Jaguars RB Travis Etienne managed just 56 yards on 20 carries in Sunday's win over the Texans. That marked his sixth straight outing with less than 4.0 yards per carry and the fourth straight game in which Etienne failed to score on the ground. He did still continue to dominate backfield work, handling 71.4% of Jacksonville's RB carries and 86.7% of total RB opportunities. That will keep Etienne a strong option for the Week 13 matchup with Cincinnati and in Week 17 against the Panthers. But three straight negative RB matchups lie in between: Cleveland, Baltimore and Tampa Bay. Etienne's workload will keep him in starter territory for most fantasy football teams for those weeks, but don't be afraid to sit him if you have stronger options.
Texans WR Tank Dell posted a 5-50-1 receiving line in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. That trailed WR Nico Collins (7-104-1) and marked the second straight game in which he drew fewer targets than Collins. But Dell had another target negated by penalty, and it came on a key play. Dell caught a 62-yard pass that would have been the team's longest play by 28 yards, but an illegal-shift penalty negated the play. That wiped out a target that would have tied Dell with Collins for the team lead and eliminated a catch that would have given him the slight edge over Collins. Dell remains a strong target bet and should be in most fantasy lineups the rest of the way.
Texans RB Devin Singletary remained the backfield leader in fantasy scoring in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. But it came from his lead in receiving work. Singletary ranked second on the team in receptions (6) and receiving yards (54) and third in targets (7) in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He split the rushing work near-evenly with Dameon Pierce in the latter's return from injury. Pierce carried five times to Singletary's six and drew 1 target. (He caught it for 4 yards.) The receiving lead makes Singletary the play over his backfield mate. But the split makes Sinlgetary unattractive as a fantasy option.
Texans WR Nico Collins has led the team in targets in each of his two games since returning from injury. He led the team in targets (9), receptions (7), and receiving yards (104) in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. Collins also scored for the second time in three games. He has caught seven passes in two straight games. Collins gets negative matchups with the Broncos and Jets the next two weeks. But he gets a high-upside matchup with the Titans in two of the final three fantasy weeks.
The Raiders’ offense hung tight against the Chiefs in Week 12. The QB Aiden O’Connell-led unit paced Kansas City in total offensive yards (358 and 360, respectively) and did considerable damage through the air. WR Jakobi Meyers recorded a 6-79-1 receiving line with teammate Davante Adams not too far behind (5 catches, 73 yards). Since firing former HC Josh McDaniels ahead of Week 9, Adams has taken off with an average of 11 targets, 80.6 yards, and 16 PPR points per game in that span. Both guys have stellar chances to keep their success rolling as the Raiders’ remaining schedule ranks 11th-easiest for WRs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Fantasy managers will have to wait until after Las Vegas’ Week 13 bye to get Meyers and Adams into lineups. Still, their next two opponents (Vikings, Chargers) are top-10 fantasy matchups for wideouts.
Congratulations to all the fantasy managers out there who waited patiently for the breakout game from Chiefs WR Rashee Rice. The rookie hauled in 8 of his team-high 10 targets in Week 12 vs. the Raiders for 109 receiving yards and a TD. What’s exciting here is that his 71% route participation rate and 31.3% target share from this contest are Rice’s highest marks this season. Some of this bump in usage can be attributed to the fact that his teammate Mecole Hardman landed on IR with a thumb injury, and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) was inactive on Sunday, but that shouldn’t discount the fact that Rice stepped up to the plate for a Chiefs’ offense that’d been struggling of late. It’ll be intriguing to see if the Chiefs will maintain his usage next week in a decent matchup vs. the Packers (24th in pass defense DVOA in 2023). At the very least, Rice will be worth keeping on the flex monitor in lineups.
Texans QB C.J. Stround threw for 304 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He added 47 yards and a TD on the ground. Stroud ranked fourth among fantasy QBs heading into the Sunday night game. If he can finish among the top 6 fantasy QBs for the week, it would mark the third such finish for the rookie among the past four weeks. Stroud looks like a QB1 for the Week 13 matchup with Denver. He'll also be a good option for matchups with Tennessee in weeks 15 and 17. But you'll want to find another option for Week 14 (Stroud faces the Jets) and Week 16 (Browns).
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson went off against the Saints in Week 12, racking up 123 scrimmage yards on 19 touches with 2 total TDs. Sunday was the first time the rookie had cracked 100 total yards in a game since Week 4 vs. the Jaguars. Robinson played on just 62.9% of the team’s offensive snaps and handled 47% of the RB carries, right around his season averages in those categories, so it’s not as though he just suddenly separated himself from the rest of the backfield. But moving forward, he’ll have a string of quality opportunities to ride this momentum and help fantasy managers in the fantasy playoffs. The Falcons’ remaining schedule ranks third-easiest for RBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Next week, Robinson will take on a lowly Jets defense that has allowed at least 130 rushing yards to opposing offenses in nine of 11 games in 2023.
