Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown! We will review each of the outside matchups, as well as my 10 favorite matchups in the slot. Then, below the charts in this article, I break down my elite, affordable, and bargain both for Thursday and for Sunday. Only the Chiefs and Cardinals are off this week, but that does take a bunch of solid fantasy wide receivers out of play this week, most notably of course is Tyreek Hill and hopefully we can get DeAndre Hopkins back after the bye. Don’t worry, we have you covered in all formats. This article is critical for daily players and season long, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| Olamide Zaccheaus ATL | Shaquill Griffin JAX | This is a family site so I am not going to curse, but what kind of S-Show was THAT the Falcons called an offense on Thursday night??? WOW! At one point I tweeted they should just punt on first down and save themselves the embarrassment of running plays and failing repeatedly. This is two embarrassing performances in a row and Zaccheaus is so far from fantasy relevance it isn't even funny. |
| Marquise Brown BAL | Denzel Ward CLE | He missed last week with a thigh injury, but Brown will be good to go in this one, and Lamar Jackson will be over his mystery illness as well. Brown is without a doubt the number one receiver on this team no matter how much people want Rashod Bateman to be thought of higher. He has double digit targets in four of the last five weeks and should be the primary target again in Week 12. The Browns secondary has allowed 21 passing touchdowns in 11 games and we should even throw out last week because no one should give up a touchdown pass to Tim Boyle and the Lions. Ward has played well at times, but hasn't been tested too much lately. That changes this week. I like Hollywood in season long and DFS games this week. |
| Stefon Diggs BUF | Marshon Lattimore NO | The conditions were far from ideal last week (shocker I know, late November in Buffalo), but Diggs made the most of what he could with Josh Allen's struggles. He only had four catches for 23 yards, but two of those were for touchdowns as he saved his fantasy day with 18 points in PPR leagues. He now has three touchdowns in the last two weeks and is starting to heat up a bit. The good news is he won't have to deal with the elements inside this week in New Orleans, the bad news is the matchup with Lattimore. However, the Saints stud corner hasn't been playing as great lately as he has allowed eight catches on eight targets for 156 yards in the last two weeks. He is also allowing a ridiculously high 19.8 yards per catch and has allowed a play of 30 or more yards in seven of the nine games he has played. Diggs will be in play in all formats, and is the number one receiver on the Thanksgiving slate. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Xavien Howard MIA | The good news is that Cam Newton wasn't a disaster at quarterback for the Panthers. The other good news is that Moore was the most targeted wide receiver on the team last week. The bad news is the Panthers are going to be run-heavy and won't take many shots deep down the field with Newton at quarterback. The last piece of good news is that Moore had a touchdown last week. He gets a rough draw against Xavien Howard though, who has allowed just 57% of passes to be completed all season and hasn't given up more than 38 receiving yards in the last four weeks and has allowed less than ten yards per catch in the last three. Moore won't be a WR1 for the rest of the season, but still belongs in season long lineups, but he shouldn't be trusted in DFS contests. |
| Darnell Mooney CHI | Amani Oruwariye DET | Yes, Allen Robinson didn't play last week, but how much does that matter anymore given his lack of production. This is Mooney's team now and he was targeted a whopping 16 times last week. Sure, it was only good for five catches, but he does have iffy quarterback play in Chicago. However, those five catches were good for 121 yards and a touchdown. It was the second straight week that he scored. Oruwariye has allowed 18 of the last 27 attempts his way to be caught for 14 yards a catch. The Lions have allowed 17 touchdowns through the air this season, and no matter the quarterback I expect Mooney to have success. He will be a great play on the Thanksgiving Day DFS slate as well as in your season long lineups. |
| Ja'Marr Chase CIN | Ahkello Witherspoon PIT | It wasn't for a lack of trying, but the Bengals pass game just never really got in sync against the Raiders last Sunday and Chase had just three catches for 32 yards, but did score again. The kid is a touchdown machine as he has eight scores in ten games so far this season. He gets a great bounceback game against the Steelers who are seriously banged up in the secondary and just gave up a huge day to Justin Herbert. Chase hasn't broken 50 yards in three weeks, but he did have four catches for 65 yards and two scores the first time they met the Steelers. With the issues Pittsburgh is having in pass coverage right now, Chase looks like a great play as a WR1 in season long and a DFS play as well for Week 12. |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones CLE | Marlon Humphrey BAL | He missed last week with a groin injury, but Peoples-Jones should be good to go for this weekend. The question is how much does it matter? The Browns offense is not only one of the more run-heavy outlets in football, but the pass game is essentially broken. Part of it is injuries to their receivers, but I do also think that part is Baker Mayfield is not close to 100 percent. The Browns and Ravens will play twice in the next three weeks, and although Baltimore's secondary has been very leaky I am not sure there is anyone outside of Jarvis Landry you can trust for fantasy purposes right now. DPJ is a fairly ill-advised flex play for this weekend. |
| Michael Gallup DAL | Casey Hayward LV | Looks like no Cooper and no Lamb is definitely a problem for the Cowboys offense. They were completely out of sync from the word go last week against the Chiefs who have been playing better but still aren't any great shakes on defense. Gallup was targeted ten times last week and caught five of them for 44 yards. The matchup is a bit better this week against the Raiders, but Hayward has been fantastic allowing just 46% of passes to be caught and a 62.1 quarterback rating against. Gallup is one of the most expensive receivers on the Thursday slate, and will definitely be the most targeted. I can't imagine Dallas will perform that poorly in the passing game again, and Gallup can be used in any fantasy game this weekend. |
