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Welcome back to the Rookie Report, and happy Turkey Day! Hopefully, you’ve been able to find a safe, socially distanced way to see family for the holiday and still eat a gluttonous amount of food. There will be a bit less football on Thursday than originally planned with the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game moved to Sunday, but it’ll still be the first week with all 32 teams in action since September. The rookie class won’t be quite at full strength after injuries to Joe Burrow and LaMical Perine, and a positive COVID test for JK Dobbins and a benching for Jake Luton, but most of the rookies will be in action this week. The WR class continued to pace the field in rookie production with strong weeks from Justin Jefferson, Chase Claypool, Michael Pittman Jr., and CeeDee Lamb (who made a spectacular TD catch), but the top of the running back class got back on track too. Clyde Edwards-Helaire scored two touchdowns, Antonio Gibson and JK Dobbins found paydirt as well, and Jonathan Taylor topped 100 scrimmage yards for the first time since week 6. In all, there was 4 rookie running backs in the top-12 RBs for the week. Even Cam Akers got into the end zone for the first time this year. Will the rookies continue to be useful in week 12 as you make your final push for the fantasy playoffs? Let’s dive in and find out…

(Notes: All scoring and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted. Players under the same header at the same position are listed in the order I would play them in this week.)

Rookies to Start:

QB Justin Herbert, LAC (Wk. 12: @Buf.): The beat goes on for Justin Herbert after another stellar performance in week 11 against the hapless Jets. Herbert has accounted for 3+ touchdowns in 6 of his last 7 games and has thrown for more than 260 yards in 8 of his 9 starts. This week he gets to face a Bills’ defense that has numbers that don’t stack up to their reputation of being a tough defense. The Bills have allowed the 5^th-most QB points per game, and the only QBs they’ve held below 20 fantasy points are Sam Darnold (twice) and Cam Newton. The other 7 they’ve faced all hit that mark. Herbert should be locked in as your QB1 unless you have an elite guy like Mahomes or Russ ahead of him.

RB James Robinson, JAX (Wk. 12: vs. Cle.): The Jaguars have made the regrettable decision to turn to Mike Glennon at quarterback this week. While that isn’t an ideal change for the offense as a whole, it shouldn’t be a problem for Robinson, who has shown in recent weeks that he can run effectively with a bum at QB. Defenses focusing on him has not been a problem. Glennon at QB also shouldn’t hurt Robinson’s chances at being productive in the passing game. In his last stint as a starter with the Bears in 2017, Glennon targeted Tarik Cohen and Jordan Howard a combined 44 times in 4 starts (albeit on a team with a bad WR group). Cleveland looks like a tough matchup on paper, allowing the 8^th fewest running back points per game, but that’s mostly a product of a positive game script. The Browns have been leading on the scoreboard for 56% of their defensive snaps. Cleveland ranks just a middling 15^th in run defense DVOA, and just 23^rd in pass defense DVOA on throws to running backs. Robinson has had at least 17 touches every week so far. I’d expect that to continue again in this one, and there is nothing in this matchup to scare me off of treating him like a low-end RB1 this week.

RB Antonio Gibson, WAS (Wk. 12: @Dal.): We finally got a chance to see last Sunday what it looks like for Gibson when Washington plays from ahead. Gibson played more snaps than JD McKissic for just the 3^rd time all season and the first time since week 5, and he finished with 104 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. This week’s matchup with the Cowboys should be close for much of the day, so Gibson should stay heavily involved. Dallas ranks just 25^th in run defense DVOA and allows the 14^th-most RB points per game. Most of the running back production they allow is on the ground, which should favor Gibson over McKissic. Dallas allows the 2^nd-fewest RB receptions and the fewest RB receiving yards per game. I like Gibson’s chances at putting up 80+ yards and finding the end zone for the 5^th-straight game.

