Compared to week 11, week 12 was very low scoring. Despite this, Leonard Fournette decided to have a day with his 44.1 fantasy point outburst against the Indianapolis Colts. This was the highest fantasy output of his career, and it isn’t particularly close. Fournette is having a revival season after a down 2020 and is one of the top running backs in all of fantasy football. He put his team on his back this week with 131 total yards and four touchdowns, including the thirty-yard game-winner. Fournette will be on many championship-winning rosters this year, because of his ultra-cheap 8th round ADP.
Sticking with the Buccaneer theme, they played the most entertaining game of the week. Tampa Bay outlasted Indianapolis with a final score of 38-31, proving the NFL could match the high scores of Bedlam and “The Game” from the day before. Indianapolis held a 10 point lead twice in this game (once late in the second and once early in the third) but could not get the job done. This game had the feeling that whoever had the chance to score last would win, and this held as Leonard Fournette’s game-winning touchdown came with 20 seconds left on the clock.
Notable injuries: Miles Sanders (ankle), Zach Wilson (leg), Christian McCaffrey (ankle), Dan Arnold (knee), Deebo Samuel (groin), Dalvin Cook (shoulder), Teddy Bridgewater (leg)
Stud of the week: Leonard Fournette 44.1 fantasy points
Dud of the week: George Kittle 2.3 fantasy points
Waiver Adds:
1. Alexander Mattison RB MIN 33.6% owned
With the news of Dalvin Cook possibly worsening his already torn labrum, Alexander Mattison becomes an absolute must pick-up. The backup for Minnesota is always one of the top handcuff options year after year, and it has shown as Dalvin Cook has never played in a full season in his career. Alexander Mattison is on the waiver wire in two-thirds of leagues, so there is a pretty good chance you can find him. Mattison is an instant RB1 if Dalvin Cook is forced to miss time and is a huge boost to any lineup needing a win down the stretch.
2. Russell Gage WR ATL 18.6% owned
Russell Gage has only played in 7 games this season, but Matt Ryan has thrown him 6 or more passes in 5 of those games. Gage has been solid in the absence of Calvin Ridley with 3 games of 7 or more targets. Gage is a major benefactor of opposing teams double and triple-teaming Kyle Pitts. In his most recent game against Jacksonville, he caught 6 of 7 targets for 62 yards and a touchdown. Russell Gage is a solid WR3-FLEX option as long as Calvin Ridley is out and should be rostered in more than 19% of leagues.
3. Kendrick Bourne WR NE 15.2% owned
Even though Jakobi Meyers has almost double the targets of Kendrick Bourne, it is the latter who has more fantasy points. Bourne is a big play waiting to happen and has emerged as one of Mac Jones’ favorite red-zone targets as he has 3 touchdowns in his last 3 games. Against a poor Tennessee defense, Bourne had one of his best games of the season as he caught 5 of 6 targets for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Bourne would be higher on this list if not for his tough schedule, but a fantasy football championship against Jacksonville makes him worth a look.
4. Jamaal Williams RB DET 46.1% owned
Even though Jamaal Williams is likely not on your waiver wire, he is worth a look as fellow backfield-mate D’Andre Swift suffered a shoulder injury in the first half against the Chicago Bears. Williams finished the game with 15 carries, 65 rushing yards, 5 receptions, and 18 receiving yards. While the numbers aren’t amazing, Detroit has a late-season schedule that fantasy owners dream of with Minnesota, Denver, Arizona, Atlanta, and Seattle coming up. The Lions have a very fantasy-friendly offense to running backs, and if Swift were to miss time, Jamaal Williams would become an instant RB1.
Deep Add:
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 3.5% owned
It seems as if Tennessee receivers can never stay healthy as both Julio Jones and AJ Brown have combined to play 16 games this season. Both receivers are currently injured, and Westbrook-Ikhine has taken the reigns as Ryan Tannehill’s favorite target. The Titans are on bye this week, but the end of season opponents in Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Miami, and Houston make not just Westbrook-Ikhine, but all Titans as mega-sleepers for the rest of the season. Consider Westbrook-Ikhine a possible deep-league flex as he has 9 receptions, 132 yards, and two touchdowns combined over the last two weeks.
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