| Courtland Sutton DEN | Chris Harris LAC | There has been no doubt who has been the odd man out since Jerry Jeudy came back from injury. Sutton has just nine targets in the last three weeks and only has 78 yards total in those three games. The talent is there, but Jeudy has been getting the most looks, and Tim Patrick is doing more with the chances he is getting when healthy. Harris has had a strong season with and it is hard to beleive I am saying this, but there are plenty of scenarios where I can see not putting Sutton in a starting lineup in a season long league until we see him deserve it again. |
| Kalif Raymond DET | Jaylon Johnson CHI | Even with Jared Goff set to miss this Thanksgiving game, you really can't trust any receiver on the Lions. You can start Hockenson who had 51 of Tim Boyle's pathetic 77 yards passing, but no receiver will come into play. This is going to be a conservative, run-heavy attack and a disaster for fantasy. Stay away at all costs if you can. |
| Davante Adams GB | Jalen Ramsey LAR | Aaron Rodgers has a painful toe injury, but it certainlly didn't impact his performance last week nor did it impact Adams who had seven catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings. This is a tricky one because we know that Adams is one of the best and so is Jalen Ramsey at cornerback. While Ramsey has just a 74.7 quarterback rating against, he is still allowing two-thirds of passes his way to be caught. We know that Aaron Rodgers is going to continue to look Adams way no matter who is guarding him, so he could have lower usage this week in DFS than he normally would and that could turn him into a sneaky nice play in some GPP tournaments. |
| Brandin Cooks HOU | Bryce Hall NYJ | Last week was a rare instance where the Texans were playing from ahead, and they ran the hell out of the ball and Tyrod Taylor only threw the ball 24 times and Cooks had just two catches for 18 yards. He truly is the only reliable receiver on the team, so I can't imagine there would be another game in his future that is THIS bad. The Jets give up the most yards per game through the air (282) and have allowed 17 touchdowns this season. I understand if you are concerned about using a Texan in your DFS lineups, but Cooks is a no brainer this week in your season long games. |
| Michael Pittman IND | Jamel Dean TB | I saw a lot of tweets last week of people being Taylor-ed, meaning beaten single-handedly by Jonathan Taylor. Well, Michael Pittman was also Taylor-ed as he had just two catches for 23 yards. Sure, some was the tough matchup against the Bills, but Carson Wentz only threw for 106 yards so there wasn't much to go around. The Colts definitely are going to have to throw more this week against the Bucs, and Jamel Dean remains one of the best in the business. The Bucs once stout pass defense is allowing nearly two passing touchdowns a game, and I would continue to put Pittman in my season long lineups for sure. |
| Marvin Jones JAX | Fabian Moreau ATL | Sadly, his four catches for 52 yards last week against the 49ers was his best game since Week 6. The volume continues to be there for Jones, but Trevor Lawrence is just leetting this team down. And when he does make some good throws, receivers drop them. The Falcons have allowed 20 passing touchdowns in ten games this season, but I just have such a hard time trusting anyone in this offense at wide receiver. Jones is only a flex play if you are having serious bye week and injury issues coming into Week 12. |
| Odell Beckham LAR | Kevin King GB | It is hard to take too much from Beckham's first game with the team since he had only just joined them a few days before so I am not freaking out about his two catches for 18 yards. The bye has given the chance to get him more acclimated, and I do think he will be a bigger part of the gameplan for sure. King has played great of late, allowing just five of the last 11 targets at him to be caught. However, he is also allowing over 14 yards per catch, so when plays are made on him, they can be big. I'm not buying Beckham at all for DFS purposes maybe for the rest of the year, but the potential of him in this passing game is at least good enough for a WR3 or flex spot in season long leagues. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Ronald Darby DEN | He finally had the game we have been waiting for with five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, although more than half of those yards did come on the long touchdown that turned out to be the game winner. Williams was just too much physically for the short-handed Steelers secondary on Sunday night. Darby allows a very respectable 64% of passes to be caught for 12.7 yards per game. I would like this game far more if it was at home for Williams, but I can still see him being worthy of a spot in your season long lineups. |
| Bryan Edwards LV | Trevon Diggs DAL | It was the second time in three weeks that Edwards didn't have a catch, and in this game he wasn't even targeted, he just had one rushing attempt. The Vegas offense went nowhere and did nothing all day against the Bengals. Edwards is so incredibly boom or bust and that is not the kind of receiver that I want to rest my fantasy fortunes on in either seasonal games or daily. The Thanksgiving slate isn't loaded with high powered offenses right now, but I still wouldn't put Edwards anywhere near a starting spot of mine. |
| Albert Wilson MIA | Stephon Gilmore CAR | It looked like Wilson might have been able to carve out a role for himself with Devante Parker on IR, but a week after 87 receiving yards, he came up with just three catches for 18 yards against the Jets on four targets. The ball just funnels mostly to Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gesicki and after that it is just spread around a lot to a number of players including tight ends and running backs. Gilmore played more snaps last week and was barely targeted against Washington, and I don't expect Tua to test him too much with Wilson this weekend. You can find a better option in all fantasy games than this guy. |