RB Salvon Ahmed, MIA (Wk. 12: @NYJ): It looks like Ahmed may get one more week as the Phins’ lead back before Myles Gaskin returns from injury, and the Jets are a good team to get a start against. If Gaskin ends up playing this week, you don’t want to play Ahmed, and the rookie is dealing with a shoulder injury himself so keep an eye on the injury report this week before plugging him in. Assuming Ahmed plays and Gaskin doesn’t, Ahmed should be a strong fantasy play as the Dolphins face a defense that has allowed the 9^th-most running back points per game. They also enter the week as a touchdown favorite, so the game script should be on Ahmed’s side as well. He’s handled 22 and 17 touches in the two games he’s started, and that kind of volume against the Jets probably makes him a high-end RB2. We did get to see him show off some pass-catching ability last week (5-31 on 6 targets), giving him a higher floor in PPR leagues than previously expected.

WR Justin Jefferson, MIN (Wk. 12: vs. Car.): Jefferson posted another strong outing in week 11 with 84 yards and a touchdown, and this week may get to play without Adam Thielen on the field. Thielen tested positive for Covid-19 early in the week, and while there is still a chance it was a false positive, there’s no guarantee he’s able to play on Sunday at this point. The concern with any Viking pass catchers is always that they could have so much success running the ball that there isn’t a lot of passing volume. Cousins has thrown the ball 25 or fewer times in 4 separate games this year, but we’ve seen Jefferson clear 60 yards in two of those 4 games already, and those concerns are pretty much nonexistent if he’s not sharing targets with Thielen. The Panthers are in the bottom-12 of the league in pass defense DVOA, and I’d bank on the rookie’s upside again. I’d view him as a WR1 if Thielen is out, and a WR2 if he plays.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (Wk. 12: @NYJ): Despite his week 11 benching, Tua is expected to be under center again in week 12. The matchup this week is much more forgiving. The Jets rank dead last in pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 4^th-most QB points per game. Tua has been a little bit up-and-down so far this season, but I would expect this to be an ‘up’ week. We haven’t seen Tagovailoa show off a top-10 QB ceiling just yet, but he should be a quality QB2 this week for those of you in superflex and 2-QB formats assuming he can mentally shake off the benching.

RB Jonathan Taylor, IND (Wk. 12: vs. Ten.): Taylor had a bit of a resurgence last Sunday, playing 56% of the offensive snaps and handling 26 of the team’s 40 running back touches (65%). It was the second-highest touch number of the season for JT, and his highest snap share since before the team’s week 7 bye. The million-dollar question is – does it carry forward? Will Taylor continue to lead this backfield? I think the answer is yes, at least for this week. The Colts’ backfield is a fluid situation, but I think Taylor has earned another week as the lead back. The matchup could be a little bit of a concern despite the Titans allowing the 7^th-most RB points per game. This is the same defense that held Taylor to 12 yards on 7 rushes just a couple of weeks ago, and the backs they’ve had the most trouble with have been the smaller and more agile backs. The 5 best running back fantasy performances they’ve allowed this year came from Dalvin Cook, Nyheim Hines, Giovani Bernard, JK Dobbins, and James Robinson. None of that group is all that similar to Taylor stylistically. Despite that, I expect Taylor to get a dozen or more touches this week and get the chance to prove that last week’s bounce-back wasn’t a fluke. Hines will be involved again, but I think Taylor will be a borderline RB2 in this one and keep Jordan Wilkins at bay.

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC (Wk. 12: @TB): CEH posted his best game in weeks last Sunday, but playing against the Raiders was a predictable smash spot for the rookie. This week’s matchup with the Bucs should be much tougher. Tampa allows the 4^th fewest RB points per game and ranks 1^st in run defense DVOA. There will still be a decent amount of rushing work for Clyde, but the saving grace for Edwards-Helaire is that Tampa has allowed more running back receptions than any team in the league, and the rookie has pulled in 3+ catches in 7 of the last 9 games. Tampa boasts one of the best secondaries in the league, so I think you’ll see more of CEH catching the football out of the backfield than we’re used to. He should finish the week as a solid RB2 in PPR leagues, but more of a flex play in non-PPR formats.

