagues but among owners who have issues with their starting QB. Rookie sensation A.J. Green could be a risky play, however, because he has a knee problem, and even if he plays he will have to deal with CB Joe Haden. Cedric Benson actually looks like a pretty good play this week. He only had 41 yards on 15 rushing attempts against Baltimore but he scored twice. Considering the fact that the Browns are allowing an average of nearly 140 yards per game, Benson gets enough carries to be a threat to break the 100-yard mark and score. In his Week 1 game against Cleveland he had 121 yards and a TD. And in his last five against the Browns he has averaged 115 YPG and has scored twice. Considering how generous Cleveland has been against the run, Bernard Scott could be worth a play as well in deeper leagues as a flex or if you have issues with your No. 2 back. He might rip off a few big runs when he spells Benson.
GOOD STARTS: QB Andy Dalton, RB Cedric Benson, RB Bernard Scott (in deeper leagues)
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Colt McCoy, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, WR A.J. Green
BAD STARTS: Any Cleveland receiver
Vikings vs. Falcons
The Vikings’ comeback fell short against the Raiders, while the Falcons staved off Tennessee’s comeback bid.
Minnesota rookie QB Christian Ponder had his best game yet from a Fantasy perspective, throwing for 211 yards and 2 TDs and adding 71 yards rushing. He did have three picks, but hey, he’s a rookie and it’s not like he cost Minnesota a playoff spot or anything. The big story, of course, was the ankle injury to Adrian Peterson that looked at this writing like it would cost him this week and maybe more. Fantasy owners who were riding A.D. are definitely having to scramble. And don’t even try to correct me. As I have stated countless times before, the nickname is A.D., as in “All Day,” and not A.P. He’s been A.D. since he was at Oklahoma.Percy Harvin had 73 yards and a TD and 5 carries for 21 yards. Even though most Viking wideouts are a crapshoot at best, Harvin is worth starting consideration since he gets rushing attempts. And there’s a really good chance those attempts will increase if Peterson has to sit this one out.
Matt Ryan is, quite simply, on a serious roll, averaging 314 yards in his last three and throwing 6 TD passes. He had 316 and a TD against the Titans. Michael Turner is also doing well, averaging 89 yards in his last three and scoring twice. Roddy White finally had a bust-out game, with 147 yards receiving, and Tony Gonzalez added 74 yards and a TD. Julio Jones missed the game with a hamstring problem and earlier in the week was not sure if he’d make the Viking game, writing on his Twitter account that he wanted everyone to “pray for him.” That doesn’t sound too promising. If he plays he’d be a great start, but the uncertainty makes him no better than a middling choice at this point.
Atlanta has been susceptible against the pass, giving up 254 YPG and 14 TDs, but has been stout against the run, allowing only 85 YPG and 6 TDs. So if you were thinking about starting Toby Gearhart if Peterson is out, that, uh, wouldn’t be prudent. Other than Harvin, in fact, no Viking jumps out as a good start, although considering Atlanta’s weakness against the pass we wouldn’t be surprised if someone like Michael Jenkins, Visanthe Shiancoe or even Devin Aromashodu posts good numbers.
One of the Fantasy givens of last week was that Carson Palmer was going to torch the woeful Viking secondary – especially without Antoine Winfield. And while Palmer did have a decent Fantasy day, the biggest reason was that he had a rushing TD. Passing-wise he only had 164 yards and 1 TD. And while most thought the Viking D would continue to be strong against the run, Michael Bush actually had 109 yards and a score. But that game was at home and this one’s in Atlanta. Expect form to hold and the Atlanta passing game to have a big day. And of course, you’re not sitting Turner, either.
GOOD STARTS: QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, TE Tony Gonzalez, WR Percy Harvin
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Christian Ponder, WR Michael Jenkins, WR Devin Aromashodu, TE Visanthe Shiancoe
BAD STARTS: RB Toby Gearhart, WR Julio Jones (He’s too much of a question mark at this point. If he does play, then he jumps straight into the “good start” category.)
Cardinals vs. Rams
Only the family members of the players and Fantasy owners care about this one. But the latter group should carve out some time to pay attention to this one, because it could result in a bounty of points. OK, enough Thanksgiving metaphors, already. After the teams were outscored by a combined 47-14 last week,
they’re due to put up some points.It looks like John Skelton will once again start for Arizona even after stinking it up in a 23-7 loss to the 49ers. And Skelton was yanked long before the Cardinals put up the 7. But Kevin Kolb is likely to miss another game, so Skelton will apparently get a chance at redemption. Beanie Wells continues to be limited by a knee injury, so while it looks like he’ll play, Chester Taylor and LaRod Stephens-Howling will probably get carries as well. Larry Fitzgerald has scored 4 TDs in his last three, but his 7-reception, 146-yard bust-out in Week 10 was sandwiched between two outings where he averaged only 42 yards.