| Justin Jefferson MIN | Emmanuel Moseley SF | This guy is going bananas right now as he had eight catches for 169 yards and two scores against the Packers on Sunday. He now has over 300 yards in the last two weeks on 17 catches. He has taken the driver's seat over in the pass game after Adam Thielen was outperforming him in many weeks. This game is huge for an NFC Wild Card and Jefferson will have to show up against a 49ers secondary that has suddenly become more stout. However, they haven't faced a receiver like Jefferson in a while and I still think he has a big game. There are few receivers who are hotter and although Moseley hasn't allowed a touchdown all year I still feel good about Jefferson in both season long and DFS contests. |
| Kendrick Bourne NE | Janoris Jenkins TEN | It wasn't the big game he had in Week 9, but Bourne was still respectable as he caught all four of his targets for 42 yards and had a seven yard run. The Pats just don't throw a ton and do spread it around, but Bourne is a fairly consistent producer. The problem is his consistency isn't a lot of fantasy points. He has had just four targets in four of the last five weeks and has only had more than four in three games all season. He is touchdown dependent or he is going to return fewer than ten fantasy points in PPR leagues. This is a nice matchup against the Titans, so if he is at the end of your bench he can at least be worth a consideration for that flex spot. |
| Marquez Callaway NO | Tre'Davious White BUF | He did score for the third straight week, but Callaway has just six catches for 88 yards in those three games combined. He also only has four targets in each of the last two weeks, so he has been extrememly touchdown dependent. The Saints have a really tough short week matchup against Tre'Davious White and the Bills who have allowed just seven passing touchdowns all season. If you want to take a shot that this touchdown streak will continue, be my guest, but I have a hard time putting any trust in this guy, even in a short slate DFS contest. |
| Kenny Golladay NYG | Darius Slay PHI | I'm not sitting him in season long leagues because of the talent, but nothing is exciting me about Golladay or the Giants offense right now. He had just one catch for 12 yards Monday night against the Bucs after two catches for 28 yards the game before the bye. The big concern is that he has only two targets while Kadarius Toney had double digits and Darius Slayton had seven. The short answer is that the Bucs have one good corner healthy, and that is Jamel Dean, but Golladay should have done better than this. Like I said, I am not sitting him, but I am not feeling great about putting him into my Week 12 season long lineups. |
| Elijah Moore NYJ | Desmond King HOU | Even in not a great matchup against the Dolphins with Joe Flacco at quarterback, Moore still exploded for eight catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. That is four touchdowns in the last three weeks, and you can no longer ignore this kid. Sure, there are other receivers who get a bunch of targets, but Moore is running more pass routes each week and he is getting in the end zone. I can't imagine that the Texans secondary performs as well as it did last week again, and I like Moore in season long leagues and DFS tournaments as well. |
| Devonta Smith PHI | James Bradberry NYG | The Eagles continue to take the air out of the ball (not like Tom Brady did, of course), throwing just 24 times, but Smith continues to get his with four catches for 61 yards. I know that isn't killing it, but it isn't hurting you either. The passes are basically going to go to him or Dallas Goedert. Basically everyone else is fighting for a target or two. The way that the Eagles are just completely committed to the run makes it hard to trust Smith in any DFS game, but he certainly still will be a solid WR3 in your Week 12 lineups in season long leagues. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | Chidobe Awuzie CIN | Volume, volume, volume! Johnson had 13 targets for the fourth time in five weeks against the Chargers and secured seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. It was his first score since Week 5, but make no mistake about it, he is the Steelers passing game. He hasn't had a game with fewer than ten fantasy points in PPR leagues all season long and has had more than 15 points in seven of ten games. He is matchup proof to me, even though the Bengals just shut down the Raiders pass game last week. I like Diontae in both season long and DFS contests for Week 12. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Kendall Fuller WFT | The Seattle offense just looks awful since Russell Wilson returned as they scored just 13 points a week after being shutout. Metcalf almost had a touchdown he couldn't control and finished with just four catches for 31 yards. The Washington defense has been slightly better of late, but Fuller is allowing nearly 71% of passes to be caught and nearly 500 receiving yards himself so far this season. I'm not going to sit Metcalf in season long leagues, but I am also putting him in my lineup and holding my nose. Even with what looks like a dynamite matchup on paper, I want no part of Metcalf in any DFS lineups. |
| Deebo Samuel SF | Cameron Dantzler MIN | You can truly put Samuel anywhere on the field and he will be successful. He only caught one pass for 15 yards, but ran the ball eight times for 79 yards and a score. The guy is such a swiss army knife, and Kyle Shanahan has a perfect feel for how to use him. With Elijah Mitchell dinged up, Samuel is becoming even more involved in the playcalling, but I expect him to be more of a pass catcher this week. The Vikings allowed a one-footed Aaron Rodgers to scorch them last week, and right now Jimmy Garoppolo is playing as well as he has all season. Give me Deebo in both season long and in DFS contests as I expect him to have nearly 100 total yards and a score in this one. |
