Thanksgiving is the best football weekend of the year. 

Life moves fast, and demands have mounted. A digital world has eliminated boundaries, and many live with the pressure of perpetually being "on."

Our chances to stop and recognize reasons to be thankful are far too few. 

I am thankful for Josh Allen. 

I am also thankful for the 17-year playoff drought, which has put Allen's achievements into perspective. Few things provide the joy that accompanies seeing Allen lead my Buffalo Bills into a primetime matchup. 

For years, other fanbases got the primetime matchups. They also enjoyed franchise quarterbacks and playoff games. Bills fans? We had the fleeting hope that this was the year we could beat Tom Brady. Just once. 

And we had memories.

Memories of wide right. Memories of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Bruce Smith. Memories of wins. Memories of heartbreak.

We also had hope. 

Sunday night struck me. It has been a long season. I am at a trying point in my life, managing multiple obligations and trying to be the best father to three young children. Seeing the Bills score, snow flying through the air, and perhaps knowing we may have "the guy."

That was a moment of joy.

Sports fandom forces a unique perspective on life. 

Even the heartbreaks. 

Pain is temporary. There is next week—or next year. Fans have lived. They have poured their souls into outcomes beyond their control. They have survived heartbreak. Hope sustains them. And the lucky few have seen unbridled joy. 

Only things that matter can break your heart. 

We should all be thankful for the hope and the heartbreak. 

And the fleeting glimpses of joy.

Thank you, Nathan Jahnke. 

And now, The Roundup.

Blind Resume

2024 has been the year of the running back, and Week 13 tied the season high with nine players over 100 rushing yards. 

Can you name them all?

Deep League Waiver Watch List

"Waivers of the Future," released after this column, provides in-depth coverage of waivers. Below is a light introduction to players to watch on your waivers this week, emphasizing Superflex and deep leagues. 

• RB Jordan Mason, San Francisco (90% Sleeper rostered) 
• RB Sincere McCormick, Las Vegas (3% Sleeper rostered) 
• RB Jamaal Williams, New Orleans (42% Sleeper rostered) 
• RB Isaiah Davis, NY Jets (25% Sleeper rostered) 
• WR Adam Thielen, Carolina (86% Sleeper rostered) 
• WR Tylan Wallace, Baltimore (6% Sleeper rostered) 
• WR Dyami Brown, Washington (20% Sleeper rostered) 
• WR Marquise Brown, Kansas City (91% Sleeper rostered) 
• TE Tommy Tremble, Carolina (11% Sleeper rostered) 

Stats Of The Week

• 1 passing touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown, and 1 receiving touchdown - QB Josh Allen, Buffalo - Allen became the 14th player in NFL history to complete a hat trick. Christian McCaffrey and LaDainian Tomlinson were the last players to do it. Allen was the first player in NFL history to complete the hat trick by scoring the receiving touchdown on a pass he threw, scoring on a lateral by Amari Cooper. Allen caught a touchdown on his only career catch. The play with Cooper was scored as seven receiving yards and a touchdown but no reception. He now has one career catch and two career receiving touchdowns. 

• 245 touchdowns - Josh Allen - Allen broke a tie with Jim Kelly for the most touchdowns created (passing, rushing, and receiving) in Bills franchise history. Allen still has some distance to catch Kelly's franchise record 237 touchdown passes, standing at 187 in his career. 

• 4 interceptions - QB Kirk Cousins, Atlanta - Cousins tied his career high with four interceptions in the loss to the Chargers. Cousins is one away from tying his single-season high with 14 interceptions. Cousins' 3.26 interception percentage is the worst mark of his career, topping his previous high of 2.5%. Dak Prescott in 2022 and Lamar Jackson in 2021 are the only players since 2018 to throw 13+ interceptions on fewer than 400 pass attempts. 

• 414 passing yards and 3 touchdowns - QB Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh - Wilson's 414 yards were the second-highest total of his career. It was the 11th most by a Steelers quarterback. Wilson became the 17th quarterback to top 45,000 career passing yards. Wilson threw his 344th career touchdown pass, moving past Fran Tarkenton for the 12th most in NFL history. Tarkenton retired as the career passing leader in 1978 with 47,003 yards. Wilson is 1,724 away from matching that number.   

