We’ve got a huge Week 12 to get into as our fantasy football matchups matter more than ever as seasons hang in the balance with under a month to go till the fantasy post-season for most of us. With six teams on bye, we might be scraping every crumb off the waiver wire to ensure we have the best lineups on lock as we head into the season-long crunch time.

Don’t forget to read Larry Vannozzi’s weekly weather report to make sure you’re prepared for last minute alerts about mother nature’s plans in NFL cities across the country. Also, check out Brian Shade’s projection model to help you predict and prepare for this week’s slate of fantasy football!

 

Picks: Odds are from DraftKings. Picks are for entertainment purposes only and are strictly based on vibes. Check out the Wager Pass for legit gambling talk.

Start Sit Decisions: Start your studs. Otherwise, these are yours and yours alone to make. Hopefully my previews help provide context to assist you in making an informed, matchup winning decision.

Week 12 Positional Rankings: QB’s courtesy of Jon Mosales, RB’s courtesy of Jon Mosales, WR’s courtesy of Robert Szolosi, TE’s courtesy of Max Silveira, and DST’s courtesy of Brandon Furtado

 

BYE WEEKS: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets

 

Matchup: Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers

Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Chuba Hubbard Anytime TD (+110)

The Quarterbacks: (CAR) Carolina is coming out of the bye with the Kansas City Chiefs in town, who are fresh off of their first loss of the season after starting the year 9-0. The Chiefs have a pretty daunting defense, and there’s a good chance that the defending Super Bowl champs could completely shut down the Panthers’ offense. QB Bryce Young has looked better since his taking over for his second 2024 stint as the starter, but that doesn’t quite mean he should be considered for fantasy lineups. However, Kansas City has allowed six-straight opposing QBs to record at least two touchdowns and 16.5 half-PPR fantasy points. He could be started in 2QB leagues with six teams on bye this week. (KC) Patrick Mahomes remains one of the most disappointing healthy fantasy picks of the 2024 season, despite throwing three passing touchdowns for the second time this season in Week 11 vs. the Bills. He’s had two top-12 QB finishes in ten games this season, but should have a chance at a third against the Panthers, assuming the Chiefs’ scores manage to go through the air, though that has been an uncommon trend among Panthers’ opponents this season. Still, the Panthers have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, with one of the worst pass rushes and turnover margins in the NFL.

The Running Backs: (CAR) Chuba Hubbard is up to the RB11 in FPPG with 14.7 points per contest this season, and he’s definitely earned the extension he landed mid-way through the year. Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks is set to make his NFL debut as the Panthers emerge from a Week 11 bye. Brooks will likely be eased in, and should be given something between five and ten touches in his first game, most often in passing situations, as Hubbard continues to handle the bulk of the rushing work. The veteran should still be a fine flex play at the very worst with Brooks now in the rotation. Given how large Hubbard’s workload has been, he has room to lose some volume and remain a productive and viable fantasy option. Although, the backs do get a tough matchup against the Chiefs, who allow the fewest fantasy points to RBs on the season. (KC) Isiah Pacheco returned to practice this week, but won’t activated before this contest. So, it looks like it’ll be another start for Kareem Hunt, who’s averaged 14.2 FPPG in Pacheco’s absence. Hunt will get a ton of work in Week 11 against the Panthers, who allow nearly 30 half-PPR fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, which is the most in the league. Hunt has true RB1 upside against Carolina this week, in what might be his last game as the starting RB in Kansas City.

The Wide Receivers: (CAR) With Adam Thielen potentially returning this week after spending a majority of the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, it’s a wonder who will be knocked down the pecking order out the gate. Xavier Legette should be locked in out wide, while fellow-rookie Jalen Coker has been doing most of his work out of the slot, where Adam Thielen plays. It will be interesting to see if Coker moves out wide or if David Moore keeps his spot as the WR3. Regardless, the return of Thielen might spell the end of Coker’s already-minimal fantasy appeal. Legette could be started as a flex in a pinch, but I’m not counting on Thielen to produce in his first game back. The Chiefs allow the 10th-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers to date this season. (KC) Deandre Hopkins has seen his opportunities and his production dip in three-straight outings since blowing up for a WR4 finish in his second game as a chief back in Week 9. He and rookie Xavier Worthy are a similar fantasy plays this week against the Panthers, who are a tough fantasy WR matchup, but mostly because opposing teams are grinding the clock out on the ground with a commanding lead more often than not. Both wideouts will be volatile WR3/Flex plays in Week 12 against a defense that hasn’t allowed a WR touchdown in over a month. 

The Tight Ends: (CAR) Believe it or not, rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders finished as a TE1 in 3-of-4 games before last week’s bye. The floor is low, with two or fewer targets in 2-of-3 games, but he’ll be out there running as many routes as possible as the primary pass-catching tight end on the roster. Despite having a tough defense, otherwise, the Chiefs allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends on the season. (KC) Travis Kelce vanished in Week 11 against Buffalo after logging three-straight top-4 tight end performances in the weeks prior. He should be able to get back on track with ease this week, though, as Carolina is the worst defense when it comes to guarding tight ends, allowing the most fantasy points to opposing TEs this season. Kelce should be atop rankings once again in Week 12.

