Fantasy Football After Action Report: Week 12
Blue chip medal
Chris Godwin, WR, Bucs- Put some respect on Godwin's name. The elite Tampa Bay receiver is your #1 week 12 fantasy scorer, and your #2 overall wide receiver on the season. This isn't simply a product of usage, either. Godwin is competing with the heavily touted Mike Evans for targets—and still manages to be an insanely high caliber fantasy asset. He threatens defenses with the threat of a deep route on every play, and he has a quarterback crazy enough to chuck it to him half the time.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens- Is there anything left to say about Lamar Jackson? He will be the NFL MVP, barring injury. He threw for 5 TDs in his Monday night debut against a Rams defense that includes both the best defensive tackle and cornerback in the league. Nobody is more fun to watch (in a game and on your roster) than Lamar Jackson. Just cross your fingers that you don't play against him.
Christian McCaffery, RB, Panthers- McCaffery is the only non-QB in MVP talks, and for good reason. He is far and beyond the #1 fantasy player of the year, and he is the focal point of both the rushing and passing attack in Carolina. He's endured tumultuous quarterback play, and awareness of his greatness only suffers from the national indifference towards the Carolina Panthers.
Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles- Zach Ertz is the tight end to have going into the fantasy playoffs. His last three performances are nothing short of dominant: 25.3, 18.4, and 27.1 points. Oh, and the next three teams he gets to play? The Miami Dolphins, the New York Giants, and the Washington Redskins. Make a move now while you can.
Loss of rank
Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos- The Courtland Sutton problem is one of consistency. It is not inconsistency with Sutton as a receiver; he's been a terrific route runner and pass catcher, but rather the problem lies in the Denver organization. John Elway's absolute inability to identify and select a worthwhile quarterback has crippled their chances at a successful season and, more importantly to us, made them irrelevant from a fantasy standpoint.
Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons- Matt Ryan had an easy breezy matchup against the weak Bucs secondary on paper, but he could not materialize it into anything worthwhile and finished the day with 271 yards, an interception, and no touchdowns. He has to bounce back against a stingy Saints team next week, and at this point, is relying solely on the transcendent talent of Julio Jones.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams- Cooper Kupp is suffering from some of the same problems as Sutton. His quarterback is a shadow of his former self, his team has a shaky offensive line, and the run game is completely absent. The silver lining with Kupp is that he has a tremendous coaching staff, filled with offensive minds who are still trying, at least, to get the ball into his hands (10 targets).
Promotion watch
Eagles D/ST- If you only follow one piece of advice from us this year, follow this: pick up the Eagles defense. They are on a legitimate upswing defensively and have the most cupcake schedule to end the year of any team. They play the Dolphins, Giants, and Redskins for their next three games, and they are completely carrying the Eagles. They could potentially win people some leagues.
Sam Darnold, QB, Jets- Sam Darnold had his best outing of the year against a Raiders defense that was beginning to turn heads. He's clearly recovered from his whole mono situation, especially considering he was spotted after the game gettin' lit and making out again (way to get back on that horse, Sam). He's got a plethora of weapons, and could be a valuable streamer.
AJ Brown, WR, Titans- AJ Brown has come out of nowhere to make for a really interesting boom-or-bust play moving forward. He has had multiple 24+ point performances on the season, but has also posted a handful of sub 5 games. If you need a hail mary to win a game, look to Brown for a chance to put up the performance you need.
DJ Moore, WR, Panthers- DJ Moore has benefitted from the Carolina quarterback shift, as he has been one of the most targeted receivers in the NFL the last three weeks. He's finally translating it into reliable fantasy stats, and he looks to be a valuable starter in the final stretch with a couple of easy games against the Bengals and the Dolphins.
Stiff Arm of the Year Medal
James Washington
James Washington took a post route 79 yards to paydirt with a stiff arm that would make Marshawn Lynch blush Skittle-red. It's the kind of stiff arm that you dream of pulling off in Madden, let alone real life. The kind of stiff arm that begs eloquent, poetic responses like "GET OFF ME LIL BOY" or "I'M A GROWN ASS MAN."
