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Studs and Duds: Week 12

Mon Nov 28 8:42am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Jacobs tops 300 total yards


This week saw the return of all NFL teams playing once again. This was good news for fantasy owners, having a full compliment of players to choose from for their lineups. And the scoring was back this week compared to the previous. Sure, there were a few duds, but we also had a few really big performances. There was even a player that had more than 300 total yards. Here is to hoping your team had some of those big performances on your roster and you came out victorious in Week 12. 

Bills 28, Lions 25

Fantasy Stud: Josh Allen. Allen had another one of his huge games, scoring three touchdowns. He led the Bills in passing and rushing. He was 24-of-42 for 253 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. He also ran 10 times for 78 yards and another score. Allen topped 30 fantasy points in the game, the first time he has reached that mark since Week 6. It was good to se him get back to his huge ways despite dealing with an elbow injury. 

Fantasy Dud: Gabe Davis. Davis was not much of a factor in this one, catching four passes for 38 yards. He was actually third on receiving yards for the Bills. Davis had double-digit fantasy points two straight games before this one. He has been a little up and down throughout the season, so this showing wasn’t out of the ordinary. You just expected a better showing in a very favorable matchup. 

Game Notes: Isaiah McKenzie had his best game of the season. He caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. He had a season-high 10 targets. 

Jamaal Williams found the end zone once again, scoring his 13th touchdown of the season. He ran 18 times for 66 yards and a score. 

Cowboys 28, Giants 20

Fantasy Stud: Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott didn’t lead the Cowboys in rush attempts but led them in rush yards. He had 16 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown. He also had a catch for three yards. Elliott has at least 15 fantasy points four straight games. He might not be the same fantasy player as past year, but is still very productive for his fantasy owners. He gets his weekly points. 

Fantasy Dud: Tony Pollard. Pollard had his first down showing in a few weeks. He was’t terrible but not a help to fantasy owners. He had 18 carries for 60 yards and caught just two passes for a yard. It broke a streak of 100-plus total yards four straight games. He had at least 21 fantasy points three straight. Pollard still got a ton of touches, which is encouraging for Pollard owners. He had 20 touches in the game. 

Game Notes: CeeDee Lamb hit the 100-yard mark for the second time in three games. He had six receptions for 106 yards on 11 targets. He has double-digit targets two of three games.

Saquon Barkley had a nice rebound game for his fantasy owners, scoring 15.2 fantasy points. He ran 11 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. He also had four catches for 13 yards. 

Vikings 33, Patriots 26

Fantasy Stud: Justin Jefferson. Jefferson rebounded very well from one of his worst games of the season, producing huge once again. He had nine receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown. He scored 29.5 fantasy points, giving him 25-plus points three of four games. Jefferson is just 11 games into his season, but his numbers are better than a full season for a lot of players. He is already over 80 catches and 1,200 yards. Jefferson is going to finish with monster numbers by season’s end. 

Fantasy Dud: Dalvin Cook. There was a ton of offense in this game, but Cook was one of the few that didn’t get involved in the fun. He got the work but didn’t produce. He rushed 22 times for just 42 yards and had four catches for 14 yards. Cook failed to hit double-digit fantasy points for the second straight game. He had a streak of seven straight games with double-digit fantasy points before these last two. 

Game Notes: Mac Jones had a great game in defeat. He was 28-of-39 for 382 yard and two touchdowns without a turnover. It was his second 300-yard game of the season. 

Adam Thielen had a season-high nine receptions. He also scored his third touchdown of the season. He finished with nine receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. 

Commanders 19, Falcons 13

Fantasy Stud: Brian Robinson. Robinson had a great showing in this one, hitting the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time all season. He had 18 carries for 105 yards and caught two passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. So he finished with 125 total yards and a score. It was the first time all season Robinson topped 20 fantasy points in a game. 

Fantasy Dud: Drake London. Some thought London might get a little more play this week with Kyle Pitts out for the season. Well, that didn’t happen for London, who had just two catches for 29 yards. London has been a huge bus since Wee 3, having fewer than double-digit fantasy points eight of his last nine games. He is not usable for fantasy teams right now. 

