We are in the homestretch here folks. Bye weeks will seen be over so we can start to trim the fat on our rosters and prepare for playoffs. Here’s what I’m looking at this weekend to get myself ready.
*All times below are Eastern Standard Time*
Bears @ Lions - Thanksgiving (Recap)
Bears - Cole Kmet’s usage was fantastic in this game but Jimmy Graham popped in, ran 4 routes, and got targets on three of them (including a touchdown). Is he going to continue to put a damper on the Kmet breakout?
Lions - He didn’t even join the team until recently but Josh Reynolds may have already established himself as the best WR on this team, for what that’s worth.
Bills @ Saints - Thanksgiving (Recap)
Bills - An unlikely weapon has started to emerge in Matt Breida. Can he eventually conquer this backfield that neither Singletary or Moss were able to?
Saints - Nick Vannett scored the touchdown but Juwan Johnson actually ran more routes (18 to Vannett’s 5). If you are desperate at TE, Johnson is the one to keep an eye on moving forward.
Raiders @ Cowboys - Thanksgiving (Recap)
Raiders - If Darren Waller misses any time here, someone besides Hunter Renfrow will need to step up. Zay Jones? Bryan Edwards? DeSean Jackson? Foster Moreau?
Cowboys - There is no denying that Tony Pollard has looked more explosive than Zeke Elliott at times. If Zeke isn’t 100% after the bone bruise, it may be wise to let him rest a bit. Either way, it’s also probably smart to get Pollard more touches.
Falcons @ Jaguars - Sunday 1:00 PM
Falcons - The biggest question is obviously Calvin Ridley but that is out of our control. I’m more interested in how the workload is managed between Qadree Ollison and Mike Davis in the event that Cordarelle Patterson is out again. We saw a role change were Davis moved into the Patterson role and Ollison got the run work last time.
Jaguars - Fantasy gamers were completely blindsided by the Dan Arnold goose egg last week after he had been fairly consistent in the weeks prior. Can he be trusted like we thought?
Titans @ Patriots - Sunday 1:00 PM
Titans - With King Henry out we still haven’t quite established who will sit on that throne (or if it will be shared). Adrian Peterson has been released so the best bet as of now is that D’Onta Foreman works on run downs and Dontrell Hilliard contributes in the pass game.
Patriots - The split between Damien Harris and Rhomandre Stevenson has us a bit uneven. If the rundown work is split in half between these two and Brandon Bolden plays on pass downs, it could be a case where no one is particularly great.
Steelers @ Bengals - Sunday 1:00 PM
Steelers - This week we should get some real answers on Pat Freiermuth. We haven’t really seen this offense in its full capacity with Chase Claypool in and Eric Ebron out. We need Freiermuth to be the third target on this team at the very least to offer the consistency we need.
Bengals - On most teams there are two fantasy relevant pass catchers at best. Ja’Marr Chase seems like someone we can trust but Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins have been inconsistent. The last thing you need is a dud during playoffs so you might have to start thinking about other options.
Jets @ Texans - Sunday 1:00 PM
Jets - With Michael Carter out we are getting a chance for someone to step up and be fantasy relevant. Ty Johnson gets the pass work so we like his upside but Tevin Coleman could spoil that a bit if he gets a chunk of the groundwork.
Texans - Veteran tight end Jordan Akins was a surprise scratch last week in favor of Pharaoh Brown, Antony Auclair, and Brevin Jordan. Brown and Auclair are blocking tight ends creating a rare opportunity for Jordan to show what he can do.
Panthers @ Dolphins - Sunday 1:00 PM
Panthers - All eyes are on Cam Newton here. He took 10 carries for himself which matches the 10 for Christian McCaffrey. If Newton is going to continue to vulture the goal line work, he could be a legitimate fantasy asset.
Dolphins - DeVante Parker and Will Fuller are still not yet ready which leaves Mike Gesicki and Jaylen Waddle in the drivers seat. That is the most important development with this team down the stretch.
Buccaneers @ Colts - Sunday 1:00 PM
Buccaneers - What the heck is going on with Antonio Brown? Between the mysterious injury and the vaccine question, we have to wonder if/when he’ll rejoin this team. Until then, it’s actually a pretty consolidated offense which is good for fantasy.
Colts - T.Y. Hilton has been “starting” but then he only plays half the snaps - sometimes less. Meanwhile Zach Pascal is playing the entire game and hardly producing. Is that ever going to flip?
Eagles @ Giants - Sunday 1:00 PM
Eagles - The snap split here scares us a bit. Not only did Boston Scott played more pass plays than Miles Sanders but Jordan Howard got 10 carries. We’re hoping they are just easing Miles Sanders back in but it might just be a mess.
Giants - Finally - Jason Garrett has been fired. It’s hard to expect results right away but anything has to be better than what they’ve been doing.
Chargers @ Broncos - Sunday 4:05 PM
Chargers - Mike Williams showed us a glimpse of the Mike Williams from the early part of the season but he still only got six targets. Did teams just figure him out or can he help us down the stretch here?
Broncos - For the first time this season, Javonte Williams got more snaps than Melvin Gordon in week 10. Then they obviously had their bye week, keeping us all waiting. Does Williams emerge on the other side?
Vikings @ 49ers- Sunday 4:25 PM
Vikings - Tyler Conklin went from a guy who was blocking on 7-8 pass plays a game to a guy blocking on 2-3 and running a lot of routes these last two weeks. The 49ers are great vs. the tight end and have a pretty good pass rush so this week is a big test for Conklin.
49ers - A lot of us are wondering if we can finally trust Brandon Aiyuk but I really want to know what the heck happened in this first place? He’s back to playing every snap after having a limited role for half the season.
Rams @ Packers- Sunday 4:25 PM
Rams - Van Jefferson has now dropped five passes over the last two games. Forget Odell - you can only get away with that for so long before guys like Ben Skowronek come knocking.
Packers - All we’ve ever wanted was someone to emerge opposite of Davante Adams as a viable fantasy option. Has Marquez Valdes-Scantling proven he can be that guy?
Browns @ Ravens - Sunday 8:20 PM
Browns - In my opinion, this is the last call for a Browns tight end to prove they deserve to be on your roster down the stretch. The Ravens are a great matchup for tight ends. David Njoku has looked interesting at times but Austin Hooper has consistently gotten better deployment. If no one separates themself this week, you can probably just drop them.
Ravens - Sammy Watkins and Rashod Bateman led the charge for Ravens wide receivers. Can they hang onto those snap shares with Marquise Brown back? And do snaps for Nick Boyle hurt snaps for any of the WRs?
Seahawks @ Football Team - Monday 8:15 PM
Seahawks - Is Russell Wilson actually healthy enough to play football right now or did he just force his way back into action? The last game is the first time he’s been shut out that I can remember.
Football Team - Logan Thomas is the last great hope at tight end. Curtis Samuel does not look like he’s going to be playing so Thomas has a real chance to be a top two target on that team, just like last year.