Against the Seahawks, the Rams played like a team that can’t wait to get the season over with. Sam Bradford has gone down the toilet, and even Steven Jackson couldn’t manage anything more than 42 yards on 15 carries. Brandon Lloyd, however, scored for the second straight week.
Even a couple of offenses that sleepwalked through last week should be able to put up good numbers in this one, simply because the defenses are so pathetic. The Rams give up only 215 YPG but 16 TDs through the air, while they allow an astounding 148 YPG on the ground – the worst in the league – and have given up 8 rushing scores. The Cardinals give up 256 YPG against the pass and have allowed 11 TDs, while the run game has been gashed for 127 YPG and 12 TDs. It’s hard to put much stock in either Bradford or Skelton, but Steven Jackson should run wild like he did in Week 9 against Arizona, when he had 29 carries for 130 yards. And if Wells shows that he can carry more of a load, he is in line for a great game as well. But as of this writing, that was a big “if.”
GOOD STARTS:RB Steven Jackson, WR Brandon Lloyd, WR Larry Fitzgerald
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Sam Bradford, QB John Skelton, RB Beanie Wells, WR Andre Roberts, WR Early Doucet
BAD STARTS: The defenses
Buccaneers vs. Titans
The scrappy Bucs gave the Packers all they could handle in Week 11, as the game looked like a combination of the Bucs best effort of the year matched against a Packers team that looked a little disinterested and were probably overlooking Tampa Bay in anticipation of a Thanksgiving matchup against division rival Detroit. The Titans come off a game in Atlanta where they looked pretty terrible for about two and a half quarters, but then suddenly made a game of it behind rookie quarterback Jake Locker, who subbed in for Matt Hasselbeck after Hass went down with an elbow injury.
Like an overripe banana, the Buccaneers just don’t travel that well; they’re defense has gotten bruised to the tune of 32.5 points per game on the road, while their offense is only averaging just over 17 points per game in road contests. Not a great formula for road success. What it is though, is a good formula for the Titans offense to find some success, especially Chris Johnson, who gets another gimme game against one of the worst rush defenses in the league this year. The coming stretch of games for the Titans, with games against the Buccaneers this week, followed by Buffalo, New Orleans, and Indianapolis, is one of the overall easiest Weeks 12-15 of any starting RB, so this will be his last and best chance to reverse all the “bust of the year” fantasy talk.
The question of course is, will Hasselbeck’s elbow be healthy enough to play on Sunday? If so, we can probably expect a decent fantasy stat line from him, as he would be a good candidate to hit 250 and 2 scores; not bad if you’re hurting for a QB right now. Of course, Locker was the one that nearly brought the Titans back against the Falcons; this kid looks like the real deal. If Hass doesn’t go and Locker gets a start and has a good game (say he matches or surpasses that 250 and 2 mark), then what do the Titans do? If the Titans lose this game, regardless of Hasselbeck’s health, it may be time to give Locker a shot to see if he should be the Titan’s QB for 2012.
For the Bucs, we should probably expect only a decent game from Legarrette Blount, as he comes off a big time performance against the Packers which included an improbable hard-charging 59 yard TD run in which he broke a tackle from almost everyone on the defense, as the Titans are decent on defense but they can be run on. Josh Freeman could also find some success, but probably not near the amount of yardage that he had against the Packers, who sport one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Look for Freeman to get closer to his normal average, around 220 yards and 1-2 scores, to go along with 1-2 INTs.
Good Start: QB Matt Hasselbeck (if he plays, if not Locker could go here) RB Chris Johnson, WR Nate Washington, WR Mike Williams, TE Kellen Winslow
Middle of the Road: WR Damian Williams, WR Lavelle Hawkins, RB Legarrette Blount, WR Arrelius Benn
Bad Start: TE Jared Cook, WR Preston Parker, WR Dezmon Briscoe
The Panthers come off another tough loss in which they looked like they may actually pull off the upset on the road against the Lions, but their defense 
collapsed under the strain of actually trying to stop an offense as they allowed the Lions to roll them for 49 points. On the other hand, every loss for the Colts has come relatively easy as of late, as they seem to roll over for a loss the same way a dog rolls over for a belly rub. Really, Peyton Manning should be embarrassed for his team mates, because even divine intervention wouldn’t help these guys win a game the way they’ve played; it’s like as soon as Manning wasn’t able to play, they lost all hope and heart. The Colts were on bye last week, and that was probably the only week of the season they’ll probably be able to look back and say they didn’t lose a game.
