Intro/Methodology
Every week, I’m going to break down an entire division, focusing on their play on the field that week. Specifically, I’ll go through each team and focus on their dynasty assets, especially anybody who suffered injuries or a massive value change. I won’t look at any player or team in too much detail. This article is more of a summary piece. I also included links to all my previous divisional nuggets articles at the bottom of the page. With that said, let’s jump right in!
Rams
Summary
The Rams suffered a 23-20 loss to the 49ers in Week 12, where they looked relatively awful on offense. Luckily, they remained healthy as a team, but there’s little else positive to note. The 49ers’ defense was simply too much for the Rams.
Quarterback
Jared Goff had a putrid game here, where he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. He managed to connect with Robert Woods, but he failed to get anyone else involved in the offense. Head coach Sean McVay and the Rams tied themselves to Goff’s wagon through at least 2022, based on his dead cap figures. Therefore, I still have Goff as my dynasty QB12 in Superflex leagues, even though you can barely start him from week-to-week. Goff’s struggles show why it’s essential to have a top-tier quarterback in the Superflex format, as it gets really ugly, really fast.
Running Backs
The Rams’ running back committee continues to frustrate fantasy owners. Malcolm Brown led in snaps, Darrell Henderson in carries, and Cam Akers in production. Akers is the most talented back in this backfield, especially on the ground. However, McVay shows no interest in using Akers as a workhorse. I hope he changes his tune, but it won’t happen in 2020. Akers is an excellent speculative buy in hopes of a second-year breakout in 2021, though.
Receiving Weapons
Speaking of incompetence, I don’t understand what the Rams have done in their receiving group. They managed to involve Robert Woods appropriately, who caught seven of his 12 targets for 80 yards. However, no other receiver exceeded 41 receiving yards or five receptions. Cooper Kupp caught two passes for 41 yards, but I think he’ll be fine long-term. The Rams have both Woods and Kupp on long-term deals, so they’re the clear top two options.
But, I don’t want anyone else on this team on my dynasty squad. The Rams consistently give Josh Reynolds targets, as he finished second on the team with six this week. Reynolds is an unrestricted free agent after 2020, and the Rams can’t possibly re-sign him given their commitments to Woods and Kupp. Therefore, the Rams prefer to give targets to someone not in their long-term plans over the guys they might have for their future, which is a terrible sign for all of those players.
The Rams wasted a second-round pick on Van Jefferson, who didn’t play an offensive snap in this contest. Jefferson hasn’t played more than 20% of offensive snaps since Week 5, an unacceptable mark for a second-round selection. Jefferson was an older rookie, who turned 24 years old before the season. He carries little to no value in dynasty leagues.
As for the tight ends, Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett totaled a miserable three receptions on four targets for 22 yards. Everett is an impending free agent, and he might find a new contract elsewhere. He won’t be on this team, so he might be a nice buy if he sees a “Hayden Hurst”-like bump if he lands in a good spot. Higbee remains under contract, but I have no interest in him. He’s a fine, desperation low-end TE2, although you can find many players like that.
49ers
Summary
The 49ers stepped up and won over the Rams, an impressive feat considering their numerous injuries. Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. returned for this game, but Tevin Coleman, JaMycal Hasty, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Jimmy Garoppolo remained out of the lineup. It’s hard to take away too much from the 49ers’ performance, given all the injuries. However, we need to evaluate the guys who did play.
Quarterback
It’s clear that Nick Mullens isn’t the 49ers’ future at quarterback, nor is he a potential starter for another team. He played okay, but Mullens is a competent NFL backup, not a starter. The 49ers will either go with Garoppolo as their 2021 starter, or they might add someone in free agency or the draft.
Running Backs
Mostert took 16 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown in his return from injured reserve. He wasn’t particularly impressive, but it’s clear that head coach Kyle Shanahan views Mostert as his starting running back when healthy. Mostert will turn 29 years old in April 2021, so he has little dynasty value. But, he could represent an excellent cheap running back buy candidate for desperate contenders.
Outside of Mostert, Wilson Jr. saw the second-most snaps, and he took his 12 carries for 43 yards. I don’t think Wilson Jr. has any dynasty value, as he likely wouldn’t see playing time if the 49ers had a full complement of healthy running backs. Mostert will probably be the 49ers’ 2021 starter, and I expect them to add a real backup.
Jerick McKinnon represents a similar proposition to Wilson Jr. He played as the third-down back in Week 12, catching two passes for 11 yards. But, McKinnon is the same age as Mostert, and it’s clear that Mostert is ahead of him on the depth chart. I think McKinnon isn’t worth anything in dynasty leagues, especially with Coleman potentially returning in Week 13.
Receiving Weapons
Deebo Samuel was the only 49ers’ receiving weapon to perform in Week 12. He played the most snaps of any offensive skill player, tied with Richie James for 88% of snaps. On those snaps, Samuel caught 11 of 13 targets for a whopping 133 yards. I loved that the 49ers got Samuel so involved in his first game back from injury, and I now rank Samuel ahead of Aiyuk in dynasty formats. I hope this game is the start of a real breakout.
There’s no one else genuinely worth discussing here. Kittle and Aiyuk are the 49ers’ clear other relevant options, and there’s no room for more than three weapons in the 49ers’ run-first attack. Players like James, Kendrick Bourne, and Jordan Reed can succeed when they are injuries to others, but they’re not dynasty assets.
Cardinals
Summary
I was surprised that the Cardinals lost to the Patriots, 20-17. They seemed to struggle to run their typical offense with Kyler Murray’s injured shoulder. Larry Fitzgerald also missed the game due to testing positive for COVID-19, although I’m not sure how much Fitzgerald’s absence affected the offensive game plan.