 

Matchup: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Location: Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Minnesota Vikings -3.5 (-105)

The Quarterbacks: (CHI) Caleb Williams just logged his first double-digit fantasy point performance since the Bears went into their Week 7 bye, scoring 16.2 points against the Packers despite not finding the end zone, thanks to 70 yards on the ground, which also came on some designed runs. The designed carries for Williams were a wrinkle in the playbook that came with the coaching change between Weeks 10 and 11, and the offense looked like a better operation as a whole. The Vikings have been a beatable defense this season, though they do tend to beat up on some bad quarterbacks. Will Levis had a decent day against them last week, and the rejuvenated Bears offense could lead to a fantasy-viable outing from the rookie number one overall pick of this year’s draft class. (MIN) Sam Darnold cooled off a bit after starting off as one of the hottest QBs in the league early this season, but has logged top-10 fantasy QB performances in two of his last three games. The Bears’ defense has backslid a bit after posing a strong threat to opposing passing games for much of the season. They still allow the fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs, but have allowed three of their last five opposing quarterbacks to score at least 22 fantasy points. Darnold could manage his way to a top-12 finish as the Vikings continue to try and keep up with the 9-1 Lions atop the NFC South.

The Running Backs: (CHI) D’Andre Swift found the end zone again in Week 11 after a two-game dry spell that followed a four-game touchdown streak out of the backfield for the Bears. With the Bears looking a bit more competent as an offense, it should lead to more scoring opportunities and a higher ceiling for everyone involved, including Swift. He finished RB12 with 15.4 points against the Packers last week. Something to watch, though, was the steady involvement of second-year RB Roschon Johnson, who saw a season-high 11 touches in Week 11, and has been the preferred red zone RB at times this season. If Johnson continues to eat into Swift’s workload, it could become a messy backfield for fantasy football purposes. Minnesota allows the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing ball-carriers this season, so it may be wise to temper expectations for Swift this week, while Johnson is more of a stash at this time. (MIN) Aaron Jones has had one game exceeding 11.1 fantasy points since Week 4, and currently sits as the RB24 in FPPG on the year. He’s coming off of his worst game of the season, carrying the ball 15 times for just 39 yards against the Titans in Week 11. There’s a chance the team continues to work in Cam Akers to preserve Jones’s health and conditioning a bit with the season over halfway over and the Vikings a near-lock for the postseason at 8-2. Akers has back-to-back games with at least a dozen touches, and may be a big enough thorn in the side of Jones to hurt his fantasy value the rest of the way, even if he doesn’t really pose a threat to usurp his starting job. At least, Jones gets a plus-matchup against Chicago, who allows the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs on the year.

The Wide Receivers: (CHI) The wide receivers looked a lot more lively in the first game after the team moved on from former-offensive coordinator Shane Steichen last week. DJ Moore was involved heavily in the screen game, and he caught all seven of his targets for 62 yards, ultimately winding up the WR35 in Week 11. Rookie Rome Odunze caught 6-of-10 targets for 65 yards as the WR35 on the week, while Keenan Allen was the WR51 overall after catching 4-of-8 targets for 41 yards against the Packers. The former two are hovering around the mid-WR3 range thanks to their upside, while Allen is a PPR-merchant WR4/5. The Vikings allow the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers on the year, so the Bears’ pass-catchers could be started with some confidence. (MIN) The Vikings are an easy wide receiver room to dissect, as Justin Jefferson is a must-start elite WR1 with weekly top-five upside, no matter the opposing matchup. Unfortunately, Jefferson hasn’t been quite the star we expect as of late, failing to find the end zone in his last four games, after scoring in 5-of-6 games to start the season. Jefferson’s talent makes elite finishes an evergreen outcome for JJ, but his floor has been dropping a bit, with back-to-back finishes outside the top-24 WRs. Jordan Addison has two scores in his last three games, and a pair of top-24 finishes to go along with them. The Bears have been a tough defense against opposing passing attacks for much of the season, but have been less sturdy in recent weeks. Jefferson and Addison could both find success in the matchup with their NFC North rival.

The Tight Ends: (CHI) Cole Kmet  has eight targets across his last four games since the team’s Week seven bye, and has been a complete non-factor in the tight end landscape, burning hopeful managers turning to him for streaming purposes after after a TE1 overall finish in Week 6. With all three Bears receivers being more regularly involved as of late, there simply might not be enough room for Kmet to be a fantasy-viable TE, and he could be left off of rosters in leagues of 12 or fewer. (MIN) T.J. Hockenson has had a mixed bag in his three games since returning from a 2023 ACL tear, finishing as the TE6 overall in Week 10 and the TE36 last week. Hock should have a good chance to bounce back in Week 12 against the Bears, who allow the 12th-most receiving yards to opposing tight ends this season.

 

Matchup: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

Location: NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Game Total UNDER 40.5 (-112)

The Quarterbacks: (HOU) C.J. Stroud is now down to the QB25 in FPPG in 2024, and hasn’t exceeded 12.4 fantasy points in five-straight weeks. He’s been a top-12 QB in two weeks this year, and hasn’t accomplished that feat since Week 4. The Titans allow the fewest passing yards per game to opposing QBs this season, but allow the 12th-most fantasy points to the position thanks to some big performances on the ground. Stroud is definitely a bench candidate for 1QB leagues, but he should continue to rise as Nico Collins continues to get his legs back under him in his second game back this week. (TEN) Will Levis returned to the starting lineup two weeks ago, and has turned in two of his best fantasy performances of the season since coming back, averaging 17.8 FPPG between the both of them. He’s also using his legs a bit more, setting season-highs in rushing yards and carries in consecutive weeks. Houston allows the ninth-most fantasy points in the league this season, and also give up the second-most passing touchdowns in the NFL so far. In a week with six teams on bye this week, Levis could be considered for streaming QB purposes.

