Week 12 is here ... and that means three weeks until the playoff picture is set in most fantasy football leagues. Dig deep and follow these tips from the start of your Thanksgiving feast to the end of Monday Night Football. Lead your team into the end zone.
Bye Weeks Are Over, But There Are Three Thanksgiving Games
All 32 NFL teams are active in Week 12, as bye weeks have come to an end and the stretch grind to the end of the regular season is upon us. Let this be a reminder that there are three Thanksgiving games, so remember to lock in your early starting players Wednesday or early Thursday the latest.
The six games on the Thanksgiving docket are the Philadelphia Eagles visiting the Detroit Lions (12:30pm), the Dallas Cowboys hosting the undefeated Carolina Panthers (4:30pm), and the Chicago Bears visiting the Green Bay Packers in the night cap (8:30pm).
Need a Running Back? Claim Them Off Waivers Now: Thomas Rawls, Spencer Ware, Javorius Allen, Tevin Coleman, Ahmad Bradshaw,
Beastmode has been tamed. With Marshawn Lynch possibly missing the rest of the regular season with an abdomen injury, the Seattle Seahawks put the ball in the hands of Thomas Rawls ... and they could actually be better off for it. At only 22-years-old, Rawls packs a punch with his 5-9 frame and 215-pound wide load. The caution is he's on an overwhelming 78 percent of fantasy rosters in CBS Sportsline leagues. Do your due diligence just to make sure he's not available in your league. If he is available ... it's a no-brainer to snatch him off the free agency waivers as soon as possible.
Oh how cruel the game of football can be. When Jamaal Charles was lost for the season in October with a torn ACL, the Kansas City Chiefs handed the football to Charcandrick West, who became an instant fantasy hero over the past month. Now, with West battling a hamstring strain, the Chiefs may turn to Spencer Ware this week against the Buffalo Bills. Ware is coming off rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns for a 21-point fantasy performance last week. He might be on target for a similar output this week if West is scratched in a gametime decision. Sportsline has him on only 38 percent of their rosters, so he's available in most. Too bad, he's not available in my league. And I need him, considering West has been a stud for me over the past few weeks.
After Justin Forsett suffered a season-ending broken arm last week, the Baltimore Ravens are looking at Javorius Allen at starting running back for the rest of this season. When given the ball last week, Allen rushed for 67 yards on 22 carries and added 48 yards on five catches out the backfield for a respectable 10 fantasy points in non-points per receptions (PPR) leagues.
Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman could sit out of this week's big game against the Minnesota Vikings after sustaining a concussion in Week 11. Such a situation would have Tevin Coleman starting. But like the West-Ware situation in Kansas City, you need to monitor this right until Sunday morning before you lock in your starters.
Hey, it's impressive that Ahmad Bradshaw has kept himself chugging along and relevant after nine years in the NFL. Although Frank Gore is expected to play for the Indianapolis Colts, grab the veteran Bradshaw as an insurance policy. Even if Gore plays, Bradshaw could see a decent amount of work, especially after putting together a two-touchdown, 17-point fantasy performance last week.
Need A Wide Receiver? Claim Them Off Waivers Now: Devin Funchess, Kendall Wright, Leonard Hankerson, Marquess Wilson
Carolina Panthers rookie wideout Devin Funchess reached paydirt with a touchdown grab and 64 receiving yards for a 12-point performance in non-PPR leagues last week. He could be in store for a similar outing against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12, too. Only on 17 percent of Sportsline rosters, Funchess could be a bargain.
After missing the last three weeks of action due to a knee injury, Kendall Wright is scheduled to return to the Tennessee Titans against the Oakland Raiders this week. Could be worth adding him on his amount of targets alone this season.
The Atlanta Falcons were without wideout Leonard Hankerson for three straight games, before he returned to the field last week and produced 36 receiving yards and a touchdown for nine fantasy points in non-PPR leagues. If you're in the majority of the 59 percent of fantasy leagues (on Sportsline) which count him as a free agent, he's worth tabbing this week against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Chicago Bears wideouts are pretty banged up at the moment. Even Marquess Wilson is listed as probable for Thursday night's game against the Green Bay Packers. But he might be worth the add and start, as one figures he'll get a decent amount of opportunities from Jay Cutler.
Anticipated Letdowns: LeSean McCoy, Tony Romo
LeSean McCoy runs into a buzzsaw of a defense with the Kansas City Chiefs this week. The Chiefs have only allowed one 100-yard rusher this season.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo faces a tough Thanksgiving draw this week against the undefeated Carolina Panthers, who have been playing well on both sides of the ball. How else would their record be unblemished through 11 weeks? If you have him and start him, don't be surprised if his numbers turn out to be lackluster. Then again, if you ride with Cowboys Nation, start him with confidence.
Sleeper Picks: Matthew Stafford, Brian Hoyer
Hey, don't look now, but the Detroit Lions have won two straight games — defeating the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders. With Matthew Stafford showing some signs of life, the Lions quarterback might be ripe for the picking to carve up the Philadelphia Eagles secondary on Thanksgiving. The Eagles defense is vulnerable to an aerial assault, having given up 20 passing TDs this season. Stafford could make that total 22, 23 by the time he's sitting down for some turkey Thursday afternoon.
That being said, Stafford's Lions host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and that game could see Stafford's production potentially skyrocket, considering the Silver and Black are giving up a ridiculous 293 passing yards per game this season. In other words, with the exception of Charles Woodson, the Raiders secondary has been Swiss cheese. That could spell a big outing for Stafford, making the gunslinger a good sub-in option for this week.
No ... no need to blink. You're reading correctly. Brian Hoyer, yes, Brian Hoyer should be considered as a starting option against the New Orleans Saints this week. Why? Well, the Saints secondary makes any quarterback look like a stud, allowing plenty of fireworks. Having allowed 28 TD passes — the most in the NFL this season — while recording the fewest interceptions (tied with four), the Saints defense could make Hoyer a hero in Week 12.
Confusion By Committee: Indianapolis Colts Tight Ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener
Coming off a bye week, Coby Fleener was targeted five times last week. Will those kind of looks continue or will the Indianapolis Colts spread the wealth with Dwayne Allen as well? Doing so would make each productive, but also potentially throw off owners as far as knowing which one will put up more points.
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