| | | | Friday, December 3, 2021 | | You need luck on your side to find success in Fantasy, and those of you who started Tony Pollard Thursday got a little bit lucky, because Pollard did not see the expanded role many were hoping for. Pollard ended up with nine touches while Ezekiel Elliott still had 15 despite his knee injury. So, it's safe to say you got lucky to get 15.4 PPR points from Pollard, because if it wasn't for his 58-yard touchdown run, it could have been an ugly game. | | Pollard is clearly the more explosive option for the Cowboys, but if you're hoping he's going to be more than just a fringe Fantasy starter who needs to score to have much value, you're going to be disappointed. Because, for as much as we want it to happen, the Cowboys seem perfectly fine with Elliott's role. Don't expect that to change unless Elliott's knee gets worse. Pollard is a must-roster player with flex appeal if you need someone, but he's not going to be a weekly difference maker as long as Elliott is healthy. | | Truth be told, you probably got a bit lucky if you bought into the other big narrative heading into the game and started Taysom Hill, too. Thursday was a good example of why he's such an intriguing Fantasy option even when he doesn't pass the ball well, and he decidedly did not Thursday, completing just 19 of 41 with four interceptions. He did throw a pair of touchdowns, one more or less in garbage time, while adding 101 rushing yards to finish with 24.7 points in six-point-per-pass-TD leagues. That rushing production gives him such a wide margin for error for Fantasy that I think he's probably going to be a must-start Fantasy QB as long as he's starting. I am less convinced he will remain the starting moving forward after that display, though. | | Those are the big takeaways you need to know about from Thursday's game, but if you want more, check out Fantasy Football Today in 5, as Adam Aizer and Dan Schneier gave some more thoughts on the game. It wasn't a great game for Fantasy, all told, so hopefully you aren't in too big of a hole. If you are, then you need all the help you can get, and that's what the rest of today's newsletter is all about. My game previews have Fantasy-relevant thoughts for each game on the Week 13 schedule along with all the injury notes you need to know about to finalize your lineups. | | Make sure you're ready for Sunday's game with all of the FFT team's preview content, too: | | Week 13 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | RB | WRStarts, sits and sleepers for every gameCheat Sheets: PPR | Non-PPRWeek 13 Position Previews: QB | RB | WR | TEMy Week 13 Rankings: Flex Top 150 | QB | RB | WR | TE | | |
| | 🔍Week 13 Game Previews | | There's something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. This week, however, there are so many unanswered questions that it's hard to settle on just one thing for each game. Here's a look ahead at every Week 13 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, some lineup help and one thing to watch for from each game: | | | | All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook. | | | | Eagles at Jets | | Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ETLine: Eagles -7; 45 O/U Implied totals: Eagles 26-Jets 19 | | The Eagles have some injury questions that need to be answered before we can really know what to expect, though the good news is Jalen Hurts looks like his ankle is a non-issue. That might be all the Eagles need. | | Injuries: Jalen Hurts (ankle) -- Hurts was limited Wednesday and Thursday but told reporters he is planning to play. The Eagles' more run-heavy approach in recent weeks has made him a less reliable Fantasy option, he's still a must-start guy in this matchup ... Miles Sanders (ankle) -- Sanders was a full participant in practice Thursday, a good sign for his chances of playing, assuming he avoids a setback. With Jordan Howard (knee) still being held out of practice, Sanders figures to see a healthy role in the running game. But if Boston Scott (non-COVID illness, has not practiced this week) is limited as well, that could make Sanders a must-start player ... Corey Davis (groin) -- Davis has not practiced yet this week, and while he says he's feeling better than he did a week ago, it still seems unlikely he'll be able to play Sunday at this point. What we're watching for: With Davis out, Elijah Moore should remain the go-to WR for the Jets. Moore has been tremendous of late, but Week 12 (4 for 46) was a bit of a letdown in Zach Wilson 's first game back from injury. Can Moore still be a viable Fantasy starter playing with Wilson? It's a fair question, but Moore still had a 33% target share last week, so I'm not giving up on him. On the Eagles side, it'll be interesting to see if Scott playing a bigger role than Sanders in Week 12 was just a result of Sanders tweaking his ankle or if they really just view Sanders as a limited committee back. Given that Sanders led the team in RB snaps and had 16 carries the week before, I'm going to guess it was the ankle. He's in the RB2 discussion for me. | | Giants at Dolphins | | Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ETLine: Dolphins -4; 40.5 O/U Implied totals: Dolphins 22.25-Giants 18.25 | | The Dolphins have won four straight while the Giants have managed 23 points in their past two games, so I'm surprised the