RB Zack Moss, BUF (Wk. 12: vs. LAC): We’ve now seen Moss out-snap Devin Singletary for 3 weeks running, and he’s out-touched him 19-10 in the last two weeks. We haven’t seen big yardage totals out of either back most weeks, but Moss has found the end zone 3 times in the last 3 games while Singletary hasn’t scored in that span. Both backs ran well against New England totaling over 80 rushing yards each in that contest, but the duo has combined for just 115 scrimmage yards in the last two games. The Chargers allow the 10^th-most RB points per game but allow the 16^th-most scrimmage yards to the position, so getting back on track with the yardage may not be in the offing. Moss will need to get into the end zone to be worth playing this week. The Chargers might be willing to oblige. They’ve coughed up 7 running back rushing scores in the last 5 games.

WR Chase Claypool, PIT (Wk. 12: vs. Bal.): It was another productive day for Claypool last Sunday, posting 4-59-1 on 8 targets in a blowout win over the Jaguars. It was his 4^th consecutive game with 8+ targets and 50+ yards, and he’s scored 4 touchdowns in those games as well. It appears that James Washington has eaten into Claypool’s snap share a bit in each of the last two weeks, but that doesn’t really concern me. Claypool continues to be a featured part of the offense. What concerns me this week is the matchup with Baltimore. The Ravens’ secondary has gotten healthy, so that means a tough matchup for all 3 Pittsburgh receivers. Big Ben threw for just 182 yards in the first meeting with the Ravens, and only JuJu Smith-Schuster reached 50 receiving yards on the team. Ben threw into the coverage of one of those top three corners (Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters) 18 times in that game, and completed just 10 of those throws for 63 yards. Claypool still has his usual upside in this one, but it will probably be more of a floor game. I would treat him as a WR3 this week.

WR Michael Pittman Jr., IND (Wk. 12: vs. Ten.): Pittman may be in the process of dethroning TY Hilton as the Colts’ WR1. He’s played 80%+ of the snaps in 3 straight contests and averaged 6 targets and 81 scrimmage yards per game in that span. He also scored his first TD of the season last weekend. No other Indy WR has played more than 67% of the snaps in either of the last 2 weeks. Tennessee is an opponent to target for wide receivers. They rank 25^th in pass-defense DVOA and have allowed the 6^th-most WR points per game. With that snap share and this matchup, Pittman should be a solid WR3 option this week in most formats.

WR Jerry Jeudy, DEN (Wk. 12: vs. NO): Jeudy had a bit of a down game in week 11, totaling just 3 catches for 37 yards, but he was still targeted 8 times in the contest. It was the 4^th straight game he’s seen at least 8 targets, and that kind of volume will keep him in consideration for a WR3 spot most weeks. This week he faces a Saints defense that ranks an impressive 5^th in pass defense DVOA, but has allowed the 14^th-most WR points per game, and the receivers they’ve been most vulnerable to play on the perimeter. They’ve allowed 6 different receivers to tally 15 fantasy points against them this season, and all of them play primarily on the outside. If Jeudy is targeted 8+ times again this week (and I think he will be), there is a great chance of him getting back up to 60+ yards and finishing as a useful fantasy starter.

WR Jalen Reagor, PHI (Wk. 12: vs. Sea.): If there was ever a golden opportunity for a blowup game from Reagor, this is it. Carson Wentz has been struggling to get himself right, but Reagor has been a full-time player and seen at least 5 targets and 3 catches in each game since his return, and this week he gets the matchup of all matchups for wide receivers. The Seahawks have given up by far the most WR points per game. The defense right behind them in that category, the Cowboys, are closer in average points allowed to the 13^th-ranked Raiders than they are to Seattle. Wentz’s poor play keeps me from getting too optimistic here, but there is a big ceiling if the Eagles can get their passing game just a little more on-track. I’d treat Reagor like a WR4 with a big upside. His floor is probably in the ballpark of 4 catches for 40 yards.

WR Brandon Aiyuk, SF (Wk. 12: @LAR): The situation for Aiyuk this week remains in flux as of Wednesday. He was placed on the Covid list for the 2^nd time this season early in the week, but it was just as a close contact and he may still get cleared. Teammate Deebo Samuel returned to practice this week and may also suit up on Sunday, but could be a game-time decision. If Aiyuk plays and Samuel is out, we know he’ll see enough volume to be in play as a WR3. He’d have the unfortunate circumstance of matching up with Jalen Ramsey, one of the truly elite cover corners in the league, to take away any real ceiling he’d have, but he’d have volume. If Deebo and Aiyuk both play, Samuel would more likely be the receiver chased around by Ramsey, which could free up Aiyuk for a productive day on less volume. In either case, he’s still facing the defense that allows the fewest WR points per game. With the 49ers playing in the late afternoon Sunday, I’d probably look for another option this week. If you’re planning on playing Aiyuk, make sure you have a backup plan that plays in the late afternoon or later in case Aiyuk ends up inactive.

