FFB WEEK 12 – 12 TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 12

I’d like to start this week’s Fantasy Football Boys Twelve Takeaways column with a declaration: I strongly condemn the actions of Sports Illustrated for whoring their writing out to AI. This is shameful behavior by a once-reputable publication and I don’t stand for that bull crap. 

If AI was a ballcarrier I would form tackle it. For I’m a real boy. A fantasy football boy. 

Speaking of fantasy football, let’s talk about it!

1. CJ Stroud is the Rookie of the Year. He had 351 scrimmage yards on Sunday making it four straight games that he’s gone over 300 yards passing. He’s led the Texans from preseason nothingness to a respectable 6-5. He’s thrown 19 TDs, only 5 INTs (3 of which came last week) and he has an additional 3 rushing touchdowns. He’s throwing for a league-best 269.9 yards per game with just a 1.3% interception rate, also best in the NFL. The kid’s absolutely slinging it and the connection to Tank Dell has been a nice surprise for fantasy owners everywhere. I’m not quite ready for the MVP talk, but CJ Stroud is QB6 on the year and Tank Dell has rocketed up to WR11 (might’ve been higher if NFL officials weren’t wack…)

C.J. Stroud 62 yard bomb to Tank Dell nullified due an illegal shift by Dell.

I’m not a doctor, but that sure looks like the exact same pre-snap shift the Dolphins do roughly 50 times per game pic.twitter.com/st2GwezlBB

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 27, 2023

2. Jalen Hurts is the MVP. He made that very clear on Sunday night in an all-timer against the Bills to push the Eagles to 10-1. The guy’s just a pure winner, I’m not sure how else to explain it. From a pure statistical standpoint, Josh Allen is technically better. I might be in the minority here (I’m not, Hurts is the current favorite) but I think this is an all-encompassing award and should factor in a team’s level of success as well. Who wants to see the MVP go to someone that has had an otherworldly season on a shit team? Sometimes stats can be a little misleading and it’s best to look at the big picture. Also, maybe the Bills would have won a few more games if Josh Allen didn’t have so many turnovers (13 INTs, 3 fumbles) and then he’d be the frontrunner. 

On Sunday, Hurts was just 18/31 passing for 200 yards, but he threw 3 TDs and it was his elite rushing ability that ended up sealing this win. He carried 14 times for 65 yards (4.64 ypc) and 2 more TDs, bringing his total on the day to 5. Factor in that the Eagles were without their second-most important offensive lineman on Sunday with Lane Johnson inactive, and this was one for the ages. 34.50 fantasy points and he’s one of two gold standard dual-threat NFL quarterbacks with 29 total touchdowns and 11 of those coming on the ground. Coincidentally he out-dueled the other dual threat God and Josh Allen’s Bills are just 6-6. Currently he’s living up to his preseason rank, sitting comfortably at QB2 even with a couple underwhelming passing performances over the last 3 weeks. 

3. Cornerbacks are people too. Daron Bland not even cracking the top-5 favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year is nutso. I know, I know. Defensive ends impact every play, I realize how important they are to any team’s defense. An elite defensive end, like actually elite, can alter or change every single play, run or pass. All of the favorites to win DPOY are defensive ends. Daron Bland isn’t just returning interceptions left and right (5 so far, which is an NFL record) but he’s also playing at an elite level as a pass-defender, allowing the lowest passer rating (19.3) in the league. If you’re in a league with IDP and you landed on Daron Bland, he’s performing better than some big names and has put up almost 90 fantasy points.

