The playoff push is upon us. Performance-driven breakouts and injuries have opened up some opportunities for players who could shine in Week 12. Here are some under-the-radar options at each position that you might want to take a look at for your starting roster.
QUARTERBACK
Derek Carr, Oakland at NY Jets - The Raiders are trending in the AFC playoff race, much in part to their 6-4 record with a favorable schedule the rest of the way, including this week against the Jets on the road. New York has won two straight games (NYG, at WAS), each scoring 34 points in the victory. This trend suggests this game could be high-scoring, or at least favorable to a heavy pass game script. On the defensive side of the ball, the Jets have allowed 12 touchdown passes in their last four games that includes Gardner Minshew, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Daniel Jones, and Dwayne Haskins. Derek Carr has thrown multiple touchdowns in five of the last eight games, and he is next in line against a struggling Jets pass defense.
Nick Foles, Jacksonville at Tennessee - Surprisingly, the Titans have been less than stellar against the pass in their last four games. Philip Rivers, Jameis Winston, Kyle Allen, and Patrick Mahomes II have each thrown for 2+ touchdowns against Tennessee, and three of them passed for over 300 yards. Next up is Nick Foles who had 296 passing yards with 2 touchdown passes last week in his return to action after being out since Week 1.
Sam Darnold, NY Jets vs Oakland - As mentioned earlier, the Jets have won two straight, scoring 34 points in each game. They will face a gritty Raiders team looking for their first playoff berth since 2016. Before facing Ryan Finley last week, Oakland allowed 13 touchdown passes in their previous four games. Darnold is coming off a four-touchdown game against Washington, and Oakland is another favorable matchup in a string of games against @WAS, OAK, @CIN, and MIA.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia vs Seattle - The Eagles are dealing with injuries to several offensive players, namely Jordan Howard, Alshon Jeffery, and DeSean Jackson. This leaves the bulk of the offense in the hands of Nelson Agholor, Miles Sanders and of course, their two tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. While it doesn't look great on paper, there is a level of intrigue to this game for Wentz. Seattle has allowed 52, 44, and 46 pass attempts from ATL, TB, and SF in their last three games. If the ground game struggles to find a grip this week, Wentz and the Eagles may take flight in what could turn into a pass-heavy second half that could pay fantasy dividends to Wentz.
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago vs NY Giants - The Giants have let opposing quarterbacks top 20 fantasy points (FanDuel scoring) in six of the last seven games and eight of ten this season. Can Trubisky be the 9th?
Dwayne Haskins, Washington vs Detroit - The Lions have allowed every opposing quarterback since Week 6 to pass for at least two touchdowns. The matchup is favorable for Washington, and Haskins showed last week that he can get the ball in the end zone with two touchdown passes. Scoring has been a challenge for Washington since Haskins took over, but perhaps he'll have some confidence after breaking a streak of 16 straight quarters without an offensive score.
RUNNING BACK
Latavius Murray, New Orleans vs Carolina - We know that Alvin Kamara will be a weapon for the Saints, but this is also a game to consider starting Latavius Murray as well. Murray has underperformed recently, with 5-12 and 10-27 rushing yards in his last two games, but he'll face a Carolina run defense that has been flat this season. The Panthers have allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs since Week 8. Despite allowing only two 100-yard rushers this year, they have allowed at least one rushing touchdown to a running back in every game but two this season.
Bo Scarbrough, Detroit at Washington - The Lions added former Alabama running back, Bo Scarbrough to the active roster before last week's game. He answered with 14 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. Detroit has been looking for a power back to emerge since losing Kerryon Johnson in Week 7. Scarbrough fits the mold in this scenario, plus Washington has allowed at least one rushing touchdown to a running back in every game but three this season. They also allow a league-high 33 carries per game to opposing backs since Week 8.
Tevin Coleman, San Francisco vs. Green Bay - Tevin Coleman has been relatively quiet since his four-touchdown game against Carolina in Week 8, but the ankle injury to Matt Breida has allowed him to showcase himself. He failed to amount to much last week, other than his involvement as a receiver, but this matchup against Green Bay is a favorable one, especially if Breida misses another game. Green Bay has allowed the 7th most fantasy points to running backs since Week 8, but more importantly, they have had only two games where a running back didn't score. Last week Raheem Mostert was used mainly on third downs and when the team was in 11-personnel (3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB). The back to own this week is Coleman.
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland vs Miami - Nick Chubb still has a grasp on the main rushing role but Cleveland has been sprinkling in Hunt since his return from suspension. He is quickly becoming the team's go-to receiving back, with 7 and 6 receptions in his first two games as a Brown. He is expected to handle that role this week against Miami and moving forward. In PPR leagues, he's worthy of a flex start, especially if bye weeks have you in a bind.
Jonathan Williams, Indianapolis at Houston (Thursday Night) - The hand injury to Marlon Mack allowed journeyman Jonathan Williams to see the field against Jacksonville. He answered with 13 carries for 116 yards and 1 catch for 31 yards. He ran with a good burst through the line and was a key contributor to the Colts win against the Jaguars in Week 11. In a short week, the Colts are limited on knowledge of injuries to their other backs - Mack (hand) and Jordan Wilkins (ankle). The uncertainty makes Williams a good bet to see more of the same involvement against Houston.