WR CeeDee Lamb, DAL (Wk. 12: vs. Was.): Lamb made one of the catches of the week last Sunday against the Vikings, contorting his body on his way to the ground in the end zone. CeeDee has done an admirable job of keeping himself fantasy viable despite a revolving door at QB since Dak Prescott went down. He’s finished with 13+ PPR points in 3 of the 5 games since Dak was injured. This week’s matchup is a tough one though. Washington allows 2^nd-fewest WR points per game and held Lamb to zero catches on 5 targets in the first meeting between the two teams. I wouldn’t count on Lamb being blanked again, but I also think it will be an uphill fight to get to 13 PPR points in this one. I’d probably look for other options unless you have to play Lamb, and I wouldn’t target him in Thanksgiving DFS lineups.  

WR Tee Higgins, CIN (Wk. 12: vs. NYG): Higgins has several factors working against him this week. The Bengals will be without Joe Burrow after he was knocked out for the season last week, and instead, it will be former Bronco Brandon Allen under center. There’s also a chance he is going to spend most of his day tangling with James Bradberry, who has shown himself to be a true shutdown corner this year. The Giants have given up some receiver production, allowing the 15^th-most WR points per game, but the guy matching up with Bradberry usually isn’t putting up much of it. There are some glimmers of hope for Higgins. It’s possible the Bengals could move him around to try and get him away from Bradberry at times since this might not be a true shadow situation. Also, if you look at Brandon Allen’s performances in his 3 starts last year, you see a willingness to force the ball to his #1 WR. Allen targeted Courtland Sutton at least 8 times in all 3 of his starts last season. If that volume finds its way to Higgins this week, he could wind up with a respectable game even in the tough matchup. Just know that the ceiling probably isn’t going to be there this week, and you’re just hoping that he manages to put up 10 PPR points if you play him.

Rookies to Sit:

RB Cam Akers, LAR (Wk. 12: vs. SF): Akers did find the end zone for the first time on Monday night, but don’t be fooled into thinking it makes him fantasy viable yet. He was still a distant 3^rd in snap share behind Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown in the game, and he only posted 19 scrimmage yards on 6 touches. The 49ers allow the 7^th-fewest RB points per game, and Akers is third in line among the guys trying to score those points against them. I’d look elsewhere if desperate at RB this week.

RB Joshua Kelley, LAC (Wk. 12: @Buf.): With Troymaine Pope back from his concussion, Kelley was limited to a season-low 11 offensive snaps last week. Kalen Ballage has established himself as the clear lead back with Pope and Kelley splitting the work that’s leftover, at least until Austin Ekeler returns. Considering that Ekeler’s return is probably coming within the next week or 2, there’s no reason to hold on to Kelley in season-long leagues at this point.

RB Anthony McFarland, PIT (Wk. 12: vs. Bal.): You likely don’t need me to tell you to avoid McFarland this week, but he’s played a total of just 19 offensive snaps in the last 4 games he’s been active for. Baltimore is a tough matchup for running backs, ranking 4^th in run defense DVOA, but it’s even tougher to produce against that defense if you aren’t getting onto the field.

WR Denzel Mims, NYJ (Wk. 12: vs. Mia.): Mims has been solid since getting healthy, drawing an average of 6.5 targets per game, and many of them downfield. He’s posted 217 yards on 13 catches over the 4 games he’s played, but the bulk of that production has come with Joe Flacco at QB. Sam Darnold has returned to practice this week and may start on Sunday. If Darnold starts, I’d expect him to have tunnel vision for Jamison Crowder. Crowder has been targeted at least 10 times in each game he played with Darnold this season and just 5 total targets in the last two games with Flacco at QB. He also draws the easiest CB matchup this week. While Mims and Breshad Perrriman deal with Xavien Howard and Byron Jones on the outside, Crowder gets to tangle with Nik Needham in the slot, who he should have no problem with. The Dolphins rank 11^th in pass defense DVOA, so this isn’t an easy matchup to begin with. I’d give Mims a bit of a bump if it’s Flacco at QB again, but if it’s Darnold as expected I would lean against playing Mims.

