Fantasy Football Two Minute Drill, Week 12

Fantasy Football stats, news, and opinions heading into NFL Week 12.

Check out my Individual Defensive Player ( DL, LB, DB ) rankings alongside other experts at FantasyPros.com

“Points Allowed” provided by MyFantasyLeague.com

Green Bay 27, Detroit 15

Salmon Gravlax, Various Cheeses, Italian Bread, Sausage coated Olives Stuffed with Cheese, Crab Corn Potato Soup, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Sausage Fennel Spinach Stuffing, Turkey

Miami 19, Dallas 20

Travel to in-laws
Dessert

San Francisco 6, Baltimore 16

Food coma

Houston at Jacksonville

QB Matt Schaub owners, everyone goes through injuries. Stop crying and make the necessary adjustments.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Jaguars give up the eighth fewest fantasy points to running backs. Stock down Arian Foster and Ben Tate.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Jaguars give up the second fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. Andre Johnson owners can’t wait any longer. Start him.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Jaguars give up the third most fantasy points to tight ends. Stock up Owen Daniels.
Brian Cushing has finally cracked the Top 25 LB rankings, but you drafted him to be Top 10.
Don’t forget about DB Danieal Manning. His return is near.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Texans give up the third fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. For some reason, NFL Red Zone kept going to the Jags game last week. NFL fans can clearly see rookie Blaine Gabbert looks terrible.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Texans give up the third fewest fantasy points to running backs. Stock down Maurice Jones-Drew.
Please don’t ask “Who Do I Start” questions about Jags’ receivers unless you’re in a 16-team league where you have to start at least three WR.
Daryl Smith refuses to let Paul Posluszny pass him for linebacker points, and Poz is having a good year.
DB Dawan Landry, past four games: 23 Solos, 7 Assists, 1 FF, 0.5 Sack, 1 Int, 1 PD. That span includes a game vs the Texans where he had 9 Solos, 2 Assists, 1 FF.

Buffalo at NY Jets

Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Jets give up the fourth fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Curious, if you were fortunate enough to fleece a league-mate early in the season by trading away QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, what did you get? Post in comments.
Past 3 weeks, Points Allowed: Jets have moved from 10th to 23rd in fantasy points given up to running backs. Fred Jackson owners, read Schaub comment. I’m starting C.J. Spiller in my 16-team league despite the odds. Consider other options in 12-team leagues.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Jets give up the third fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. Two lousy games in a row by WR Steve Johnson, and now his bags are packed for Revis Island.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Jets give up the most fantasy points to linebackers. Stock up Nick Barnett. Keep an eye on rookie Kelvin Sheppard.
Last week, Miami was a good match-up on paper for the Bills’ cornerbacks. Check out the ineptitude, and now Terrence McGee is done for the year.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Bills give up the fourth most fantasy points to running backs. Find out who’s healthy, then start him (as long as it’s not Joe McKnight).
WR Santonio Holmes hasn’t topped 100 receiving yards since Week 11, 2010.
WR Plaxico Burress also hasn’t topped 100 receiving yards in 2011. So you have Holmes, Burress, and TE Dustin Keller surrounding a decent quarterback, and they can’t open things up? Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will be fired.
LB David Harris has greatly underachieved. It’s not DeMeco Ryans bad, but it’s still poor.

Cleveland at Cincinnati

I wonder what team will be desperate enough to sign RB Peyton Hillis in 2012. I suspect it will be a team looking for a RBBC approach.
RB Chris Ogbonnaya-wn’s 21 carry, 134 yards-from-scrimmage, 1 TD Week 11 performance is all the more impressive considering it came against a Jags’ team who’s been stingy giving up points to running backs. Regardless, it appears he’s giving way to RB Montario Hardesty.
WR Josh Cribbs has touchdowns in three of his past four games. Problem is he’s only averaging 3.25 receptions and 39.5 receiving yards during that span. That’s a perfect WR3 in 16-team leagues.
Ahtyba Rubin and rookie Phil Taylor are ranked 2nd and 7th in solo tackles by defensive lineman in the entire league.
Past 5 weeks, Points Allowed: Bengals have moved from 12th to 28th in fantasy points given up to linebackers. Stock down D’Qwell Jackson.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Browns give up the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Stock down rookie Andy Dalton.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Browns give up the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. We’ve learned you start rookie A.J. Green, regardless of match-up. Just check on his health. Bench Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell.
LB Rey Maualuga has 7 Solos and 4 Assists in two games since his return from injury. We need more, and I’ll never be able to spell his name correctly without looking it up every time.
DB Reggie Nelson has produced one 5-Solo game since Week 5, and none in the past three games. That’s the bloom coming off the rose.