| Mike Evans TB | Xavier Rhodes IND | He scored for the fourth straight game on Monday night and had six catches on 11 targets for 73 yards in a game where the Bucs pulled their starters with over six minutes to go. In ten games he has had seven pretty strong games and three duds, and I can't see a game against the Colts porous secondary being another dud. Indianapolis has allowed 25 passing touchdowns this season in only 11 games. Antonio Brown will be back, but that shouldn't stop Tom Brady from having enough passes to keep all three guys full of targets. Evans will be a strong DFS play and a must-start in your Week 12 season long leagues. |
| Nick Westbrook-Ikhine TEN | J.C. Jackson NE | No A.J. Brown, no Julio Jones, hell not even Marcus Johnson will be playing in this one. Ryan Tannehill is seriously down a ton of weapons, and is going to struggle to move the ball against a tough Patriots defense. He did have seven catches for 107 yards last week, and this week should be similar opportunities. The matchup is much tougher than the paper thin Texans secondary and I only like Westbrook-Ikhine as a value play in DFS tournaments. |
| Terry McLaurin WAS | Sidney Jones SEA | We are seeing a little resurgence as McLaurin had another big day with five catches for 103 yards and a score. He has five or more catches in three of the last four weeks and this was his second 100 yard game in the last four. Taylor Heinicke seems to be growing some confidence lately, and McLaurin has been a big beneficiary. The Seahawks are falling apart and D.J. Reed is having season ending surgery. Jones is allowing over 16 yards per catch and three touchdowns in seven games. I am still high on McLaurin this week and he is a great WR2 for season long and he can sneak into some DFS tournament builds as well as Seattle is struggling to stop anyone and Heinicke is playing his best football right now. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| Tajae Sharpe ATL | Tyson Campbell JAX | The Falcons are an utter disaster on offense, and Sharpe's game or two that were ok are a long way away now. If you haven't dropped him yet, please do. Like really, it doesn't matter who you pick up, an empty spot will give you almost as many points. |
| Rashod Bateman BAL | Greedy Williams CLE | Sure, Lamar Jackson didn't play, but I was still disappointed by Bateman having just three catches for 29 yards against the Bears last week with Marquise Brown sitting out. Tyler Huntley wasn't horrible, and they did throw 36 times, so I still expected more from Bateman. With Lamar coming back this week that should help some, but with Brown also back that leaves Bateman on the outside looking in for DFS purposes, but he has shown enough for me to still feel confident in him in your flex spot in season long leagues. |
| Emmanuel Sanders BUF | Paulson Adebo NO | The return of Dawson Knox has certainly hurt Sanders, as has the inconsistency of the Bills offense in general. He had three catches for 26 yards last week against the Colts, albeit in less than ideal weather conditions. Since their bye week, Sanders has just nine catches for 118 yards and hasn't scored since Week 5. There hasn't even been tough defensive matchups in there. Until we see some sort of change it is impossible to use Sanders in any lineup with any confidence. Even on the short Thanksgiving DFS slate I think you can find better options for your salary dollars. |
| Robby Anderson CAR | Byron Jones MIA | I mean he does have nine catches in the last two weeks, which is a vast improvement from earlier in the year, but he still doesn't have even 40 yards in any game since Week 4. Cam Newton isn't going to run any high-powered attack, so you are counting on PPR points as he seems to like Anderson more than Sam Darnold did. The Dolphins secondary has improved in the last month, and I don't expect Carolina to put up any great offensive numbers. Anderson is only a flex play in some of the most dire situations. |
| Marquise Goodwin CHI | Jerry Jacobs DET | I'm not expecting Allen Robinson to be able to play on the short week, although I'm not sure how much it matters. I know Goodwin had four catches for 104 yards and a touchdown last week and I know they have a cush matchup against the Lions, but even with Allen Robinson out I don't expect the Bears to have a huge offensive showcase. Despite the Lions allowing 17 passing touchdowns this season, I don't expect a back to back big week for Goodwin. |
| Tee Higgins CIN | Cameron Sutton PIT | The Bengals offense could really only get going on the ground with any consistency last week and Higgins had just two catches for 15 yards on the day. It was by far his worst game of the season, but I expect a nice bounceback here. The Steelers secondary is having a bunch of injury problems, but Sutton hasn't given up a ton lately. I still think that Chase is the way to go for DFS purposes, abut Higgins should be back in the 12-14 point range for PPR season long leagues and makes a solid WR3. |
| Rashard Higgins CLE | Anthony Averett BAL | No Odell (obviously), no Donovan Peoples-Jones, no Anthony Schwartz and Higgins still only had one catch for 17 yards. The Browns just can't throw the ball with any consistency or production right now so there is no reason at all to consider Higgins for any sort of fantasy contest unless you are in one of those leagues where you get points for guys doing poorly. |
| Cedrick Wilson DAL | Brandon Facyson LV | He did have a bad drop, but Wilson also had seven targets last week in a game with no Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb left early. Both guys will again be out this Thanksgiving, so Wilson will be a starting wideout. He has certainly shown flashes in limited opportunities, so this is a good spot for him. The Raiders don't give up a ton of passing yards, but they are giving up nearly two touchdowns per game through the air. Facyson is allowing 13 yards per catch and has given up three touchdowns in six games he has played this season. Assuming the Dallas pass game gets back in sync after last week's debacle, Wilson is a great play in both season long and DFS games where he is very reasonably priced. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Tevaughn Campbell LAC | Patrick was still playing well even with Jerry Jeudy's return until a knee injury late in Week 9 came about. He threw up a dud in Week 10 with just three catches for 14 yards, but the hope has to be that he is healed over the bye week. He hasn't had more than four catches since Week 5 and the Brocnos are one of the tougher secondaries in the league. I just don't think they will move the ball enough for anyone but Jeudy to be worth playing in season long or DFS leagues for Week 12. |