• 152 rushing yards, 337 scrimmage yards - RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay - Irving posted the seventh-highest rushing total by a Buccaneers rookie. Irving has 337 scrimmage yards over the last two weeks. He is the fifth player in 2024 to post 337+ yards over two weeks. Ja'Marr Chase and De'Von Achane are the only rookies since 2018 to hit that scrimmage yardage number. Doug Martin is the only other Buccaneers rookie to hit the number.

• 101 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown - RB Joe Mixon, Houston - Mixon hit 100+ rushing yards with a rushing touchdown for the seventh time in 2024. Emmitt Smith and Shaun Alexander have the NFL record with 11 100-1 games in a season. Mixon's seven ties Arian Foster's Texans franchise record from 2011. Mixon came into the season with 12 career 100-1 games and never had more than three in a season. 

• 10 receptions, 140 yards, 1 touchdown - TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas - Just when we thought, "What else can Bowers do?" he ups the ante. There have been four 10-100-1 games by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Bowers has had two of those over the last three weeks. 

• 84 receptions, 884 yards, 4 touchdowns - Bowers - Bowers' 84 receptions lead the NFL. Tony Gonzalez was the last tight end to lead the league in receptions in 2004. Bowers is 21 receptions away from Puka Nacua's rookie record of 105. Bowers needs 32 receptions to tie Zach Ertz's tight end record of 116. Bowers needs just two receptions to break Sam LaPorta's rookie record of 86 tight end receptions and 192 yards for Mike Ditka's tight end yardage record. 

• 12 receptions, 96 yards, 0 touchdowns — TE Trey McBride, Arizona — McBride became the seventh tight end to total 24 receptions over a two-game stretch. He is the second player to do it in 2024: Travis Kelce had a similar stretch in Weeks 8 and 9. Diontae Johnson's watch continues. McBride is now just 13 receptions from Johnson's 86 for the most without a touchdown. Perhaps we can get Johnson some champagne while he watches the Ravens play if McBride breaks the dubious record.

Backfield Hierarchy

Splitting backfields into key categories based upon snaps and opportunities (rushes plus targets). While carries may be similar, backfields that fall into a Committee with a Lead over a straight Committee saw wide disparities in snap counts.