The Running Backs: (HOU) Joe Mixon is purely dominating on the football field this season, now sitting alone at the top of the running back list of FPPG leaders this season, with 21.5 per contest. The Texans are a much better team than Tennessee, and Mixon should have another positive game script that allows him to carry the ball as much as he can handle. He was the RB1 last week with 153 scrimmage yards and three rushing touchdowns against the Cowboys on MNF. Tennessee is a middling rushing defense and shouldn’t get in the way of Mixon turning another top performance. An RB13 finish in Week 9 was his single finish outside the top-7 at the position this season. (TEN) With Tyjae Spears out in the concussion protocol this week, Tony Pollard should get as much work as he can handle out of the backfield, with Julius Chestnut mixing in as the next man up as the RB2 against the Texans. Houston has been a tough defense on the ground, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to the position, and tied for the third-fewest rushing touchdowns this year. Pollard hasn’t found the end zone in five weeks, but he did see a great usage spike when Spears was sidelined earlier this year. He averaged 24 touches and 112 yards from scrimmage per game in that stretch from Week 7 through 9. Pollard is a volume-based RB2 in this tough AFC South matchup.

The Wide Receivers: (HOU) It was super unfortunate to watch that long catch-and-run touchdown from Nico Collins get wiped off the stat sheet by a penalty in his return from a stint on IR with a hamstring injury. While Collins was said to be a full-go, the eye test and snap share said otherwise, as he logged just 47 percent of them in the MNF win. He should likely be closer to full strength in this one, and will be a back-end WR1 with monstrous upside. Meanwhile, Tank Dell has been running well, but continues to turn in disappointing performances, as he seems to be the main victim of Joe Mixon’s addition this off-season with the team shifting so much volume to arguably 2024’s most effective runner this season. Dell is a boom-or-break-even WR3/4 at this time. Tennessee were very strong against opposing wideouts early this year, but have allowed the sixth-most FPPG to opposing WRs since coming out of their Week 5 bye. (TEN) Calvin Ridley was quiet for much of last week’s loss to the Vikings, and it was Nick Westbrook-Ikhine who stole the show with a 98-yard touchdown catch and run. While Ridley remains the preferred option for fantasy purposes, and should have a chance to get home any given week, Westbrook-Ikhine has quietly been on a heck of a run since exiting the team’s Week 5 bye early in the year. He played a reserve role for much of the season, but once Deandre Hopkins was traded to the Chiefs, he started seeing roughly 90 percent or more of the snaps. Since Week 5, Westbrook-Ikhine is the fantasy WR21 and he’s scored a touchdown in five of his last six games. While both he and Ridley are volatile plays, Ridley’s talent and consistent target share makes him a WR3 this week against the Texans, while Westbrook-Ikhine is more like a WR4 dart throw banking on him continuing his touchdown hot streak. The Texans are giving up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts on the season.

The Tight Ends: (HOU) Dalton Schultz has been among the more disappointing tight ends this season, failing to find the end zone this season, and only receiving two red zone targets on the entire year. Touchdowns are the moneymakers for this position, and Schultz stands as the TE28 in FPPG this season. Tennessee gives up the sixth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends on the year, as well. (TEN) The Titans’ tight ends remain one of the least attractive groups when it comes to fantasy football. On top of that, the Texans allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position this season, making this group completely avoidable once again in Week 12.

 

Matchup: Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Josh Downs 60+ Receiving Yards (+100)

The Quarterbacks: (IND) Anthony Richardson looked like a much-improved quarterback after spending a couple weeks on the bench as Joe Flacco underwhelmed himself as the Colts’ starting QB. Richardson set a season-high in completions with 20 and passing yards with 272 against the New York Jets’ vaunted secondary, of all teams. The Jets even entered the week allowing the second-fewest passing yards to opposing QBs this season. Unfortunately, he’ll be faced with an equally tough task to repeat the effort against the Lions, who allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs this season. However, there are multiple outs for Richardson to find success here, whether it be in garbage time playing catch up the entire game, or the Colts’ offense actually succeeding and contending with the 9-1 Lions. Richardson is a fringe-QB1 in this matchup. (DET) Jared Goff responded to his five-interception performance against the Texans with a QB1 finish against the Jaguars where he threw for 412 yards and four touchdowns, both of which were season-highs for the Lions QB. Goff’s ceiling is often capped due to the team’s running backs punching in so many of the Lions’ touchdowns on the ground this season, but the team did so much work against the Jags that it didn’t matter. He’ll have a similar range of outcomes against the Colts’ leaky defense in Week 10, that’s allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season and the fifth-most passing yards.

The Running Backs: (IND) Jonathan Taylor is coming off a disappointing Week 11 performance against the Jets, logging a miserable 2.4 YPC on 24 carries last week, turning in an RB28 finish. He’s the RB15 on the season, but over his last three games he’s the RB32 in FPPG. Now, he walks into what has been one of the toughest matchups for running backs this season in the Detroit Lions. The NFC North juggernaut ranks as the fourth-best defense at stopping running backs from scoring fantasy points. It’s a tough look for Taylor this week, but there’s likely no world where he can be realistically benched, with six teams on bye and a lot of them possessing top fantasy RBs. (DET) Detroit has proven to be one of the most exciting running back rooms of the modern NFL era, as second-year stud RB Jahmyr Gibbs is the RB5 in FPPG, while hard-nosed veteran David Montgomery is just behind him as the RB10 in 2024. The insane RB usage that this team sees along with the consistent success of both backs make them permanent fixtures in fantasy starting lineups as long as they’re active. They get a great matchup to continue their dominance in Week 12 against the Colts, who surrender the fifth-most rushing yards per game this year.