| Josh Reynolds DET | Kindle Vildor CHI | The Lions offense was a disaster with Jared Goff at quarterback, and they are actually worse with Tim Boyle.Goff returning on Thanksgiving makes it slightly better but not much. It is a good thing that this game is early or you might be throwing up your Thanksgiving dinner. Give no consideration to Reynolds or any other Lion receiver, but if you are a glutton to pick one it would be Amon-Ra St. Brown. |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling GB | Darious Williams LAR | He was targeted ten times last week which was a season high but came down with just four catches. But in true MVS fashion those four catches were good for 123 yards and a score. He had a 75 yard touchdown and a 39 yard pass, so when he doesn't hit those home runs he often leaves you wanting more. The Rams are certainly not an ideal matchup and I would not chase last week's points and I would leave MVS on your fantasy benches. |
| Chris Collins HOU | Javelin Guidry NYJ | Collins did have four catches for 37 yards last week against the Titans. The pathetic part is the four catches was a season high and the 37 yards is only the third time he broke 35 yards all season. The Jets are a terrible defense, but outside or Brandin Cooks there is no receiver that you can even consider. |
| T.Y. Hilton IND | Dee Delaney TB | He has been playing, but Hilton's role on this team is significantly diminished as he had just two catches for 26 yards against the Bills. It sure doesn't help when your quarterback only throws for just over 100 yards, but Hilton has just nine catches in the four games he has played for 127 yards and he hasn't scored yet. In fact, he's only been targeted 16 times in those four games. Even against a soft Tampa secondary outisde of Jamel Dean, I it is impossible to start Hilton with any confidence in Week 12. |
| Laviska Shenault JAX | A.J. Terrell ATL | He gave us a few flashes as he was lining up in the slot more last week and finished with five catches on five targets for 50 yards against the 49ers. He did make a couple of nice catches and showed he was the only guy on the team that looked like he had playmaking capabilities, but his 50 yards were his most since Week 6. I really want to believe in Shenault, but the Jags passing game is just dysfunctional and even when he has been getting targets, they haven't been of high quality. |
| Van Jefferson LAR | Eric Stokes GB | He had a chance to solidify himself a bigger role with Robert Woods gone and Jefferson had a serious case of the dropsies in the Monday Night game before the bye. He bobbled what should have been a catch but he went out of bounds without control and just straight dropped two more. Odell Beckham is certainly going to be more involved than he was in the last game, and Jefferson's effort in Week 10 hurt his chances of being a bigger part too. Stokes has allowed some big plays, but is only allowing 50% of passes his way to be caught. I might still hold Jefferson on my bench in season long leagues, but he shouldn't be in any starting lineups unless you are desperate. |
| Josh Palmer LAC | Patrick Surtain DEN | His one catch was a pretty nice one on Sunday night, but that was Palmer's only target and he is still yet to top three catches or 24 yards this season. He has some talent, but just isn't getting the opportunities and you can't use him in any fantasy contest for Week 12. |
| Zay Jones LV | Anthony Brown DAL | Well, you can't say this guy isn't consistent! In the last three weeks he has had exactly one catch for between 20-22 yards and hasn't scored! In fact, he's only had more than one catch once all season long and that was the opening week. Does this get you excited for him for fantasy? Me either, even on the Thanksgiving showdown slate he shouldn't even be thought about for a second. |
| Mack Hollins MIA | Donte Jackson CAR | He did have 72 yards and a touchdown last week against the Jets, but it was on only three targets and against the Jets. This comes just a week after having no catches and only being targeted once. Hollins does have a little big play ability, but the Dolphins passing game really isn't powerful enough for three guys to warrant fantasy consideration, nevermind four. Leave Hollins on the waiver wire where he belongs. |
| Adam Thielen MIN | Josh Norman SF | Justin Jefferson stole the show on Sunday, but Thielen certainly held his own with eight catches on ten targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. The scoring barrage continues for Thielen who now has eight touchdowns in ten games. He is a definite every week starter in season long games, but the matchup tends to show whether he is DFS worthy or not. After a rough start to the season, the 49ers secondary has improved and they have allowed just 13 passing touchdowns in ten games. Norman himself has been also improving with each game, and I would like Thielen more if this game was indoors. In the two road games since November, Thielen has just seven catches for 71 yards. I would keep him out of play for DFS this Sunday. |
| Nelson Agholor NE | Kristian Fulton TEN | Yes, he did have a touchdown, but the only thing worse than Atlanta's defense was Atlanta's offense on Thursday night. He was by himself and had a clear path to the end zone. Agholor has topped 50 receiving yards just four times in 11 games, and although the Titans have a pretty crappy secondary, there are still plenty of better options for your season long and DFS contests, even with the main slate having fewer games because of Thanksgiving. |
| Deonte Harris NO | Levi Wallace BUF | Just when we start to think that Harris might be making some ground on being a fantasy receiver he has just two catches for 11 yards on five targets. Of course, the entire Saints offense didn't get moving until the fourth quarter, but this is still a let down. It is now a short week and a tough matchup for the Saints with the Bills being one of the best secondaries in football. I might think about Harris as a DFS flier on the three game Thursday slate in the hopes he catches a long touchdown, but I can't start him with any confidence in season long leagues with only two teams on bye. |
