Week 12 is just about over and the fantasy playoffs are in sight. Like every week, it’d be silly to completely ignore what took place, even if it is just one week.
With that in mind, let’s run through a quick recap of the good and the bad from each game of the main slate.
Jaguars @ Bills
The Good
Leonard Fournette got ejected for fighting but not before racking up 108 yards and two touchdowns on 21 touches. He’s locked in as an every week RB1, even with Blake Bortles’s struggles.
The Bad
Blake Bortles is bad. He caps everyone sans Fournette’s upside in that offense.
The Jaguars defense can once again be labeled as frauds. Don’t draft defenses early, folks.
Browns @ Bengals
The Good
Baker Mayfield played his best game of the season, throwing for four scores and 258 yards on only 26 attempts.
Nick Chubb’s efficiency wasn’t great, but 128 yards and two touchdowns is good for everyone.
Joe Mixon started slow and had a goal-line touchdown vultured, but he accumulated 155 yards on his 21 touches.
The Bad
Andy Dalton left the game with a thumb injury. He wasn’t doing great before, but Jeff Driskel is a serious downgrade for everyone in the offense.
Jarvis Landry’s irrelevance keeps getting more obvious, only catching three passes for 30 yards.
Patriots @ Jets
The Good
The bye week did wonders for Sony Michel, who compiled 145 yards and a score.
The same could be said for Rob Gronkowski, who found the end zone for the first time since Week 1.
The Bad
James White’s days as an RB1 are officially over. With everyone healthy, he was a nonfactor in the passing game (one catch for five yards on five targets) and won’t be reliable in the run game.
Giants @ Eagles
The Good
Saquon Barkley might be the best running back in the NFL. Unfortunately, he only saw the ball four times in the second half after exploding in the first.
Josh Adams had a 52-yard touchdown called back on a fairly weak holding call and then hurt his shoulder, but came back to dominate the backfield’s touches. He should be a solid RB2 going forward in all formats.
Zach Ertz is on pace for one of the best fantasy seasons of all time for a tight end.
The Bad
The Giants coaching staff deserves this loss for only giving Barkley the ball four times in the second half. Inexcusable.
Speaking of coaching staffs, it’s more and more apparent it was Frank Riech rather than Doug Pederson who brought the best out of Carson Wentz.
49ers @ Buccaneers
The Good
Matt Breida is legitimately good. He ceded work to Jeff Wilson late in the game, so look for the injury report, but he’s a high-end RB2 as long as he’s playing.
Mike Evans gets a bad rap and is inconsistent in real life, but all he does is produce for fantasy.
Jameis Winston is always a threat to be benched, but as long as he starts he’s a solid option.
The Bad
The Nick Mullens experiment came to a screeching halt against a very bad Buccaneers defense. The offense as a whole will be up and down whether he or C.J. Beathard are under center.
Seahawks @ Panthers
The Good
My DFS team loves Christian McCaffrey. My home league’s team hates him. 17 rushes, 125 yards, and a touchdown is a great week. Add on 11 catches, 112 yards, and another touchdown and it becomes ridiculous. What a monstrous week from an elite player.
Tyler Lockett is always a risky play with his lack of volume, but he makes it count when he does get the ball.
The Bad
Doug Baldwin is droppable in shallower formats. Whether it’s injuries or something else, it’s a lost season for him.
Raiders @ Ravens
The Good
Gus Edwards chalk week didn’t disappoint. He didn’t find the end zone, but did pile up 118 yards on 23 carries. He’s a clear workhorse in this Ravens offense.
Lamar Jackson showed off his rushing floor and found the end zone in the air. It was a more conventional showing from him and he should be a back-end QB1 as long as he is the starter.
The Bad
Raiders fans have to deal with Jon Gruden and a relocation. As a St. Louis resident who dealt with Jeff Fisher and a move, I have all the empathy in the world for what they’re going through. This whole team is a mess in both real life and fantasy.
Ravens receivers are going to be completely unreliable with Jackson under center.
Cardinals @ Chargers
The Good
Phillip Rivers went 28-of-29, including 25 straight to start the game. I’d say that qualifies as “good”. He hasn’t had massive upside so far this season, but he’s as steady as they come at the QB position.
Melvin Gordon had a great game before leaving with yet another knee injury. It’s baffling that he played this week against the lowly Cardinals.
The Bad
Josh Rosen has a bright future in this league, but he is struggling mightily. As a result, everyone not named David Johnson is going to be extremely volatile.
Steelers @ Broncos
The Good
Juju Smith-Schuster went absolutely bonkers in this one. His 97-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter was just a portion of the 13 catches and 189 yards he amassed.
Phillip Lindsay keeps putting up big numbers. He has a juicy schedule down the stretch and is firmly in my RB1 territory for the rest of the season.
The Bad
We had high hopes for Courtland Sutton to see a boost after Demaryius Thomas was traded, but he’s as inconsistent as ever. Case Keenum just isn’t good enough to support multiple good receivers.
James Conner had another mediocre game, only rushing for 53 yards in a game Ben Roethlisberger threw 56 times. There are better days to come for him.
Dolphins @ Colts
The Good
Andrew Luck with yet another 300 yard, 3 TD game. He’s 100% back and an elite QB1.
Kenyan Drake made the most of his limited opportunity, going for 98 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 touches. Why Adam Gase continues to rely on Frank Gore is beyond me.
The Bad
The Colts TE carousel continues, with Eric Ebron seeing the lead in targets and hauling in two touchdowns. Jack Doyle saved a mediocre day with a 1-yard score himself.
The Dolphins wide receivers are unusable for fantasy purposes.
—
Be sure to check back in over the next few days for a more in-depth look at all the waiver options and injury notes that came from today’s games.