The Redskins come off of a close loss to the Dallas Cowboys, where Rex Grossman returned to the lineup and kept his alter ego, Bad Rex, in check long 
enough to at least take the Cowboys into overtime before Graham Gano just missed on a 52 yard field goal. That led to the Cowboys driving the other direction to kick the game winner themselves, and continue the Redskins’ spiral down to the cellar of the NFC East with their sixth straight loss.
The Seahawks actually have the signs of a team that’s starting to put something together, which is modus operandi for many Seattle teams through the years; putting it all together a few games too late to make a difference. Tavaris Jackson seems to have settled into a role as a game manager, which suits him; the role of “carry my team to victory quarterback” is something that’s well beyond his abilities. With Seattle finding a decent enough rushing attack behind Marshawn Lynch, who has now scored in six straight games, and a defense that has been far better than expected, the Seahawks have the luxury of not putting the game in Jackson’s hands to win. All in all, this is a very winnable game for Seattle, with the Redskins reeling and having to make the cross-country trip to play in a stadium that’s loud enough to perhaps jar Mike Shanahan into a moment of lucidity concerning which of his running backs he should play.
Speaking of which, this situation is just as muddy and undesirable for fantasy even with Tashard Choice being cut. Apparently there’s something wonderful about Ryan Torain’s less than 2 yards per carry that we’re all missing, because Shanahan himself says Torain will continue as the starter because Roy Helu “isn’t ready”. Well, hate to break it to ya Mike… but Torain isn’t ready for anything but the fork you’ll use to stick into him to tell if he’s done or not. It’s not like we’re talking about meat here… Helu may be raw, but Shanahan acts like he’ll get salmonella from giving him more than a handful of touches. Until Shanahan realizes Helu is the only back with any real talent on his roster and deserves a full time shot, this is a backfield to be avoided… especially against one of the best rush defenses in the league on the road in a stadium loud enough to make your ears bleed.
Good Start: RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Sidney Rice, WR Doug Baldwin, WR Jabar Gaffney, TE Fred Davis
Middle of the Road: QB Tavaris Jackson, QB Rex Grossman, WR Santana Moss
Bad Start: WR Mike Williams, TE Zach Miller, WR Donte Stallworth, WR Anthony Armstrong, RB Roy Helu, RB Ryan Torain
The question of course is, will Hasselbeck’s elbow be healthy enough to play on Sunday? If so, we can probably expect a decent fantasy stat line from him, as he would be a good candidate to hit 250 and 2 scores; not bad if you’re hurting for a QB right now. Of course, Locker was the one that nearly brought the Titans back against the Falcons; this kid looks like the real deal. If Hass doesn’t go and Locker gets a start and has a good game (say he matches or surpasses that 250 and 2 mark), then what do the Titans do? If the Titans lose this game, regardless of Hasselbeck’s health, it may be time to give Locker a shot to see if he should be the Titan’s QB for 2012.
For the Bucs, we should probably expect only a decent game from Legarrette Blount, as he comes off a big time performance against the Packers which included an improbable hard-charging 59 yard TD run in which he broke a tackle from almost everyone on the defense, as the Titans are decent on defense but they can be run on. Josh Freeman could also find some success, but probably not near the amount of yardage that he had against the Packers, who sport one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Look for Freeman to get closer to his normal average, around 220 yards and 1-2 scores, to go along with 1-2 INTs.
Good Start: QB Matt Hasselbeck (if he plays, if not Locker could go here) RB Chris Johnson, WR Nate Washington, WR Mike Williams, TE Kellen Winslow
Middle of the Road: WR Damian Williams, WR Lavelle Hawkins, RB Legarrette Blount, WR Arrelius Benn
Bad Start: TE Jared Cook, WR Preston Parker, WR Dezmon Briscoe
Panthers vs. Colts
The Panthers come off another tough loss in which they looked like they may actually pull off the upset on the road against the Lions, but their defense collapsed under the strain of actually trying to stop an offense as they allowed the Lions to roll them for 49 points. On the other hand, every loss for the Colts has come relatively easy as of late, as they seem to roll over for a loss the same way a dog rolls over for a belly rub. Really, Peyton Manning should be embarrassed for his team mates, because even divine intervention wouldn’t help these guys win a game the way they’ve played; it’s like as soon as Manning wasn’t able to play, they lost all hope and heart. The Colts were on bye last week, and that was probably the only week of the season they’ll probably be able to look back and say they didn’t lose a game.
