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Fantasy Mad Libs: Starts and Sits for Week 12

Most of us are writing on a quicker deadline this week, anxious to get our fantasy advice out into the world, copying and pasting some thoughts on why we are thankful (usually something about how we are beyond excited to be writing fantasy football advice instead of just shouting moves at our friend).

But I was reminded of something today as I hurriedly figured out my lineups; we have three Thursday games. It's our annual "Who Will Get Tired And Underperform First" contest, figuring out who will disappoint us first; will it be Rob Kelley or maybe an uncle, passed out on the couch? Let's take a look.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive our full season NFL (or NBA) Premium Pass for free, a $59.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium pass.

Editor's Note: The FFPC Playoff Challenge is back with a massive $500,000 grand prize and $1.35 million total prize pool, paying down to 800th place. Here's the deal: no salary cap, no draft, no pickups, no subs. Choose 10 players, and as NFL teams get knocked out so will your players, so choose your team wisely. The 7,250 entries will sell out quickly, and registrations will close on Saturday January 10th at 4:30 pm ET . Don't wait - get your team now and end your fantasy football season with a shot at $500,000! Sign Up Now!

 

A Thursday Thanksgiving Preview

The Minnesota Vikings draw the short straw and have to visit Detroit on Thanksgiving. Detroit has the advantage of being a Thanksgiving host every year, which is the only advantage of playing for Detroit, and kicks off at 12:30 AM ET. It's great, because unless you're one of those people who drinks whiskey in a garage as you deep fry a turkey first thing in the morning (that's not projecting, we actually did that last year. God bless Texas) it's impossible that you're drunk at that point. Enjoy a fully healthy Vikings defense that will give the Detroit Lions hell, meaning that unless you're a defensive enthusiast AND Minnesota resident, you will not enjoy the first game.

Next up is Redskins vs. Cowboys! Everyone's favorite afternoon match-up, this game will guarantee one random fantasy football blowout for someone at the table (likely in the form of human bullet Ezekiel Elliott or oddly-resurgent Dez Bryant). Enjoy the uncle you didn't really know that well until your aunt brought him from eHarmony bitch and moan about fantasy advice. He may ask you if you have anything to help his buzz, and then make some sort of hand motion towards drugs. Avoid this person and his bad fantasy drafting.

And then, Steelers vs. Colts at 7:30 PM ET. This will be the game that is arguably the least entertaining, due to Andrew Luck's injury, but it will be a good time for your grandfather to learn who Le'Veon Bell is and why he's "the shit" before your brother/brother-in-law bitches about Luck being hurt and the Colts being bad despite their record. Everyone will be asleep at halftime, due to a classic Thanksgiving case of the "itis." If you've eaten enough, you will not wake up until the next slate of games on Sunday.

Enjoy the holiday!

 

Running Back

Carlos Hyde will either be on my bench or will ruin my week.

Carlos Hyde is unquestionably the RB1 in San Francisco, and has a very exciting fantasy schedule going forward, so now makes a very interesting time to buy Hyde low... or you can wait a week, because Hyde is not going to find much daylight against the Miami Dolphins. My column seems to keep finding offensive players to bench due to the Dolphins' defense, and Hyde may become a flex play at best in hopes he falls into the end zone.

Dear Terrance West, do you like like me? I like like you this week.

It's hard to get overly excited about anyone running in Baltimore, but since Week 5 the run defense in Cincinnati has been incredibly porous and showed no sign of improvement following their bye week. The issue with starting West is obvious; he's not guaranteed to hold onto the workload, but Week 12 is a do-or-die moment for the Ravens. Some RB will succeed, and if it's not West it could be a Kenneth Dixon coming out party. West still holds the snap count advantage, so it's his job as a decent RB2/flex.

Am I going to really start James Starks in Week 12?

It's a strange week when I'm calling a 30-year old Packers RB an "overlooked talent," but Starks has been largely overlooked (though increasingly more owned). Despite the offensive problems in Green Bay, Starks is seeing consistent fantasy work and could be worthy of a flex position if you owned one of the many RBs who went down last week.

 

Wide Receiver

Don't hand me my money back, I'm going double-or-nothing on Tyrell Williams.

I'm a huge fan of Tyrell Williams in fantasy; an increasing number of targets, two of his last three games started have resulted in over 100 yards receiving, and as of now Travis Benjamin is likely to see a matchup with human nightmare A.J. Bouye in this game against Houston. All systems are go for Williams, and he's arguably a WR1 in Week 12.

I will be discarding my Randall Cobb and replacing him with two cards from the deck

I have a hard time recommending anyone playing in green and yellow who catches the ball, but the guy who went from 15 targets a month ago to never topping 9 targets in November is a really hard start in Green Bay's third straight road game, this time in Philly. Randall Cobb may not be startable again save for a Jordy injury or a breakout week.

I am out of options, and will be swiping right on Dorial Green-Beckham (owned in less than 5% of leagues)

In that same matchup, we find a very interesting offensive situation. In the last month, the Eagles have lost Josh Huff, have not committed fully to Jordan Matthews, and have misplaced Nelson Agholor's hands entirely... so may I interest you in some DGB? Matthews escaped a tough match-up against Seattle with five receptions on eight targets after not being targeted once the week before. Beckham's role may be expanding or he may have just had a good week, but this week's "If You're Desperate" pick is.... well, it's certainly desperate.

