Jaxon Smith-Njigba Makes History and More Of What We Learned In Week 12
Adam Ronis recaps the biggest takeaways from the Week 12 fantasy football Sunday slate.
Picking up a player off the waiver wire and putting them in the lineup and getting a great performance feels extra special. Those with Emanuel Wilson felt that way in Week 12. Josh Jacobs didn’t play due to a knee injury and Wilson received a massive workload. Wilson rushed for 107 yards on 28 carries with two TDs and caught both passes for 18 yards in the Packers’ 23-6 win over Minnesota. It might only be a one-week fill-in since Jacobs could return on Thursday when the Packers visit Detroit. Hold on to Wilson, especially if you have Jacobs.
As for the rest of the slate? Let's dive in.
RELATED: Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups
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Seahawks 30, Titans 24
There aren’t enough accolades to describe how great Jaxon Smith-Njigba is. He set the Seahawks’ single-season record for receiving yards in the 11th game of the season. JSN had eight catches for 167 yards with two TDs on 10 targets. He has 80 catches for 1,313 yards with seven TDs.
Chiefs 23, Colts 20 (OT)
The Chiefs ran 91 plays, and it took a lot of plays on each drive just to move down the field. Kareem Hunt had 30 carries for 104 yards with a TD and caught three passes for 26 yards with Isiah Pacheco missing another game with a knee injury. After a few down games, Rashee Rice showed why he can be a difference maker down the stretch with eight catches for 141 yards on 12 targets and came close to scoring twice.
Bears 31, Steelers 28
D'Andre Swift was getting most of the touches in the backfield until he lost a fumble in the second quarter. Kyle Monangai had most of the touches the rest of the way. Monangai played 56% of the snaps, and ran 16 routes to finish with 12 carries for 48 yards with a TD. Swift played 43% of the snaps and ran 13 routes and had eight carries for 15 yards with a 14-yard catch on his only target. A split is going to hurt both players.
Patriots 26, Bengals 20
TreVeyon Henderson started and got the bulk of the touches in the Patriots’ backfield, even with Rhamondre Stevenson back from his toe injury. Unfortunately, the team had five goal-line carries, and Henderson received one. Henderson played 65% of the snaps compared to 32% for Stevenson. Henderson rushed for 66 yards on 18 carries and caught three passes for 15 yards. Stevenson had six carries for five yards and caught a five-yard pass. Since neither Stevenson nor Terrell Jennings converted at the goal line, it’s possible Henderson gets more chances in the red zone. Henderson can be started with confidence.
Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
George Pickens was one of the biggest steals in fantasy drafts. He was often drafted in Round 5 and has been the best Cowboys receiver. Pickens made some great grabs and caught all nine targets for 145 yards with a TD. He has at least 78 receiving yards in six straight games. Pickens has 67 catches for 1,054 yards and eight touchdowns.
Lions 34, Giants 27 (OT)
As soon as he pulls back in, Jameson Williams drops a zero on us. Should we be surprised? On a day the Lions had 494 yards of offense, Williams had three targets without a reception. Jahmyr Gibbs getting 12 targets didn’t help. It’s the second time in five games Williams hasn’t caught a pass. In the other three games, Williams had 66 yards with a TD, 119 yards with a TD and 88 yards with a TD. This is a part of playing Williams. The floor is very low every week.
Ravens 23, Jets 10
The Ravens offense didn’t look good again. Lamar Jackson didn’t have a TD for the second straight game. He passed for 153 yards and rushed for 11 yards on seven carries. Jackson has rushed for 14, 36, 10 and 11 yards since returning from a hamstring injury. Jackson said he’s healthy, but his performance says otherwise. If Jackson can’t produce against the Bengals on Thursday night, it’s time to panic.
Browns 24, Raiders 10
Ashton Jeanty bounced back after a bad game. The volume was there after he got six carries last week. Jeanty rushed for 50 yards on 17 carries and caught all eight passes for 58 yards with a TD. The offensive line is horrible, so Jeanty will need the targets to get fantasy production.
Jaguars 27, Cardinals 24 (OT)
The Bhayshul Tuten takeover didn’t happen. Travis Etienne rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards with a TD. Etienne has been good and has had a very difficult schedule for a stretch of the season. Tuten rushed for 17 yards in seven carries and had no catches. Etienne is the lead back.
Falcons 24, Saints 10
Darnell Mooney came through late if he was in the lineup. He had three catches for 74 yards with a TD on three targets. He’s in consideration for a flex play as long as Drake London is out.
RONIS BONUS
- Even though Kenneth Gainwell played more snaps than Jaylen Warren, it didn’t impact the production of Warren, who left last week’s game early with an ankle injury. The disappointing part for Warren was the lack of involvement in the passing game. Warren played 49% of the snaps, ran 10 routes and had 18 carries for 68 yards with a TD. Gainwell played 52% of the snaps, ran 18 routes and rushed for 92 yards on 10 carries and caught all six targets for 30 yards. Gainwell gained 55 of his yards on a fake tush push. Mason Rudolph being the quarterback played a role and Mike Tomlin said Aaron Rodgers will play next week.
- In case you didn’t know, start tight ends against the Bengals. They have allowed 13 touchdowns to the position this season. Hunter Henry had 112 receiving yards in the last four games, and he exceeded that against the Bengals with seven catches for 115 yards with a TD.
- David Montgomery is clearly behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Deciding when to play Montgomery depends on the game script and opponent. Against better defenses, he tends to get few touches. In favorable game scripts, Montgomery tends to excel. This is where predicting game scripts went wrong. The Lions were double-digit favorites at home on a short week with them home on Thanksgiving. The Giants played from ahead and Gibbs had 26 touches. Montgomery had five carries for 18 yards and caught three passes for 19 yards.
- J.J. McCarthy is destroying the Vikings offense. The offensive line isn’t good, but it has never been this bad for a Vikings QB under Kevin O’Connell. McCarthy passed for 87 yards, threw two INTs and was sacked five times. He is averaging 5.8 yards per attempt. Justin Jefferson had four catches for 48 yards and Jordan Addison had no catches. The Vikings ran 44 plays.
- The good news? Kenneth Walker is trending towards being the lead back for the Seahawks. The bad news? Zach Charbonnet scored on a five-yard run. Walker played 64% of the snaps and ran 15 routes and Charbonnet played 32% of the snaps and ran eight routes. Walker had 11 carries for 71 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards. Charbonnet had six carries for 35 yards and had no targets.
- Jacoby Brissett continues to get the ball to the important fantasy players. Michael Wilson had another big game with Marvin Harrison sidelined. Wilson caught 10 passes for 118 yards on 15 targets. Start him as long as Harrison is out. Trey McBride didn’t score for the first time with Brissett and still had a good game with nine catches for 79 yards on 10 targets.
- Brenton Strange made his return from IR and caught all five targets for 93 yards. He should be added if he’s available.
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