Bellcows

• Connor was rewarded with a two-year extension and responded with his best performance since Week 9. Benson was trending toward a split, but no more; his three carries were his lowest since Week 8. Connor's most significant takeaway is his pass-game involvement. Since Week 5, he has averaged four targets, 3.25 receptions, and 31.25 yards, a full-season pace of 55-531. Those numbers align with his 2018 season of 55 receptions and 497 yards, both career highs. After the extension, my first thought was Conner would play with the Cardinals for the rest of his prime, and there would be an interest in preserving him and working in the dual-threat backfield with Benson. At the minimum, the temptation of  "running him into the ground" would be removed. I do not believe that any longer. For the rest of 2024, this is Connor's backfield. Benson is talented enough to acquire in keeper or Dynasty formats at a discount.
• Back in Week 5, I stressed the value of patience. Robinson was RB21 and looked to be in a committed timeshare at the time. From that point, Robinson is RB3. In those first five games, Robinson averaged 13.4 rushes, 57 yards, 3.6 receptions, and 30.2 receiving yards and had one touchdown - a 17-game pace of 969 rush yards, three touchdowns, 61 receptions, and 513 receiving yards. Since Week 6, he is averaging 18 rushes, 85.7 yards, 4.7 receptions, 34.43 receiving yards, and scored seven times - pacing to 1,457 rush yards, 14.5 touchdowns, 80 receptions, 585 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns. Robinson is seeing Christian McCaffrey's usage, after all. 
• Perhaps it is picking nits, but Henry has been RB13 over the last four weeks, tying Najee Harris with 12.7 points per game - a meaningful falloff from his RB1 status at 21.9 points per game through Week 9. He has faced challenging defenses in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and looked great against the Chargers in Week 12 but failed to score on 140 rushing yards. Henry remains on pace for his second-highest career rushing total at 1,839 and tying his career high with 17 rushing touchdowns. He has a two-week touchdown drought after scoring each of the first 12 games. For those in deep leagues, Keaton Mitchell was a healthy inactive. 
• Swift handled every opportunity against a strong Lions run defense after Johnson suffered a concussion. Swift has been trending toward this usage, though Johnson has extra time to recover. The Bears' offense has turned a corner, and the team gets a San Francisco defense that struggled severely to contain the Bills' rush attack in a snow game. The Bears have a problematic playoff schedule for running backs, as Minnesota, Detroit, and Seattle are all in the bottom half of fantasy points allowed to the position.
• Herbert's one rush attempt was the first time since October 27th that a running back other than Brown handled an opportunity. Brown has been RB4 since Week 9 and had his most efficient game since Week 3. Brown's 17-game pace since taking over is 1,351 rush yards, 8.5 touchdowns, 93.5 receptions, and 748 receiving yards. Dynasty RB15 on Keeptradecut.com undervalues Brown's potential.
• Dowdle looked lost in a Week 11 game against Houston, with multiple bad drops and 28 rush yards on ten attempts. He bounced back with 221 scrimmage yards in five days, the best football of his career. Cooper Rush has earned "can at least keep the offense moving" status, an essential level for backup quarterbacks.  Dowdle is a free agent following the season. Plenty of smoke connects the Cowboys to Boise St. running back Ashton Jeanty. That would be the most Jerry Jones move possible. Given the depth of the 2025 class, it would be prudent for the Cowboys to get ahead of Dowdle's impending free-agent status and target a position that holds higher value in team building (a wide receiver opposite CeeDee Lamb would be excellent) and take a later running back in a deep class. But it is Jerry Jones. 
• A career-long 49-yard reception boosted his scrimmage numbers, and Jacobs scored in the third consecutive game to deliver another fantasy Top 12 RB1 week. He remains on pace for his career's second-best statistical season and has been the fantasy RB4 since Week 5. The Packers have a huge game against Detroit in Week 14 to stay alive in the NFC North. Jacobs' 95 yards against the Lions in Week 9 are the most Detroit has allowed to an opposing back. 
• Mixon remained on pace for a career-high season across the board. He needs 318 rush yards, two rushing touchdowns, and 197 receiving yards to establish new career numbers. 
• Taylor has not lived up to his RB4 ADP, sitting at RB16 in points per game, but had his best fantasy week since Week 8. He is on pace for 1,125 rushing yards, just under his 2020 total of 1,169, the second-highest total of his career. Taylor added a receiving touchdown but has not topped 12 receiving yards since Week 4. His Dynasty valuation at RB9 is shaky at best, considering he is sitting on the edge of an age cliff. 
• Williams had a costly fumble early and ceded opportunities to Corum, whose eight rushes tied his season high. But Williams settled in with a season-high 104 yards. His pass game usage is concerning (his one reception broke a two-week drought, and he has topped one catch just twice in eight weeks), and we have not seen the spike weeks we want, but he is grinding away as RB8 on the season. 
• The 2023 Dolphins were sixth in team rushing yards at 2,308 and tied for the league lead with 27 touchdowns. The 2024 version is 22nd in yards and 24th in rushing touchdowns. Over the previous three weeks, the team had given Jaylen Wright a chance to grab the RB2 job from Mostert. That experiment failed as Wright played just one snap. The Dolphins had been playing much better and forced their way back into the playoff picture. They ran into their archnemesis: a game that was not 70 degrees and sunny or indoors. They need a Monday night Broncos loss to stay one game back in the wildcard hunt, though their final five games all look winnable. 
• Chalk Stevenson's poor Week 12 up to gamescript. Outside of that game, his last three have been 18 rushes for 73 yards, 20 for 73 yards, and 20 for 74 yards. Those numbers without a touchdown have made Stevenson a consistent low-end RB2. Gibson grabbed a rush touchdown late for his best fantasy day of the year. He is still clearly a backup to Stevenson and does not hold stand-alone value. 
• Barkley is inevitable. The Ravens did an excellent job of holding Barkley in check for most of the game, but on a decisive drive in the fourth quarter, he broke a 14-yard run and followed up with a 25-yard touchdown to make his week. At this point, his biggest fantasy playoff threat could be motivation. The Eagles need the Lions to lose to Green Bay in Week 14 to gain the tiebreaker advantage. If the Lions win, they would have the tiebreaker on the season absent some particular conditions and could leave the Eagles with little to play for in a pivotal fantasy Week 17. 
• McCaffrey's season-ending injury is the lowlight of Week 13. McCaffrey looked great in the snow and headed for a vintage performance before going down. In his absence, the game shifted back to Mason. Expect Mason to reestablish the critical role he held early in the season. The 49ers are on a three-game losing streak and fell two games back in the division hunt. Mason can be a crucial fantasy contributor in the playoffs, though Brock Purdy's shoulder injury and the 49ers facing elimination could serve to put a low ceiling on his output.
• Since Week 8, Walker is RB31 at 9.7 points per game. He has topped 4.0 YPC just once since September. Walker has always been more of a home run threat, but his season-long rush is 28 yards, and he has one run over 14 yards since Week 4. The team looked more than willing to make him their feature back, but another week like this will move him out of Bellcow status. 
• Welcome to the club Tampa Bay. Through the first 12 weeks of the year, the Buccaneers were committed to a timeshare split that was nearly comical. It was time to remove the training wheels in a critical game against a feisty Carolina squad. Irving earned Bellcow status. White still played equal snaps, and the Buccaneers utilized both backs together a season-high amount. Still, much of White's work came while Irving managed a hip injury. Most notably, the passing game work has shifted dramatically following the team's Week 11 bye. White received seven targets to Irving's three in Week 10. Over the last two weeks, Irving has nine targets to White's two. The Bellcow placement may be aggressive, considering White had his season high in rushing yards, but Irving's ascension is apparent. 
• Spears returned after missing Week 12, but his offensive role was minimal. The Commanders put this game away fast, but the Titans' performance in Week 12, which upset Houston, suggests they are not quitting. Pollard has a favorable playoff schedule and is worth buying on teams that need running back help in leagues without trade deadlines. 