line for this one is as close as it is, especially given the Giants' injury issues. | | Injuries: Daniel Jones (neck) -- Jones has been limited both Wednesday and Thursday with his neck strain, and there are real questions about whether he'll be able to play. Either way, I expect him to be used less as a runner this week than he was last week (nine carries), which makes him just a low-end Fantasy option ... Sterling Shepard (quad) -- Shepard was able to work back to a limited practice Thursday, so he may actually be able to make his return this week. Shepard has been out since Week 8 but is averaging nearly nine targets per game despite leaving two of his five games early with injuries. He would be an interesting sleeper option if he is able to play ... Kadarius Toney (quad) -- Toney was unable to practice Wednesday or Thursday and looks like he'll miss his second straight game. Toney remains worth stashing, but he's had trouble staying healthy as a rookie ... DeVante Parker (hamstring) -- Parker was back at practice Wednesday, but we won't know his chances of playing until probably Saturday since he's on IR and the Dolphins won't have to give him an injury designation until he is activated. He would be just a low-end starting option if he plays, but if you are desperate, Parker is worth an add -- he has 43 targets and is averaging 65.4 yards per game in his five appearances this season. What we're watching for: With the Giants, it's hard to know until we know Jones is playing, but if he does, it will be interesting to see if he is used as a runner despite the injury. That was one of the biggest changes in the first game after Jason Garrett's firing. Otherwise, it'll be interesting to see if Shepard continues to take on a massive target share if he is able to play. On Miami's side, we just want to see Tua Tagovailoa continue to play well, but it'll also be worth monitoring Mike Gesicki 's playing time if Parker is healthy enough to play -- Gesicki plays as a WR in this offense, with Miami often running two-TE sets. He's a starting-caliber tight end either way, but he could slink into the fringe territory of Parker cuts into his snaps and routes. | | Cardinals at Bears | | Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ETLine: Cardinals -7.5; 43.5 O/UImplied totals: Cardinals 25-5-Bears 18 | | The Cardinals look like they'll be getting back to full strength this week, or at least close to it. They should be able to win easily, but what the offense looks like while they are doing so will be worth watching. | | Injuries: Kyler Murray (ankle) -- Murray is expected to return this week, per NFL Network, though he has still been limited at practice both Wednesday and Thursday. Murray doesn't have to get a full practice in to return, but you'd feel a bit better about starting him if he does. You're still starting him, though, to be clear ... DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) -- Hopkins is also expected to return this week according to that same report, and his role will be fascinating to watch, given how much the Cardinals were spreading the ball around before his injury. He's more of a low-end WR2 for me if he plays ... Justin Fields (ribs) -- Fields has been limited at practice each day so far this week, but he's also been running as the No. 2 QB, so it seems like they're going to give Fields another week to get fully healthy. Andy Dalton looks to be in line to start again ... Allen Robinson (hamstring) -- Robinson has yet to practice this week and seems likely to be out yet again. He hasn't played since Week 9, prior to the Bears bye and at this point doesn't seem to have a timetable. Given his struggles, you can drop Robinson at this point. What we're watching for: For the Bears, we'll want to see David Montgomery get more involved in the passing game, because neither Fields nor Dalton has really thrown to the running backs much at all. If Montgomery is going to get back to his late-season-2020 form, that'll need to change. We also want to see the Bears continue to funnel targets to Darnell Mooney , who has consecutive 120-yard games. He's a WR2 for this matchup. On the Cardinals side, obviously, how the offense looks with the return of Murray and Hopkins. I had assumed the Cardinals would increase Hopkins' target share as the season went on, but given the injury, I'm less certain of that now. There are a lot of mouths to feed in this passing game, and it's only going to get more crowded with Chase Edmonds expected back in Week 14. If they continue to spread the ball around a ton this week, it's going to be tough to trust the pass-catchers moving forward. | | Vikings at Lions | | Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Vikings -7; 46.5 O/U Implied totals: Vikings 26.75-Lions 19.75 | | The backup running backs are taking center stage in this one, and both are looking like must-start players. | | Injuries: D'Andre Swift (shoulder) -- Swift has been held out of practice so far this week, and while he hasn't been officially ruled out, based on both reporting and public comments from coach Dan Campbell, the expectation is he won't play this week, and Week 14 is in question as well. Jamaal Williams is a top-15 RB for this week and should be in line for 20 or so touches ... Dalvin Cook (shoulder) -- Cook is expected to miss at least two games as a result of this