| Darius Slayton NYG | Steven Nelson PHI | It has been a tough season for Slayton as he has only topped 50 yards three times and scored only once. The Giants offense looked horrible on Monday, although they won't have Kadarius Toney, Sterling Sheeaprd or Kyle Rudolph so the options are limited. However, the Eagles pass defense has been one of the better units in the league this season with just 231 yards per game, although they have allowed 19 pass touchdowns in 11 games. I have not seen enough from Slayton that I can really trust him unless you are really in a bad way with injuries and bye weeks. |
| Corey Davis NYJ | Terrance Mitchell HOU | The big plays seem to be going to Elijah Moore now and Davis had just three catches for 35 yards against the Dolphins. Davis has had some good games along the way, and the Jets get a plus matchup against the Texans, regardless of how much trouble Ryan Tannehill had with them last week. If you are thinking DFS, think Elijah Moore, but Davis is still a WR3 or flex play in Week 12 season long lineups. |
| Jalen Reagor PHI | Adoree Jackson NYG | For the fourth straight week Reagor had just one catch in a game and for the second time in three weeks his one catch went for negative yards. The Eagles are barely throwing the ball and when they do it is to Dallas Goedert and Devonta Smith. Reagor is so far off the fantasy radar he only has 170 receiving yards the entire season. |
| Chase Claypool PIT | Eli Apple CIN | It was his most productive game since Week 5 as Claypool had five catches for 93 yards after missing a week with an injury. The Steelers are still going to throw a lot and Claypool is one of three targets that are seeing consistent work. Apple has allowed six of the last seven targets his way to be caught in the last two weeks, and I expect the Steelers to try to throw more to keep up with the Bengals offense. Claypool is almost a DFS bargain at this point, and he is also a strong WR3 for your season long matchups this week. |
| Brandon Aiyuk SF | Bashaud Breeland MIN | With Deebo Samuel spending more time in the backfield, Aiyuk was great with seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. He now has 85+ yards and a touchdown in two of the last three weeks and 26 targets in the last four weeks. Well, we can't argue with the fact that he is finally becoming a bigger part of the gameplan in San Francisco. The Vikings was exposed last week and has been fairly giving to opposing pass offenses this season. You might not have the guts to give him a look in DFS contests yet, but he is definitely back in flex play in season long leagues. This week will go a long way in determining Aiyuk's fantasy value for the rest of the season. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | Benjamin St. Juste WFT | He had four catches for 115 yards, but the Seahawks pass game continued to struggle last week. Washington has been a popular beating post for fantasy quarterbacks this season, but somehow after losing all of their pass rushers, the defense has been giving up less. Despite the 100-yard game last week and this matchup on paper, I am still not thinking of Lockett in DFS games. However, given the history of Russell Wilson I am willing to continually bet that this is the week that he gets back on track for my season long leagues unless I'm really stacked at wide receiver. I don't have full confidence at all, but it is a good enough bet that he is worth the starting spot. |
| Tyler Johnson TB | Rock Ya-Sin IND | We keep wanting Johnson to become a thing because Antonio Brown has been hurt, but outside of Week 8 where he had five catches for 65 yards, he has come up extremely small in his added opportunities. Johnson has just four catches for 25 yards in that last two weeks, and they weren't exactly against elite defenses in Washington and the Giants. The Bucs are likely to hang a big number on the Colts this weekend, but I just can't see Johnson having a big enough role to be fantasy worthy. |
| Dez Fitzpatrick TEN | Jalen Mills NE | The fourth round rookie was able to make a bit of an impression as he had three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown last week against the Texans. The Titans are down a ton of weapons again so he should see a decent amount of work. However, I don't expect the Titans pass game to be overly effective against the Patriots and I think Fitzpatrick is the deepest of dart throws that you are hoping comes throuh with another touchdown. |
| Curtis Samuel WFT | Bless Austin SEA | He hasn't played since Week 5, but you have to figure that Washington isn't rushing him back and he is ready to go. The Washington offense is actually playing fairly decent at the moment, but how much rust does Samuel have? How likely is it that he aggravates the injury again? I like to think positively that he will be ready to go and have an impact and he has a nice matchup, but he is hard to trust as anything more than a flex. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 12.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Cooper Kupp LAR | Chandon Sullivan GB | There is growing sentiment that maybe the Rams aren't as good as we thought, but who cares? Fantasy football isn't about who wins and Kupp has still been electric in their last two losses with 22 catches for 217 yards. He didn't score in those weeks, but he is still giving you 20+ fantasy points in each. The Packers have allowed 18 pass touchdowns this season and Sullivan has allowed 12 of the last 17 passes his way to be caught. You know that Kupp is going to get 10+ targets in this one and I'll be shocked if he doesn't have over 100 yards and a score. |
| Keenan Allen LAC | Kyle Fuller DEN | Allen has averaged 12 targets in each of the last four games as he has been the focal point of the Chargers passing game again. He also has had 95+ receiving yards in each of the last three games although he has only scored once. Fuller has had an up and down season as he is allowing over 16 yards per catch on the year, a 107.9 quarterback rating against and three touchdowns in six games. Look for the Broncos to be a stiff test for Herbert and the Chargers, but for Allen to still return 15-17 fantasy points in PPR leagues this week. |
