Three weeks. That’s all that is left between us and the fantasy playoffs. Absolutely insane. It feels like we were mock-drafting at 1 a.m., hyping up rookies off one preseason clip, and convincing ourselves our sleepers were “different.” And now? The margins are paper-thin. Seasons are teetering. A bunch of us are in full win-or-go-home mode. Welcome to Week 12! Once again, the Fantasy Footballers dropped their Starts of the Week to help us out. Here are the Ballers’ Week 12 Starts of the Week:
Andy’s Starts of the Week
A Rookie Platter- this is the time of the year when rookies come to help teams win Championships.
QB – Jaxson Dart @ DET
Dart logged a limited practice on Wednesday, which is exactly what we needed to feel good about him playing this week. And if he’s out there? You’re starting him. Lions’ games are basically weekly shootouts, averaging 51 total points. The Lions have also given up 18 passing TDs in their last 10 games. This is a matchup you want a piece of. He’s the true cheat-code QB we love in fantasy, averaging 45 rushing yards per game. Even with the injury scare and Gruden telling him to “play smarter,” you can’t be scared to fire him up. The floor is there, the ceiling is there, and the matchup is perfect. In his seven starts, he’s averaging 22.9 FPPG. You go back to Dart and enjoy the ride. If Dart somehow doesn’t get the green light, Andy’s pivot is Jared Goff.
RB – TreVeyon Henderson @ CIN
Let’s keep it simple: Cincinnati’s run defense is poo poo. Like… bottom-of-the-barrel bad. They’re dead last in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs, 31st in Expected Points per Rush, and 31st in rushing yards allowed per game. This defense bleeds chunk plays, and TreVeyon Henderson is exactly the kind of RB who turns those mistakes into house calls. Even if Rhamondre suits up, it doesn’t scare Andy off Henderson one bit. We’ve already seen the upside. Once you unleash that kind of explosiveness, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. He’s earned his role. The Patriots also carry the third-highest implied team total on the entire slate, so there will be scoring opportunities. This is a smash spot for Hendy.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
WR – Tetairoa McMillan vs SF
Last week shows us exactly the kind of ceiling Tetairoa McMillan brings to the table. He became just one of six rookie WRs since 2015 to put up 26+ % target share. Over the past month, he’s been that dude in the passing game. The breakout isn’t coming. It’s here. This week, the Panthers get a MNF matchup against the 49ers, who rank 30th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to opposing WRs. If you want upside, this is your guy.
TE – Colston Loveland vs PIT
Colston DOGland! He has quietly become one of the most dependable TEs over the past month. He’s playing around 75% of the snaps, he is seeing legit downfield usage, and he’s averaging 15.7 yards per catch. He is getting the type of downfield targets that can produce big-time plays and fantasy points. This week, it’s all about the matchup. The Steelers are 30th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. Andy thinks he rips off a big play in this one.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
QB – Brock Purdy vs CAR
Brock Purdy just finished as the QB6 last week, and he’s now thrown 2+ TDs in all three starts this season. He looks locked in.
And now he gets the Panthers — a defense that cannot rush the passer and hasn’t slowed down opposing QBs once this year. When Purdy gets a clean pocket? He’s Purdy unstoppable:
- 9.0 yards per attempt (3rd in the NFL)
- Top 10 in fantasy points per dropback (tied with Drake Maye)
The environment is perfect, too. MNF. At home. And the 49ers have a juicy 27.8 implied team total, one of the highest on the slate. Everything lines up.
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
RB – Kenneth Walker III @ TEN
Ken Bone is heating up. He finished as the RB11 last week, handled 19 opportunities, and cleared 100 total yards. The Seahawks roll into Tennessee as 13.5-point road favorites, the perfect game script for Walker. Coach has even come out and said Walker is earning more opportunities. The burst is back, the confidence is back, and the matchup couldn’t be better. The Titans are 29th in yards before contact allowed and 31st in rushing TDs allowed. In Mike’s honor…. Ken Bone, the guy this week.
WR – DeVonta Smith @ DAL
Jason is never quitting DeVonta Smith. Yeah, last week was brutal (one catch for eight yards). Eagles’ fans have been frustrated with how conservative the offense has looked, but this matchup in Dallas is exactly the type of game where Philly finally hits the gas. Don’t be fooled by the Cowboys’ performance against the Raiders. Yes, they got healthier after the bye and added a couple pieces… but that just bumped them up from “very bad” to “still bottom half.” Dallas is dead last against fantasy WRs and 31st in passing yards allowed per game. The Eagles haven’t needed to score. Their defense has carried them. But on the road, in Dallas, against a division rival, with fans and media calling for the offense to wake up? This is the spot. DeVonta is due.
TE – Hunter Henry @ CIN
I want a piece of the Patriots offense this week, and with a 29.0 implied team total (second-highest on the slate), there is plenty of fantasy goodness to go around. The Bengals are bad against the run, bad against WRs… but they are ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE against TEs, like historically bad. Cincinnati is on pace to allow the most fantasy points to TEs in NFL history. That’s legitimately the worst of all time. Hunter Henry is one of those dudes who randomly pops for a TE1 week a couple times a season. This matchup is tailor-made for one of those spikes.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/kqeWxQ7
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