WR KJ Hamler, DEN (Wk. 12: vs. NO): Drew Lock’s injury and the positive game script may have had a negative impact on Hamler’s playing time in week 11. The Broncos leaned on the running game and played a lot more 2-tight end sets against Miami than we typically see from them. Some of that may have been to protect Lock, who has been dealing with a rib injury, but more likely it was the result of a positive game script. Denver didn’t lead much in the 3 games prior to the tilt with the Dolphins but led for nearly 3 full quarters last Sunday. That run-heavy game script limited Hamler to just 58% of the offensive snaps. He did see 6 targets and turned them into 4 catches for 35 yards, but he had been targeted 10 times in each of the two games before that. The Broncos could go back to playing from behind this week, but I’m not sure it will result in a boost in production for Hamler. New Orleans has allowed the 14^th-most WR points per game, but they have been good at limiting slot production. Of the 13 wide receivers who have put up 10 fantasy points or more against the Saints, only 3 of them play primarily in the slot, and none of those 3 were among the 6 receivers that reached 15 points against them. Hamler is best avoided this week.

WR Laviska Shenault, JAX (Wk. 12: vs. Cle.): Shenault has missed the last two games with an injury, and now he’s in line to come back to a game with Mike Glennon at QB. Throughout his career, Glennon has heavily targeted tight ends and big outside receivers like Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. Almost a quarter of his career targets were aimed at V-Jax. I’d expect DJ Chark to be the most useable receiver in this offense while Glennon is under center, but even he would be tough to trust. Volume from a bad QB doesn’t always lead to fantasy production. The Browns are a decent matchup. They allow the 11^th-most WR points per game and will be without their top CB Denzel Ward, but Glennon may render that a moot point. Keep Shenault sidelined this week.

WR Henry Ruggs, LV (Wk. 12: @Atl.): Is this the week that Ruggs finally has a blowup game again? It could be. The Falcons have allowed a league-high 47 pass plays of 20+ yards on the year, and the Seahawks are the only other team to give up 40 or more of them so far, but I wouldn’t count on a strong day from Ruggs. He’s got just 67 scrimmage yards on 9 touches over his last 4 games and played under 60% of the snaps last week for the first time all season (in games he’s been active for). He’s got a little more upside than usual in this game, but I wouldn’t take the chance. He’s a little pricier than I’d like in DFS where his price tag is $1,300 above the minimum on DraftKings. I also wouldn’t go near Bryan Edwards in any lineups after he played just 9 snaps last weekend in his 3^rd game since returning to the field.

WR Austin Mack, NYG (Wk. 12: @Cin.): I was tempted to list Mack as a sleeper this week but can’t really imagine where it’s feasible to play him. Most of his value comes from the volatility of the relationship between the Giants and Golden Tate. Mack was the beneficiary in week 9 when Tate was benched for complaining about his usage, serving as the team’s WR3 and posting a 4-72 line on 5 targets. The interesting thing was that Mack didn’t go completely to the bench in week 10 when Tate was re-inserted. Instead, the two split the WR3 role. Mack wasn’t heavily utilized, catching his only target for just 9 yards in that game, but this week’s matchup is an interesting one if Mack continues to see time on the field. The Bengals allow the 9^th-most WR points per game and rank 31^st in pass defense DVOA on throws to ancillary wide receivers (not the team’s WR1 or 2). If Mack does see some time on the field again this week, he could potentially make the most of the opportunity. That opportunity would probably be just 3 or 4 targets though.