| Chris Godwin TB | Kenny Moore IND | I am not expecting Antonio Brown back this week which keeps the target parade going for Godwin. He did have just six on Monday night but he caught all six for 65 yards and a score. He has now found the end zone in three of the last four weeks and hasn't had under 50 receiving yards since Week 6. Moore has been targeted eight times or more in six straight games and has allowed 50 yards or more in five of the last seven and has allowed three touchdowns this season. The Colts have allowed a league worst 25 passing touchdowns this season and it is impossible not to get excited about Godwin in both season long and DFS games. |
| Jerry Jeudy DEN | Chris Harris LAC | The Broncos don’t have a high powered attack, but there is no doubt that Jeudy is the go-to guy in this passing game as he has had 21 targets in his three games since returning from injury. He hasn't topped 70 yards and he hasn't had a touchdown yet, but it sure feels like it is coming. Harris is allowing 72% of passes to be caught with a high 113.6 quarterback rating against. He is also allowing 12.7 yards per catch which is high for a slot guy. I don't know if Denver scores enough for me to be excited about Jeudy from a DFS perspective, but he is a definitely WR3 in season long leagues in Week 12. |
| Jaylen Waddle MIA | Myles Hartsfield CAR | Despite the Dolphins not running a potent passing game, you can never argue with the volume this guy is getting. He has eight or more targets in five of the last six weeks, and only has less than eight in three games all season. Now, his targets tend to be quite short, but in PPR leagues he is nearly gold on a weekly basis. He hasn't scored in five weeks, but he also has had at least four catches and 60 yards in every week but one so he is giving you a base of ten points in PPR leagues each week. He isn't scoring enough for DFS consideration, but he is a no brainer WR3 or flex at worst in season long leagues. |
| Hunter Renfrow LV | Jourdan Lewis DAL | After three straight weeks with seven catches, Renfrow went dud in Week 11 with just four catches and 30 yards against the Bengals. The Vegas offense just never got going from the drop. Renfrow has been giving you a nice, safe floor with five or more catches in all but two games this season and 45+ yards in all but two. His four touchdowns aren't amazing, but it isn't a bad number either and on this Thanksgiving slate that is dearth of good weapons, Renfrow isn't a bad value to give your lineup some stability and he is a WR3/flex for your season long lineups as well. |
| Jakobi Meyers NE | Elijah Molden TEN | There's not a lot of excitement in the slot this week, which explains why you see Meyers here. However, there is something to be said for a safe floor, even if that isn't very high. He has had four or more catches in every game but one this season, and he has only been under 40 receiving yards four times. This means,most weeks you are at least getting close to ten fantasy points in PPR leagues, and you have to figure that he has to start scoring a bit more now that he finally broke the seal. Molden is allowing 13 yards per catch and a 108 quarterback rating against. Look for Mac Jones to take advantage of this matchup and for Meyers to at least be worthy of your flex spot in your season long leagues for Week 12. |
| Jamison Crowder NYJ | Tavierre Thomas HOU | As I said earlier, the slot isn't amazing this week, but I feel like you get a safe floor with Crowder. He has six or more targets in every game but one this year, and he has had five or more catches in four of seven games. He isn't going to rack you up and 100 yard games and his touchdown last Sunday was just his second all year. Thomas isn't allowing many big plays this season, but he has allowed five of the last six targets at him to be caught in the last two weeks. The Texans allow 256 yards per game through the air, and I expect Crowder to be the second most targeted receiver if not the first. He isn't a DFS play, but he can certainly be a solid flex in your season long lineups. |
| Russell Gage ATL | Tre Herndon JAX | I know what you are thinking "Hallam, have you WATCHED Atlanta the last two weeks??" Sadly, I have. And yes, he had no catches two weeks ago against Dalals but he had five for 49 last week against New England and seven grabs for 64 yards against the Saints in Week 9. Calvin Ridley isn't coming back this week,a nd I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see him again this season. So that basically leaves Kyle Pitts and Gage as something that resemble reliable targets. Clearly he isn't going to crush the boxscore, but if he can give you even nine to eleven fantasy points in PPR leagues I think you'd take that in your flex. The Falcons have to score a touchdown eventually, right? I mean it is the Jags. Gage isn't a great play, but he is far from the worst for sure. I know, ringing endorsement. |
| Tyler Boyd CIN | Arthur Maulet PIT | If Sterling Shepard is able to go for the Giants I like him better, but right now we have to go with the safer option in Boyd. He has seven or more targets in three of the last four weeks though, and although it has only amounted to 168 yards in the last four weeks, the receptions have helped you in PPR leagues. Boyd is far from a sure thing, but if you have some bye week issues and an injury or two you can do worse than him in your flex in season long lineups for Week 12. |
Elite
Thursday – Stefon Diggs vs. Marshon Lattimore
There aren’t a lot of high-priced wide receivers that are actually going to play with the top two Cowboys receivers out of the game. The Bears, Lions, Saints and Raiders don’t exactly have fantasy superstars at wide receiver. That leaves us Diggs who has three touchdowns in the last two weeks even though he didn’t put up a lot of yards last week. I already noted how Marshon Lattimore has been good but has allowed a lot of big plays this season. This might not be an 8/150/2 kind of game for Diggs, but as the lone high-priced option on the slate if you can save money elsewhere try to work him into your lineups.