Jaylen Samuels, Pittsburgh at Cincinnati - The Steelers are limping along with injuries to James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster. This week they travel to Cincinnati who has struggled to find any positive this season. Jaylen Samuels is expected to start over Conner (shoulder) and the last time he faced the Bengals he had 8 catches for 57 yards, plus a rushing touchdown. The Steelers, particularly Mason Rudolph, have used the check down pass often in their offense as they try to employ a safe, controlled game plan. As a result, Samuels has 32 receptions in his last five games, which is an average of 6.4. He's an adequate starter as long as Conner is out, especially in PPR leagues. It's also possible that Benny Snell will see some reps this week after hurting his knee is Week 8.
WIDE RECEIVER
Chris Conley, Jacksonville at Tennessee - In Nick Foles' return to the Jaguars, he passed for 296 yards on 47 pass attempts. D.J. Chark led the way with 8 catches on 15 targets for 104 yards and 2 scores. Chris Conley added 6 catches for 58 yards on 8 targets and was Foles second option in the passing game. Conley has at least 7 targets in each of the last four games, but more importantly, the Jaguars opponent this week is Tennessee. The Titans have allowed five touchdowns to wide receivers in the last three games, and each game featured a 100-yard receiver. This is great news for Chark, but there's also a chance that Conley can reach pay dirt as well. He's a decent option as a flex play this week.
Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia vs. Seattle - The Eagles were without Alshon Jeffery (ankle) in Week 11 vs New England and Nelson Agholor benefited with 9 targets, including the end of the game hail mary in the end zone. If Jeffery is out again, look for Agholor to be a constant option in the passing game that could be front and center in the second half of the game. Even if Jeffery plays, Agholor will still have a role. He is second on the team in targets and receptions since Week 8. Also, since Week 8, Seattle has allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers and averages 20 receptions per game to opposing wide receivers in that span. This game has all of the makings of a high pass-oriented game script for Philadelphia especially. Agholor is dealing with a knee injury, but he also was involved in the last-second end zone target last week. Monitor his status this week.
Hunter Renfrow and Tyrell Williams, Oakland at NY Jets - Since Week 7 (five games) the Jets have allowed 11 touchdowns to wide receivers. Including scores from the following receiver pairs Darius Slayton & Golden Tate, Preston Williams & DeVante Parker, and three from Chris Conley, D.J. Chark, and Keelan Cole. The Raiders' top-targeted receivers since Week 8 are Hunter Renfrow (22), Darren Waller (22), and Tyrell Williams (19). The odds look good for one or both of Renfrow and Williams to have a decent game this week.
Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, Chicago vs NY Giants - The Bears aren't the model of consistency when it comes to fantasy production, however, in fantasy, we play matchups and this matchup against the Giants looks favorable on paper. Multiple wide receivers have scored touchdowns against New York in two of the last three games. The Giants have allowed 6 touchdowns to wide receivers in that span including one each to Amari Cooper & Michael Gallup, plus two scores from Kenny Golladay, plus another from Lions receiver Marvin Hall. Robinson has been the Bears WR1 all season with 57 receptions on 85 targets and three touchdowns. Lately, Taylor Gabriel has come on strong. He was targeted 14 times last week against the Rams and he leads the team with 29 targets since Week 8. This could be a positive game script for Mitchell Trubisky and therefore his top targets Robinson and Gabriel.
DeVante Parker, Miami at Cleveland - DeVante Parker has scored a touchdown or topped 100 yards in five of the last seven games. Since Preston Williams went down with a knee injury in Week 9, he has 10 targets in back to back games with 204 yards in that span. He has become Ryan Fitzpatrick's go-to option and has earned himself a weekly role in your lineup as a flex option at worst. This week Miami plays at Cleveland, which isn't a gold-star matchup, but Parker's volume should yield an excellent opportunity for another decent week of production.
Marvin Jones, Detroit at Washington - Jeff Driskel has been a nice surprise for the Lions at quarterback. Despite two losses, he has performed well in fantasy terms with 4 touchdowns, including 37 and 51 rushing yards. Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones each have 21 targets since Week 9, but Jones has 17 receptions with 3 touchdowns, while Golladay has 8 receptions and two touchdowns. Both have been solid, but Driskel may favor Jones just a tad when it comes to consistency and scoring. Both are excellent starts this week against a Washington team who have allowed at least one touchdown to a wide receiver in all but three games this season.
TIGHT END
Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh at Cincinnati - Vance McDonald has 25 targets in the last four games which is 4th best in the league at tight end in that span. He has at least 7 targets in each of the last three games and the Steelers will face the Bengals in Week 12. Cincinnati has allowed the most fantasy points to tight ends since Week 8. This is a situation where production and volume meets a favorable matchup.
Noah Fant, Denver at Buffalo - While the Bills aren't a great matchup this week, it's important to know that Noah Fant has been productive since Brandon Allen has taken over at quarterback. His 23 targets tie Courtland Sutton for the team lead since Week 8. In two games with Allen, Fant has 3-115-1 and 4-60. He is quickly becoming a key contributor for Denver on offense and may wind up extending his strong play this week against the Bills.
Jacob Hollister, Seattle at Philadelphia - The Seahawks continue to produce from the tight end position. Will Dissly benefited in the early part of the season, but since his injury, Jacob Hollister has stepped in and contributed. He has been on the field for 79% of the team's offensive plays in the last two games and he has 12 catches and three touchdowns in that span. He is moving into a weekly role in your lineup thanks to Russell Wilson's affinity for finding him in the end zone.
Ryan Griffin, NY Jets vs Oakland - The Jets have scored four touchdowns from tight ends in the last four games, and Ryan Griffin has three of them. Sam Darnold has utilized Griffin well lately with 15 catches in those four games. He'll face a Raiders team who has allowed 7 touchdowns to tight end this year.
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