Week 12 Fantasy Recap

Andy Germani takes a quick look at each game from the weekend in his Week 12 Fantasy recap.

Did your players do what you expected them to do? What are we to make of some of these big games by no-names, and bad outings by some superstars?

We’re finally out of the woods, as this was the final weekend for bye weeks, but that doesn’t mean things get easier. Now you’ll just have tougher decisions to make between good players! Who do you sit!?!

Week 12 Fantasy Recap

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons

Pierre Thomas has been playing really well recently and has solidified a spot as a solid running back 2. Marques Colston struggled going just 4 for 40 but he did fall 1 yard short of a touchdown early on and was targeted for another potential touchdown.

Matt Ryan had a pretty nice day going 30-39 for 292 yards he just didn’t score any touchdowns. I think Steven Jackson needs a touchdown to be a viable starter and this week he got it. Harry Douglas continues to be a solid wide receiver 2 and Darius Johnson has 15 targets over the last 2 games and is worth a look in deep leagues. It appears this is just a lost season for Roddy White and he cant be trusted until he puts it together for 1 or 2 straight weeks and there aren’t many weeks left.

 

Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins 1:00 pm 

The Carolina backfield was a mess for fantasy owners again. The best day went to Deangelo Williams who totaled 47 total yards. The Carolina running backs can only be started in extremely desperate situations. Greg Olsen took advantage of the Dolphins struggling against tight ends with 5 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Mike Wallace had a big day going 5 for 127 and a touchdown he continues to be a boom or bust option until Ryan Tannehill can hit him on more of the deep balls. Daniel Thomas is out for the year and it will make a lot of people very excited about Lamar Miller. I would calm down a little bit though. The line is struggling and he has 21 carries for 27 yards in his last 3 games. He will get some more carries but the Dolphins just don’t run enough. This week in a game that they lead with 5 minutes left in the first quarter until 43 seconds left in the game they had 17 total attempts and 4 of them were from Ryan Tannehill.

Where I was right: Greg Olsen and not wanting to start a running back if possible

Where I was wrong: Very wrong on Rishard Mattews

 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns 1:00 pm

Antonio Brown had a great game going against one of the best shutdown corners in the league. Le’veon Bell had a decent game totaling 98 yards on 25 touches. He played well and when the Browns started selling out for the run when the Steelers were in full on run out the clock mode his yards per carry struggled. Jerricho Cotchery was targeted only once but Emmanuel Sanders had 6 catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Josh Gordon had a great game that turned phenomenal on the last 2 drives of the game. He had 78 yards and a touchdown on the second to last drive then added 33 more on the final drive. Chris Ogbonnaya didn’t see much time after an early fumble and Fozzy Whittaker was used a lot after the fumble.

Where I was right: Emmanuel Sanders and Jordan Cameron

Where I was wrong: Chris Ogbonnaya and Antonio Brown

 

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 pm 

Phillip Rivers had a great game throwing for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns. It is worth noting that most of the production came after the Chiefs had two of their best defensive players leave the game with injury. Ryan Mathews had a good game before leaving with injury and his status is looking iffy for this Sunday. Ronnie Brown was used as his replacement and they kept Danny Woodhead in his normal role. Keenan Allen was targeted 12 times and totaled 124 yards. Ladarius Green is looking like the replacement for Antonio Gates when he moves on from San Diego.

Jamaal Charles tore apart the Chargers defense with 8.2 yards per carry on 14 carries getting 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dwayne Bowe had 51 yards and a touchdown and Donnie Avery had 4 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. Both of them could be solid plays during their stretch of bad pass defenses that they have coming up. It is also worth noting that Dexter McCluster had 10 targets.

Where I was right: Jamaal Charles, Ryan Mathews, Dwayne Bowe

Where I was wrong: Phillip Rivers

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions 1:00 pm

Bobby Rainey came back down to Earth after having a career game against the Flacons. He only totaled 35 yards on 18 carries and didn’t have any catches. Vincent Jackson had only 3 targets but he caught 2 of them for 61 yards. Tiquan Underwood had the game of the day with 3 catches with 108 yards and 2 touchdowns. I think this game was a bit of a fluke and I don’t think he is worth an add. Mike Glennon had another good game as well with 247 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Matt Stafford threw for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns but he also threw 4 interceptions. He is a near lock to be a top 5 quarterback for the rest of the season with his schedule and the amount of times they throw the ball. Calvin Johnson had a good game with 115 yards and could have had more but dropped a pass late in the game after being hit that led to the game clinching interception for Tampa Bay. If Nate Burleson is on the waiver wire he is one of the top adds this week if you need a receiver. He won’t have a lot of games where he will win you your week but he is a good bet for 60-80 yards with a chance at a touchdown.