Saints WR Chris Olave put up stellar numbers in Week 12 vs. the Falcons. The second-year wideout hauled in 7 of his team-leading 9 targets for 114 receiving yards, the most he’s logged in a game in 2023. Olave is now averaging 10 targets per game since Week 6 with just two games of fewer than 16 PPR points in that span. He unfortunately left with a concussion in the third quarter of action, so we won’t be too sure of his availability for Week 13 vs. the Lions. Assuming he’s able to pass through the NFL’s concussion protocol before next Sunday, he’ll be in a great spot against a Detroit defense that ranks as the 11th-best WR matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed this season.
The Giants’ offense didn’t have to do much to eke out a 10-7 win over the Patriots in Week 12. There isn’t a ton to dig into from this game, but rookie WR Jalin Hyatt deserves recognition. He hauled in 5 of his team-high 6 targets for 109 receiving yards on Sunday. The rookie saw a decent chunk of that yardage come on an early 41-yard bomb, but it’s worth highlighting a few things about his performance. Hyatt recorded his highest route participation rate (75.7%) since Week 6 and saw a target on 19.2% of his routes. In the three games he’s seen a greater than 66% route participation, Hyatt is averaging 68.3 receiving yards and 10.2 PPR points per game. It’s not a lot of information to go off of, but he’s shown a propensity for netting big yards when he’s involved more than two-thirds of the time. Headed into their bye week, Hyatt is a name for dynasty managers or those in deeper season-long formats to pay some attention to as an under-the-radar acquisition target.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson totaled 21 carries for 98 rushing yards and a TD in Week 12’s loss vs. the Giants. He also ranked tied for second on the team with 5 targets in the contest, hauling in 5 receptions for 9 yards as a pass-catcher. Though few things worked well for the Patriots’ offense, who split the QB reps between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, Sunday saw Stevenson play on a season-high 77.9% of the offensive snaps and out-touch teammate Ezekiel Elliott 26 to 11. In fact, Stevenson had only logged a 70+% snap rate in just two other games this season (Week 1-2). Fantasy managers looking ahead to Week 13 should be excited about starting Stevenson as he continues to see increased usage. He’s got a solid shot at repeating this effort against a Chargers defense that ranks 26th in run defense DVOA this season next Sunday.
Rams RB Kyren Williams returned from IR in Week 12. You might say he did so with a bang. Handling 16 carries, the Notre Dame product tallied 143 yards – the second-highest mark of his career. He added a 6-61-2 receiving line on an 18.1% target share. A positive matchup with Arizona helped. But it’s clear Williams is back near 100% coming off an ankle injury. Also note: Royce Freeman mixed in for 13 carries, 77 yards, and 1 score. So Williams doesn’t look like a true workhorse as we advance. The next two weeks turn up difficult matchups vs. Cleveland and Baltimore.
Browns WR Amari Cooper has been ruled out of Sunday's game vs. the Broncos with a rib injury. He took a big shot to the midsection from S P.J. Locke in the fourth quarter. We'll look for an update on Cooper's injury and his status for Week 13 and beyond.
Chargers TE Gerald Everett (chest) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Ravens. He was a full-go in Friday’s practice, so the chest shouldn’t be much of an issue. But the matchup with Baltimore’s ninth-ranked TE defense leaves Everett as a weak fantasy play.
Chargers WR Jalen Guyton (groin) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Ravens. He was limited in practice all week and listed as questionable, so Guyton likely won’t be at 100% for this one.
Ravens WR Odell Beckham (shoulder) is active for tonight's game vs. the Chargers. Beckham was listed as a full participant in Friday’s practice but admitted afterward that he’ll be playing through pain tonight. There’s also likely re-injury risk if he takes a shot or lands hard on that injured shoulder. Consider Beckham a risk/reward WR4 at less than 100% in this plus matchup.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers (hip) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Chargers. He was sidelined on Thursday but returned to a full practice on Friday and told reporters that he’d play in this one. Flowers seems safe to get into fantasy lineups against the Chargers’ 29th-ranked WR defense.
Titans RB Derrick Henry took advantage of a plus matchup with Carolina in Week 12. The veteran tallied two short-range TDs and a modest 4.2 YPC (18 attempts), but note that two of his rushes came from the 1 yard-line. Henry also topped 9,000 career rushing yards in today’s effort. Next up: A favorable home matchup with Indianapolis. Beyond that, Henry’s schedule remains without a problematic spot.
Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson left to get checked for a concussion after taking a hit to the head in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Broncos. He's been replaced by QB P.J. Walker. We'll pass along an update on Thompson-Robinson when we know more.
Update: Thompson-Robinson has been ruled out with a concussion. That makes him unlikely to play in Week 13. We'll see if Cleveland starts QB P.J. Walker or QB Joe Flacco vs. the Rams.
When we last saw Colts RB Jonathan Taylor in Week 10, he played 88% of the offensive snaps and out-carried RB Zack Moss 23 to one. Coming out of the bye week, the Colts went back to a committee backfield in the win over the Bucs. Taylor registered a 58% snap rate to Moss' 41%. Taylor out-carried Moss 15 to eight, but Moss saw the only three RB targets. We'll see if this was a one-game blip or if the Colts will stick with this arrangement the rest of the way. Taylor is a weekly fantasy starter regardless. But he's more of a high-end RB2 on this week's usage vs. a potential league-winner on that Week 10 usage. Moss could jump back into the RB3 discussion if he continues getting ~40% of the snaps.
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