WR Quintez Cephus, DET (Wk. 12: vs. Hou.): This is a week where there should be some sneaky upside for Cephus, but I’m not buying that he’ll make good on it. The Lions will be without Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola on Thursday, but that was also the case last Sunday and Quintez played his lowest snap total of the 3 games that Golladay has missed. The signing of Mohamed Sanu has Cephus splitting the WR3 role behind Marvin Jones & Marvin Hall. Houston is a pretty good matchup, allowing the 10^th-most WR points per game, but Cephus hasn’t been targeted more than twice in a game since week 2. I wouldn’t consider playing him as anything more than a cheap dart throw in a Thanksgiving slate DFS tournament.

WR Gabriel Davis, BUF (Wk. 12: vs. LAC): Davis’s playing time has been pretty steady this year. He’s been on the field for more than 30 offensive snaps in all but one game on the season, but his production has been anything but steady. He’s topped 9 PPR points 4 different times this year…and come up short of 2 points 3 different times. I wouldn’t bank on this being a week where he tops 9 again. The Chargers rank 6^th in pass defense DVOA on throws to ancillary wide receivers. This isn’t a week to roll the dice on Davis being productive.

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, CLE (Wk. 12: @Jax): Since his breakout game against the Bengals in week 7 where he scored a game-winning touchdown, DPJ has played an average of just 9 snaps per game and seen 2 total targets across 3 games. He doesn’t play enough to warrant consideration even in a plus matchup like this one.

WR Marquez Callaway, NO (Wk. 12: @Den.): Now that Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are back to health, Callaway has been on the field for just 14 snaps in the last 2 weeks. With Taysom Hill at QB, there isn’t enough passing volume to justify considering any pass-catchers on this team outside of Thomas and Sanders. Hill threw just 23 times in his first start, and 17 of those throws targeted the top 2 receivers. Brees was averaging nearly 36 attempts per game in the 8 full games he played.

WR Van Jefferson, LAR (Wk. 12: vs. SF): Jefferson did score a touchdown last Monday, but like with his teammate Akers, don’t be fooled into thinking his role is growing. He was on the field for just 4 of the team’s 72 offensive snaps and was targeted just the one time. He’s still a distant 4^th on this WR depth chart.

TE Cole Kmet, CHI (Wk. 12: @GB): The playing time has been increasing for Kmet, but the fantasy production has not. Kmet played more snaps than Jimmy Graham in week 10 before the last week’s bye, but he turned that into just 1 catch for 7 yards, and I wouldn’t expect him to continue playing more than Graham going forward. It was likely a product of a game plan that called for better blocking tight ends in front of the backup running backs since David Montgomery was sidelined. Green Bay allows the 4^th-fewest tight end points per game, and if any Bear tight end is going to put up production against them my money is on Graham.

TE Harrison Bryant, CLE (Wk. 12: @Jax.): Bryant went without a target last Sunday for the 2^nd straight game since Austin Hooper’s return to the lineup. The weather has played a role with both games being played in downpour conditions, but it’s never a good sign to put up back-to-back goose eggs. We also saw David Njoku play over 50% of the offensive snaps in a game with Austin Hooper on the field for the first time all season. The Jaguars do allow the 4^th-most points per game to tight ends, so I doubt Bryant gets completely skunked again, but if Njoku is more involved the rookie has even less upside than usual. Bryant has had more than one catch just once in a game that Hooper played.

Deep League Sleepers, Stashes, and Cheap DFS Options:

QB Jalen Hurts, PHI (Wk. 12: vs. Sea.): Carson Wentz’s play is starting to make it difficult for the Eagles to keep running him out there. Sitting at 3-6-1, it’s hard to believe they’d be in the playoffs if the season ended today, but they may start looking for a spark if they want to stay in that position. Hurts could get the call eventually, and his running ability would give him instant upside even if he isn’t very productive as a passer. Hurts made strides throwing the ball in his last year in college after transferring to Oklahoma, but obviously, there is a difference between Big 12 defenses and NFL defenses. He had 3 separate college seasons with over 850 rushing yards, including nearly 1,300 yards and 20 TDs on the ground in 14 games as a senior. We all know that running QBs can be a cheat code in fantasy. If you have the bench space in a 2-QB league, especially a dynasty league, it would make some sense to stash the Eagles’ rookie QB.