Game Notes: Both Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson had the exact same amount of carries. Allgeier ran 11 times for 54 yards while Patterson had 11 carries for 52 yards. 

Olamide Zaccheaus led the way at receiver for the Falcons. He had five receptions for 91 yards. This was his highest yardage total of the season and just the third time he had more than 50 yards. 

Jets 31, Bears 10

Fantasy Stud: Mike White. White had a huge game in his first start this season. He was 22-of-28 for 315 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. It was quite the performance from White, who is going to keep starting going forward for the Jets. He might be worth a look for fantasy teams in an offense with some decent weapons. 

Fantasy Dud: Michael Carter. Carter left the game early with an ankle injury but was not much of a factor when on the field. His injury just added insult to injury. He had six carries for just 21 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards. This was a positive matchup for Carter, but he was unable to take advantage. 

Game Notes: Darnell Mooney left the game early with an ankle injury and was unable to return. He did not catch a pass before leaving. 

Trevor Siemian got the start for the Bears but almost didn’t after hurting his oblique in pregame. He was able to start, though, and was 14-of-25 for 179 yard and a touchdown with an interception.

Bengals 20, Titans 16

Fantasy Stud: Tee Higgins. Higgins continues to play at an elite level for his fantasy owners. He had seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. Higgins has two straight games with 23-plus fantasy points and has hit the 100-yard mark each of those games. He is a must start for fantasy owners, failing to hit double-digit fantasy points just once all year. 

Fantasy Dud: Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill had played at a high level since returning from injury, but wasn’t a help to fantasy teams this week. He didn’t play bad but was held out of the end zone, being little help to fantasy owners. He was 22-of-34 for 291 yards without a score or an interception. Tannehill scored just 15.5 fantasy points after having back-to-back games with 20-plus fantasy points. 

Game Notes: Derrick Henry was held in check on the ground but made plays in the passion game, helping his fantasy numbers. He ran 17 times for just 38 yards, but had three catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. He had 117 total yards and a score. 

Samaje Perine played well in a starting role for the Bengals. He ran 17 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. He also had four catches for 35 yards, giving him 93 total yards. 

Dolphins 30, Texans 15

Fantasy Stud: Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa could have been a lot better if not for sitting out much of the second half with the Dolphins up big. He still played well when on the field, going 22-of-36 for 299 yards and a touchdown without a turnover. Tagovailoa now has 19 touchdowns to just three interceptions this season. 

Fantasy Dud: Dameon Pierce. Pierce continued his late-season swoon. He had another poor game, rushing five times for just eight yards. And he didn’t do much better though the air, having three catches for eight yards. He is a really hard player for fantasy teams to trust right now, having fear than five fantasy points each of his last two games. 

Game Notes: Jeff Wilson found the end ozone for the third straight game. He had 13 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown. He also had a catch for 13 yards. 

Kyle Allen had mixed reviews in his first start for the Texans this year. He was 26-of-39 for 215 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. He should get another start but will need to play better if he hopes to keep starting. 

Panthers 23, Broncos 10

Fantasy Stud: D.J. Moore. Moore finally got it going a little, hitting the 100-yard mark for the second time this season. He had four receptions fro 103 yards and a touchdown. Maybe the return of Sam Darnold at quarterback will be a positive for Moore going forward. He has been really inconsistent this year.  

Fantasy Dud: Greg Dulcich. Dulcich had a really quiet game, catching just two passes for 11 yards. The rookie has plenty of promise and played well this year, but could be up and down in a passing game that is struggling. 

Game Notes: Latavius Murray had a strong game, rushing 13 times for 92 yards. He also had a catch for six yards. Murray has a pretty firm grip on the starter’s job right now in Denver. 

Sam Darnold led his team to a win and played pretty well, so he should get another start next week for the Panthers. He was 11-of-19 for 164 yards and a touchdown. 