Committee With A Lead

• The teams warmed up on a clean field, but the snow hit right at kickoff and quickly accumulated. The 49ers defense could not stop a Bills rush attack that broke chunk yardage all night. Cook has stepped back from a heavy early-season Bellcow role, but it is not a knock on his ability; the Bills have been winning convincingly and have their eyes on the playoffs after becoming the first team to clinch their division in 2024. 

• The plot thickens. Hubbard responded to his extension with 157 yards against the Giants in Week 10. After a Week 11 bye, Brooks debuted in a cameo role against Kansas City. Week 13 was more than a cameo; Hubbard's 12 rushes were his lowest since Week 2, and all three targets went to Brooks. The Panthers are not going to the playoffs; expect them to continue experimenting with their split backfield version of Detroit South. Hubbard was RB6 at 16.7 points per game from Week 3 to 12. He may not be playable in the fantasy playoffs. 

• Bigsby returned after missing a week, and the snap share was close to equal. D'Ernest Johnson was a healthy scratch, and the backfield focused on Etienne and Bigsby after running all three of them at times. Etienne and Bigsby have a three-down skillset, likely leading to a True Committee. After a scary hit, Trevor Lawrence's season may be over this time—a challenging situation for anyone who bought Etienne at value before the season. 

• McCormick looks like the Raiders' best back, including Alexander Mattison and Zamir White. He was quick and decisive. The Raiders would allow him to see what they have, but they do not do anything ideally. Still, he should be a priority add in the deepest leagues. 

• Edwards was the lead back, with Vidal incrementally ahead of Haskins. That should be the value order. JK Dobbins is on IR and will miss at least four games. The team badly misses Dobbins' splash play ability and shiftiness. Ladd McConkey was the only thing that worked in a game won by the Chargers defense. Vidal has shown the most in the passing game, but the ability to spread defenses and lean into Herbert's talent, which made the team enjoyable a couple of weeks back, now feels gone. 

• The Vikings had trended hard toward a 60-40 split between Jones and Akers before Week 12 when Jones had a season-high 22 attempts. Naturally, the Vikings shifted back to their split for Week 13. Jones is a highly volatile player, though his ceiling makes him worth starting. 