 

Tight End

Parachute? I don't need no parachute, I have Zach Ertz

Zach Ertz may be the biggest offensive beneficiary of an easy matchup against the Packers, who just gave away a "buy one, get one free" touchdown deal to the Titans tight ends. Philly is in a bit of a predicament right now, but Ertz has been widely dropped in many leagues and if you just lost Zach Miller (be still my heart...) consider Ertz.

Don't cry kids! We will bury Julius Thomas in the yard

As a Julius Thomas owner in too many leagues, I couldn't be less thrilled with this matchup for the Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills. Thomas is not getting the targets in any situation and this will be a nail in the coffin of a tough week for tight ends.




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Matthew Stafford

has "Little Sprain," Should be "Good to Go"
CFB

Sam Leavitt Expected to Sign with LSU
Green Bay Packers

Packers Expected to Work Out New Deal With Matt LaFleur in the "Coming Days"
CFB

Dylan Raiola Commits to Oregon
CFB

Isaiah Horton Landing with Texas A&M
Jet Greaves

Beats Mammoth With 25 Saves
Roman Josi

Ends Dry Spell With Three-Point Effort
Joonas Korpisalo

Shuts Door on Penguins
Jack Hughes

Has Two Helpers in Losing Effort
Tomas Hertl

Matches Vegas Record With Five Points
Justin Sourdif

Exits With Injury Versus Predators
Denton Mateychuk

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Sunday
George Kittle

Suffers Torn Achilles on Sunday
Aaron Holiday

is Moving into Starting Five
Aaron Gordon

is Available on Sunday
Christian Braun

is Downgraded to Out
Jamal Murray

is Unavailable on Sunday
Omarion Hampton

Active for Wild-Card Round Against Patriots
Kristaps Porzingis

Won't Play on Sunday
Kevin Porter Jr.

is Available to Play on Sunday
Christian Braun

Downgraded to Questionable on Sunday
Tyler Herro

to Suit Up on Sunday
Norman Powell

Ruled Out for Sunday's Game
Victor Wembanyama

Cleared for Sunday
George Kittle

Ruled Out After Non-Contact Achilles Injury
Cole Perfetti

Contributes Two Assists in Sunday's Win
Carl Grundstrom

Misses Sunday's Practice
Jrue Holiday

Cleared to Suit Up Versus New York
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Request Interview With Ejiro Evero
Josh Hart

Returning on Sunday Night
Travis Konecny

Hurt at Sunday's Practice
Thatcher Demko

Lands on Injured Reserve
Colin Miller

Injured Versus Devils
Bryan Rust

Remains Out Sunday
Morgan Geekie

Won't Play Sunday
Los Angeles Rams

Mike LaFleur to Interview With Raiders and Cardinals
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Open to Re-Signing Aaron Rodgers?
Matthew Stafford

X-Rays Come Back Negative
Mark Stone

Extends Goal Streak With Empty-Netter
Nikita Kucherov

Has Four-Point Outing Saturday
David Pastrnak

Records Six Assists in Big Win
Stefan Noesen

to Have Knee Surgery
Carter Hart

Out Week-to-Week
Thatcher Demko

Exits With Injury Saturday
MacKenzie Gore

Yankees Pursuing Trade for MacKenzie Gore
Philip Broberg

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Alex Bregman

Cubs Sign Alex Bregman to Five-Year, $175 Millon Contract
Chet Holmgren

Available Sunday
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Suspended for Three Games for Attempting to Strike Another Player
Kristaps Porzingis

May Return Sunday
Zaccharie Risacher

to Miss Second Consecutive Game Sunday
Kevin Porter Jr.

Considered Probable for Sunday
Aaron Gordon

Likely to Play Sunday
Christian Braun

Considered Probable for Sunday
Spencer Jones

May Miss Another Game Sunday
Jamal Murray

Iffy for Sunday's Action
Freddie Freeman

Withdraws from World Baseball Classic
Max Kepler

Receives 80-Game PED Suspension
CFB

Cam Coleman Visiting Alabama on Friday
Omarion Hampton

Expects to Play Sunday Night
CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Enters Transfer Portal, Trending to Land at Florida
CFB

NCAA Denies Trinidad Chambliss a Sixth Year of Eligibility
Omarion Hampton

Questionable for Wild-Card Weekend
Kyle Tucker

Mets Remain in Mix for Kyle Tucker
Ketel Marte

Will Remain With Diamondbacks
Rashee Rice

to be Reviewed Under League's Conduct Policy
Daniel Jones

Colts Plan to Re-Sign Daniel Jones
Davante Adams

Off the Injury Report, Will Play Against Carolina
Bo Bichette

Phillies to Meet With Bo Bichette
Rome Odunze

Will Return for Wild-Card Game on Saturday
CFB

DJ Lagway Commits to Baylor
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Fire Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Sam LaPorta

Plans to be Back for Training Camp
Owen Caissie

Shipped to Miami as Centerpiece of Trade
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Officially Acquire Edward Cabrera From Marlins
Rome Odunze

Plans to Play on Saturday
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Finalizing Deal to Acquire Edward Cabrera From Marlins
New York Giants

Giants "All-In" on Hiring John Harbaugh
CFB

Jackson Arnold Signs with UNLV
CFB

Sam Leavitt Scheduled to Visit Tennessee
New York Giants

John Harbaugh Expected to be Favorite to Become New Giants Head Coach
Baltimore Ravens

John Harbaugh Won't Return as Ravens Head Coach
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to Return to Toronto?

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