It’s that time of year. It’s the time of year to reflect on everything that we have to be thankful for in our lives.

While there’s a lot that people can choose to focus on this year and complain about, it’s important to consciously choose positivity now. Dwelling on the negative parts of our life does nothing for our long-term well-being. Instead, focusing on the good parts of our life and what we have to be thankful for can dramatically affect our moods.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent enough time this year soaking in negativity. With everything from the election to the latest coronavirus news, it’s enough to push me over the edge. So, this next week, I’ll be spending time reflecting on the positives in life. Things like the fact that I have a solid roof over my head, a loving wife and partner in life, and a goofy little two-year-old that has changed my life in the best way possible. These things might be the same for you or you might have very different priorities in life that you can choose to focus in on.

While you’re getting ready for Thanksgiving this next week, I encourage you to take some time and write down or reflect on the good things in your life. We all could use more positivity in our lives.

PIT at JAC | DET at CAR | NE at HOU | TEN at BAL | PHI at CLE | ATL at NO | CIN at WAS | NYJ at LAC | MIA at DEN | DAL at MIN | GB at IND | KC at LVR | LAR at TB

Alright, that’s enough time spent talking about our emotional states. We have football on the tv this weekend and some key and crucial matchups for fantasy football!

If you have any questions as you read through this week’s fantasy projections article, do not hesitate to reach out on Twitter! Additionally, you can also find out how all of these projections go together with my weekly rankings here.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Date/Time: November 22, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Steelers -10.5
Over/Under: 46 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Steelers 28.25, Jaguars 17.75

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Jacksonville Jaguars

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Quarterback

Pittsburgh: Ben’s coming off of a huge passing performance and he now gets one of the most favorable matchups in all of fantasy football for opposing QBs. While the Jaguars were able to keep Aaron Rodgers somewhat in check last week, he still threw for over 300 yards. With all the weapons that Ben has around him, he should be viewed as a mid-range QB1 in this matchup with ridiculous upside.

Jacksonville: With Minshew sidelined again this week, Luton will get the start. However, against a stout Steelers defense, he’s not worth looking at in 1QB leagues.

Running Backs

Pittsburgh: Conner simply hasn’t looked like himself recently. He might be nursing an injury we don’t know about, but lacks any sort of explosiveness right now. Conner’s still seeing enough work to be a viable fantasy option, but he’s done little to help your fantasy teams lately. With that being said, this is a fantastic matchup for opposing RBs yet again. Conner can be started as a mid-range RB2 with upside if he can find the end zone here.

Jacksonville: Robinson continues to see a workload like few other RBs in the league. While there might not be many scoring opportunities for this offense in this matchup, Robinson should still see enough work to return mid-range RB2 production, assuming that his shoulder injury that has kept him limited in practice doesn’t force him to miss this game. If Robinson can’t suit up, Devine Ozigbo would be the next man up in this backfield, but he wouldn’t be worth looking at as anything more than a mid-range RB3 due to the matchup.

Wide Receivers

Pittsburgh: It’s hard to look at the Steelers receiving corps right now and say that you don’t want to start any of these options. Last week, each of the Steelers top-3 receivers saw 10+ targets and scored at least one touchdown. They’re all automatic starts right now and they should all be viewed as high-end WR2s in this matchup. All logic says that they all shouldn’t finish in that range, but that’s just the way the offense is moving lately. Start Johnson, Claypool, and Smith-Schuster with confidence this week against the Jaguars secondary.

Jacksonville: Cole erupted last week with a solid game as a receiver, but he was also able to put together a great return for 90+ yards and a score. While it might be enticing to plug Cole in as a solid WR3 this week after last week’s performance, Luton’s going to have a tough time in this contest against the Steelers pass rush. Cole might see enough volume to return FLEX value, but there’s very little upside here with the matchup. Chark wasn’t able to get much done in last week’s contest, but he was still a fantasy relevant option. He should be downgraded slightly due to the matchup, but he’s going to see enough targets to bring a safe floor. Chark can be started this week as a high-end WR3. Conley continues to be heavily targeted by Luton, but he’s not doing enough with the opportunity to vault himself into FLEX-worthy consideration. He can be plugged into your lineup as a desperation play, but nothing more than that.

