Quick hits week 12 2017

By Chad Stapley
Chad Stapley Marcus Mariota looked awful and played just as bad, which was the reason the Titans got pummeled by the Steelers. Mariota threw four INTs and was sacked five times, he is definitely not going to lead your fantasy football team to a championship.

The only two players on the Titans that are fantasy football starters are Rishard Matthews & Delanie Walker. Matthews is more of a FLEX option with outside WR2 potential and Walker is a TE1 as they try to get him the ball early and often especially in the Red Zone.

The Steelers just keep winning and Ne Roethlisberger had a huge part in the beat down of the Titans. Big Ben threw for 299 yards and four TDs proving he is still a huge fantasy football point scorer.

If Le’Veon Bell isn’t beating you in the run game he is beating you as a pass catcher. This week Bell ran for just 46 yards but he caught nine passes for 57 yards.

Antonio Brown proved why he is one of the best at the WR position catching 10 passes for 144 yards and three TDs.

If the Lions somehow miss the playoffs it won’t be because of bad QB play from Matthew Stafford. Stafford threw for 299 yards and two TD this week in a close win over the Bears.

Marvin Jones Jr. proves each week that he is Stafford’s favorite target, this week he hauled in four passes for 85 yards and a TD.

The Bears might be really good if they get some WR help for their young stars Mitch Trubisky & Jordan Howard. Trubisky is already worthy of being a QB2 and temporary starter in most fantasy football leagues, this week he threw for 179 yards and a TD and also ran for 53 yards. His leading three WRs wouldn’t even make most NFL rosters. Howard shredded the Lion’s defense for 125 rushing yards and a TD.

Bum ankle, no ankle, broke ankle, it doesn’t matter for Leonard Fournette. The rookie RB ran all over the Browns with a hurt ankle for the likes of 111 yards. Give him the ball whenever he wants it and watch him do wonders.

The only Ravens player that has any fantasy football value right now is Alex Collins. The young RB continues to do well even with the lack of a decent passing game. This week he grinded out 49 rushing yards on 20 carries for a TD and he caught four passes. He is more of a FLEX option right now but the Ravens are going to lean on him heavily down the stretch.

The Packers unearthed a playmaker in Davante Adams, and since the latter half of last season he has been on a tear. This week he hauled in eight passes for 126 yards.

The Cardinals lost to the Texans but they might have found someone to compete at the QB in Blaine Gabbert, this is his third stop in the NFL, but in his first game as a starter he didn’t look half bad. Gabbert threw for 257 yards and three TDs, he did have two INTs, but the lack of the run game really killed him going into the fourth.

The Vikings have gotten some killer production out of FA pickup Latavius Murray, this week he ran the ball 15 times for 95 yards and two TDs. He is worth starting at RB especially as the Vikings continue to make a strong playoff push.

Case Keenum has surprised a lot of people and he continues to be the starter for the Vikings at QB because of his great play. This week in a beat down of the otherwise good Rams, he threw for 280 yards and a TD. Keenum has played like a seasoned vet ever since becoming the starter.

Keenum has a nice safety valve in Adam Thielen at WR, he seems as if he is getting better as the season goes on, this week he caught six passes for 123 yards and a TD.

The injury to Chris Thompson for Washington makes Samaje Perine a hot commodity on the waiver wire. Perine already had a nice game this week running for 117 yards and a TD but now his value sky rockets as he will get the ball even more often.

Kirk Cousins doesn’t really have a dominant WR but he still performs each week like he does and his stats prove he is a no brainer for any team to want him as their starter. Cousins threw for 322 yards and three TDs in a narrow loss to the Saints.

It doesn’t matter how much the Saints and Drew Brees are down by, he is going to find a way to come back and win the game. This week Brees threw for 385 yards and two TDs in a win over Washington.

Another week, another 134 rushing yards and a TD for Mark Ingram, he is a stud and should be your starter at RB each week.

If you can’t get Ingram, his backup Alvin Kamara is used just as much and is just as productive. Kamara ran the ball eight times for 42 yards and caught six passes for 74 yards and a TD.

The Giants finally won another game and it was all because of Orleans Darkwa, the young RB continues to pound out tough rushing yards. This week in a win over Kansas City he ran the ball 20 times for 74 yards in a 12-9 win.

The Dolphins offense is going to run through three people for the rest of the season, Damien Williams, Kenny Stills, and Jarvis Landry. If the Dolphins want to win more game they need to run the ball more with Williams, as he had his best game running the ball 10 times for 78 yards while also catching a 24 yard pass. Stills and Landry combined to catch 13 passes for 275 yards and two TDs. They complement each other quite well.

The Bills are a nightmare and the QB situation is scary especially if you have a Bills offensive player on your fantasy football team. That being said, if possible, only use LeSean McCoy until the QB thing gets sorted out. McCoy is the only thing consistent they have on their roster.

Don’t look now but the Chargers look like the scariest team in the AFC west and could potentially win their division, sitting at 4-6 currently they would most likely need to win out. Starting the winning off with a 30 point win over the Bills is a good way to start.

Phillip Rivers has looked scary as of lately, this week he threw for 251 yards and two TDs and has made the Chargers offensive relevant again.

Rivers favorite target is none other than Keenan Allen who doesn’t look slowed down from the big injury he had last season. Allen caught 12 passes for 159 yards and two TDs.

With the AFC up in the air, Andy Dalton and the Bengals have the potential to make a playoff run. They need to win more then they lose down the stretch but when Dalton throws three TDs and the defense plays that well they have a good shot.

Tom Brady makes the game look too easy, especially against the better than average defense of the Raiders. Brady easily threw for 339 yards and three TDs. Sit back and watch him win your team a fantasy football championship.

The Patriots have given the lead RB role to Dion Lewis, and he appears as if he will be their go to guy down the stretch. He ran for 60 yards and caught four passes for 28 yards and a TD.

Carson Wentz looks about as calm and collect as Tom Brady, his stats are quite as good as his yet, but he does have his team sitting with a better record. Wentz has been nothing short of amazing this season and this week he threw for another two TDs and an easy win over the Cowboys.

Just when you want to count out Matt Ryan and the Falcons, they beat a good team, and look great doing so. Ryan threw for 195 yards and two TDs in a win over the Seahawks, they did this without their starting RB.

The Seahawks have got to get Russell Wilson some offensive help this offseason, they need a WR, a RB or two, and a whole lot of help on the offensive line. Given all that Wilson still almost willed them to a victory, he threw for 258 yards with two TDs and 86 rushing yards and another TD. Wilson is a surefire MVP candidate.