Where I was right: Mike Glennon, Bobby Rainey, Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Reggie Bush

Where I was wrong: Nothing from the preview post

 

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers 1:00 pm

Adrian Peterson played Sunday and played well but was noticeably holding his groin that has been an issue for him a few times this season. Toby Gerhart played great spelling him with 8 carries for 91 yards. If you are an Adrian Peterson owner and you still haven’t added him you might have some competition doing it this week. Cordarelle Patterson looks like he is getting a bigger role in the offense. He started this week and had 11 targets for people looking for a late season stash in keeper leagues or very deep redraft leagues.

Scott Tolzien didn’t play well and got pulled for Matt Flynn who led the Packers back to tie the game after being down 23-7. James Jones had a nice bounce back game and Jarrett Boykin played well again catching the only touchdown from a Green Bay quarterback. Eddie Lacy continues being a top 10 running back potion totaling 158 yards on 31 touches and added in a rushing touchdown.

Where I was right: Toby Gerhart and Jarrett Boykin

Where I was wrong: Brandon Bostick

 

Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams 1:00 pm

Matt Forte had a good game with 117 total yards on 32 touches. He left the game at one point with an injury but he returned to finish out the game. It is worth keeping an eye on his practice situation this week. Martellus Bennett bounced back with his first good game with Josh McCown. Michael Bush played terribly but managed to score a touchdown as the goal line back. Alshon Jeffery had a down game but Brandon Marshall had 10 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown leading all receivers.

Zac Stacy was playing very well until he left the game with a concussion. Benny Cunningham did a good job filling in with 13 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown. If Zac Stacy isn’t able to come back from his concussion symptoms by Sunday Benny Cunningham is worth a start. Tavon Austin showed his big play ability again on the first play of the game with a 65 yard touchdown run but only had 2 catches for 39 yards the rest of the game. Until he gets used more he isn’t someone that can be relied on. He has big play ability but it is hard to rely on the 3 touches he gets turning into something big.

Where I was right: Nothing from the preview post

Where I was wrong: Martellus Bennett, Alshon Jeffery, Tavon Austin

 

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens 1:00 pm 

The Jets finally broke their streak of every other week by playing terribly against the Ravens. Chris Ivory had an ankle injury and it let Bilal Powell get 14 touches for 25 yards. If Chris Ivory is out Bilal Powell could be a decent flex option.

Ray Rice showed last week might have been an anomaly. He only had 17 touches for 27 yards. Jacoby Jones had a big touchdown but I wouldn’t look too much into it. No receiver is worth a start other than Torrey Smith unless it is a deep league. If you are in a pinch at tight end and you expect to make it to the playoffs Dennis Pitta is worth picking up.

Where I was right: Ray Rice

Where I was wrong: Santonio Holmes and Chris Ivory

 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans 1:00 pm

Maurice Jones-Drew keeps showing signs of life. This week he had 20 touches for 148 yards and a touchdown. Cecil Shorts III bounced back for a solid game with 8 catches for 71 yards. Ace Sanders had a decent game again without Mike Brown with 4 catches for 61 yards.

It was ugly for the Texans. Case Keenum finished the game but maybe he shouldn’t have. Dennis Johnson was the highest scoring Texan with 8 points. Ben Tate was benched for ineffectiveness. They have said that Bent Tate will be the starter this week but Dennis Johnson will be a waiver wire add this week. Bent Tate owners might want to note that he could possibly be benched for ineffectiveness again.

Where I was right: Maurice Jones-Drew, Cecil Shorts III, and Ace Sanders

Where I was wrong: Horribly wrong on Bent Tate

 

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders 4:05 pm

Kendall Wright scored the touchdown that has been eluding him this season and it bumped him into the top 10 in scoring receivers. Justin Hunter caught all 6 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. I think it is something to note in keeper leagues only. Chris Johnson was given 20 carries this week but didn’t do a lot with them. It is encouraging to see him get a good amount of carries though. Delanie Walker played like most of the tight ends outside of the top few studs with 46 yards on 4 catches.

Matt McGloin is making a case to be the Raiders quarterback for the rest of the season. If he hasn’t been added in a 2 quarterback league he is worth an add. Rashad Jennings played well again but it looks like Darren McFadden might return this week and that could eat into his carries. With Denarius Moore out Rod Streater played well with 93 yards.

Where I was right: Kendall Wright, Matt McGloin

Where I was wrong: Denarius Moore 

 

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals 4:05 pm

Saying the Colts struggled would be an understatement. They did next to nothing until the game was out of hand in he fourth quarter. Andrew Luck should be making owners nervous going into the playoffs. It is hard to take anything from the running game this week because of how out of hand the game got. Coby Fleener was a bright spot only because of a late garbage time touchdown.