Minnesota at Atlanta

Past 3 weeks, Points Allowed: Falcons have moved from 19th to 29th in fantasy points given up to running backs. Please don’t start Toby Gerhart, Toby Wang, Toby Chung, or f’n Charlie Chan. You start him in a dream you better wake up and apologize.
WR Michael Jenkins, past three games: 9 Receptions, 13 Targets, 109 Receiving Yards, zero TD’s. She’s Gone… and I wish it was socially appropriate to wear my shirt like Daryl Hall every day.
DE Jared Allen’s zero stat Week 11 couldn’t have come at a better time. In the league I own him, I won comfortably. In my other league I was going up against him, and I won a very tight game. I love when that happens.
Chad Greenway has been a Top 10 LB since Week 5.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Vikings give up the most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Stock up Matt Ryan, who’s been very hot lately.
How many years has it been that folks pass up on TE Tony Gonzalez for the younger prospect? He’s the third ranked TE on the season.
DE Ray Edwards gets to show his former team first-hand why he wasn’t retained.
I’m glad I gave up on CB Brent Grimes a few weeks ago.

Arizona at St. Louis

Richard Bartel is a quarterback on Arizona. Ronald Bartell is a cornerback on St. Louis. Both are to be ignored.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Rams give up the fifth most fantasy points to running backs. Stock up Beanie Wells. LaRod Stephens-Howling hasn’t done enough out of the backfield to warrant usage.
WR Andre Roberts, past three games: 12 Receptions, 23 Targets, 161 Receiving Yards. Respectable, and probably available on your waiver wire.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Rams give up the most fantasy points to defensive ends. Stock up Calais Campbell.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Rams give up the third most fantasy points to linebackers. Stock up Daryl Washington. Start Paris Lenon.
The Seahawks’ defense is pretty good, but QB Sam Bradford can’t be this lousy. I wonder how many people went into the season with him as their fantasy starter.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Cardinals give up the fifth most fantasy points to wide receivers. Stock up Brandon Lloyd. Avoid everyone else.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Cardinals give up the third most fantasy points to defensive ends. Stock up Chris Long. James Hall makes an interesting fantasy play.
LB Chris Chamberlain’s streak of at least four solos has reached six consecutive games.
Last Saturday night into Sunday morning, I had a dream that DB Darian Stewart had a monster Week 11 game. That’s what happens when I’m commish of two leagues and do this dopey article and rankings. Anyway, he had a bunch of tackles and a defensive TD. He would have had another TD but it was called back due to a penalty – yeah, weird for a dream. I put him in my Week 11 lineup in place of the injured DB LaRon Landry. Real life, 8 Solos and a Sack. Nice.

Carolina at Indianapolis

Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Colts give up the third most fantasy points to running backs. Start Jonathan Stewart in shallow leagues and DeAngelo Williams in deep leagues.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Colts give up the second most fantasy points to wide receivers. Stock up Steve Smith. Legedu Naanee is boring, but he’s still getting opportunities.
DE Greg Hardy hasn’t has a sack since Week 5. Stop blindly starting him.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Colts give up the second fewest fantasy points to linebackers. Stock down James Anderson.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Panthers give up the most fantasy points to running backs. You saw Kevin Smith vs the Panthers, right? If Joseph Addai plays, start him. If not, start Donald Brown. Rookie Delone Carter has been removed from the Colts’ short-term plans.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Panthers give up the fifth fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. Like you need more reasons to bench Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne.
LB Pat Angerer has cooled off since his explosive start, but he’s still valuable to your fantasy team. And if you look at when Angerer started to cool, you’ll notice DB Antoine Bethea has been the best IDPer on Indy.