Browns 23, Bucs 17

Fantasy Stud: Chris Godwin. Godwin seems over his torn ACL from last year and his playing his best football right now. He had 12 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Godwin has 19-plus fantasy points each of his last two games. He has been targets double-digit times five of six games. He is peaking at the right time for fantasy owners. 

Fantasy Dud: Mike Evans. Evans did not get much work in this one with Godwin dominating the targets. Evans had just two catches for 31 yards. Evans has been a little quieter of late, having fewer than double-digit fantasy points two of three games.

Game Notes: Nick Chubb hit the 100-yard mark for the sixth time this season. He had 26 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. He topped 20 fantasy points for the fifth time. 

Amari Cooper is trending up, catching seven passes for 94 yards. He has 15 catches his last two games. He also has 100-yard game two of four. 

Jaguars 28, Ravens 27

Fantasy Stud: Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence had maybe his best game as a pro, leading his team to a comeback victory. He was 29-of-37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. He scored a season high 29.2 fantasy points. Lawrence has three straight games topping 20 fantasy points. He seems to be gaining confidence every week and is playing the best football of his career right now. 

Fantasy Dud: Mark Andrews. There were a lot of fantasy points in this game, but Mark Andrews wasn’t much of a factor, which was surprising. He even dropped a possible touchdown reception that he normally makes all day. Andrew has been pretty mediocre of late, having fewer than 13 fantasy points four straight games. 

Game Notes: Travis Etienne suffered a foot injury early in the game and was unable to return. This is a huge injury to watch going forward. He has been huge this year. 

Zay Jones was the top target for the Jaguars. He had a monster game, finishing with 11 receptions for 145 yards. This was his second game with double-digit receptions. 

Chargers 25, Cardinals 24

Fantasy Stud: Justin Herbert. Herbert had another big game, finishing 35-of-47 for 274 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. He also converted a two-point try to win the game. Herbert finished with 31.5 fantasy points. He has 23-plus points two of three and three of five games. He is another player heating at the right time for fantasy owners. 

Fantasy Dud: Trey McBride. McBride was one of the few fantasy disappointments in this one. He caught just a pass for a yard. He might be the best fantasy tight end on the Cardinals roster right now, but that doesn’t mean he belongs in fantasy lineups. McBride is yet to top six fantasy points in any game this year.  

Game Notes: Marquise Brown returned this week and got plenty of work, catching six passes for 46 yards. He should continue to get more and more work going forward as he gets back up to speed. 

Kyler Murray looked just fine in his first game back from a hamstring injury. He was 18-of-29 for 191 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. He also ran seven times for 56 yards. 

Chiefs 26, Rams 10

Fantasy Stud: Travis Kelce. There were not a lot of big fantasy performances in this one. Kelce was one of the good ones, though. He had four receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. Kelce topped 15 fantasy points for the ninth straight game. He has fewer than 15 fantasy points just once all year. He just keeps posting big numbers on a weekly basis for fantasy owners. 

Fantasy Dud: JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster returned from his concussion and played, but wasn’t a huge factor. He had three receptions for 38 yards. Smith-Schuster had been red hot before suffering his concussion in Week 10. Hopefully, he can get back to his big ways sooner than later. 

Game Notes: Bryce Perkins started for the Rams but had his issues, which was expected in his first NFL start. He was 13-of-23 for 100 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. His biggest contribution was on the ground, running nine times for 44 yards. 

Cam Akers and Kyren Williams pretty much split the work at running back for the Rams. Akers ran eight times for 37 yards while Williams rushed 11 times for 35 yards. Williams was a bigger factor in the passing game, catching three passes for 25 yards. 

49ers 13, Saints 0

Fantasy Stud: Jauan Jennings. Jennings was a big surprise, scoring the 49ers only touchdown. His reception total was a season high and this was his first score of the season. He had six catches for 49 yards and a score on seven targets. He will be a tough fantasy player to trust on a weekly basis, but showed he does have the potential for the big game at times. 

Fantasy Dud: Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey had a rare down showing for his standards. He got the touches but did little with them. He ran 11 times for 32 yards and had four receptions for 17 yards. McCaffrey failed to hit double-digit fantasy points for just the second time all season. The good news is he still had 15 touches in the game, so it wasn’t for a lack of work.