injury, and Alexander Mattison has a case to be the No. 1 overall player this week. What we're watching for: Expectations are very high for Mattison, but we've already seen him as the lead back in this offense, so we pretty much know what to expect. He'll step into Cook's role and should be an elite Fantasy option. The question is on the Lions side, because we haven't seen Williams without Swift. My expectation is we'll see Williams take on a massive role in both the running and passing game, with Jermar Jefferson playing just a limited role. So, a lot like Swift when Williams was out -- Swift had 45 carries and 11 targets in two games without Williams. It'll also be interesting to see if Josh Reynolds is able to step up and be the Lions top option in the passing game alongside T.J. Hockenson. He's not a star, but he could be useful for Fantasy if he becomes a focal point. | | Colts at Texans | | Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Colts -10; 45.5 O/UImplied totals: Colts 27.75-Texans 17.75 | | The Colts should win this one handily, and they've been happy to limit Carson Wentz's opportunities to throw when the game doesn't require it. Not coincidentally, they only threw 20 times the last time they faced the Texans. | | Injuries: David Johnson (illness/thigh) -- There's a bug going around the Texans locker room, as Brandin Cooks has also been held out of practice. However, with Johnson, it's not clear if he would have been able to practice if not for the illness, so hopefully we get some clarity on that Friday, because Rex Burkhead might actually be worth starting, as the two have combined for 61 touches over the past two games. If you're desperate for an RB, Burkhead is worth considering. What we're watching for: A reason to watch the Texans offense would be nice. Brandin Cooks is just a fringe WR2 at this point after having just eight targets over the past two games. Michael Pittman is in a similar range, as he has been really impacted by the more run-heavy approach the Colts have adopted. He hasn't had more than six targets in a Colts win since Week 4, and the Colts have gone 5-3 in that span. | | Buccaneers at Falcons | | Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Buccaneers -11; 46 O/UImplied totals: Falcons 23-Jaguars 23 | | Given the way Matt Ryan is playing this season, the Falcons probably aren't particularly well-equipped to compete in a shootout with the Bucs. He had 300 yards and two touchdowns in a previous matchup, but also three interceptions, and that was with Calvin Ridley. | | Injuries: There are no Fantasy relevant injuries to know about for this one. What we're watching for: With Antonio Brown out of the picture for at least the next three games, you have to feel better about Rob Gronkowski, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans, though the latter two have been pretty quiet of late. I don't think that is really something to be too concerned about, given the way Tom Brady spreads the ball around, though; they'll get theirs before long. I think you just have to ride Godwin and Evans and live with the occasional subpar efforts. On the Falcons side, Cordarrelle Patterson remains a must-start, and I'm still going to keep Kyle Pitts in my top 12 at TE despite his struggles, though it's obviously getting increasingly difficult to justify. I'll be interested to see what Qadree Ollison's role looks like in his return from the COVID list -- it looked like he might be overtaking Mike Davis as the No. 2 RB. | | Chargers at Bengals | | Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Bengals -3; 50.5 O/UImplied totals: Bengals 26.75-Chargers 23.75 | | The Chargers have had trouble stopping the run, and the Bengals have been happy to feed Joe Mixon as many carries as he can handle. The onus is on the Chargers offense to put the Bengals in a position where they can't just run it 30 times. | | Injuries: There are no Fantasy relevant injuries to know about for this one. What we're watching for: Ja'Marr Chase has fallen on hard times of late, and while that is in some ways related to the run-heavy approach the Bengals have been able to adopt thanks to some lop-sided wins, you'd sure feel better about him down the stretch if he was able to turn in a big game even if the Bengals don't have to pass. At this point, these two offenses seem pretty settled, but Mike Williams ' usage remains worth watching -- the Chargers offense hasn't been quite the same since they relegated him to being more of a traditional deep threat, so I do wonder if we might not see them get him more involved early. He's a boom or bust WR3, but as we saw early in the season, there's room for so much more. | | Washington at Raiders | | Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Raiders - 2.5; 49.5 O/UImplied totals: Raiders 26-Washington 23.5 | | The way Washington's defense has played this season, this seems like a great matchup for Derek Carr. But he'll be missing some key weapons and the Football Team's defense hasn't allowed more than 250 passing yards in a game since Week 6, so it wouldn't be a shock if they disappointed. | | Injuries: Darren Waller (knee) -- We're not expecting Waller to play, with Foster Moreau expected to start in his place. Moreau is an intriguing streamer, someone I'm actually ranking as a top-12 TE for this week. He played every snap when