Every Monday of the NFL regular season we look at breakout performances from the weekend and analyze their potential for sustained success. We will rank these performances from 1-5 based on whether we believe they are momentary or long-term options for your fantasy teams.
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Fantasy Football Heat Index
Quarterback
Stats: 29-of-40, 317 passing yards, four touchdowns
Position Rank (pre-MNF): QB3 (28.48 points)
Analysis: One week after scoring 23.52 fantasy points and finishing as the QB10, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was even better in Week 12. He scored 28.48 fantasy points and is the current QB3 on the week.
In his most complete game of the season, Tagovailoa finished with 317 passing yards and four touchdown passes. He was in full command of Mike McDaniel’s offense, completing 72.5% of his pass attempts and routinely getting the ball to top his playmakers — Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De’Von Achane and Jonnu Smith.
In Week 13, Miami travels to notoriously chilly Green Bay for a Thanksgiving Night showdown with the Packers. Another great performance could cement Tagovailoa’s low-end QB1 status moving forward, while a down game would further push the narrative his game doesn’t travel in the elements.
Heat Index: 4
Running Back
Stats: 20 rushing attempts, 59 rushing yards, two touchdowns, one reception, one receiving yard
Position Rank (pre-MNF): RB7 (18.5 points)
Analysis: With Cleveland in the middle of a Winter Wonderland, the Browns turned back the clock on Thursday Night Football, feeding the rock to bruising running back Nick Chubb. Despite still working his way back from last season’s knee injury, Chubb responded with the best fantasy output of his season. He scored 18.5 fantasy points and is the current RB7 in half-PPR formats.
Although this performance looks good on paper, I’d be careful about overreacting to the one-week sample size. Chubb only managed 60 yards on 21 touches and largely looked like the same ole’, inefficient running back we’ve seen all season. He just happened to score two fluky goal-line touchdowns in blizzard-like conditions.
Heat Index: 2
Wide Receiver
Stats: Eight receptions, 144 receiving yards, one touchdown
Position Rank (pre-MNF): WR3 (24.4 points)
Analysis: Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has disappointed fantasy managers all season. Injuries at quarterback, uneven usage and issues with drops have all contributed to the worst season of his career. Something flipped on Sunday, though.
For the first time all season, Waddle looked like his old self in Miami’s 34-15 victory over New England. He had 144 yards, one touchdown and made several contested catches in traffic. He reached 100+ receiving yards for the first time since Week 1 and is the WR3 on the week.
With Tagovailoa back at the helm, this Dolphins offense has been humming in recent weeks. That could be due to favorable matchups against bottom-dwellers Las Vegas and New England, but Miami’s offense is a different animal with their QB1 under center.
Miami has a potential cold-weather game in Green Bay on deck, meaning Waddle will be the ultimate boom/bust wide receiver fantasy start sit next week. I’d prefer to see this production at least one more time before inserting Waddle back into starting lineups, but some managers may not have better options.
Heat Index: 3
Tight End
Stats: Three receptions, 55 receiving yards, one touchdown
Position Rank (pre-MNF): TE8 (13 points)
Analysis: Tight end Luke Schoonmaker has been a pleasant surprise for head coach Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys since taking over No. 1 TE duties. In relief of the injured Jake Ferguson, the backup tight end has finished as the TE10 and TE8 (pre-MNF) over the past two weeks.
With Dallas facing a short week in Week 13 due to their annual Thanksgiving Day game, Schoonmaker could be in line for another start against the Giants on Thursday. Despite his recent fantasy production, I’d hesitate before immediately throwing Schoonmaker into starting lineups.
Even with Ferguson sidelined, Schoonmaker is still a part-time player. He’s barely out-snapping fellow tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford and is attached to journeyman backup quarterback Cooper Rush. While one more week of production is within reason, you can probably find better long-term options on your waiver wire.
Heat Index: 2
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