Game Notes: Brandon Aiyuk had five receptions for 65 yards on eight targets. He has at least five receptions five of six games. He has been rock solid as the No. 1 target in the 49ers passing game. 

Andy Dalton seems to be holding onto the starter’s job by a thread right now. He failed to lead the offense to a score in this game, going 18-of-29 for 204 yards. 

Raiders 40, Seahawks 34

Fantasy Stud: Josh Jacobs. Jacobs carried fantasy teams to victory with his monster performance in Week 12. Jacobs ran 33 times for 229 yards and two touchdowns, including an 86-yard run in overtime to win the game. And Jacobs added six catches for 74 yards, giving him 303 total yards of offense. Jacobs scored 48.3 fantasy points. He has two straight 100-yard rushing games and five on the season. He is already over 1,000-rushing yards after just 11 games. 

Fantasy Dud: Noah Fant. There were big fantasy games all over in this one, so not much bad to report for fantasy teams. Fant might have been one of the few disappointments, finishing with three catches for 34 yards. He failed to hit double-digit fantasy points for the second straight week. He has failed to build off his 96-yard performance in Week 9, making him a very hard player for fantasy teams to play. 

Game Notes: Derek Carr has four straight games with 20-plus fantasy points. He was 25-of-36 for 295 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. 

DK Metcalf had double-digit receptions for the first time this season. He had 11 catches for 90 yards on 15 targets. He has at least 13 fantasy points four straight games. 

Eagles 40, Packers 33

Fantasy Stud: Miles Sanders. Sanders had his best game of the season. He had a huge game on the ground, rushing 21 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He also had three catches for 17 yards. Sanders scored 31 fantasy points, which was a season high. It was the second time he topped 20 fantasy points in a game. Sanders has been a little up and down this year but having his best season to date as a pro. He already has 900-rushing yards and eight touchdowns. 

Fantasy Dud: Allen Lazard. Lazard had just two catches for 24 yards on three targets. It was a really down game for a player that thad double-digit targets two of his previous three games. Lazard has been pretty consistent all season, so this one was an outlier as much as anything. Don’t get too down on him, but the emergence of Christian Watson does damper his upside a little. 

Game Notes: Aaron Rodgers was unable to finish the game because of a rib injury. He wasn’t very good before leaving, going 11-of-16 for 140 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Jordan Love was impressive in relief, finishing 6-of-9 for 113 yards and a touchdown. 

Christian Watson continued his emergence. He topped 20 fantasy points for the third straight game. Watson had four receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown on six targets. 

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Jarrett Stidham May 24 1:40pm ET
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Caleb Williams May 24 1:30pm ET
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Anthony Richardson May 24 1:10pm ET
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Jonathan Taylor May 24 1:10pm ET
Jonathan Taylor

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been getting valuable repetitions during organized team activities this week with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Last year at this time, Taylor and Richardson didn't practice together in the offseason because Taylor was hurt and in a contract dispute. When he returned in Week 5, Taylor played with Richardson for two snaps before Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Taylor missed seven games in 2023 due to ankle and thumb injuries but ended the year with season-highs in carries (30) and rushing yards (188), including a 48-yard touchdown run. The 25-year-old should be a lock for 1,000 rushing yards in 2024 if he's healthy, and his ceiling will be pretty high if Richardson remains healthy all years as well, although the dynamic QB could vulture plenty of TDs at the goal line.

From RotoBaller

John Ross May 24 11:13am ET
John Ross

Dynasty | The Eagles have signed free agent wide receiver John Ross. Dynasty Analysis: Ross was last seen with the Chiefs prior to deciding to retire around a year ago. Instead, the former fastest man in the league has decided to give it one more go and takes the place of the newly retired DeVante Parker on the roster, at least for now. Ross will not be guaranteed a roster spot and while this is a fun story to follow, it's doubtful we see any kind of fantasy value emerging from Ross, a former first round pick who busted in Cincinnati.

From Dynasty League Fantasy