Waller was out in Week 7, running a route on all but four pass plays ... Josh Jacobs (ankle) -- Jacobs was added to the injury report Thursday, and any mid-week addition always makes you sit up and take notice. We'll keep an eye on his status Friday, but make sure you have an alternative just in case. Kenyan Drake would enter the RB2 discussion if Jacobs were to miss the game. ... DeSean Jackson (calf) -- Jackson went from limited Wednesday to out Thursday, which isn't a great sign. Jackson has brought a much-needed jolt of down-field playmaking for the Raiders, and Derek Carr's value as a Fantasy QB hasn't been the same since Henry Ruggs was released, so Jackson's absence could actually matter ... J.D. McKissic (concussion) -- McKissic has been held out of practice each day so far, which isn't a great sign for his chances of playing. If McKissic can't play, we would likely see more of Antonio Gibson in the passing game, with an opportunity for an increased role for Jaret Patterson -- and don't be surprised if practice squad-RB Wendell Smallwood sees a bit of playing time as a pass catcher. What we're watching for: How Washington uses Gibson if McKissic is out will be fascinating to watch. Gibson did catch a career-high seven passes in Week 12, but most of those came before McKissic was out, so it's not exactly clear how likely it is that Gibson sees more work in the passing game. That's kind of the one thing he's missing to make the leap to being a high-end Fantasy option, so if he gets a chance and makes the most of it, maybe he can parlay that into an increased role -- similar to what we've seen from Jonathan Taylor this season. On the other side of it, it'll be interesting to see if Hunter Renfrow can build off last week's career-best game. That game came with an 11.0-yard average depth of target, the highest of the season for him. I've been skeptical of Renfrow's Fantasy prospects for much of the season, but if they use him like that again, it would be easier for me to buy in. | | Jaguars at Rams | | Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ETLine: Rams -13; 48 O/UImplied totals: Rams 30.5-Jaguars 17.5 | | The Rams offense has been a mess of late, and the Jaguars defense is playing better, but it would still be a legitimate surprise if they didn't dominate this one. | | Injuries: Odell Beckham (hip) -- Beckham was downgraded to a non-participant in Thursday's practice, which isn't what we wanted to see. Maybe it's just a maintenance day for a guy who is pretty beat up right now, but you have to think he's at real risk of not playing right now ... Darrell Henderson (thigh) -- Henderson has yet to practice this week. Sean McVay was optimistic about Henderson playing earlier this week, but I'm skeptical at this point. We'll watch Friday's official injury report to see what his designation is, but if Sony Michel is available in your league, make sure you add him as soon as possible, because he would be a top-20 RB if Henderson is out ... James Robinson (heel/knee) -- Robinson has been limited both Wednesday and Thursday, which is about the same as how last week went, so that isn't much of a concern, hopefully. What we're watching for: We'd like to see Matthew Stafford avoid any pick-sixes this week, right? More importantly, we want to see him continue to trust Odell Beckham, like he did last week despite a rough start. There is more than enough room in this offense for both Beckham and Cooper Kupp to be stars, though I do wonder if we might not see a more conservative game plan if the Rams jump out to an early lead -- they weren't nearly as pass-heavy early in the season when they were winning. On the Jaguars side, not much matters unless they can find a way for Trevor Lawrence to have success, so we'll be looking for signs of that as with every week. Until we see them, Robinson is the only guy you want to trust in this offense. | | 49ers at Seahawks | | Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ETLine: 49ers -3; 45.5 O/UImplied totals: 49ers 24.25-Seahawks 21.25 | | Who would've thought we'd see a healthy Russell Wilson as a home underdog, even against a pretty good 49ers team? With the way he's playing, can you argue against it? | | Injuries: Alex Collins (abdomen) -- Collins has been limited each of the first two days of practice, so we'll see what Friday holds. Not that you should be starting Collins at this point -- he has just 10 or fewer carries in four straight now. Rashaad Penny (hamstring) was upgraded to full practice Thursday, and they've wanted to get him more involved if he could just stay healthy, so that's one to watch ... Deebo Samuel (groin) -- Samuel is expected to miss this week's game, so it's no surprise he hasn't practiced ... JaMycal Hasty (ankle) -- Hasty looks like he could be back this week, and it'll be interesting to see what that means for Elijah Mitchell, who has been more involved in the pass game of late. Hasty was playing more in passing situations before his injury in Week 9. Trey Sermon (ankle) has not practiced this week but would likely be inactive even if he was healthy. What we're watching for: On the 49ers side, we want to see if Brandon Aiyuk can step up in Samuel's absence. He was awesome as a rookie as the No. 1 WR for a stretch, and the 49ers have been getting him more involved of late after his weird start to the