Cam Newton’s mega-stats have taken a bit of a hit the last couple of weeks, as his numbers have been much more pedestrian thanks to a higher turnover rate. Newton already has three games with three or more interceptions, but luckily he hasn’t had back-to-back high turnover games yet this season. With the way the Colts have been playing, Newton owners should expect a bounce back game, with few turnovers (maybe one INT at most), and multiple touchdowns, most likely 2-4 combined rushing and passing scores.
And of course, if anyone is going to benefit from Newton scoring TDs (other than Newton himself) it’ll be Steve Smith and to a lesser extent, TE Greg Olsen. Smith has had a year for the record books, amassing what will be his finest year of his career in terms of yardage and touchdowns, and this game will probably add another 100+ yards and at least one score to the total. Olsen has also been effective out of the TE spot, and should have a pretty good game here.
The Colts on the other hand don’t have much that would be a good play here. The Panthers are one of the worst teams at stopping the run, but the Colts have no RBs that are scary enough to really give much serious thought to playing. Joseph Addai could return this week to muddle an already muddled picture, but if one Colts RB had to be played the best bet would probably be Donald Brown. The Colts passing attack hasn’t been worth considering as of late, but Jacob Tamme showed some life when filling in for the injured Dallas Clark last week, and Pierre Garcon is always a threat to take on the distance.
Good Start: QB Cam Newton, WR Steve Smith, TE Greg Olsen, WR Pierre Garcon
Middle of the Road: RB Deangelo Williams, RB Jonathan Stewart, RB Donald Brown, TE Jacob Tamme
Bad Start: WR Brandon LaFell, WR Legedu Naanee, QB Curtis Painter, WR Reggie Wayne, RB Joseph Addai, RB Delone Carter
And of course, if anyone is going to benefit from Newton scoring TDs (other than Newton himself) it’ll be Steve Smith and to a lesser extent, TE Greg Olsen. Smith has had a year for the record books, amassing what will be his finest year of his career in terms of yardage and touchdowns, and this game will probably add another 100+ yards and at least one score to the total. Olsen has also been effective out of the TE spot, and should have a pretty good game here.
The Colts on the other hand don’t have much that would be a good play here. The Panthers are one of the worst teams at stopping the run, but the Colts have no RBs that are scary enough to really give much serious thought to playing. Joseph Addai could return this week to muddle an already muddled picture, but if one Colts RB had to be played the best bet would probably be Donald Brown. The Colts passing attack hasn’t been worth considering as of late, but Jacob Tamme showed some life when filling in for the injured Dallas Clark last week, and Pierre Garcon is always a threat to take on the distance.
Good Start: QB Cam Newton, WR Steve Smith, TE Greg Olsen, WR Pierre Garcon
Middle of the Road: RB Deangelo Williams, RB Jonathan Stewart, RB Donald Brown, TE Jacob Tamme
Bad Start: WR Brandon LaFell, WR Legedu Naanee, QB Curtis Painter, WR Reggie Wayne, RB Joseph Addai, RB Delone Carter
Redskins vs. Seahawks
The Redskins come off of a close loss to the Dallas Cowboys, where Rex Grossman returned to the lineup and kept his alter ego, Bad Rex, in check long enough to at least take the Cowboys into overtime before Graham Gano just missed on a 52 yard field goal. That led to the Cowboys driving the other direction to kick the game winner themselves, and continue the Redskins’ spiral down to the cellar of the NFC East with their sixth straight loss.The Seahawks actually have the signs of a team that’s starting to put something together, which is modus operandi for many Seattle teams through the years; putting it all together a few games too late to make a difference. Tavaris Jackson seems to have settled into a role as a game manager, which suits him; the role of “carry my team to victory quarterback” is something that’s well beyond his abilities. With Seattle finding a decent enough rushing attack behind Marshawn Lynch, who has now scored in six straight games, and a defense that has been far better than expected, the Seahawks have the luxury of not putting the game in Jackson’s hands to win. All in all, this is a very winnable game for Seattle, with the Redskins reeling and having to make the cross-country trip to play in a stadium that’s loud enough to perhaps jar Mike Shanahan into a moment of lucidity concerning which of his running backs he should play.
Speaking of which, this situation is just as muddy and undesirable for fantasy even with Tashard Choice being cut. Apparently there’s something wonderful about Ryan Torain’s less than 2 yards per carry that we’re all missing, because Shanahan himself says Torain will continue as the starter because Roy Helu “isn’t ready”. Well, hate to break it to ya Mike… but Torain isn’t ready for anything but the fork you’ll use to stick into him to tell if he’s done or not. It’s not like we’re talking about meat here… Helu may be raw, but Shanahan acts like he’ll get salmonella from giving him more than a handful of touches. Until Shanahan realizes Helu is the only back with any real talent on his roster and deserves a full time shot, this is a backfield to be avoided… especially against one of the best rush defenses in the league on the road in a stadium loud enough to make your ears bleed.
