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Hayden's unexpected fantasy football performances, waiver wire sleepers, and trade targets for Week 12 (2024). Can these NFL players sustain Week 11's success?
Week 11 provided fans with plenty of great games to savor on Sunday. The Packers survived in Chicago by blocking Cairo Santos's game-winning field goal attempt, the Colts beat the Jets with a score in the final minute, and the Chargers held on to defeat Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football.
A lot of players put up strong stat lines too. Jared Goff dominated the Jaguars with 412 passing yards and four touchdowns, and his top wideout, Amon-Ra St. Brown, tallied 161 yards and two scores. Breece Hall, Cooper Kupp, and Brock Bowers were also among the top performers of the day.
Several less-appreciated players also played well this week, though. Let's take a look at five of this week's unexpected boom performances, starting with a versatile tight end.
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Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans tight end Taysom Hill is the most unique player in fantasy football right now. He is listed as a tight end, but he lines up all over the field and gets usage on the ground each week. Entering Week 11, Hill was averaging 4.5 rushing attempts and 2.3 targets per game, and he had three rushing touchdowns in six appearances.
Hill exploded in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns. He rushed for 138 yards, setting a new career high on just seven attempts. Hill also scored three rushing touchdowns for the second time in his career. Moreover, he added eight receptions on ten targets for 50 yards through the air, and he passed for 18 yards with an interception.
Taysom Hill simply can't stop making plays.
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/HJB01IXc4F
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 17, 2024
Even in a week where quite a few tight ends played well, Hill stood head and shoulders above his positional competition. With 38.52 half-PPR points, Hill easily ranks as Week 11's TE1 ahead of Monday Night Football. He now stands as the season's TE3 in half-PPR points per game, and he has been the TE1 over the past three weeks.
Hill's unorthodox usage for a player listed at TE makes him an intriguing fantasy asset. He is worth adding and starting moving forward given the variety of ways he touches the football. Hill also provides managers with a lot of TD upside. While the Saints have a bye in Week 12, Hill can be confidently inserted into lineups after that.
Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins
Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith has had his moments this season. His best game through Week 10 came against the Colts in Week 7. That week, Smith caught all seven of his targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. Overall, Smith was averaging merely 6.3 half-PPR points per game entering Week 11, however.
Smith excelled on Sunday by catching six passes on eight looks for 101 yards in Miami's 34-19 victory over Las Vegas. He also scored two touchdowns, with the latter being a wide-open 57-yarder to extend his team's lead in the fourth quarter. He stands as Week 11's TE2 through Sunday's games with 25.1 half-PPR points.
Jonnu Smith WIDE OPEN for the 57-yard TD!
📺: #LVvsMIA on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/VMOXPnzMzM— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Over his past six games, Smith has quietly averaged 6.5 targets per outing. During this stretch, he has caught at least four passes and/or gained at least 40 yards in all six games. Smith has also scored three times since Miami's Week 6 bye. He has established himself as a viable starting fantasy option in recent weeks.
Smith is worth a long look on waivers this week. He has gradually become more trustworthy as his role in the passing game becomes increasingly apparent. Fantasy managers in need of a tight end should make Smith their top priority this week unless Taysom Hill is also available to be claimed.
Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland receiver Jerry Jeudy began the season with Amari Cooper as his team's top receiver. While Jeudy totaled 30 targets in the first four weeks, his volume then dipped before Cooper was dealt to the Bills. That move revived Jeudy's fantasy prospects; he had at least 70 receiving yards in two of his next three games.
Fresh off of the Browns' Week 10 bye, Jeudy erupted on Sunday versus New Orleans. He caught six of his 11 targets for 142 yards and a touchdown. His trip to the end zone was an 89-yard catch-and-run to put Cleveland on the board in the first quarter. He led the Browns in both targets and receiving yards in their 35-14 loss.
JEUDY 89-YARD TD!! 😳
📺: #CLEvsNO on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/pPwT9dYWZs— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Jeudy's stat line amounted to 23.2 half-PPR points, earning him the week's tentative WR4 ranking. He has averaged six catches on 10 targets for 98 yards over his past three games. Although a lot of his fantasy points came on the one long score this week, his target volume has been very encouraging post-Cooper trade.
Jeudy will be among the top waiver targets this week thanks to his big day. While Cedric Tillman, Elijah Moore, and David Njoku will also see fair amounts of looks, QB Jameis Winston has been putting the ball in the air enough (44.3 attempts per game since Week 8) to support multiple options in fantasy football.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans
Before Tennessee's Week 5 bye, receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine did not receive a target. Since the bye, he has seen multiple targets in each game. His snap shares also increased significantly upon DeAndre Hopkins's move to Kansas City after Week 7; he played at least 90 percent of snaps in each of the first three weeks after the deal.
Westbrook-Ikhine continued his ascension with a key performance in Week 11. While he caught just two passes on his six targets, he accounted for Tennessee's only touchdown on the day. That score was a massive 98-yarder down the sideline to cut the team's deficit to just six points in the third quarter.
98-YARD TD! 😱😱 Will Levis takes a shot out of the end zone and it pays off for the @Titans!
📺: #MINvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/0o5Uj7RZ9q— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Westbrook-Ikhine finished the day with 117 receiving yards, his best mark of the season and the second-highest total of his career. He finished the game with 18.7 half-PPR points, making him the week's WR9 entering Monday. Remarkably, Westbrook-Ikhine has now scored a touchdown in five of the past six weeks.
While there are likely other more appealing options at receiver on fantasy waiver wires this week, Westbrook-Ikhine should be on managers' radars. Although Calvin Ridley remains the top option for the Titans, Westbrook-Ikhine has become more involved and has shown a tendency to find paydirt.
Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots
New England receiver Kendrick Bourne had a Week 10 to forget. Despite being active for the contest, the veteran did not see the field for a single snap against the Bears. Even before that, Bourne had posted just eight catches for 70 yards and no touchdowns on the season, making him a fantasy afterthought.
Surprisingly, Bourne rebounded in a big way on Sunday. He caught all five of his looks for 70 yards and a touchdown in his best game of the year. Bourne led the Patriots in receiving yards, though Hunter Henry (9), DeMario Douglas (7), and Kayshon Boutte (6) all saw more targets than he did.
Kendrick Bourne is back for the @Patriots!
📺: #LARvsNE on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/cuQS1SZ7WG— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Bourne enters Monday as Week 11's WR16 with 15.5 half-PPR points. According to PFF, he played fewer snaps than Boutte and Douglas, though, and rookie Ja'Lynn Polk was just behind him. His lack of previous production this season and his spot in New England's pecking order limit his fantasy outlook significantly.
Bourne is worth consideration on waivers this week for managers who are desperate for receivers or in deep leagues. He is not an enticing choice, though, as New England has struggled mightily through the air this season. Managers should probably see if he can replicate his Week 11 performance next week versus Miami before pouncing.
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