• Hill is the other significant injury from the week. In Week 11, he posted one of the most unique games in NFL history. After a Week 12 bye, the Rams held him in check before he went down. The usage should shift heavily back to Kamara, who posted his third 100-yard rushing day and had a receiving touchdown called back due to a penalty. Kamara is 38 yards away from establishing a new career high in rushing and 106 yards from his first 1,000-yard season. He needs 344 scrimmage yards for his best season there. On a Saints team badly lacking weapons, he has been a constant. 

• Tracy bounced back to dominate the snap share after a blowout loss in Week 12, though the touch split was equal. The Giants' offensive ceiling is shallow with either Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito. Everyone who has Tracy is thrilled, given his acquisition price, and he could explode any week, but he looks like a 2025 move. 

• Hall came into the week questionable and left for part of the game with a knee injury. A Broncos win would put the Jets on the verge of mathematical elimination. Depending on the severity of his injury, Hall is a shutdown candidate. 

• Harris looked to have ceded the lead role to Warren in Week 12, but usage swung back hard, and Harris had his best fantasy game of the season. More bad than good has been said about Harris on fantasy circles over the last couple of seasons, but he is 176 yards away from extending a three-season 1,000-yard rushing streak to start his career. Warren salvaged a decent day in the passing game, but it was not a priority in this game plan. 

• The Commanders built a 28-0 lead on the Titans, which allowed them to rest Robinson in the second half. Almost all of Rodriguez's work came in the fourth quarter. Robinson was managing an injury that limited his Week 12 and practice prep, but the Commanders have a Week 14 bye to give him time. Austin Ekeler is on IR and out of the fantasy playoffs. Robinson can be a Top 12 running back through the fantasy playoffs. 

True Committees

• Gibbs posted a photo on social media revealing the Lions' passing protections. There is the slightest chance he is in the doghouse, though that feels like more media sensation than practical football application. No one is sitting him in fantasy, nor should they. The Lions' offense was not its usual hyper-efficient self, but no one bats 1.000. 

• Week 13 is a placeholder week for the Chiefs. Hunt has performed admirably with Pacheco out, but the offense has lacked explosive ability in the rush game. Expect Pacheco to return to his Bellcow status in time for the fantasy playoffs after a ramp-up period. 

The Target Report

I view target trees as "clean" or "dirty." Clean trees distill targets to their top options and give standout fantasy performances. Dirty trees are, well, a mess and rely on unpredictable possibilities. The chart below splits these offenses into categories.

Offenses with Top 2 Options > 60% Target Share

• Thomas Brown's Bears offense has focused on getting the ball to its best players. Moore and Allen have been the primary beneficiaries. Moore has been fantasy WR1 over the last two weeks, while Allen is WR3. Moore's 16 targets were a career high. Teams who have survived quiet fantasy seasons from this duo to make their fantasy playoffs are getting an unexpected bump just in time. 

• Aidan O'Connell aced his first week of "Please do not ruin Bowers and Meyers" in pushing the Chiefs to the limit. Bowers' antics are in Stats of the Week, but Meyers deserves mention. He is 190 yards away from establishing a new career high and is a solid fantasy WR2.

• McConkey is fascinating. His first six games and last six games present an obvious switch in production. His targets remained static, 39 over the first six games and 42 over the next six, but his yardage jumped from 265 to 550. What happened? The obvious answer is more downfield targets. His ADoT over the first six games was 8.96 and has jumped to 12.10. We can forgive the Chargers for pigeonholing McConkey as a slot receiver; almost every draft profile did the same. Looking at the package, that is an easy conclusion. However, McConkey continually showed splash play ability downfield in Georgia. Between Week 6-8, a multitude of things happened. Will Dissly emerged. Quentin Johnson missed two games. Without Johnson, McConkey worked deeper. He flourished. That emergence raises McConkey's value as a real and fantasy football receiver. Dissly has been a consistent underneath target, operating in the areas McConkey did to start the year, and Johnston has been pulled closer to the LOS regarding his targets. McConkey has shown that he can be an NFL WR1 and be capable of winning on all three levels. 

• The Rams struggled severely to get moving in the first half against the Saints. The offense opened up in the second half. Robinson hit a splash play and then scored in the red zone. Nacua scored on a receiver screen in the red zone as well. Kupp took the collar with one of his quietest games. The fact that the Rams did this is one-half of the game, which shows their ceiling. 