Good Start: RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Sidney Rice, WR Doug Baldwin, WR Jabar Gaffney, TE Fred Davis
Middle of the Road: QB Tavaris Jackson, QB Rex Grossman, WR Santana Moss
Bad Start: WR Mike Williams, TE Zach Miller, WR Donte Stallworth, WR Anthony Armstrong, RB Roy Helu, RB Ryan Torain
Bears vs. Raiders
A lot of people were probably looking ahead at this matchup and looking forward to seeing Darren McFadden go rush for rush with Matt Forte; unfortunately
neither one is liable to do as well as they did earlier in the year going forward. McFadden is still suffering from his sprained foot, and word out of Oakland is that he’s not nearly as close to returning as people would like. Forte on the other hand has been mostly money in yardage even of late, but now that QB Jay Cutler is going to be out for the rest of the fantasy season (at least), Forte might not find as much running room with teams most likely not offering Caleb Hanie the same amount of respect.
Luckily for Oakland, they have Michael Bush toting the rock with McFadden out. While Bush doesn’t have the game breaking speed, he also doesn’t break himself nearly as much as McFadden seems to. Given a choice between giving 25 carries to Bush and 25 carries to McFadden, I think I would honestly go with Bush. Sure McFadden’s electric with the ball, but Bush has simply been an ultra-reliable hammer; he’s a punishing downhill runner that you can hitch your wagon to at the end of a game to run the clock out and preserve the victory. I would still love to have a McFadden; but maybe for 10-15 carries where he’d still be very effective, with a Bush taking 25 carries, mostly in the second half against a tired defense. Ahhh… perfection.
The passing game for the Raiders isn’t in as nearly good of shape as the running game is currently. Darrius Heyward-Bey went out with a scary looking neck injury in Week 11, Denarius Moore suffered a foot injury and was in a walking boot in practice this week. Jacoby Ford is also still out injured, so now Carson Palmer is left to throw passes to Louis Murphy and Chaz Schilens, which doesn’t really bode too well for his fantasy chances, especially against a Bears team that is tied for second in interceptions with 15 on the year. Likely the Raiders will lean heavily on their running game and only throw enough passes to keep the Bears honest.
On Chicago’s side of the ball, things were looking up; that is until Cutler’s thumb got snapped like a “Macho Man” Randy Savage Slim Jim. Now the Bears are left with Hanie, who didn’t look terrible in the 2ndhalf of the NFC Championship a year ago, but still doesn’t garner the respect from a defense the way Cutler does. This also doesn’t help Forte’s cause, even though the Bears are likely to lean on him as much as possible. While you can’t really downgrade Forte until he proves he won’t be as good as ever even with Hanie under center, you can downgrade Earl Bennett at least a little due to Hanie not having the same kind of relationship Bennett had with Cutler.
Good Start: RB Michael Bush, RB Matt Forte
Middle of the Road: QB Carson Palmer, WR Chaz Schilens, TE Kevin Boss, RB Marion Barber, WR Earl Bennett
Bad Start: WR Louis Murphy, QB Caleb Hanie, WR Roy Williams, WR Johnny Knox, WR Devin Hester
The passing game for the Raiders isn’t in as nearly good of shape as the running game is currently. Darrius Heyward-Bey went out with a scary looking neck injury in Week 11, Denarius Moore suffered a foot injury and was in a walking boot in practice this week. Jacoby Ford is also still out injured, so now Carson Palmer is left to throw passes to Louis Murphy and Chaz Schilens, which doesn’t really bode too well for his fantasy chances, especially against a Bears team that is tied for second in interceptions with 15 on the year. Likely the Raiders will lean heavily on their running game and only throw enough passes to keep the Bears honest.
On Chicago’s side of the ball, things were looking up; that is until Cutler’s thumb got snapped like a “Macho Man” Randy Savage Slim Jim. Now the Bears are left with Hanie, who didn’t look terrible in the 2ndhalf of the NFC Championship a year ago, but still doesn’t garner the respect from a defense the way Cutler does. This also doesn’t help Forte’s cause, even though the Bears are likely to lean on him as much as possible. While you can’t really downgrade Forte until he proves he won’t be as good as ever even with Hanie under center, you can downgrade Earl Bennett at least a little due to Hanie not having the same kind of relationship Bennett had with Cutler.