The Wide Receivers: (IND) If Anthony Richardson can continue to play like he did in Week 11 against the Jets, Josh Downs could be an outstanding fantasy WR for the rest of the season, helping realize what we thought we were getting when Joe Flacco took over the offense a few weeks back. Downs is the WR17 in FPPG on the season and finished as the WR11 last week, catching all five of his targets for 84 yards and a touchdown. He’s the only wide receiver I’m confident in finding success on a weekly basis, while Michael Pittman Jr. has found himself stuck in WR4 territory. I almost like Alec Pierce as a starting dart throw over Pittman in every circumstance, because at least Pierce has a real chance at catching a long bomb that helps win your week, with three top-8 fantasy finishes this season. Thankfully, they get a great matchup against the Lions, who are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season. (DET) Amon-Ra St. Brown is now the WR5 in FPPG this season, after logging his second WR1 overall finish of the season last week in the onslaught against the Jaguars. He caught all 11 of his targets for 161 yards and two touchdowns in a game that saw the Lions win 52-6. It doesn’t get much better than that for a fantasy wideout this season, but Sun God should have another chance at a big week against the Colts, who allow the 15th-most fantasy points to WRs this year, and shouldn’t pose a threat to stand in the way of this often-unstoppable Detroit offense. Of course, Jameson Williams also got home last week, catching 4-of-6 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown to finish as the WR7 on the week. Williams could explode once again this week, as a back-end WR2 with elite upside.

The Tight Ends: (IND) Indianapolis’s clogged tight end room is another one of the more unattractive places to look for tight end help, and can continue to be avoided for fantasy football indefinitely. (DET) Sam LaPorta missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury, but has gotten full participations logged in this week’s practices, and should be able to go full-tilt against the Colts in Week 12. In his absence, Brock Wright caught a red zone touchdown pass on his lone target last week. LaPorta should have a decent chance to build on a season-best game he left off on as the TE3 in Week 10 against the Jaguars. The Colts are giving up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends to date, and also the fourth-most touchdowns to them.

 

Matchup: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Location: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Drake Maye OVER 217.5 Passing Yards (-110)

The Quarterbacks: (MIA) Tua Tagovailoa is coming off of his second game with multiple passing touchdowns this season, after he tossed three of them to go along with 288 passing yards in the win against the Raiders last week. He’s yet to see that massive game coinciding with a fantasy point explosion from his connection with Tyreek Hill, and less-so Jaylen Waddle, but is making due with minimal-to-standard production from his top targets. He gets a middling matchup against the Patriots in Week 12, who give up the 15th-fewest fantasy points to opposing offensive leaders this season. (NE) Rookie QB Drake Maye has been turning in some solid fantasy performances throughout his rookie campaign, flashing his dual-threat abilities and potential to be a fantasy QB mainstay in the near future. In the five games he’s started and finished this season, he’s scored at least 17.7 fantasy points in four of them. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have given up just the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs, but have allowed three of their last four opponents to score at least 22 fantasy points. Maye is a solid streaming candidate in Week 12’s AFC East contest.

The Running Backs: (MIA) De’Von Achane finished as the RB7 last week against the Raiders, and had 21 touches on the day, which was his most since logging 29 back in Week 2. In six games with Tua Tagovailoa under center for the Dolphins, Achane has scored at least 18.5 points in five of them, averaging 21.5 PPG in that span. He’s been one of the best dual-threat running backs this season, and is tied for the second-most RB receptions in 2024. Raheem Mostert has seen five touches across his last two games, and has effectively been benched as the RB2 in favor of rookie Jaylen Wright, Wright is seemingly the handcuff to own at this stage of the season, but won’t have much weekly upside with Achane leading the way. He gets a great matchup against New England this week, who gives up the 13th-most fantasy points and fifth-most rushing yards to opposing RBs this season. (NE) Rhamondre Stevenson is the RB25 with 12.4 FPPG this season, and has at least 21 touches in 3-of-4 games, as one of the primary modes of offense for the young Patriots. Assuming this game stays close between the AFC East rivals, Stevenson should be a solid RB2 play with as much volume as he’s been seeing lately. The Dolphins are a decent matchup to attack on the ground, as well, allowing the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs on the year.

The Wide Receivers: (MIA) Last week marked Tyreek Hill’s best game of the year since Week 1, and was only the second time he’s surpassed 11 half-PPR points in a game this year. It’s been a disappointing season for Hill, even in games with Tua Tagovailoa healthy and under center. Hill is the WR38 in FPPG, but he’s at least got four-straight games with at double-digit performances, so at least he hasn’t been leaving his managers completely out of luck. New England is allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season, and it could be an even more appealing matchup for Hill if the Patriots’ leading CB Christian Gonzalez is sidelined after popping up as questionable with a hip injury Friday. While Hill has at least been serviceable, Jaylen Waddle has been downright bad, failing to finish any higher than the WR35 since a Week 1 WR17 overall performance. Waddle is the WR69 in FPPG, and has been one of the biggest landmines of the year. (NE) Kayshon Boutte hasn’t been hitting home much for fantasy football, but he’s playing the most consistent role among this group of pass-catchers in New England. He’s seen three-straight games with at least 96 percent of snaps played, while no other WR played more than 57 percent last week. Still, he’s been consistently outshined by Demario ‘Pop’ Douglas and Kendrick Bourne popped up for a WR17 finish last week, catching all five of his targets for 70 yards and a touchdown. With Drake Maye’s upward-trending QB play, these guys can all have dart-throw cases made for them, but Pop Douglas seems to be the most consistent talent at this time. Miami has been a brutal matchup for opposing WRs, though, as they allow the fewest fantasy points to opposing pass-catchers in 2024.