Notable players Cowboys CB Daron Bland has more touchdowns than this season:

Davante Adams
Adam Thielen
DK Metcalf
Jaylen Waddle
Chris Olave
Michael Pittman Jr.
Terry McLaurin
Garrett Wilson

— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) November 24, 2023

4. Kyle Pitts Update: he had 2 catches for 22 yards on Sunday. Somehow just his third-worst output of the year, which speaks volumes to how shitty he’s been and how shitty his situation is. I know everyone’s piling on, but Daron Bland has more interception returns for TDs this year (5) than Kyle Pitts has receiving TDs in his career (4). It’s past the point of fantasy relevance – if you’ve rostered him for the last 6 weeks you’re obviously an absolute donkey brained loser – but I genuinely wonder if he’ll ever be worthy of a starting spot on an NFL roster. After he tore his MCL he’s been progressively further from the success of his rookie year, which feels like an eternity ago. #Pray4Pitts but also, still #DropKylePitts if he’s on any rosters.   

5. The Mac Jones Experience has come to an unceremonious end. Much like Pitts, I’m not sure who’s rostering/starting Mac Jones but it’s time to mash that drop button.  

Mac Jones’s passer rating is 27.8. If he were 0 for 21 with all 21 passes spiked directly into the ground, it would be 39.6 pic.twitter.com/P2EfBEUGr6

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 26, 2023

In light of some sickening quarterback play, Bill Belichick is suddenly a candidate for a scenery change and Mac Jones could kill his career in New England.  

6. After Bill Belichick weathers this storm, he might just come out on the other side with the number one overall pick. 

Depending on what the Panthers, Cardinals, and Bears do down the stretch, the Patriots are in the mix. The media LOVES to chatter and speculate about Belichick’s job security and Kraft being fed up, blah blah blah. At this point it’s just morphed into a good, old-fashioned tank job and Belichick isn’t going anywhere. My guess is Belichick and Kraft have a silent understanding, if you will. Operation “Death By a Thousand Macs”. It won’t be quick, it won’t be pretty, but they’re tanking the season by sticking with Mac Jones and/or Bailey Zappe. Neither are the solution to their problem and they know this. They’re doing everything under the guise that there’s truly not a better option and they’re not in a hurry to locate one (Malik Cunningham, anyone?). Kraft does his performative routine in the owner’s box looking hella displeased while Bill Belichick deflects questions about his future all while their fallback plan gets mobilized. They backdoor their way into the #1 pick after everyone thought it would be the Bears or Cardinals, Caleb Williams moves across the country and learns how to play in the cold winds of Foxborough and the championship run is back on. Thus, the next regime begins with Belichick and his new apprentice while Mac Jones gets sent to a purgatory of Belichick’s choosing. You never know how it’ll unfold, but it’d certainly make the Patriots interesting again if they were to slide into that top slot. The NFL is more fun when Belichick is in peak Sith mode and a #1 overall pick would restore order. 

6. Please feed Rashee Rice. Let’s stop trying to make Kadarius Toney a thing, let’s stop giving Justin Watson double digit targets. What are we doing? Please just feed Rashee Rice and make him the guy in that offense behind Travis Kelce. Methinks he can handle it. He has a strong YAC of 358 and as we saw on Sunday evening, tends to make good things happen with the ball in his hands. Against the Raiders he had a 31% target share, easily his highest of the season, and went for 107 yards on 8 catches and a touchdown. It was his first 100+ yard receiving day. He’s just WR37 so he’s been streaky, but Mahomes is gonna need a go-to receiver to lean on, and Rashee Rice can be that guy if they commit. 

PS – Patrick Mahomes has still been a fantasy bust. Don’t try to change my mind, QB8 is NOT good enough and Mahomes owners deserve better. Or maybe this is the new ceiling for Mahomes, I’m not sure what to make of it. He barely topped 20 points this week for the first time since week 7.  

7. AT LONG LAST, Bijan Robinson. Are we witnessing the true awakening of Bijan Robinson? Is this a new Arthur Smith, who now seems intent on utilizing Robinson’s elite skillset? It sure looks that way, and it’s an exciting prospect. It took him a few weeks but I believe Smith has finally given in and realized that this is the best (only?) way for the Falcons to be successful. Put Bijan Robinson on the field and throw some blocks for the kid, let him do his thang. Robinson had a slick day with 16 carries, 91 yards and a score, but he also caught 3 passes for 32 yards and another TD. We’ll see if his usage stays steady, I remain cautiously optimistic, but if it does he gives you top-5 upside and he’s been RB10, RB3 in his last two games with a bye sandwiched in there.