Good Start: RB Michael Bush, RB Matt Forte
Middle of the Road: QB Carson Palmer, WR Chaz Schilens, TE Kevin Boss, RB Marion Barber, WR Earl Bennett
Bad Start: WR Louis Murphy, QB Caleb Hanie, WR Roy Williams, WR Johnny Knox, WR Devin Hester
Patriots vs. Eagles
The Patriots come off a boring Monday Night Football pasting of the offensively inept Kansas City Chiefs, while the Eagles pulled off a mild shocker by actually
figuring out how to play defense in time to beat Eli Manning and the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. For the Patriots, this represented a game where they got back on track both offensively and more importantly defensively, as this game was one of the more complete efforts they’ve made this year. The Patriots are now 7-3, now command a two game lead against the suddenly fading Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, and seem to have the most comfortable lead currently of any of the AFC division leaders. Even though the Jets and Bills are only two games back, they’re both headed in the wrong direction; neither even look remotely capable of challenging the Patriots at this point.
For the Eagles, Michael Vick ended up missing last week’s game and may very well miss this week’s battle. Vince Young actually wasn’t the disaster many people thought he’d be, and while he did throw three INTs, he made enough timely plays to help the Eagles secure a much needed win to keep their ever so slim playoff hopes alive. Young will have to be even more on his game if he hopes to stay with the Patriots, as Tom Brady will likely make him pay if he gift wraps three more interceptions for the Patriots this week.
While the Eagles secondary has generally done an ok job in defending the pass on the outside, they haven’t been very good at all against tight ends and underneath routes, which unfortunately for them is the specialty of the Patriots. Both Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski should find plenty of room to operate and as a result both should have a successful outing. In fact, this may very well be the second game in a row where Gronk out-paces Welker in terms of catches and yards, since the Eagles linebackers are going to have a very tough time matching up with his strength and agility.
Jeremy Maclin is expected back for this game, and not a moment too soon considering the Eagles will need all hands on deck in order to have a shot in this game. Maclin’s return will be problematic for a Patriots secondary that has been awful at times this year, even though they did hold the Tyler Palko-led Chiefs passing game in check. If Young takes to the air, he’ll likely lean heavily on Jackson and TE Brent Celek, who were two of his favorite targets last week.
The Eagles hope to keep the game close enough though so they can use Lesean McCoy and the running game to keep the ball out of the hands of Brady. McCoy had his scoring streak broken last week, but he still went nine straight games with a touchdown, and likely could start a new streak in this game, as a RB that can win at the edge as well as catch passes out of the backfield is the type of back that can give the Patriots fits. McCoy will probably get back on his horse in terms of scoring, and will likely have at least 90 combined yards to go with that score.
Good Start: RB Lesean McCoy, WR Desean Jackson, TE Brent Celek, QB Tom Brady, WR Wes Welker, TE Rob Gronkowski
Middle of the Road: QB Vince Young, WR Jeremy Maclin (if he plays; if not, Riley Cooper goes here), WR Deion Branch, TE Aaron Hernandez
Bad Start: WR Jason Avant, RB Benjarvis Green-Ellis, RB Danny Woodhead, WR Chad Ochocinco
While the Eagles secondary has generally done an ok job in defending the pass on the outside, they haven’t been very good at all against tight ends and underneath routes, which unfortunately for them is the specialty of the Patriots. Both Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski should find plenty of room to operate and as a result both should have a successful outing. In fact, this may very well be the second game in a row where Gronk out-paces Welker in terms of catches and yards, since the Eagles linebackers are going to have a very tough time matching up with his strength and agility.
Jeremy Maclin is expected back for this game, and not a moment too soon considering the Eagles will need all hands on deck in order to have a shot in this game. Maclin’s return will be problematic for a Patriots secondary that has been awful at times this year, even though they did hold the Tyler Palko-led Chiefs passing game in check. If Young takes to the air, he’ll likely lean heavily on Jackson and TE Brent Celek, who were two of his favorite targets last week.
The Eagles hope to keep the game close enough though so they can use Lesean McCoy and the running game to keep the ball out of the hands of Brady. McCoy had his scoring streak broken last week, but he still went nine straight games with a touchdown, and likely could start a new streak in this game, as a RB that can win at the edge as well as catch passes out of the backfield is the type of back that can give the Patriots fits. McCoy will probably get back on his horse in terms of scoring, and will likely have at least 90 combined yards to go with that score.
Good Start: RB Lesean McCoy, WR Desean Jackson, TE Brent Celek, QB Tom Brady, WR Wes Welker, TE Rob Gronkowski
Middle of the Road: QB Vince Young, WR Jeremy Maclin (if he plays; if not, Riley Cooper goes here), WR Deion Branch, TE Aaron Hernandez
Bad Start: WR Jason Avant, RB Benjarvis Green-Ellis, RB Danny Woodhead, WR Chad Ochocinco
Broncos vs. Chargers
The Broncos come off a big win against the New York Jets last Thursday night and have had a few extra days of rest and practice to prepare for the Chargers.
