Aaron Rodgers turned in his worst fantasy
performance of the season last week against the Vikings.
Grab a Helmet
Case
Keenum @ CIN: Keenum grabbing a helmet certainly says
more about the state of the Bengals defense than is does for Keenum’s
fantasy numbers. Although he put in a workmanlike effort in the
win against the Steelers last week, Keenum has failed to hit 300
yards since Week 6, and he’s got a paltry 14 total touchdowns on
the season. But to say Cinci is playing historically bad defense
isn’t an understatement. They remain on a historic pace for yards
given up, and while not exactly explosive, Denver should spend lots
of time in the red zone. 250 yards, and 2+ scores gets Keenum a
look as a spot starter or DFS option in Week 13.
Jameis
Winston vs CAR: Winston had a predictably solid game
last week against the Niners, completing 76% of his passes for 300+
yards and 2 scores. Most notably, it was the first game of the season
he didn’t turn the ball over. Tampa is at home again this week facing
a reeling Carolina team. Lost in the mire of their three-game skid
is the fact that the Panther pass defense has been absolutely crushed
this season. They have given up the 6th most fantasy points to quarterbacks
(just slightly behind Tampa), including 300-yard 2+ touchdown games
to Eli Manning, Carson Wentz, Andy Dalton, Ben Roethlisberger and
Russell Wilson. Tampa’s offense isn’t the reason this team has only
fout wins, so I expect them to move the ball consistently against
Carolina. This game should be a fantasy bonanza, and I want a spot
at the table. Get Winston in your lineups as a QB1.
Jared
Goff @ DET: The Rams were lucky enough to get a late
season bye and they seemed to need it. After a whirlwind few weeks
of wildfires, travel, and high profile games, the Rams head to Detroit
to take on the outmatched Lions. Goff should have a field day against
a Detroit secondary that constantly gets lost in coverage. Their
man defense is going to struggle to keep up with the crossing and
option routes the Rams run, and Goff should be able to pick apart
a defense that has to go out of its way to manufacture a pass rush.
The Rams have had a few weeks to adjust to the loss of Cooper Kupp,
and Josh Reynolds looks like a capable replacement. Unless you have
a stacked set of QBs, Goff’s upside and consistency make him a weekly
must-start.
Grab a Headset
Aaron
Rodgers vs ARI: After a beating by the Chargers last
week, Arizona has gone into offseason mode, releasing several
underperforming starters on offense and defense, and sending their
best linebacker to IR. But they can still generate a pass rush,
and Patrick Peterson can still ball. Something with Rodgers is
alarmingly off. Rodgers has missed some very big throws the last
two weeks, both to wide open receivers for game changing plays.
The offense hasn’t found a consistent threat opposite Davante
Adams that Rodgers trusts, Jimmy Graham is a decoy with a broken
thumb, and Aaron Jones isn’t reliable as a receiver because of
his limited route running skills. The offensive line is still
a mess, and while there is always a chance of that typical Rogers
magic, I’m skeptical it’s going to materialize at this point in
the year. I think the Cards run a conservative ball control game,
limiting Rodgers fantasy upside.
Carson
Wentz vs WAS (Mon): Another flawed quarterback on a
broken offense, Carson Wentz has struggled mightily in his return
from injury this season. Every pass play seems like a struggle,
as the only reliable receiver making plays and getting open is
Zach Ertz. The lack of a downfield threat allows the defense to
be aggressive, and they are destroying the timing of the offense.
The Eagles have failed to integrate Golden Tate in a meaningful
way, and with Wentz holding the ball way to long behind a suspect
line, he's taken a beating. Like Rodgers and the Pack, I don’t
expect the Eagles offense to suddenly figure things out. This
is a division game against a staunch rival, and points will be
hard to come by. I’d certainly have to think long and hard about
trusting Wentz so late in the fantasy season.
Eli
Manning vs CHI: The rebirth of Manning and the Giants
didn’t last long as they suffered an ugly loss last week. Sure,
Manning’s numbers look great lately with the improved protection,
but this offense has come to life against teams playing some of
the worst defense in the league. On the flip side, Manning and
the Giants host a Bears defense playing some of the BEST defense
in the league. I have no idea how this offensive line is going
to keep Manning alive this week. Look for the Giants to funnel
the ball to Saquon Barkley and hope to keep the game close. If
Manning has to drop back more than 30 times in this game he’s
going to get destroyed. With such a low ceiling, Manning is at
best a bench stash this week.