The Tight Ends: (MIA) Jonnu Smith is coming off of what was likely the best game of his career, catching six passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Raiders last week, including the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth. The Patriots are solid defense against the position, holding opposing tight ends to three catches or fewer in their last four-straight weeks. Jonnu is the TE9 in FPPG, and ranks among the top of the tight ends in streaming consideration. (NE) Hunter Henry has been hit or miss this season, as have most tight ends, but he’s definitely been better with Drake Maye under center. He’s the TE17 in FPPG and is coming off of his fourth top-10 performance on the season. With a middling matchup against the Miami Dolphins on deck, Henry should have a chance to be a serviceable tight end for those looking for a streamer at the position.

 

Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants

Location: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6 (-110)

The Quarterbacks: (NYG) Have no fear, Giants fans, Tommy DeVito is here to save you from watching Daniel Jones play quarterback any further. Daniel Jones was demoted to fourth-string QB and played safety on the scout team in practice before getting cut by the team on Friday, effectively becoming a free agent before long. Now, DeVito gets the keys to the offense with plenty of talented weapons, including alpha rookie WR Malik Nabers, new to the team from the last time DeVito manned the offense for the Giants last season. The second-year QB was often unimpressive in five full starts last season, but did average 32 rushing yards per game in them. He hasn’t had any game action this season, but has a full NFL off-season under his belt and could be an improved passer since we last saw him. The best part is the cake matchup he gets against the Buccaneers in his 2024 debut, who allow the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks on the season. DeVito is a desperation QB2 with mystery box upside given the presence of Malik Nabers and the easy matchup. (TB) Baker Mayfield had his worst performance of the season when he last took the field in Week 10 before heading into the team’s bye. Still, he’s been outstanding as the fantasy QB4 in FPPG this season, even after losing his top targets in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, the former for the rest of the year. Fortunately, Evans will be making his return after serving a five-game stint on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. The Giants allow the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, and every opponent has finished with at least 13.4 points, making this a solid floor to build from

The Running Backs: (NYG) The Giants had their bye last week, and rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. should be well-rested to follow up his third 100-yard rushing game of his young career in Week 10 against the Panthers. He’s finished as a top-10 fantasy RB in 3-of-5 games, and should see enough opportunity to make it happen in Week 12 against the Bucs. New York should lean heavily on their ground game after moving on from Daniel Jones and inserting Tommy DeVito into the starting lineup. Tampa Bay is giving up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Veteran Devin Singletary has gotten seven and eight touches his last two outings, but isn’t seeing enough volume to get consideration for fantasy starting lineups, but remains a fine handcuff. There is also the chance that his touches go up as well, if the team optsto run it more often after the QB change up. (TB) The Buccaneers have a running back room that is equally fascinating as it is frustrating for fantasy football purposes. Since Week 7, Rachaad White is the RB8 in FPPG with 16.6 PPG as one of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL. Rookie RB Bucky Irving has been better on the ground than White this year, and is coming off of his best game of the season. In Week 10 against the 49ers, Irving finished as the RB6 with 87 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown, while White finished not far behind him as the RB8 with six catches, 70 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown. Both running backs could be considered RB2s with upside in their own way, though the coaching staff went on record saying that Sean Tucker would be guaranteed to see touches in every game going forward out of the team’s Week 11 bye. With Mike Evans also returning to the offense this week after a multi-week IR stint, there could be a squeeze on RB opportunities in Tampa’s offense now. White and Irving can both be hesitantly trusted as RB2s against the Giants, who allow the fourth-most rushing yards and 16th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2024.

The Wide Receivers: (NYG) It’s yet to be seen how the offense will be impacted in Tommy DeVito’s first start of his sophomore campaign after the team opted to demote then cut Daniel Jones in the span of a week. However, Malik Nabers has the talent to potentially overcome even the worst of QB performances, managing to wind up the WR10 in FPPG with Jones throwing him the ball. Part of his success comes in a high-floor volume, as the rookie WR has at least seven targets in every game this year, averaging roughly 12 per contest. He is the only WR I’m comfortable starting in DeVito’s 2024, debut, but the matchup may entice some to play the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson or the returning Darius Slayton. The Buccaneers allow the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers on the season. (TB) Mike Evans is returning to the lineup after an IR stint with a hamstring injury, which means the Buccaneers have a wideout that can be comfortably started for fantasy football, again. Evans still stands as the WR20 in FPPG with 11.8 per game, but he hasn’t seen the field without Chris Godwin yet this season, who is done for the year. Evans could see even more volume than ever before as he tries to chase down the 665 yards needed to keep his historic streak of 1,000-yard seasons alive and get it to the 11th notch. He needs to average 95 yards per game to get there, which is definitely well within reach. The Giants are a middling defense against fantasy wideouts this season, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points to the position.

The Tight Ends: (NYG) Theo Johnson has had a few decent moments during his rookie campaign, but with Tommy Devito, it could put a damper on the momentum he built heading into the Week 11 bye. Johnson has six targets in two-straight games, including a TE7 finish in Week 9. I’d stay away from Johnson if you’re looking for a TE this week, and opt to wait and see how Johnson fares with Devito at the helm of the offense. If you need a reason to play Johnson this week, Tampa Bay surrenders the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends on the season. (TB) Before heading into the team’s Week 11 bye, Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton was the TE1 in FPPG between weeks 7 and 10, emerging as the top target of the offense with Mike Evans sidelined on IR, and Chris Godwin done for the season. Mike Evans is returning this week, but logged a limited participation in Friday’s practice, indicating he might not be 100%. There is room for Otton to continue to succeed with Evans back on the field, especially with Baker Mayfield playing as well as he has this season. However, the Giants are the toughest matchup in the league for fantasy tight ends, as they haven’t allowed a single tight end to surpass 8.2 fantasy points in a game this season.