Carson Palmer has been playing well over the past few weeks. If you are worried about your quarterback situation he could be someone to start during the playoffs. Rashard Mendenhall had back-to-back games where he played well. This week he had 54 yards and a touchdown. Andre Ellington played well on his limited touches. Michael Floyd took advantage of the Colts defense for the yards and Larry Fitzgerald converted them into scores with 2 touchdowns. A lot of people went to Rob Housler to fill in for Julius Thomas. Tight ends are a touch position to gauge but this is his third consecutive 50-yard game and his third in his last four.

Where I was right: No receivers other than T.Y. Hilton, Trent Richardson, Coby Fleener, and Andre Ellington

Where I was wrong: Donald Brown and Michael Floyd

 

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants 4:25 pm

First thing, Dez Bryant and Tony Romo owners note that they will both be losing 16 yards. Dez Bryant will drop from 102 yards to 86 and Tony Romo will drop from 250 yards to 234 due to a lost fumble that went backwards and out of bounds. Jason Witten owners wish he could play the Giants every week. He has 4 touchdowns in their 2 meetings this year. DeMarco Murray played well with 126 total yards on 17 touches but wasn’t able to make a good day great with a touchdown. Terrance Williams might be droppable with the return of Miles Austin making both players irrelevant.

Andre Brown took advantage of a defense missing one of its best players. He had 21 carries for 127 and a two-point conversion. He did lose a fumble at one point but was saved by a questionable defensive penalty on the other side of the field. Brandon Jacobs played the next few snaps and had his long run of the day. Andre Brown also had a couple bonehead plays at the end of the half running out of bounds twice giving the Cowboys extra time on a drive before the half and he was noticeably chewed out for it. It is nice to know they went back to him in the second half afterwards but it is something to keep an eye on. Victor Cruz disappointed a lot of people playing in a good matchup. He is still someone who needs to be started every week but he is going from a sure fire wide receiver 1 to a wide receiver 2. Rueben Randle had a decent game filling in for Hakeem Nicks. He led the team in receiving yards but with only 63 yards.

Where I was right: Terrance Williams and Rueben Randle

Where I was wrong: Dez Bryant

 

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots 8:30 pm

This game was a tale of two halves. It looked like Montee Ball might have some garbage yards. Then he fumbled in the middle of the Patriots 24 point comeback and wasn’t seen again. It appeared that Joel Dreesseen would fill in for Julius Thomas but Jacob Tamme was the guy putting up a Julius Thomas like stat line with 47 yards and a touchdown. The Denver passing game struggled with Peyton Manning only throwing for 150 yards but he did have 2 touchdowns. O my Knowshon Moreno. He put the team on his back with 37 carries for 224 yards and a touchdown. He did leave the game late with an ankle injury. It is now being diagnosed as a bone bruise and they are saying day to day. I own him in a league and I expect to be without him this week. Montee Ball is probably owned but if he isn’t he should be added this week and if you want to grab CJ Anderson he could be in a committee with Montee Ball. If it weren’t for a messed up exchange on the handoff I would think he would be the one in line to get the bulk of the carries.

Steven Ridley fumbled again and I don’t think he can be trusted in a lineup until he plays a game and not only doesn’t fumble but plays well. I think Brandon Bolden will get the majority of running downs and Shave Vereen will continue to be a PPR stud. Tom Brady had a bounce back game with 344 yards and 3 touchdowns most of it going to Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. Julian Edelman will probably be a hot waiver add but the only players I trust in this offense are Shane Vereen, Rob Gronkowski, and Tom Brady is now back in that conversation.

Where I was right: Shane Vereen and holding out for Julius Thomas

Where I was wrong: Joel Dreessen as the tight end to play if Julius Thomas was out

 

San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins Monday 8:30 pm

Colin Kaepernick did what he should against a defense that can’t stop anything. He had 235 yards and 3 passing touchdowns and added 20 yards rushing. Frank Gore struggled early and the game got out of hand late and the backup running backs were given the carries. Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis are still the only 2 pass catchers to have a touchdown for the 49ers. Anquan Boldin had his first big game since week 1 with 94 yards and two touchdowns. Vernon Davis continues to be a top 5 tight end option with 70 yards and another touchdown.

The Redskins didn’t do much on offense. Pierre Garcon had a nice game in PPR leagues with 8 catches. Josh Morgan played as the number 2 receiver and ad the 2nd most receiving yards with 45.

Where I was right: Vernon Davis, Colin Kaepernick

Where I was wrong: Nothing from the preview post

 

If you have any fantasy questions ask me on my fantasy sports twitter https://twitter.com/TheSportsGuy40