Outside of Cole Beasley, none of the “starts” from Week 11 busted. Cam and Tua were actually QB1s! Plus, I jinxed Mike Williams back into fantasy relevance. Overall, I’d say it was a highly successful week in an otherwise confusing season. Hopefully, we can build on it in Week 12. As always, I’ll be bringing you names at every position that I believe will exceed expectations or fall flat.

Let’s get into the picks.

Starts – Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott, Cowboys vs. Raiders

Dak Prescott looked downright awful in Week 11. His QB28 finish placed him behind players like Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton. However, this was Dak’s first weekly finish outside the top-twelve QBs since Week 3. He’s been incredibly consistent, and you shouldn’t be deterred by a singular poor performance. Even if Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb are out on Thanksgiving, you’ll be thankful you had Dak Prescott in your starting lineup.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks @ Washington

Russell Wilson has really struggled these past two weeks since returning from injury. In fact, he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since October 7th. But those games were against the Cardinals and Packers, two strong defenses. Washington, on the other hand, has been the best matchup for opposing QBs in 2021. This is the week that Russ finally returns to form.

Honorable Mention: Taylor Heinicke, Washington vs. Seahawks

Starts – Running Backs

Miles Sanders, Eagles @ Giants

In his first game back from injury, Miles Sanders received nearly 50% of the RB opportunities, carrying the ball sixteen times to go with one target. With Jordan Howard expected to miss Week 12, I believe Sanders will capture a more significant portion of the backfield and do some damage against the Giants, who have been a top-ten matchup for RBs this season. 

J.D. McKissic, Washington vs. Seahawks

The backfield in Washington is incredibly simple. If Washington is in the lead, you want Antonio Gibson. If Washington is trailing, you want J.D. McKissic. The issue, as we saw in the team’s surprise win over Tampa Bay, is accurately predicting the game script. If this is truly the bounce-back spot for Russell Wilson, then Washington should be trailing, which means lots of dump-offs to McKissic. The Seahawks have allowed the most receiving yards to RBs this season, so that could be a weakness Washington deliberately looks to exploit, as well. 

Melvin Gordon, Broncos vs. Chargers

Despite the begging and pleading of Javonte Williams managers everywhere, Melvin Gordon refuses to yield. He has handled roughly 50% of the RB opportunities each and every week, which has worked out to about twelve carries and two targets per game. Against the Chargers, who have allowed the most rushing yards per game this season, that workload should be enough for a productive outing.

Honorable Mention: AJ Dillon, Packers vs. Rams

Starts – Wide Receivers

Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers vs. Vikings

After a confusing and, frankly, panic-inducing start to the season, Brandon Aiyuk has put together some impressive performances recently. He has two top-ten finishes over the past four weeks and at least a 20% target share in each game. This week he’ll have a nice matchup against the Vikings, who have allowed the 2nd-most points to WRs. 

Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Raiders

As expected, Michael Gallup delivered a flex-worthy performance in Week 11. However, he should have a higher ceiling against the Raiders with Amari Cooper and possibly CeeDee Lamb sidelined. Don’t overthink this one. He’s a talented player in an elite offense. 

Michael Pittman, Colts vs. Buccaneers 

Due to a positive game script and incredibly tough matchup, Michael Pittman failed to deliver against the Bills. Otherwise, he’s been very reliable this season. He’s 10th at his position in receiving yards, and he’s finished roughly 70% of his games as a WR3 or better, with a few WR1 performances mixed in. Play him with confidence against the Buccaneers.

Honorable Mention: Russell Gage, Falcons @ Jaguars

Starts – Tight Ends

Evan Engram, Giants vs. Eagles

Look, we all know that Evan Engram isn’t very good. But when it comes to fantasy, that’s the case with a vast majority of TEs. At least Engram has an exploitable matchup this week. Philadelphia has allowed by far the most receptions to TEs this season (15 more than the next team) including last week when Adam Trautman posted five catches for 58 yards and a TD. You could do worse.

Sits – Quarterbacks

Ryan Tannehill, Titans @ Patriots

After consecutive top-12 seasons, Ryan Tannehill hasn’t quite lived up to expectations in 2021. He is currently the QB21 with just three weekly finishes inside the top ten. I wouldn’t be expecting a fourth in Week 12 when the Titans, with a banged-up A.J. Brown, go on the road to Foxborough to face the second-best QB defense on the season. 

Daniel Jones, Giants vs. Eagles

Most of the QB decisions are obvious this week, so I’m nearing the bottom of the barrel here. However, with his rushing ability, Daniel Jones has had several fantasy-relevant weeks on the season. I’m here to tell you that he is not a start candidate in Week 12. We have no idea what this offense will look like without Jason Garrett at the helm, but we do know that the Eagles’ defense has eaten mediocre QBs alive this season, especially over the past month. Stay away.

Sits – Running Backs

Zack Moss, Bills @ Saints

At this point in the season, we have most of the backfields around the NFL figured out. However, the Buffalo running backs still have me scratching my head on a weekly basis. Devin Singletary started the season at the top; then Zack Moss had his turn. Now the team is featuring both players along with Matt Breida, and the result is zero usable RBs. On top of that, the Bills’ offense has been struggling of late, leading to fewer scoring opportunities. Find a way to avoid this gross situation.

Damien Harris, Patriots vs. Titans

The emergence of Rhamondre Stevenson is not good for Damien Harris because if there’s one thing Bill Belichick loves to do, it’s split up a backfield. Stevenson is a big back that is capable at the goal line and in the passing game, which leaves Harris with a lot of low-value touches between the twenties. He’s a risky option against the Titans, who have been a lot more vulnerable to the pass than the run this season.

Sits – Wide Receivers

Courtland Sutton, Broncos vs. Chargers

Jerry Jeudy has played in four games this season. Courtland Sutton has finished worse than WR60 in all four. Sutton is a talented player, of course, but the offense is crowded with Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, Noah Fant, and Albert Okwuegbunam in the mix. Until he reasserts himself as the alpha in Denver, or at least the 1B, you can kindly direct him to the bench. 

Kenny Golladay, Giants vs. Eagles

In his last two games, Kenny Golladay has a combined three receptions for 40 yards. Gross. The Giants clearly don’t know how to use their new weapon, and Golladay’s constant nagging injuries haven’t helped matters. At this point, you need to keep the eighteen-million-dollar man on your bench, especially when he’s facing Darius Slay.

Honorable Mention: Corey Davis, Jets @ Texans

Sits – Tight Ends

Hunter Henry, Patriots vs. Titans

This game feels like a low-scoring affair, which doesn’t bode well for any of the fantasy options. Hunter Henry could be especially affected, though, due to his heavy reliance on TDs. He hasn’t crested 40 receiving yards since Week 5, so you basically need a score to feel good about playing him. That’s a bet I would prefer not to make. 

Thanks for reading this article! Look me up on Twitter at @fantasyfreezer if you’d like to hear more from me. I love answering fantasy questions, discussing trades, and engaging in friendly debates, so be sure to drop in and say hello.

You can read the previous articles in this series here:  Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Psych’s Picks – Week 10, Week 11