• The Giants' offense was shut down, with almost half of their passing production coming in a fire drill down two touchdowns in the game's final minutes. Johnson picked up 34 of his 54 yards on that drive. We should expect this outcome from this offense: Nabers posting volume without many splash plays and hoping for something in garbage time. 

• Jalen Hurts threw 28 passes in a Week 11 win against the Commanders. Removing that game, he has averaged 19.8 attempts since Week 6. The Eagles have not lost in that span. Given that volume, A.J. Brown has been at WR14 since Week 6, a miracle. Given the football quality the Eagles play, no one can criticize what is working. 

• The snow may have provided convenient cover for Brock Purdy's shoulder. The 49ers' passing game did not work, but it did show that Jennings' ascension to WR1 status has stuck. Samuel was in trade rumors in the 2024 offseason. Given Jennings' emergence, Ricky Pearsall's flashing in limited opportunity, and Brandon Aiyuk's contract extension and return from injury, we are likely watching the last games Samuel plays with the franchise. 

Offenses with Top 2 Options > 50% and Top 3 > 70% Target Share

• Wilson and Conner combined to dilute the Cardinals' offense just enough to knock them off the top tier. Harrison caught his seventh touchdown. The list of Cardinals rookies to catch 40+ passes, gain 600+ yards, and score 7+ touchdowns is Harrison, Anquan Bolden, and Larry Fitzgerald. Only 62 rookies in NFL history have hit 40-600-7. Five players did it in a banner year for rookies in 2023. Christian Watson was the only player in 2022. Ja'Marr Chase was the only one to do it in 2021. If you bump the list to 50-800-8, it becomes only 32 players. We have officially broken our statistical expectations for rookie wide receivers.

• London established a new career high with 16 targets, topping his previous mark of 13 from Weeks 5 and 10. His nine receptions were the second-highest of the season, and his 86 yards were his third-best mark. Sunday was a disaster for the Falcons, but London salvaged decent production.

• Any ramp-up is over; Collins has been the fantasy WR7 over the last two weeks. Tank Dell's absence from the report is the real story. Dell was trending upwards as WR25 from Week 8 to 12 after a disastrous start to the season. He was non-existent in this game, catching one pass for 23 yards. C.J. Stroud has averaged just 216 yards per game since Collins initially went down in Week 5. He averaged 276 as a rookie. Jacksonville was a potential bounce-back spot. Instead, the Texans survived another game closer than expected against an inferior opponent.

• Jefferson bounced back with his best game in a month. He was still held out of the endzone and has gone six games without scoring. That drought ties the longest of his career, between Week 2 and Week 7 in 2022.

• From Week 5 to Week 9, Wilson was the WR1 in fantasy, averaging 18.6 points per game. He has 17 total points over the last three games. Over his last four games, Adams has been one of the most targeted players in football with 43. He is WR19 over that period. It is there for the Jets; they can not put it together. Despite speculation, the team announced Rodgers will remain the starter. 

• Evans posted his first 100-yard game of the season. He needs to average 95.8 yards per game to extend his 1,000-yard streak to 11 seasons. For the mental health of our dear friend Joey Wright, we are cheering hard for him. 

Offenses with Top 1 Option > 25% and Top 3 < 70% Target Share

• The Bills shut down their offensive effort early in the fourth quarter, securing a comfortable victory. The deep element was not present due to the conditions, but the production without Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman was still more than enough. Cooper's first game with the team was the only time they had Kincaid, Cooper, Coleman, Shakir, and Curtis Samuel available. It's scary that in the middle of an MVP season for Josh Allen, we still have not seen the total capacity of this attack. 

• Joe Burrow topped 300 yards and three touchdowns for the third consecutive game. Chase and Higgins both turned in Top 14 WR Weeks. The Bengals lost again. Chase gave up his lead in the receiving triple crown race to Brock Bowers in receptions, though he still leads second-place Justin Jefferson by 104 yards and has four more touchdowns than Terry McLaurin and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Burrow leads in yards and touchdown passes. The elite offensive production, paired with a 4-8 record, is historic. 