 

Matchup: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders

Location: Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Zach Ertz OVER 29.5 Receiving Yards (-110)

The Quarterbacks: (WAS) Rookie Jayden Daniels had three top-5 QB finishes in his first four NFL starts, but hasn’t finished inside the top-10 once since. Since Week 5, he’s the QB22 in FPPG, and hopefully has a chance to break his top-10 dry spell against a Cowboys defense that allows the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks on the season. With the Cowboys’ season dwindling away, there’s the risk of the Commanders’ down-trending offense not needing to do much to get by their NFC South rival. Daniels is a must-start for now, but teams may want to start looking for other options if he fails to break through against the spiraling Cowboys. (DAL) Cooper Rush turned in a better outing in his second start for the Dallas offense, with Dak Prescott done for the season with a hamstring injury that required surgery. He finished as the QB18 with 354 yards and a touchdown on 55 pass attempts, but also turned the ball over twice. At the very least, Rush showed that he could complete some passes, which is great because he could be throwing a lot as the Cowboys likely will trail for much of the rest of their 2024 season. The Commanders are a beatable defense, and allow the 15th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks on the year. Rush is a back-end QB2 at best in this matchup.

The Running Backs: (WAS) After a two-game absence, Brian Robinson Jr. returned to the lineup last week and finished as the RB13 against the Eagles, with 72 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Austin Ekeler has proven to be a valuable member of the Commanders’ offense, regardless of Robinson’s status. The former-Charger is averaging 10.7 half-PPR points per game in his debut season with the Commanders, and has a pretty solid weekly floor. Ekeler caught 8-of-9 targets for 89 receiving yards in that same contest, finishing right behind B-Rob as the RB14 on the week. Both these running backs can be started against the Cowboys this week, who allow the second-most fantasy points to the position this season. (DAL) Mike McCarthy announced throughout last week that Rico Dowdle was confirmed as the lead back and that he would get the RB some much-deserved touches going forward, only to have Cooper Rush drop back 60 times against the Texans, leaving Dowdle with just 12 touches for 34 yards against a tough Houston matchup for RBs. Hopefully, he gets more work in this one if Dallas can somehow manage to keep the game closer against Washington. It would be a great game to do so, as the Commanders give up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing ball-carriers this season.

The Wide Receivers: (WAS) Terry McLaurin had his worst game of the season against the Eagles last week, catching 1-of-2 targets for just 10 yards in Week 11. Still, he remains the WR20 in FPPG this season, and could hopefully bounce back against the lowly Cowboys this Sunday. Dallas is giving up the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts on the year, and McLaurin can hopefully get back on track, as he was the WR3 in FPPG between Weeks 3 and 10, securing at least 11 half-PPR points in every game during that span. I believe he could be started with confidence against Dallas this week. (DAL) As Cooper Rush looked a bit more competent last week, he dished out over 350 passing yards against the Texans. Kavontae Turpin finished as the WR13 with three catches for 86 yards and a score, but isn’t playing a consistent enough role to chase those points this week. CeeDee Lamb had a pretty good game, catching 8-of-12 targets for 93 yards and taking an end around for 13 more yards on the ground last week. It was enough for a WR20 finish, and hopefully Lamb can at least be a serviceable WR with Rush under center, even if he can’t reclaim the highs he saw all last season with Dak Prescott, and sparingly this year.

The Tight Ends: (WAS) Zach Ertz is having a pretty impressive 13th season of his career in his first year with the Commanders in 2024. He is the TE15 in FPPG this year, and is coming off his best weekly finish as the TE6 in Week 11, catching 6-of-7 targets for 47 yards and a touchdown against his former team, the Eagles. The Cowboys are a middle of the pack matchup for fantasy tight ends, so Ertz is a solid streaming option for Week 12. (DAL) With Jake Ferguson sidelined with a concussion midway through Week 11’s MNF game vs. the Texans, backup TE Luke Schoonmaker popped up for a whopping 10 targets, catching six of them for 56 yards en route to a TE11 finish on the week. It’s a small sample size, but Schoonmaker could be a solid PPR streaming option at the position. The Commanders allow the 15th-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends on the year.

 

Matchup: Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders

Location: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 4:05pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Ameer Abdullah OVER 14.5 Receiving Yards (-120)

The Quarterbacks: (LV) Gardner Minshew had his best game of the season against the Dolphins last week, finishing as the QB13 on the week with a season-high 282 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Minshew is a bottom-of-the-barrel fantasy QB, as the QB36 in FPPG, and the brutal matchup against the Denver Broncos makes him an easy avoid this week. The Broncos have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points, and their fourth-highest blitz rate and fourth-highest pressure rate in the NFL will haunt Minshew for four quarters. (DEN) Rookie Bo Nix has quietly emerged as the current best-playing quarterback from the 2024 draft class. He’s now the QB9 in FPPG this season, and is coming off of his second top-3 finish of the season. Since Week 5, is the QB5 overall in FPPG, and he should have another great game against a Raiders secondary that got beat up in Week 11’s matchup against the Dolphins. When these teams last played in Week 5, Nix finished as the QB with 208 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Nix is a QB1 once again this week against Las Vegas.

The Running Backs: (LV) Vegas has a running back room that has proven to be an easy one to avoid this season. With disappointment after disappointment from Zamir White and hit-or-miss production from veteran former-Viking Alexander Mattison. With both backs doubtful this week, the team mentioned that rookie sixth-round draft pick RB Dylan Laube would be heavily involved this week. As the team’s season basically over already, it would be great to see what they have in their young prospect. Unfortunately, veteran pass-catching specialist Ameer Abdullah has played over him this season and will likely see the bulk of the work vacated work. The Raiders remain one of the most pass-happy teams in the league, though, which may play into Abdullah’s strengths as a potential streaming RB option. Denver allows the fifth-most receiving yards to opposing running backs this season, leaving a potential crease for Abdullah to return fantasy value this week in PPR formats. (DEN) Another frustrating RB room to try and figure out each week, coach Sean Payton has essentially said the offense will ride the hot hand when it comes to RB opportunities. Last week, it was Javonte Williams, who finished with four catches, 87 scrimmage yards and a touchdown en route to an RB11 finish on the week. Rookie Audric Estime saw his snap share drop significantly, despite having his best and most-involved game of the year in the week prior. Williams would be the back to start against the Raiders this week, as Las Vegas allows the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season.