Cooper Kupp vs. Chandon Sullivan
Sure, the Rams have been punched in the mouth the last two games, but Kupp has just been a monster all season long. With seven games to go he already has 85 catches, over 1,100 yards and ten touchdowns. He hasn’t had fewer than 11 fantasy points in any game in PPR leagues, and the Packers secondary hasn’t been good at all with Jaire Alexander gone. Kupp has 100+ yards in four straight games and ten or more catches in three of the last four. I mean, how much more do I need to say? He has the highest floor of any receiver in football.
Ja’Marr Chase vs. Ahkello Witherspoon
Yes, Davante Adams and Justin Jefferson are also great choices, but I decided to go a little farther down the list with Chase. He has scored in seven of ten games and has a couple of complete slate breaking performances. He had four catches for 65 yards and two scores against the Steelers the first time, and the black and yellow aren’t exactly putting out the best secondary right now. Haden looks like he might return from injury, but even then, he isn’t 100%. Chase hasn’t had a game of fewer than ten fantasy points in PPR leagues all season long, and it certainly isn’t going to start this week against the Steelers. Fire him up and get ready for a show!
Affordable
Thursday – Darnell Mooney vs. Amani Oruwariye
The Bears offense has been fairly putrid, but there has been one guy who continues to perform and that is Mooney. He has scored in two straight weeks and had five catches for 121 yards last week agains the Ravens. Well, the matchup gets even easier against the Lions this week. And don’t get scared off by the fact the Lions held down the Browns, their offense is worse than Chicago’s. With Andy Dalton at quarterback, I am not expecting 30 points out of the Bears, but with Allen Robinson out, Mooney is going to be the number one target again. He might not see 16 passes like last week, but I would be very surprised if he didn’t come away with six catches for 75 yards and a score.
I usually preach volume, volume, volume (and I will again in a second), but with Evans it is touchdowns, touchdowns, touchdowns. Evans has scored in four straight and has ten in ten games, and I know a lot of that lately is without Antonio Brown, but Brady and the offense got right last Monday against the Giants and should crush it the rest of the way. The Titans have allowed the sixth most passing touchdowns this season, and Brady should add to that total. Evans is a great choice in all DFS formats.
Diontae Johnson vs. Chidobe Awuzie
Here’s my volume guy! Ben Roethlisberger might be put together by Scotch tape, but he is still out there and throwing the ball around and Johnson is by far his number one target. He also hasn’t had a game of fewer than 10 fantasy points in PPR formats all season long, and he is definitely over his problems with drops that he had last season. The Bengals have been fairly stingy giving up passing touchdowns, but they are giving up 255 yards through the air per game this season. Johnson will be the most targeted receiver and will definitely give you a great return on his salary.
Bargain Bin
Thursday – Cedrick Wilson vs. Brandon Facyson
No Amari Cooper, no CeeDee Lamb, a slightly hobbled Zeke, all of this should lead to more opportunities for Wilson. He didn’t take advantage of his opportunity last week, but the Chiefs gave the Cowboys fits throwing the ball all game long. Dallas should have more success for sure, and with Casey Hayward on the other side watching Michael Gallup, that should open up more chances for Wilson. He did have seven targets last week, so Dak was looking his way, he just has to take better advantage of it as we are stuffing our faces with the bird.
Sunday – Brandon Aiyuk vs. Bashaud Breeland
All right, I think I am ready to be vulnerable again. I have put my fantasy heart out there for Aiyuk a lot this season and have had it broken time after time. However, in two of the last three weeks he has had six or more catches, 85 or more yards and has scored. The San Francisco passing game has been at its best lately, and that is when Aiyuk has gotten the most opportunities. This game should feature a lot of throwing on both sides, and it certainly has wild card implications. The Vikings secondary isn’t anything to be afraid of, and given the way Jimmy Garoppolo has played of late I am all in on Aiyuk one more time.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.