Tight Ends

Pittsburgh: Ebron was pretty high in my TE rankings for week ten, but he failed to deliver in a prime matchup. While this was most likely due to the Steelers’ WR trio catching all four of Big Ben’s touchdown throws, Ebron was still involved enough to have confidence plugging him back into your lineup as a mid-range TE1 against the Jaguars’ defense.

Jacksonville: Eifert’s not worth considering for fantasy football this week.

FantasyProjection Buster: Ebron didn’t get the touchdown in my projections here, but this is a fantastic matchup for opposing TEs. There’s a very good chance that Ebron finds the end zone here and is able to significantly outproduce my expectations.

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Detroit Lions vs Carolina Panthers

Date/Time: November 22, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Lions -2.5
Over/Under: 49 points (Expected to change with final injury news)
Implied Vegas point totals: Lions 25.75, Panthers 23.25

Detroit Lions

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Carolina Panthers

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Quarterback

Detroit: Stafford has been an interesting case study this season. In matchups that are extremely favorable, he’s struggled to deliver fantasy production. In matchups that are tough on paper, he’s delivered big performances. It’s difficult to gauge whether or not Stafford’s going to have a good fantasy day or not heading in, which makes him an extremely volatile play each week. In a matchup against the Panthers, Stafford could be looked at as a mid-range RB2 with a wide range of outcomes. This is all under the assumption that he’s able to suit up after missing practices this week with a thumb injury. If Stafford isn’t able to play, Chase Daniel will get the start, which is a significant downgrade for this offense and its receiving weapons. Daniel isn’t on the redraft radar if he plays.

Carolina: At this point, it’s looking unlikely that Teddy Bridgewater suits up for this matchup. After leaving last week’s game, Bridgewater hasn’t been able to get in a full practice this week and his status for this game is very much in doubt. If Bridgewater isn’t able to play, PJ Walker is going to get the start here. While Walker’s going to be fun to watch to see how he adjusts to the NFL game, it’s not exactly a vote of confidence for the receiving weapons here. Walker isn’t on the redraft radar if he plays.

Running Backs

Detroit: What do you know?! Playing the supremely talented running back actually worked for Detroit last week! Swift has shown the flashes of his top-tier talent this season, but the Lions coaching staff continued to roll with a committee approach. That all changed this past week though and it worked. Swift dominated the touches in this backfield and he put up a fantastic fantasy performance. Moving forward, assuming that Swift maintains this role, he should be viewed as a low-end RB1 in Rest of Season rankings. However, in this matchup against the Panthers run defense, Swift belongs in the mid-range RB1 conversation, assuming that he’s able to clear concussion protocol in time. If Swift is not able to play, the Lions would move to a committee approach with Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson. Peterson would be an intriguing low-end RB2 option due to the matchup and the scoring potential here. Meanwhile, Johnson should handle the majority of the receiving down work and he also has a fairly good chance of finding the end zone too. Johnson could be viewed as a high-end RB3 that would get a slight bump up in Full PPR formats.

Carolina: With Christian McCaffrey out another week, Davis will get the nod as the starter yet again. Davis left last week’s contest early with an injury, but he did return later on in the game. Davis should be viewed as a great play this week against the Lions run defense. Plug him into your lineup as a low-end RB1 with upside yet again.

Wide Receivers

Detroit: Kenny Golladay appears like he’s going to miss yet another game here, which means that Jones should continue to step in as the lead option in this offense. However, without Stafford in the lineup, Jones’ fantasy stock takes a significant hit. Daniel’s never been a QB that’s been able to push the ball deep downfield, which is where Jones thrives. If Daniel is the QB, Jones can be viewed as a low-end WR3. If Stafford somehow plays in this one, Jones jumps back up into the low-end WR2 conversation.