Quarterback
Murray looked different because of his shoulder injury. He only completed 23/34 of his passes for 170 yards and an interception. More notably, Murray only had five carries for 31 yards. I’m not taking anything away from Murray based on this game. He’s still my dynasty QB2 and second overall asset in Superflex leagues, behind only Patrick Mahomes.
Running Backs
At this point, it’s abundantly clear that the Cardinals prefer Kenyan Drake to Chase Edmonds in their backfield. Drake had 22 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while Edmonds only had six carries for 29 yards. Edmonds did have four receptions for 14 yards, but Drake caught three passes for 15 yards. Surprisingly, Drake played only 55% of offensive snaps compared to 45% for Edmonds, so Edmonds must have seen a significant number of pass-blocking work.
Either way, I still don’t believe either Drake or Edmonds will be the Cardinals’ 2021 starting running back. The Cardinals never reached a long-term extension with Drake, so he’ll be a free agent after this season. I doubt that they commit significant money to Drake. Therefore, I would sell Drake based on his two touchdowns, as I think right now represents his value peak.
Edmonds is just a dynasty hold and handcuff running back with minor flex appeal. I believe that Edmonds will play the same role as a backup and passing-downs back for the Cardinals’ next starting running back. I’ve said this many times, but Najee Harris or Travis Etienne would excel in the Cardinals’ wide-open scheme. I hope that the Cardinals decide to make the necessary investment to acquire one of those two players.
Receiving Weapons
There’s little to take away from this performance from the Cardinals’ receivers. DeAndre Hopkins caught five of seven targets for 55 yards in a floor game. Hopkins remains a stud WR1, although he turns 29 in June. With trade deadlines approaching, it’s likely time to trade Hopkins if you’re not a contending team. Otherwise, hang onto him and enjoy his WR1 production.
Neither Christian Kirk nor Andy Isabella did much without Fitzgerald in the lineup. Kirk played as the WR2 with 86% of snaps, but he only caught three of six targets for 19 yards. Kirk hasn’t done much since his 123-yard eruption in Week 9, failing to top 50 yards in the past three games. I like Kirk’s long-term potential, although he has a low ceiling with Hopkins on the team.
Isabella finally saw more than half the snaps in a game for the first time in his career with 55%. However, I’m just not impressed with what we’ve seen from Isabella since the Cardinals spent a second-round pick on him in 2019. He caught four of six targets for 33 yards, nothing impressive. I don’t believe that Isabella will ever become more than a situational deep threat, and he’ll likely never be a fantasy-viable asset.
Seahawks
Summary
The Seahawks won a surprisingly close 23-17 game over the Eagles. However, the game wasn’t actually that close, as the Eagles scored a last-minute Hail Mary touchdown to make the score look more competitive than it was. Luckily for the Seahawks, Chris Carson returned from injury to play in this game, although they had to play without Greg Olsen and Travis Homer. They also suffered no further injuries in the contest.
Quarterback
Russell Wilson had a quiet game, throwing for only 230 yards and a touchdown while adding six carries for 12 yards. He didn’t have to do much, though, as the Eagles’ offense was the definition of a dumpster fire for most of the game. Wilson remains my dynasty QB6, and there are no changes to make based on this game.
Running Backs
However, I do have some concerns about the Seahawks’ running back room. Head coach Pete Carroll claimed that Carson was completely healthy and ready for a full workload, but Carlos Hyde significantly out-touched him. Hyde received 15 carries to Carson’s eight while both players had two receptions. Hyde also played more snaps, with 61% to Carson’s 37%.
Now, I’m not saying to pick up Hyde or to value him in dynasty. He’s 30 years old and averaged a horrible 1.5 YPC in this game. But, the Seahawks clearly see Hyde as their primary backup to Carson, not rookie DeeJay Dallas. Dallas saw zero action in Week 12, even though he was fully healthy. I think I’m done with Dallas as a dynasty asset.
As for Carson, I want to see what he does in his second game back from injury. Maybe, the Seahawks decided to ease him in this week, and he returns to a full workload next week. If he doesn’t return to being the primary ball carrier, I’ll start to panic with Carson.
Also, Rashaad Penny will allegedly return to practice next week. I doubt Penny plays this season at any point, but it’s something to keep an eye on. The Seahawks still have Penny under his rookie contract for 2021, and they spent a first-round pick on him. Remember that Penny was about to challenge Carson for significant touches in 2019 before his injury. He’s a long-shot stash, but Penny is still the second-most valuable Seahawks’ running back by a wide margin.
Receiving Weapons
I’ll get D.K. Metcalf out of the way at the top. He caught 10 receptions for 177 yards, including multiple highlight-reel plays. Metcalf is my dynasty WR1, and I love him. That’s all I need to say about Metcalf.
Unfortunately, nobody else produced much in the receiving game for the Seahawks. Tyler Lockett caught three of four targets for 23 yards in a down week. However, fantasy owners have to deal with Lockett’s volatility, as his upside is immense. I’m not making any changes to Lockett’s value based on this week.
I hoped that Will Dissly would step up in Greg Olsen’s place this week, but he recorded no offensive stats. Instead, Jacob Hollister saw five targets, although he only caught two of them for 11 yards. Dissly did see more snaps than Hollister, though, 72% to 55%. I would still bet on Dissly over Hollister for future production, but Metcalf and Lockett may consume too many targets, leaving no room for anyone else to produce fantasy value.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Divisional Nuggets Articles: NFC East (Week 2), AFC North (Week 3), AFC South (Week 4), NFC West (Week 5), NFC East (Week 6), AFC North (Week 7), AFC South (Week 8), NFC West (Week 9), NFC East (Week 10), AFC North (Week 11), AFC South (Week 12)