RB Malcolm Perry, MIA (Wk. 12: @NYJ): Perry has been quietly becoming more involved in the Dolphins’ offense in recent weeks, playing regularly at wide receiver since Preston Williams went down a few weeks ago. Perry saw season-highs of 5 targets and a 78% snap share in week 11. If he’s on the field a similar amount this week, he’ll have some upside against a Jets’ defense that allows the 5^th-most WR points per game. Perry has RB eligibility, so if you’re hard-pressed for a running back in a deeper PPR league, Perry could fit that bill this week, and he’s an interesting stash in those same deep PPR leagues in case his role grows going forward. Perry was an option QB at Navy, running for over 2,000 yards and throwing for over 1,000 as a senior, so there may be some trick play potential here as well. It’s normally a good sign for a player learning a new position to get on the field this much as a rookie.

RB DeeJay Dallas, SEA (Wk. 12: @Phi.): Dallas will likely return to the bench this week as Chris Carson is expected to return on Monday in Philly, but Dallas does intrigue me for the Monday night showdown slate DFS tournaments. Backup Carlos Hyde was splitting the backup work with Travis Homer in the early part of the season when Chris Carson was healthy and even spent a couple of weeks as a healthy scratch. In recent weeks, Dallas has sort of moved into Homer’s 3^rd-down specialist role, and he may get the opportunity to spell Carson a bit, especially if the Seahawks decide not to overwork Carson in his first game back. The Eagles rank 30^th in pass defense DVOA on throws that target the running backs, so there is some sneaky upside if Dallas plays more than expected.

WR Darnell Mooney, CHI (Wk. 12: @GB): It’ll be an interesting week for the Bears with Mitch Trubisky back at quarterback. He was inefficient early in the year, leading to his benching, but the change back likely won’t be a big downgrade for Mooney. Trubisky targeted Mooney 6 times in the first two weeks of the season, when he was still behind Ted Ginn on the depth chart, and connected with him for one of the two TDs the rookie has scored. This week, I’d expect Jaire Alexander to shadow Allen Robinson, which could open things up for Mooney. Alexander has the highest coverage grade of any cornerback from Pro Football Focus this season, and the Packers rank 27^th in pass defense DVOA on throws to a team’s WR2. Chicago is an 8.5-point underdog, so they’re likely to be playing from behind and throwing. If Trubisky provides any kind of spark at all, I’d expect a surprisingly good showing from Mooney.

WR Devin Duvernay, BAL (Wk. @Pit.): The Ravens will be without JK Dobbins and Mark Ingram this week, and Duvernay is a track star who played running back in high school before converting to wide receiver in college. He lost snaps at wide receiver last week with Dez Bryant activated, but I’d expect Baltimore to get creative this week in trying to get the ball into the explosive rookie’s hands. The Steelers rank 1^st in the league in pass defense DVOA, but they’ve still managed to give up the 16^th-most WR points per game. I don’t think the Ravens feel entirely comfortable going into the week with just Gus Edwards and Justice Hill at running back, and I’d look for them to manufacture a few extra touches for Duvernay. I’m not sure what format you’d be able to play him in, but don’t be surprised if he leaves the week with 60+ scrimmage yards.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully, it helps you with your toughest lineup decisions involving rookies. Make sure to check the active/inactive updates before kickoff, and make sure you don’t start a sidelined player. If you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, feel free to hit me up on Twitter and let me know (@Shawn_Foss). As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome to Statistically (in)Significant, the place to find great stats that probably only matter at the water cooler (or bar). Each week I'll dig through the stats of the week gone by and deliver you some choice conversation starters. All fantasy stats are half PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

1 Pass Completion

A trio of position players completed passes this week. Perhaps, I should be more specific that they each completed one pass to their own team, but more on that in a moment. On Thursday, we saw Logan Thomas, a TE on a Football Team, hit Terry McLaurin on a 28-yard completion in the first quarter, the longest pass play of the day for Washington. Washington only really needed Antonio Gibson on Thursday, but we’ll get to him in a little bit. Cole Beasley joined in the fun on Sunday, throwing a 20-yard pass to Gabriel Davis in the Bills’ victory over the Chargers. Which brings us to the more infamous player who completed only one pass on Sunday. This, of course, needs a qualifier, because Kendall Hinton did complete two passes to the wrong team, and only one to his own team. A stat line of 1 for 9 with 2 INTs is not something I thought I would see in the NFL in a game that didn’t include some sort of blizzard or hurricane. Here we are, in 2020, where a practice squad player gets to start at QB because he was a backup QB in college.