Carolina: Anderson continues to be heavily involved in this offense, but he’s struggled recently to put up the consistent WR2 numbers that we’ve come to expect out of him. This is a great matchup for Anderson and his skillset, but it’s going to be hard to trust him as anything more than a low-end WR2 until we start to see his production jump back up. If Walker plays QB for the Panthers this week, Anderson should get a significant downgrade due to the unknown of how Walker will fare in the league. He can be viewed as a mid-range WR3 in this situation. Moore has been the definition of inconsistent this season. Just as optimism begins to rise, Moore falls short of expectations. Shortly after, when expectations are low, Moore rises to the occasion and strings together a solid performance in a tough matchup. It’s going to be hard to trust Moore this week due to his volatility, but he absolutely belongs in your lineup as a high-upside WR2 if Bridgewater is the QB. If Walker plays, Moore’s going to be hard to trust as anything more than a low-end WR3. Samuel’s stock had been on the rise the past few weeks, but it came crashing back down to earth last week against the Buccaneers. Samuel went 3-8-0 on five targets and he absolutely hurt fantasy managers that plugged him into their lineups. This week, Samuel’s a difficult player to try and rank due to the wide range of outcomes. In my opinion, Samuel should be viewed as a low-end WR3 that absolutely has the chance to explode in a great matchup against the Lions secondary if Bridgewater is the starting QB. If Walker plays, Samuel’s merely a FLEX play.

Tight Ends

Detroit: Hockenson was questionable due to the toe injury he suffered in practice last week, but he ultimately suited up in what should have been a smash matchup. Unfortunately, Hockenson fell drastically short of expectations and only put up 13 total yards in week ten. With that being said, Hockenson should be plugged right back into your lineup this week as a mid-range TE1 with upside in this matchup, even if Daniel is the starting QB.

Carolina: None of the Panthers TEs can be trusted for fantasy football this week.

FantasyProjection Buster: Can I write this entire game with all the injury unknowns? If the backup QBs play, there’s no telling who they’re going to target or what these offenses are going to look like here.

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New England Patriots vs Houston Texans

Date/Time: November 22, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Patriots -2
Over/Under: 48.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Patriots 25.25, Texans 23.25

New England Patriots

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Houston Texans

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Quarterback

New England: The last three games, Newton has finished as the QB12, the QB8, and the QB11. Due to his rushing upside, he’s a safe bet every single week to finish within the top-12. Now, Newton gets a matchup against the Houston Texans that are struggling to stop anyone on defense. Newton should be viewed as a mid-range QB1 in this matchup.

Houston: Watson is quietly putting together a very solid campaign. Even without DeAndre Hopkins, Watson has looked great and he’s been a pretty consistent fantasy QB in recent weeks. With that being said, Watson has what some people might say is a scary matchup on paper against the Patriots defense. However, New England is among the worst in the NFL in terms of total Yards Per Pass Attempt Allowed with 8.2. The only team worse in the entire NFL is Jacksonville at 8.5 YPA. The Patriots can be passed on, which means that Watson and his receiving trio should be able to get enough done to view Watson as a mid-range QB1 yet again.

Running Backs

New England: Harris has been limited in practice this week, but all indications point to him suiting up for this matchup. If he does, Harris is a fantastic mid-range RB2 play due to the way he’s looked recently and the matchup. The Texans are allowing the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing RBs and Harris was able to get over 120 yards on the ground last week against the Baltimore Ravens. He doesn’t have a ton of upside due to the lack of scoring opportunities around the goal line, but he’s a solid and safe RB2 option this week. Burkhead has put together a couple of solid performances here recently, but he can’t be trusted as anything more than a high-end RB3 in Full PPR formats. This backfield is simply too unpredictable to have full confidence in starting him as anything more than that.

Houston: Duke Johnson hasn’t been especially effective the past few weeks, but that doesn’t really matter for fantasy purposes when you’re seeing the type of volume that he has been recently. Johnson’s a safe RB2 option this week that should provide a safe floor due to his role in this offense with David Johnson out.