Tampa Bay at Tennessee

RB LeGarrette Blount received permission from RB Marshawn Lynch to go into Beast Mode.
WR Sammie Stroughter has taken over kickoffs, thus destroying WR Preston Parker’s value in leagues awarding special team points.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Titans give up the fourth most fantasy points to tight ends. Stock up Kellen Winslow.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Titans give up the fewest fantasy points to linebackers. Bench ‘em all, including rookie Mason Foster.
Dynasty owners have to be pleased with rookie QB Jake Locker’s relief appearance.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Buccaneers give up the second most fantasy points to running backs. Chris Johnson has become a match-up player, so this is a good week to use him.
Nate Washington’s Week 11 explosion has put him into the Top 20 WR rankings on the season.
Quick, name two defensive linemen on the Titans. Exactly my point. Most of us couldn’t even name one.
If you’re not paying attention, rookie LB Colin McCarthy is heating up while LB Barrett Ruud is ailing.
Someone tell me how CB Jason McCourty is keeping this up. The Titans are never on television, so I don’t know. The way his twin is playing, I wonder if they secretly swapped teams in the preseason.
Jordan Babineaux is a Top 10 DB on the season. Again, for the 100th time, that’s why you never, ever, draft a defensive back high.

Chicago at Oakland

Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Raiders give up the fifth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. What kind of name is Caleb?
Expect a lot of stuffs for RB Matt Forte. The loss of QB Jay Cutler is big for his space in the running game, but expect a lot of dump-offs in PPR leagues.
WR Earl Bennett has 75 Receiving Yards in three consecutive games, but he could be lost without his B.F.F. QB Jay Cutler.
DE Julius Peppers tied Jared Allen for Week 11 fantasy points. Blah.
CB Charles Tillman is Pimp Strong.
QB Cason Palmer is doing a lot better than I anticipated.
DB’s shouldn’t take on RB Michael Bush at the goal line.
RB Darren McFadden owners shouldn’t take on the season without Bush.
Raiders’ receivers can’t be trusted. Maybe one will become consistent over the next three weeks.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Bears give up the most fantasy points to tight ends. Use Kevin Boss if your tight end stinks.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Bears give up the fourth fewest fantasy points to linebackers. Bench Rolando McClain.

Washington at Seattle

When you start QB Rex Grossman, you pray.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Seahawks give up the seventh fewest fantasy points to running backs. Shanahanigans is as annoying as the Education Connection commercial, so it’s easy to bench all.
Start WR Santana Moss if he’s active.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Seahawks give up the sixth most fantasy points to tight ends. Stock up Fred Davis.
London Fletcher is the second ranked LB since Week 6.
LB Perry Riley, past two games: 12 Solos, 8 Assists.
RB Marshawn Lynch’s roll will help you get into the fantasy playoffs (WAS, PHI, STL), but he’s got tough match-ups once you’re there (CHI, SF).
More injuries for WR Sidney Rice.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Redskins give up the second most fantasy points to linebackers. Stock up David Hawthorne. Start Leroy Hill.
CB Richard Sherman has at least 4 Solos plus PD’s in five consecutive games.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Redskins give up the most fantasy points to safeties. Stock up Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas.

Denver at San Diego

Past 5 weeks, Points Allowed: Chargers have moved from 25th to 10th in fantasy points given up to quarterbacks. Doesn’t mater for Tim Tebow ‘cause you start him for his legs.
Blindly start RB Willis McGahee. He’s earned it.
Past 5 weeks, Points Allowed: Chargers have moved from 32nd to 18th in fantasy points given up to wide receivers. Start Eric Decker.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Chargers give up the fourth most fantasy points to linebackers. Stock up DJ Williams and Von Miller. Only use Wesley Woodyard and Joe Mays in deep leagues.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Broncos give up the fourth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Stock up Philip Rivers.
Past 3 weeks, Points Allowed: Broncos have moved from 23rd to 13th in fantasy points given up to running backs. Start Mike Tolbert. If Ryan Mathews is healthy, start him too, and then get burned by him again.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Broncos give up the third most fantasy points to wide receivers. Stock up Vincent Jackson.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Broncos give up the fourth fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Stock down Antonio Gates.