season. He could be a huge stretch run breakout if he proves up to the challenge. On the Seahawks side of the ball, we want to see Wilson get going, especially to DK Metcalf -- he is 0 for 5 on passes at least 20 yards down the field to Metcalf in three games since coming back from his injury. If Wilson doesn't play better, there isn't much else that matters in this offense, but I suppose we should keep an eye on how Adrian Peterson is used, if at all, this week. The Seahawks clearly would like to establish the run if they could, but you should be avoiding that backfield situation right now. | | Ravens at Steelers | | Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ETLine: Ravens -4.5; 44 O/UImplied totals: Ravens 24.25-Steelers 19.75 | | The Ravens have scored just 26 points in Lamar Jackson's last two healthy games, which is something to be aware of, if not something to panic about yet. | | Injuries: Pat Freiermuth (concussion) -- Freiermuth has been a full participant in practice both days this week, a good sign after he entered the concussion protocol following Sunday's game. Barring a setback, he should be active and is a viable starting TE option. What we're watching for: We want to see the Ravens get their offense going, especially the passing game. Jackson has multiple passing touchdowns just once in his past five games, and is averaging just 6.3 yards per attempt. His rushing still makes him a must-start Fantasy QB, but Jackson has been disappointing after looking like he was making a leap as a passer early on. I'm still viewing Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews as must-start options, but Rashod Bateman remains just an interesting stash. On the Steelers side, we know what this offense looks like at this point, so the only question is whether Ben Roethlisberger can play well consistently enough to get the most out of Chase Claypool . With 175 yards on 17 targets over the past two games, I would have a hard time going away from Claypool. | | Broncos at Chiefs | | Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ETLine: -9.5; 47 O/UImplied totals: Chiefs 28.25-Broncos 18.75 | | Neither of these offenses has lived up to expectations of late, but clearly Vegas isn't worried about the Chiefs side. | | Injuries: Melvin Gordon (shoulder/hip) -- Gordon has missed the first two days of practice, which means we might just get to see Javonte Williams as a true every-down back. I would expect Mike Boone if Gordon can't go, but Williams would be a must-start Fantasy option if Gordon is out. What we're watching for: Patrick Mahomes has multiple passing touchdowns in just one of his past five games, which is, frankly, shocking. And it's not just like he's just had bad touchdown luck, or something -- Mahomes is averaging 7.0 yards per attempt or less in four of those five games as well. This offense has been disjointed for a while now. You're still starting Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce, but if this isn't a great offense, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrell Williams may not matter much anyway. That RB split will be worth watching because Williams still played more snaps in Edwards-Helaire's first game back from IR; if that remains the case, both will probably be just low-end Fantasy contributors. On the Broncos side, we just want to see Teddy Bridgewater play better -- he has just three touchdowns over the past four games after 12 in his first seven. Jerry Jeudy is just a fringe starter, but you can't say the same for Courtland Sutton unless this passing game gets a lot better. | | Patriots at Bills | | Monday, 8:15 p.m. ETLine: Bills -2.5; 43 O/UImplied totals: Bills 22.75-Patriots 20.25 | | These are two teams moving in opposite directions, but it's still surprising to see the Bills favored by so little right now. | | Injuries: There are no Fantasy relevant injuries to know about for this one. What we're watching for: The Bills offense has been a bit disappointing of late, but not to the extent of the Chiefs. Stefon Diggs has remained hugely productive, but Cole Beasley hasn't been as reliable of late, and Emmanuel Sanders has been largely invisible after opening the season as a productive deep threat. Getting the latter going is probably more important than anything else, but you can't trust him in Fantasy right now. You would probably also be better off avoiding this backfield if you can -- Matt Breida has given a spark of late, but still had just 11 touches in a blowout in Week 12, so I view both him and Devin Singletary as more like RB3s even if Zack Moss is inactive again. On the Patriots side, you have a three-way split in the backfield to worry about, which puts Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson in that same RB3 range at this point, especially against this matchup. In fact, there isn't a single player on the Patriots I would trust as a starter in a 12-team league unless I was desperate. | | | | | | | | NFL on CBS | | SEC Championship on CBS | This Sunday, it’s another NFL on CBS doubleheader, with early action featuring the Chargers against the Bengals, and the Eagles against the Jets. Then, one of the hardest-hitting rivalries in football is renewed, when the Ravens meet the Steelers. Tune in starting at 1 PM ET to catch your local game live!
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