If the Broncos manage a win here, they may very well end up the favorite to win the AFC West, while the Chargers will continue their death spiral into NFL cellar oblivion. In fact, it will be eminently entertaining to see Tim Tebow put the final nail in Norv Turner’s coffin.Yes, I was one of those detractors that made fun of Tebow and his floppy duck passes, the way he runs around in the backfield like a crackhead running from his dealer, and the god awful to watch old school college option offense he’s running. Don’t get me wrong, he still does those things… but he’s very good at it, and its good giddy fun to watch a defense not be able to do anything to stop it. That included the stout Jets defense, which let Tebow march down the field for yet another last minute comeback, this one from 95 yards out. You know if Tebow is within 7 points and has the ball last, he’s going to score… it’s not just expected, it’s almost a surety at this point.
Speaking of sureties, it’s just about as sure a bet as you can make that Philip Rivers is going to not only throw at least one interception in a game, but mostly likely will throw multiple. So far this year, Rivers has only not thrown an INT in one game (Week 4 vs. Miami), and he’s thrown two more INTs in a staggering seven games. Rivers is on pace to throw a mind-boggling 27 INTs on the year, this after throwing 22 in 2010 and 2009 combined. Luckily for Rivers, the Broncos secondary hasn’t been world beaters; but then again, neither are the Packers, Patriots, and Vikings and he threw multiple INTs against those secondaries… so I’d still expect at least one if not two INTs for the Broncos. Rivers still should be able to move the ball, but with Vincent Jackson’s latest trend (big game, bad game, big game) that means this week you’ll probably get a V-Jax disappearing act… but you can’t really bench him unless you have some outstanding options.
On the Broncos team, the one thing that Tebow’s success has done is pretty much render all the other offensive players useless for fantasy purposes. You can’t start any of the receivers when they are as likely to catch only one or two passes at most, and the runners are most likely to be usurped at the goal line by the Tebow himself. If you have Tebow, this is a great start for him; if you have any other Broncos skill players… WHY?
Good Start: QB Philip Rivers, WR Vincent Jackson, TE Antonio Gates, QB Tim Tebow
Middle of the Road: RB Ryan Mathews, WR Vincent Brown
Bad Start: RB Mike Tolbert, every Broncos player not the Tebow
Steelers vs. Chiefs
Hey look at this! Second straight week with the Chiefs on primetime TV, and the second week in a row they’re about to be pasted by one of the AFC elite teams in front of the whole world. After this game, Kansas City may not be allowed to play on national TV for a few years. The Chiefs were rocked on MNF last week against the Patriots, and now will host the Steelers who are fresh off their bye and looking to out-run the Ravens to the finish. You know what they say… don’t stand on the tracks when the train’s coming through. Too bad for the Chiefs, someone tied them up on the tracks, so they can’t really help getting mashed into the ground.The Steelers are fresh off their bye, which was much needed due to the broken thumb that Ben Roethlisberger suffered two weeks ago against the Bengals. Big Ben played with a similar injury last year, so it shouldn’t affect him too much this time around. The Chiefs are very vulnerable through the air, so as long as Ben is healthy, he should be able to take some deep shots down the field to both Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. Kansas City is also not that great against the run (rank 28th), so this is a game that the Steelers might be best served with riding Rashard Mendenhall a little more than they do, especially to protect Roethlisberger and his thumb.
Tyler Palko’s stats didn’t look too terrible… but he did throw three picks and couldn’t lead one TD drive against the worst secondary in the league, and now he gets one of the best defenses in the league… yikes. Watching Palko last week, he just doesn’t seem to put much zip on the ball; almost like a high school quarterback throwing left handed when he’s really right handed; or like me throwing passes in a Thanksgiving Day flag football game. In other words… not good. Luckily for Dwayne Bowe owners, he did look his way most of the time, so he at least knows enough to get the ball into the hands of his best receiving playmaker. Bowe will likely not have many more big plays, so he’ll have to instead make up for it with lots of short to medium catches, which is good for PPR, not so good for standard leagues.
This game is a case of start all your Steelers if you got ‘em, and bench all your Chiefs, save for Bowe.