51.4 Fantasy Points

We’re not here for tiny numbers, generally speaking, though sometimes they can be fun. Let’s break down the top fantasy performance of the season. Tyreek Hill did most of his damage in the first quarter, coming just a few yards shy of the all-time record for receiving yards in a single quarter. Hill started off with a 34-yard completion on the very first play of the game. He added another 23 yards on the same drive and had 57 yards total before 2 minutes had elapsed in the game. Two drives later, Hill got loose behind the defense and caught a 75-yard touchdown, his 6^th receiving TD from Patrick Mahomes of 50 yards or more. A good quarter, you say? There was still 7 minutes left to go! On the next Chiefs drive, Hill caught 3 more passes, capping it off with a 44-yard TD reception. Hill ended the quarter with 7 receptions on 7 targets for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns. In comparison, Hill slacked off the rest of the game and finished with “only” 13 receptions for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns.

3 Touchdowns on the Ground

Tyreek Hill wasn’t the only player to find the end zone three times in Week 12. A pair of running backs managed that feat. First, on Thursday, Antonio Gibson was all the offense that Washington needed to defeat the Cowboys in their annual “why do the same teams always play on Thanksgiving?” afternoon naptime entertainment. Gibson started the game just fine, scoring early to put fantasy owners at ease. It was his finish that was truly impressive. He had fourth-quarter touchdown runs of 23 and 37 yards to turn his average day into the best game of his rookie season. A pick-six by Washington on the play following Gibson’s last touchdown put away the game for the Football Team and also buried the Cowboys' last playoff hopes for this year. Gibson was outdone on Sunday by Derrick Henry, who did almost all of his damage in the first half against the Colts. Henry finished with 178 yards and 3 more touchdowns. This brings his season totals to a league-leading 1,257 rush yards and 12 touchdowns, just one behind Dalvin Cook.

1 WR Over 1,000 Yards

We’re 12 weeks into the season, so while almost every team has played 11 games, we have just one wide receiver averaging 100 yards per game, Davante Adams at 100.9 yds/gamee – a definite departure from the high-flying passing numbers that we’ve seen in recent years. Tyreek Hill is the only WR who has cracked the 1,000-yard mark (1,081) and it took a monster game from him on Sunday to do so. His teammate, Travis Kelce, who is the TE1, 2, and 3 is second in the league in receiving yards with 978. On the rushing side, we have two players averaging 100 yards per game – the aforementioned Derrick Henry with 114 yds/game and Dalvin Cook just behind him at 113 yds/game. The lack of a truly dominant top end in fantasy football has probably prevented teams from running away with it and made waiver wire moves and starting the right guys in the right matchups even more important in this chaotic football season.

23 Fantasy Kicker Fantasy Points

In a surprise to no one, kicker ownership is completely off track. This week’s top kicker was Younghoe Koo of Atlanta who went 5/5 on field goals and 4/4 on extra points for a whopping 23 points, second on his team to only the D/ST, who put up 28 fantasy points on their own. Of course, the Raiders turning the ball over 5 times helped, but I digress, this is about the ridiculous ownership numbers of kickers. Going by our drinkfive writer’s league, Koo is the only kicked owned (by yours truly) of the top 12 kickers this week. In fact, only 5 of the top 20 are on a team at all. The average ownership in Fleaflicker of the top 12 kickers is only 34.5%. So have fun picking a kicker for next week, I suggest that whatever you do, just swap out the kicker you have for someone at random!

Week 12 rankings are up and available for your consumption! Only a couple of weeks left before the fantasy playoffs start for most leagues, and it is more important than ever to start the right guys on a week-to-week basis. Good luck on your journey to the 'ship!

Good luck, and feel free to reach out to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any specific questions or comments that you might have. We are now broadcasting our weekly podcast, The Fantasy Finish Line, LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday at 9pm CT during the regular season. Tune in!