The Wide Receivers: (LV) With Brock Bowers operating far-and-away as the top target in the offense, there isn’t much left to go around for Raiders pass-catchers. Jakobi Meyers is the leading WR, and is currently the WR31 in FPPG with 10.5 per contest this season, but has spent time battling injuries as well. The Raiders are a pass-heavy team, but the matchup against the Broncos is enough to steer me away from this group altogether. Meyers should have better days ahead as a fantasy WR. (DEN) Courtland Sutton remains the top wideout of the offense, and he’s been the fantasy WR9 since Week 6, which somewhat coincides with the strides made by rookie QB Bo Nix as a passer over the last month or so of the season. With the improved QB play, Sutton has emerged as a consistent WR2 option for fantasy football. 25-year-old rookie Devaughn Vele has seen two-straight weeks with the second-most snaps behind Sutton, and has a couple of solid performances from it, finishing as the WR19 and WR39, respectively. Vele should probably be added with how well Nix is playing, and can be started as a deep-league flex play. The Raiders have been a tough matchup for opposing WRs this season, allowing the fourth-fewest points to the position in 2024, but Sutton and Vele could still be slotted in lineups at their respective values.

The Tight Ends: (LV) Rookie sensation Brock Bowers is coming off a historic performance against the Dolphins last week, catching 13-of-16 targets for 126 yards and a touchdown. The volume he receives on a weekly basis makes him one of the best tight end options in fantasy football at this time, and he should continue to be the top target against a tough Broncos defense. The Broncos allow the 12th-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends on the year, but Bowers torched them in their first meeting this season. In Week 5, Bowers caught 8-of-12 targets for 97 yards and a score against the Broncos. (DEN) Despite a carousel of tight ends popping up here and there for a red zone touchdown here and there, Denver is another team that can be completely avoided at the tight end position, after the team’s most promising pass-catching TE prospect, second-year player Greg Dulcich had a disastrous start to the season that ultimately pushed him off the active roster in a hurry.

 

Matchup: San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers

Location: Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 4:25pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Jayden Reed OVER 48.5 Receiving Yards (-115)

The Quarterbacks: (GB)  Jordan Love managed to turn in a 21-point fantasy performance despite Green Bay getting crushed in the time of possession battle by roughly 13 minutes, thanks in large part to netting his first rushing touchdown of the season. The 49ers rank well against opposing QBs, allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points to the position this season. However, the team will be without star edge rusher Nick Bosa this week, making things a bit easier on Love. Love is the QB7 in FPPG this season, and should be a fringe-QB1 with upside against the 49ers. (SF) Brock Purdy was ruled out for this game with right shoulder soreness, making this must-win game against the Packers a heck of a lot more difficult. Veteran QB Brandon Allen taking over the offense for Week 12’s contest with the Packers. Allen has a ton of special talents around him in this offense, who could be able to do all the work for him to get him a solid fantasy day, but it’ll be tough to gauge just how well he will perform as the distributor of the offense. Allen is a close-your-eyes and hope start against the Packers this week. The Packers are a tougher matchup against quarterbacks this year, and allow the ninth-fewest fantasy points to the position this season.

The Running Backs: (GB) Josh Jacobs is coming off of his second-best game of the season against the Bears last week, where he finished with 134 scrimmage yards and a touchdown to wind up the RB5 on the slate. Since Week 5, he’s the RB6 in FPPG with 17.1 per contest. He played a season-high 80 percent of snaps last week and is locked into a workhorse role in the offense. The 49ers have allowed the 15th-fewest fantasy points to opposing ball-carriers this year, but have given up 13 rushing touchdowns, tied for the eighth-most in the league. Jacobs should be a fine RB1 play in this matchup. (SF) Shockingly, Christian McCaffrey has failed to find the end zone in each of his two starts this season, despite playing at least 86 percent of snaps in both of them. He scored in every game with at least 80 percent of them in 2023, and should get back in the end zone sooner rather than later. He could be leaned on in a massive way with QB Brock Purdy sidelined with shoulder soreness this week. Despite not living up to his standards quite yet, CMC is a must-start when healthy.

The Wide Receivers: (GB) Last week, Christian Watson got home catching all four of his targets for 150 yards to finish as the WR10 on the week. Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs both had just two targets a piece, but at least Reed came down with a touchdown grab to go with 23 yards and two catches. The Packers were dominated in the time of possession against Chicago in that game, meaning Jordan Love only attempted 17 passes, completing 13 of them. Hopefully, the Packers will be able to get more chances with the ball so the receivers can be of more use in fantasy lineups against the 49ers. San Francisco is giving up the 15th-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs this season, and they may fair even better with Nick Bosa on the sideline and not in the backfield every snap. Maybe Jayden Reed can replicate the success that Jaxon Smith-Njigba had against the 49ers out of the slot last week. (SF) With Brock Purdy out this week complicating things, it closes the gap a bit between Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel. With Brock Purdy dishing the football, Jennings has emerged as the top target of the offense, with a 41 percent first-read share in two games since returning from injury. Jennings has been a steady WR1 for much of the season, as the WR12 in FPPG on the year, while Deebo Samuel has been more of a boom-or-bust this season. Samuel’s versatility in the offense makes him more durable through adversity like a QB change or tough matchups, so both 49ers WRs can remain in lineups, though with less confidence with Brandon Allen under center.