• Romeo Doubs was still out for Green Bay, and Christian Watson missed a couple of big plays. Reed had his best fantasy week since Week 4. Jordan Love's 274 yards were his most since Week 4. The passing production has been disappointing this season, but the Packers have stacked wins. 

• There is little meat on the bone for this Colts' passing attack. Anthony Richardson came through clutch at the end of the game, and hopefully, he can build off that drive. However, the team has one specific way of trying to win games, and it does not align with fantasy production. Josh Downs is still questionable about returning after the team's Week 14 bye, and they would face a stiff Denver pass defense. 

• There is positive news about Marquise Brown returning before the end of the regular season. Mahomes posted his second 300-yard passing day of the season, and his fantasy production has come closer to expectations. Since Week 8, Mahomes has averaged 265 yards and 2.167 touchdowns, full-season numbers of 4,505 and 37. The Chiefs can spread the wealth and did so against the Raiders, providing solid but unspectacular weeks from their weapons. 

• Henry is two receptions and 42 yards away from establishing new career highs. He has emerged as the constant in the Patriots offense. He is the discount version of McBride, a player who would hold a much higher standing with just an average touchdown rate. For contenders who lost Taysom Hill, Henry presents as a high-floor pivot option who could be a ceiling play with some touchdown regression. 

• Metcalf's torrid September, when he was WR7, is a distant memory. He is chipping away at another 1,000-yard season. We know his ceiling is as high as any receiver in the league, and his Week 16 opponent, the Vikings, has allowed the most fantasy points to receivers. 

• McLaurin set a new career high with nine touchdown receptions. He is three away from tying the franchise record 12, held by four players. He needs 104 yards to record his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season. 

Offenses Under All Thresholds

• Few perceptions baffle me as much as Andrews. Yes, back-to-back zeros in Weeks 3 and 4 were rough. Still, he is TE5 on the season and TE3 since Week 5. His seven touchdowns are just three away from a career-high. He is on pace for a 59-668-9.5 season, along with any of the best of his career. And he was ECR consensus ranked TE18 in Week 13. His Dynasty value has rebounded mainly from the panic when he was TE17 on KeepTradeCut, returning to TE9. I do not believe he is valued the way he is ranked, but with the Ravens on bye Week 14, it is worth checking to see if you can make the upgrade. 

• Could Week 13 start the return of the Thielen - Bryce Young connection? Thielen was WR3 from Week 2 to Week 6 in 2023 before sliding back. He scored his second touchdown of 2024 and should have had another with a more favorable replay ruling. Thielen has the potential to shift leagues and may be on some waivers.

• Cooks is another player who could shift leagues out of nowhere. He established himself as a significant red zone presence in 2023, scoring his first game back from a long IR stint. Thielen is a much higher priority with a better chance to gain volume, but Cooks' scoring was positive.

• St. Brown's Week 11 performance made the red flags this space has raised on his profile look foolish. The touchdowns have dried up the last two weeks, and he is WR29 over that period. Elite fantasy wide receiver profiles do not bottom out without touchdowns. This team is different than previous Lions teams forced into shootouts. 

• Hill is building toward fantasy production, scoring in three of the last four weeks. However, his numbers are still far off expectations. Smith has 301 yards in the previous three weeks. He needs 15 receptions and 143 yards to have the most productive season for a Dolphins tight end. 

• Valdes-Scantling scored for his third consecutive game. He is WR5 per game over those three games, though no underlying usage supports this production. Johnson is TE15 over his last two games and should step up with Hill's season over. 

• Freiermuth has been a disappointment, sitting at TE21 through Week 11. He has been TE7 over the last two weeks, posting 27% of his season-long fantasy production in that window.  Week 13 was his best game of the season.

The Landmine Lineup

We often focus on "Spike Weeks" in fantasy football. Explosive 30+ point per game performances that win weeks almost single-handedly. Dud lineups that ruin your week are the opposite end of that spectrum. Every week, I will highlight the hypothetical Landmine Lineup. If you have started this lineup, message me, and I will feature your misfortune, and we will find a way to brighten your week!

• QB: Kirk Cousins - 6.1 points
• RB: Gus Edwards - 3.8 points
• RB: Ken Walker III - 5.8 points
• WR: Tank Dell- 2.8 points
• WR: Cooper Kupp - 3.2 points
• WR: Rome Odunze - 3.5 points
• WR: Darnell Mooney - 3.5 points
• TE:  Kyle Pitts - 0 points

This week's lineup posted 28.7 points. 