Wide Receivers

New England: Last week, Meyers was the only Patriots WR that was targeted. Yes, you read that correctly. This makes my job pretty easy from a projections standpoint! Meyers is obviously the only WR on New England that you should be going anywhere near and he’s truly emerged the last couple of weeks as a really solid option for your fantasy lineups. In this matchup against the Texans, Meyers should be viewed as a locked-in WR3 with upside.

Houston: The Patriots are no longer a defense to be feared by opposing offenses and Watson and the Texans receivers should be able to put on a show. Cooks didn’t exactly have a dominant day last week, but he’s been stellar recently outside of that performance. Cooks can be plugged in as a high-end WR2 this week. Fuller and the Texans offense struggled to get much done last week against Cleveland, but they should be able to bounce back here. Cobb is just involved enough in this offense to draw consideration as a FLEX play in Full PPR formats, but nothing much more than that.

Tight Ends

New England: None of the Patriots TEs are worth considering for fantasy football.

Houston: None of the Texans TEs are worth considering for fantasy football.

FantasyProjection Buster: Based on the weakness of the Patriots defense, Watson gets three passing touchdowns in my projections. However, there’s a very good possibility that he falls short of that three touchdown mark this week.

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Tennessee Titans vs Baltimore Ravens

Date/Time: November 22, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Ravens -5
Over/Under: 49.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Ravens 27.25, Titans 22.25

Tennessee Titans

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Baltimore Ravens

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Quarterback

Tennessee: Tannehill’s had a tough stretch here recently and it doesn’t get any easier going up against the Baltimore Ravens defense in week 11. Tannehill should be viewed as a mid-range QB2 in this one.

Baltimore: Jackson was able to show some signs of life as a passer in week ten and he finally jumped back into the top-10 QBs. While we’re all still waiting for the big performance from Jackson, he’s certainly back in the every week must-start option due to his potential. In this matchup against the Titans, Jackson should be started as a mid-range QB1 that could easily go off in this one.

Running Backs

Tennessee: Henry has finished outside the top-20 RBs each of the past two weeks and life doesn’t get any easier this week against the Ravens defense. Henry’s still a must-start option, but he does need to be downgraded slightly. Henry can be viewed as a mid-range RB1 that will need to find the end zone to finish within the top-12 at the position.

Baltimore: This is a great matchup for opposing RBs. Unfortunately, there’s no way you can roll any of these Baltimore RBs into your starting lineup this week. With all three players in the lineup, there’s absolutely no telling who is going to get the majority of the touches or who is going to be the most effective. Gus Edwards, Mark Ingram, and JK Dobbins can all be viewed as mid-range RB3s this week.

Wide Receivers

Tennessee: Brown disappointed in week ten, but he’s been too productive this season to sit him this week. Even in a tough matchup, Brown belongs in your lineup as a high-end WR2. Davis came back to life last week against the Colts, but we have to view him as a matchup-dependent play. In this game, Davis can be plugged in as a FLEX play that’s going to need to find the end zone to finish much higher.

Baltimore: From a matchup standpoint, Brown should be viewed as an extremely solid play this week. However, Brown has now finished the last two weeks outside the top-70 WRs in Half PPR scoring formats. In fact, he’s the WR50 on the season and is only one spot behind David Moore of the Seattle Seahawks. He’s a boom-or-bust FLEX play now and I’d recommend sitting him until we see him string together a couple of good performances.

Tight Ends

Tennessee: Smith was certainly more involved in this offense last week, which causes fantasy managers to rejoice everywhere. While he saw six targets, he was only able to reel in two of them for 14 yards with the rushing touchdown. Smith can be viewed as a low-end TE1 this week that will need a touchdown to finish much higher than that.

Baltimore: Andrews finally returned solid production last week after being borderline irrelevant recently. In this matchup, Andrews should see plenty of work and he always has the chance to find the end zone. He should be viewed as a mid-range TE1 this week with upside.

FantasyProjection Buster: The Ravens offense appears to be in a good spot here, but there’s no way of knowing for certain what exactly the output is going to be. Every single Ravens player comes with major question marks.