Brees hasn't been a fantasy monster but
he did have 3 touchdown game against Carolina in Week 3.
Grab a Helmet
Ben
Roethlisberger @ CIN (Mon): After a midseason rough patch
that had him questioning his career, Roethlisberger has rebounded
in a big way with 10 touchdowns in his last three games. He’s heating
up as the weather cools, and hits the road to take on the division
rival Bengals who he’s had decent success against. Big Ben has the
luxury of throwing to the best receiver in the business, and even
though his ceiling might be limited this week, Roethlisberger’s
recent high floor means he shouldn’t fall flat on his face and lose
you a vitally important game. Fire him up as low end QB1.
Philip
Rivers vs CLE: Another QB from the 2004 class who’s been
dealing lately is Philip Rivers. The grizzled vet has led the Chargers
back from the brink of oblivion after their 0-4 start, as they have
a chance to grab a share of the AFC West division lead this week.
Rivers was throwing darts all over the field against the Cowboys
(434 yards) as he posted his highest yardage total since 2015. Like
Big Ben, Rivers has a blazing hot receiver, and a threatening running
game. Oh, and I didn't even get to the best part! He gets to face
off against an 0-11 Browns team that has to travel to the west coast.
The Chargers should be able to jump out to a big lead in this one
so my only concerns is that Rivers spends the 2nd half handing the
ball off, rather than throwing, but few QBs have a better on-paper
matchup this week.
Drew
Brees vs CAR: While Drew Brees hasn't been the fantasy
dynamo we’ve come to expect the last few years, he’s still 3nd
in the NFL in passing yardage, and is the leader of one of the
most efficient and explosive offenses in the NFL, despite being
held in check last week. Brees’ home/away splits have historically
been significant, so last week's low scoring total isn’t that
big of a shock. This week Brees and the Saints host a Carolina
team that’s been up and down. Brees has carved the Panther defense
up the last several years, and had one of his better games of
the season in Week 3 against their division rival. This is an
absolutely HUGE game with playoff and division title implications,
and the Panthers have been slightly weaker against the pass than
the run this year, so look for the Saints to move the ball through
the air more than they have recently. Lock Brees in as a strong
QB1.
Grab a Headset
Marcus
Mariota vs HOU: It’s a widely held belief that Mariota
has taken a step back as a passer this season. He’s 2nd in the
NFL with 12 interceptions, and has only 13 total touchdowns in
10 games. Last week he felt flat against a Colts team that’s barely
competed all year, and you can’t even rely on rushing points,
as the former Oregon Duck only has 9 rushing yards in his last
two games. This Titan offense is incredibly vanilla and Mariota
seems extremely hesitant to challenge defenses down the field.
He’s got another honey-sweet matchup against a middling Texan
defense, but this offense is busted, and until Mariota improves
on this career worst rough patch, he’s nearly impossible to trust
this late in the fantasy season.
Matthew
Stafford @ BAL: I hate to do this to Stafford since
I had him in this exact spot last week, but there’s a whole mess
of things I don’t like about his outlook in Week 13. While he’s
had a fairly nice floor, Stafford hasn’t gone over 30 fantasy
points since Week 1, and his home/away splits slightly skew lower
in road games. Baltimore is playing elite pass defense again,
and can be rowdy at home. Stafford was beat up pretty good against
the Vikings on Thanksgiving, and compromised mobility against
the Ravens could be dangerous. This matchup gives me the same
vibes that last week did. Detroit is going to have trouble moving
the ball consistently, and this smells like another game where
Stafford has trouble reaching his weekly average.
Case
Keenum @ ATL: Case Keenum’s success is by far one of
the best stories of the NFL season. As the Vikings starter he’s
easily surpassed his career highs in all meaningful passing categories,
and a recent hot streak has made him a surprising fantasy option.
He’s protecting the football, and has 10 total touchdowns
over the past four weeks. But when you take a close look at his
numbers, especially on the road against teams with decent defenses,
you see the reason Keenum has been a career backup. The Falcons
are rolling, and the dome in Atlanta will be rocking. This game
is huge for both teams, and until I see Keenum come up big in
an important road game against a strong defense, I’ll remain
very skeptical. I think he comes back to earth this week, making
for a very risky starting option.