New England at Philadelphia

Did you need that nullified QB Tom Brady to TE Aaron Hernandez TD last week? So sorry.
Patriot running backs have good-looking match-ups (PHI, IND, WAS, DEN, MIA, BUF), but who are you going to trust?
Past 3 weeks, Points Allowed: Eagles have moved from 23rd to 14th in fantasy points given up to wide receivers. Stock up Wes Welker and Deion Branch.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Eagles give up the fifth fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Stock down Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.
DE Andre Carter has had one poor game over his last six games.
Don’t add LB Rob Ninko(poop)vich. His quality games always come in bunches.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Eagles give up the second most fantasy points to safeties. Keep Patrick Chung on your bench until you see him play in one game.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Patriots give up the third most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Stock up Vince Young, probably.
RB LeSean McCoy should have done the right thing and fell to his knees on the last real play of Week 11. So the fact that he was tackled inside the five-yard line means nothing to me.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Patriots give up the most fantasy points to wide receivers. Start DeSean Jackson. With Jeremy Maclin out, everyone else is junk.
LB Jamar Chaney, past four games: 23 Solos, 6 Assists, 1 Sack, 1 Int, 4 PD.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Patriots give up the third most fantasy points to safeties. Start Kurt Coleman. I don’t trust Nate Allen.

Pittsburgh at Kansas City

Past 5 weeks, Points Allowed: Chiefs have moved from 6th to 26th in fantasy points given up to wide receivers. Stock down Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.
TE Heath Miller may never blow you away, but his game log is consistent and reliable.
Past 4 weeks, Points Allowed: Chiefs have moved from 29th to 9th in fantasy points given up to linebackers. Stock up James Harrison and James Farrior. Lawrence Timmons had 4 Solos last week, so that’s progress.
Past 3 weeks, Points Allowed: Chiefs have moved from 11th to 20th in fantasy points given up to safeties. Stock down Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark.
QB Tyler Palko looked comfortable last week, but then I look at the box score and it’s scary. Insert QB Kyle Orton.
You’re not still starting RB Jackie Battle, are you?
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Steelers give up the fourth fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. Stock down Dwayne Bowe. Bench Steve Breaston in 12-team leagues.

NY Giants at New Orleans

RB Brandon Jacobs and the Giants’ offensive line got manhandled by the Eagles’ terrible run defense last week. They need RB Ahmad Bradshaw back, badly.
I’m benching DE Justin Tuck. He admitted he’s playing hurt and I’m fed up eating his lousy fantasy production.
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Saints give up the second most fantasy points to cornerbacks. Stock up Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and rookie Prince Amukamara. Pay attention to Antrel Rolle on Monday night now that the Giants have three healthy cornerbacks. Chances are he will be exclusively used as a safety, which is his comfort zone.
RB Darren Sproles had his first bad game last week. That was an impressive run.
Here we go again. WR Robert Meachem scored and now he’s a hot claim on the waiver wire.
Exactly who is going to cover TE Jimmy Graham?
Season-to-date, Points Allowed: Giants give up the sixth fewest fantasy points to linebackers. Keep your eye on Jo-Lonn Dunbar with Jonathan Vilma’s cranky knees. I don’t recommend him this week, but he could be useful down the stretch.
Past 3 weeks, Points Allowed: Giants have moved from 9th to 19th in fantasy points given up to cornerbacks. Bench Jabari Greer.
DB Roman Harper, past three games: 23 Solos, 4 Assists, 1 FF, 3 Sacks (one every game), 1 PD. You can’t get much hotter.
Time for T-Day leftovers.

Vegas, NFL Spreads Week 12, Season Record 20-20-1

Seattle (-3.5) vs Washington
New England (-3.5) at Philadelphia
Denver (+6.5) at San Diego
NY Giants (+7) at New Orleans

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