The Tight Ends: (GB) Tucker Kraft got blanked by the Bears’ defense in Week 11, failing to come down with his lone target of the day. Despite the goose egg, he is still the TE9 in FPPG on the year. He draws a tough matchup to try and bounce back against this week, as the 49ers have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2024. Only surpassing four catches in one game this season, Kraft has a volatile array of outcomes, including a low floor like we saw last week. (SF) George Kittle has been the most consistently great tight end in fantasy football this season, as the TE1 in FPPG at 14.9, while only four tight ends average double-digit points per game. Unfortunately, Kittle and the rest of the Niners’ pass-catchers will be downgraded, with Brock Purdy ruled out with shoulder tightness against Green Bay. Kittle is also dealing with an injury of his own, missing last week’s game vs. the Seahawks with a strained hamstring. He’s too talented to leave out of starting lineups, but temper expectations in a big way with Kittle coming off of injury and Brandon Allen at QB this week.

 

Matchup: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

Location: Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 4:25pm EST

Nate’s Lock: Geno Smith OVER 34.5 Passing Attempts (-105)

The Quarterbacks: (SEA) Geno Smith has one of the most solid floors at the position, seeing only one performance fall short of 13.4 fantasy points this season. He’s currently the QB11 in FPPG, and has all of his weapons healthy for the divisonal matchup with the Cardinals. Arizona has quietly tightened up on defense in recent weeks, but allow the 14th-most fantasy points to the position this season. The Cardinals have allowed just one passing touchdown in their last four contests. However, thanks to the high volume that this passing attack likes to distribute, Geno Smith’s floor and ceiling combination makes him a fringe-QB1 option this week. (ARI) Arizona is coming off their bye week, and Kyler Murray is looking to build on his best game of the season with 28.7 fantasy points in Week 10 against the Jets. Murray had two rushing touchdowns to help him turn in a QB4 finish against one of the league’s top secondaries. The Seahawks have been destroyed through the air in recent weeks, allowing 27 FPPG to opposing QBs over their last six games. Murray should be able to find similar success and sits as a mid-to-late QB1 option this week.

The Running Backs: (SEA) Kenneth Walker III has recorded his highest snap shares of the season in his last two games, but has come up short of expectations given that. Walker has finished as the RB19 and RB15 in his last two games, as he’s faded out of the pass-catching role he flashed for a couple of games earlier this season. It’ll be hard to find much fantasy success without your fair share pf targets in an offense that throws the ball as much as Seattle does, at least to the heights that we know Walker can reach. Still, he remains a high-upside RB2 against the Cardinals this week, as Arizona surrenders the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs on the season. (ARI) Arizona is coming off of their bye this past week, and James Conner entered the week off on a high with his best finish of the season as the RB3 overall in Week 10. Conner is the RB19 in FPPG this season, and offers one of the more consistent floors at the position, with at least 13 half-PPR points in 8-of-10 games this season. Rookie RB Trey Benson has seen his snap shares tick up the past two games, seemingly leaping ahead of Emari Demercado in the rotation. Benson has averaged 10.5 touches for 71 scrimmage yards across both the games with increased role, finishing as the RB20 and RB21, respectively. He’s still more of a handcuff, but watch out if Benson gets any sort of post-bye rookie bump on top of the opportunities he’s already been given. Seattle allows the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season, making Conner a strong RB2 play and Benson an intriguing dart throw in deeper leagues.

The Wide Receivers: (SEA) DK Metcalf looked decent in his first game back since injuring his knee in Week 7 against the Falcons. He caught 7-of-9 targets for 70 yards to finish as the WR32 on the week. Second-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba followed up his WR1 finish the last time he took the field in Week 9 with another top finish at the position as the WR12 on last week’s slate. JSN reeled in 10-of-11 targets for 110 yards against the 49ers. Veteran Tyler Lockett was less involved, but remains a perennial streaming option at WR given his constant snap and route share in a high-volume passing offense. The Cardinals have allowed the 13th-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs on the season, where DK and JSN match up as high-upside WR2s, though I favor Metcalf of the two as a safer floor in a tougher matchup. (ARI) Rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has a WR13 and a WR5 overall finish across his last three performances before heading into the team’s Week 11 bye. Although he is already heavily involved, maybe he can get more designed looks from the offense coming out of the bye week. With Trey McBride a cornerstone of the passing game, there isn’t enough volume to go around for any of the other Cardinals’ wideouts to be fantasy-relevant. MHJ’s inconsistencies have been glaring, but hopefully he can string together a couple solid performances in the back half of his rookie campaign. Seattle is allowing the 12th-most fantasy points and the seventh-most touchdowns to opposing WRs on the season.

The Tight Ends: (SEA) Noah Fant is the TE26 in FPPG, but the passing volume that this offense often serves up gives him constant value as a back-end streaming tight end. Unfortunately, he’s missed two games in a row with a groin injury, and is currently questionable to play in Week 12. The Cardinals are the eighth-best team when it comes to defending fantasy tight ends, further straining the trust you could put in starting Noah Fant in his return to the lineup. (ARI) Third-year TE Trey McBride is the TE4 in FPPG this season, despite still searching for his first receiving touchdown on the year. Seattle allows the 14th-most fantasy points to the tight end position this season, and shouldn’t quite get in the way of McBride scoring a top performance among TEs in Week 12. The Cardinals TE has three-straight top-10 performances, and has done so in 5-of-9 games on the season.

 

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