Good Start: QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Mike Wallace, WR Antonio Brown, WR Dwayne Bowe
Middle of the Road: WR Hines Ward, TE Heath Miller
Bad Start: Every Chief not named Bowe
Giants vs. Saints
Now this is the type of matchup we’re looking for on Monday Night Football; not the DOA Chiefs against a Patriots team looking to crush a lesser team in 
Foxboro. The Giants come into this game after laying an egg last week against the Eagles, desperate for a win to keep pace with the Cowboys. If recent history teaches us anything about the Giants, it’s that they thrive in the situations where they have to get a win. Eli Manning is one of the better QBs at leading the 4thquarter comeback, and he usually rises to the occasion when his team needs him to most. The Saints come off their bye, and surprisingly not a lot of people are talking about them in the light of what the Packers and 49ers are doing in their respective divisions. But if you ask me, the Saints are actually the team that is the biggest danger to the Packers in the playoffs, as they have the horses to score with the Packers, and are actually playing a little better defense this year than the Packers are.
Foxboro. The Giants come into this game after laying an egg last week against the Eagles, desperate for a win to keep pace with the Cowboys. If recent history teaches us anything about the Giants, it’s that they thrive in the situations where they have to get a win. Eli Manning is one of the better QBs at leading the 4thquarter comeback, and he usually rises to the occasion when his team needs him to most. The Saints come off their bye, and surprisingly not a lot of people are talking about them in the light of what the Packers and 49ers are doing in their respective divisions. But if you ask me, the Saints are actually the team that is the biggest danger to the Packers in the playoffs, as they have the horses to score with the Packers, and are actually playing a little better defense this year than the Packers are.
The Giants defense has risen more to the occasion of late, as the pass rushing of Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora have been better at getting to the quarterback. They haven’t gotten many sacks so far (only five in the month of November) but their pressure is forcing mistakes by opposing QBs, including six INTs so far this month, their most so far on the season. This doesn’t bode well for Drew Brees, who has been throwing more interceptions than normal on the year, as he’s thrown interceptions in six of his last eight games, including multiple INTs in four of those six. If Brees can avoid those costly turnovers, he should be in for a big day.
Speaking of big days, Jimmy Graham should have a monster game this week, as the Giants linebacker corps has been decimated by injury, and they’re now starting and playing rookies that haven’t been very impressive thus far this year. Graham will be a matchup nightmare for them, and expecting one of his 100+ yard games and a TD is not unreasonable. Those same struggles at the LB spot should also bode well for Darren Sproles, who was taken out of the game plan by the Falcons defense last week. The Giants don’t have the personnel to stop Graham and Sproles, so they should end up the most productive pass catchers on the day for Brees.
Manning should also find some success this week, as the Saints have shown to be vulnerable in the pass game against teams with dynamic pass catchers, as proven by Matt Ryan and Roddy White last week to the tune of 351 passing yards and two scores. Manning has even more weapons at his disposal than Ryan does, with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, and Jake Ballard to choose from. Look for the Giants to stay away from their mostly ineffective running game with Brandon Jacobs, and exploit the Saints through the air, so each of the Giants receiving options are viable plays this week.
Good Start: QB Drew Brees, RB Darren Sproles, WR Marques Colston, TE Jimmy Graham, QB Eli Manning, WR Hakeem Nicks, WR Victor Cruz
Middle of the Road: RB Pierre Thomas, WR Mario Manningham, TE Jake Ballard
Bad Start: RB Mark Ingram, WR Robert Meachem, WR Lance Moore, RB Brandon Jacobs
Speaking of big days, Jimmy Graham should have a monster game this week, as the Giants linebacker corps has been decimated by injury, and they’re now starting and playing rookies that haven’t been very impressive thus far this year. Graham will be a matchup nightmare for them, and expecting one of his 100+ yard games and a TD is not unreasonable. Those same struggles at the LB spot should also bode well for Darren Sproles, who was taken out of the game plan by the Falcons defense last week. The Giants don’t have the personnel to stop Graham and Sproles, so they should end up the most productive pass catchers on the day for Brees.
Manning should also find some success this week, as the Saints have shown to be vulnerable in the pass game against teams with dynamic pass catchers, as proven by Matt Ryan and Roddy White last week to the tune of 351 passing yards and two scores. Manning has even more weapons at his disposal than Ryan does, with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, and Jake Ballard to choose from. Look for the Giants to stay away from their mostly ineffective running game with Brandon Jacobs, and exploit the Saints through the air, so each of the Giants receiving options are viable plays this week.
Good Start: QB Drew Brees, RB Darren Sproles, WR Marques Colston, TE Jimmy Graham, QB Eli Manning, WR Hakeem Nicks, WR Victor Cruz
Middle of the Road: RB Pierre Thomas, WR Mario Manningham, TE Jake Ballard
Bad Start: RB Mark Ingram, WR Robert Meachem, WR Lance Moore, RB Brandon Jacobs
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