The Chargers - Falcons game carried one of the highest lines of the week at 47.5 points. 

Naturally, it was the lowest-scoring game across the league. Justin Herbert posted his lowest fantasy score of the year, while Kirk Cousins is now on a two-game streak, averaging six points per game.  Edwards, Pitts, and Mooney were pulled into the abyss along with the quarterbacks. 

Walker was close to breaking through. He was up to 56 yards, his most since Week 9 before he took a seven-yard loss on a pitch outside. It was his last touch of the game. Charbonnet came in and scored a touchdown later on the drive. 

Kupp had one of his quietest games as a pro. He has been under four receptions 17 times in his eight-year career, and his 17 yards were his sixth fewest. 

Players who beat it: no one.

If you started this lineup, send me a message at Bell@Footballguys.com!

Revenge! (Not sponsored by Immaculate Grid, but it could be!)

Week 13

• QB Geno Smith, Seattle vs. NY Jets, Won 26-21, 206 passing yards, one touchdown, two rushing yards.
• RB David Montgomery, Detroit vs. Chicago, Won 23-20, 88 rushing yards, three receptions, 36 yards. 
• RB D'Andre Swift, Chicago vs. Detroit, Lost 23-20, 39 rushing yards, two receptions, 35 receiving yards.
• WR Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland vs. Denver, Monday
• QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay vs. Carolina, Won 26-23, 235 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, eight rushing yards.
• WR Nelson Agholor, Baltimore vs. Philadelphia, Lost 24-19, two targets, no receptions.
• RB Jeremy McNichols, Washington vs. Tennessee, Won 42-19, 32 rushing yards.
• WR Allen Robinson II, Detroit vs. Chicago, Won 23-20, no stats.
• RB Chris Brooks, Green Bay vs. Miami, Won 30-17, 28 rushing yards, two receptions, one yard.
• RB Dare Ogunbowale, Houston vs. Jacksonville, Won 23-20, no stats.
• QB Jacoby Brissett, New England vs. Indianapolis, Lost 25-24, no stats.
• QB Marcus Mariota, Washington vs. Tennessee, Won 42-19, no stats.
• QB Taylor Heinicke, LA Chargers vs. Atlanta, Won 17-13, no stats.
• WR Trent Sherfield Sr., Minnesota vs. Arizona, Won 23-22, no stats. 

Week 14

• QB Kirk Cousins, Atlanta vs. Minnesota
• WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee vs. Jacksonville
• RB DeeJay Dallas, Arizona vs. Seattle
• WR Brandon Powell, Minnesota vs. Atlanta
• TE Chris Manhertz, NY Giants vs. New Orleans
• RB Miles Sanders, Carolina vs. Philadelphia

Blind Resume Answer

The star running backs have all come through in 2024. Well, most of them. Get well soon, Christian McCaffrey. 2024 has been the year of the running back, with the position devalued in preseason drafts only to re-establish dominance. Of course, the adage of replaceable production is not strictly incorrect. Few would have had Bucky Irving and Rico Dowdle leading the week in rushing yards just days ago. 

Deep Players To Watch On Monday Night Football

WR Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland

Jeudy did not mince words, telling Tony Grossi of The Land On Demand.com, "My feelings? I just want to return and whip their (Sorry Joe)." Jeudy would add he was not satisfied with how the Broncos were using him. 

The Browns have shifted that after trading Amari Cooper to Buffalo. Jeudy averages nine targets per game over his last four games, the 16th most in the NFL.  He has turned those targets into six receptions and 94.75 yards per game, a full-season pace of 102-1,611. 

Jeudy had his work cut out before his comments. Former Alabama teammate Patrick Surtain II is the top-rated corner on PFF.com. The Broncos had allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers through the first six weeks, though the damn has broke, and the Broncos sit in the middle of the NFL pack since Week 7. 

The Browns are playing for their playoff lives. A loss to Denver would put them four games back in the loss column for the final AFC wild-card spot, with minimal paths to making the field. Jeudy has commanded the spotlight. 

He will get it. 

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