Here’s a quick list of other Falcons offensive players that are worth your time: N/A

Desmond Ridder stinks, so exercise caution with Drake London. Tyler Allgeier has been relegated to being an 8-12 touch/game guy, secondary role at best. Kyle Pitts is a traffic cone. If you drafted Dark London, godspeed. Otherwise, if they’re not named Bijan Robinson and they play for the Falcons, head for open waters. 

8. The Steelers offense is cured! Suddenly, with the firing of Matt Canada, the Steelers offense was humming a bit on Sunday. Maybe it was him after all?

I can’t stop thinking about the fact that the Steelers had >400 yards of offense in the last game they played before Matt Canada became the OC…

…never had >400 yards of offense in his 44 games as OC…

…and then had >400 yards of offense in their first game after firing him

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 27, 2023

Regardless, the Steelers offense looked re-energized and Pat Freiermuth had a career day with 9 catches for 120 yards in his second game back from an injury. Out of nowhere, Najee Harris had 15 carries for 99 yards, a whopping 6.6 ypc and a TD and looked… great? Maybe all he needed to get inspired was a demotion. Jaylen Warren had 16 total touches for 62 yards and lost a fumble so consider the door for lead duties reopened.

Najee Harris balled out yesterday. He ran angry. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/hSNO6NwnIX

— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) November 28, 2023

The backfield is admittedly a bit wacky at the present, but Kenny Pickett isn’t setting any records with his arm and the Steelers will still be relying on their two-pronged committee in the backfield, so those guys are intriguing options down the fantasy playoff stretch with new life in that offense. 

9. Justin Fields still has to win a job, but his offensive coordinator isn’t helping him. In another scintillating Monday night primetime game, the Bears managed to beat the Vikings 4 field goals to 3 field goals. That’s right, zero offensive touchdowns and the entire game was just a series of kickers trying to put the ball through the goal posts. I know I’ll be pining for NFL football come March or April so I refuse to complain, but this game was rotten. Justin Fields was 27 for 37 for 217 yards. A small fantasy lifeline came in the form of 12 carries for 59 yards, but no touchdowns had him right around 10.5 lousy fantasy points. Fields did make some nice throws to DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, but Luke Getsy doesn’t seem overly confident to do anything but call screen plays over and over again and I think that’s playing a significant role in his struggles. 

So. Many. Throws. At. Or behind. The line of scrimmage. He was good down the middle of the field and to the right? Why is Luke Getsy so hesitant to unleash Justin Fields? His average depth of target was 3.5, the lowest in the league for this week 12. This tells me it’s a Getsy problem. This is an offensive coordinator that doesn’t trust his young QB or his offensive line, and this is the issue, not so much Fields. Whether or not they trust the kid, you gotta at least give him a chance to open it up a little more than this. 

10. Still on pace to make history. 

11. The Panthers have a nightmare of an owner. David Tepper has his nose in the day-to-day football operations so much so that Frank Reich spoke out about it during press conferences. 

This is troubling to say the least.. pic.twitter.com/Pxx3f592ru

— Michael Rimmer (@avl_mike) October 9, 2023

David Tepper insisted on drafting Bryce Young over CJ Stroud (I know, hindsight is 20/20, but Young has looked like shit). David Tepper hired Frank Reich then fired him after 11 games. Reich is gone, but so is running backs coach Duce Staley and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. But don’t worry, there’s one man with coaching experience that still draws breath on the payroll: 

That’s right, it might just be Jim Caldwell time in Charlotte. If this headshot doesn’t instill confidence and get you fired up as a player, I don’t know what will.