TABLE OF CONTENTS. Fantasy Sharks VIP Weekly Report November 30, rd Edition, Volume 13 FANTASY STOCK EXCHANGE GARY DAVENPORT THOMAS CASALE

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1 VIP Weekly Report November 30, rd Edition, Volume 13 TABLE OF CONTENTS FANTASY STOCK EXCHANGE GARY DAVENPORT THE RED ZONE THOMAS CASALE THE DAILY PLANET TODD COLBURN ASSUME THE POSITION BILL AQUAVIVA FLEX APPEAL MICHAEL NEASE THE BLITZ WALTON SPURLIN GAME CAPSULES MATT WILSON CRYSTAL BALL RANKINGS FANTASY SHARKS

2 Weekly Report Page 2 SECTION I-ARTICLES The Fantasy Stock Exchange By Gary Davenport FANTASY STOCK EXCHANGE: Week 13 Well folks, this is it. We ve already hit the first week of December. Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror, and with it most of the regular season in fantasy football. In fact, while Week 13 is the final week of the regular season in many fantasy leagues, for more than a few fantasy teams the playoffs have effectively begun. The next game they lose will be the last game they lose the season will be over. Every lineup decision every fantasy point is critical. This is the time of year when a decision on which kicker to start can mean the difference between moving on and having of plenty of extra time to start Christmas shopping. Before you ask, no I will not be offering kicker recommendations. I still have my dignity. OK, part of my dignity. A few tattered shreds. But they are my shreds, and I like them. I will, however, offer this piece of advice. By this point in the season, you know your team. You know your opponent. And I d wager you have a pretty good idea whether you enter a must-win Week 13 matchup the favorite or the underdog. If you re in the latter boat, then don t be shy. If you re in a go for broke situation, then go for broke is exactly what you should do. I m not saying you should start Taylor Gabriel over Allen Robinson at wide receiver But if you think you need every point you can get to have any chance at victory, I also wouldn t call you crazy if you did. The only people who will have to live with your lineup decisions is you. Now let s get down to locking up some playoff spots. QUARTERBACKS STOCK UP: Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers: Say whatever you want about the sorry state of the 49ers after a franchise record 10 th straight loss, but the team s woes don t change this fact over the past four weeks Kaepernick is the highest-scoring player at his position in all of fantasy football. And this week he faces the similarly reeling Chicago Bears. STOCK DOWN: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: You aren t going to hear any complaints from the first-place Lions about Stafford s play. But since Week 7 Stafford has barely ranked inside the top 25 fantasy quarterbacks. Detroit s dink-and-dunk offense is winning them football games, but it isn t going to get you into the fantasy playoffs.

3 Weekly Report Page 3 STOCK UP: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: Rolling out Prescott in a Thursday night game against a desperate Vikings defense is not a play for the faint of heart. But the rookie has answered the bell every single time this season, and unlike most Thursday night affairs both Dallas and Minnesota will have had a full week to get ready for this one. STOCK DOWN: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: Just when it appeared Wilson was back on track along came a no-, two-interception clunker against the Buccaneers that likely killed the playoff dreams of some fantasy squads. It wasn t an isolated fluke either the Seahawks have now failed to find the end zone three times in RUNNING BACKS STOCK UP: Tim Hightower, New Orleans Saints: When the season began, I d wager not many fantasy owners figured to be rolling out Hightower for a crucial game. Those lucky enough to have plucked him off the waiver wire should just be grateful and stop overthinking last week s win over the Rams was the third time in four games Hightower has topped 100 total yards this season. STOCK DOWN: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams: I m just going to say what we re all thinking starting Gurley in Week 13 is begging for disaster. Not only has the second-year pro been one of fantasy s biggest disappointments in 2016, but this week the Rams face a New England Patriots team that specializes in taking away their opponents best weapon. STOCK UP: Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Martin hasn t exactly lit the world on fire since returning to Tampa s lineup. However, in each of the last two weeks Martin has carried the ball 20+ times, and this week the Bucs face a San Diego Chargers squad allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs in STOCK DOWN: Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers: Hyde s been solid for the 49ers when healthy this season, and the Chicago Bears aren t exactly a team that strikes fears into the hearts of opponents in They also aren t a team that s given up many big games to tailbacks this season only two teams have allowed fewer fantasy points to the position. WIDE EIVERS STOCK UP: Anquan Boldin, Detroit Lions: There was plenty of discussion before the season as to whether Marvin Jones or Golden Tate would be the wideout to own in Motown this year. Of late it s been neither but Boldin has emerged as the main beneficiary of the Lions quick passing game. He s a viable WR3 or flex option in PPR scoring systems. STOCK DOWN: Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints: To say that Cooks let fantasy owners down in Week 12 is both an understatement and not entirely accurate. The goose-egg from the speedster in a game where the Saints scored 49 was a killer, but it s hard to blame Cooks given that he wasn t so much as targeted in the game. Not once.

4 Weekly Report Page 4 STOCK UP: Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs: With Jeremy Maclin on the shelf Hill has had a coming out party the past few weeks, to the tune of 23 catches for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns (including one on the ground). He very much fits the bill as one of those aggressive upside plays I mentioned in the intro. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. STOCK DOWN: Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars: Speaking of season-long funks and depressing letdowns, that s the working title of the Jaguars 2016 season lowlights video. Add in a matchup with an angry Denver Broncos secondary this week, and Robinson s a guy whose name will get you bounced this week. Names don t get you fantasy points unless your scoring is weird. TIGHT ENDS STOCK UP: Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are in free-fall, largely due to injuries that have torn through the team s offense. It appeared that Eifert was set to join the void last week with a zero in the first half against the Ravens, but his 5/68/1 stat line in the second half shows just how much upside he has as the last man standing in the Cincy passing game. STOCK DOWN: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: After much hullabaloo about his injured chest last week, Gronk played just long enough to injure his back against the New York Jets. Given that this isn t the first time this season something like this happened, if you fall for the fake in a must-win game you ll have no one to blame but yourself. STOCK UP: Lance Kendricks, Los Angeles Rams: Now I m not going to sit here and say I d feel good about starting Kendricks in a Week 13 game I have to win. But if you re desperate it s worth keeping in mind that Week 12 marked the second time in four games Kendricks has posted at least 15 fantasy points in PPR scoring systems. STOCK DOWN: Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens: Pitta s the poster child for the sort of low-upside fantasy play that can come back to bite you if you ve gotta get a W to make the postseason in Week 13. The veteran hasn t posted double-digit fantasy points since all the way back in Week 5 which was also the last time he had more than 50 receiving yards in a game. Gary Davenport is a Senior Staff Writer at and an NFL and Fantasy Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. A member of the Pro Football Writers of America and Fantasy Sports Writers Association, Gary was the winner of the 2015 FSWA award for Print Article of the Year. You can follow Gary on Top

5 Weekly Report Page 5 The Red Zone: Week 13 Thomas Casale Passing Russell Wilson, Seahawks Wilson is a top fantasy quarterback despite only having nine red zone touchdowns this year in 43 attempts. Think about it. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers have more than double the red zone touchdowns. Wilson is in the same neighborhood as Carson Wentz and Brock Osweiler. He would be an even better fantast quarterback if his red zone production improves. Carson Wentz, Eagles Speaking of Wentz, he s the least productive red zone quarterback in the NFL. He s attempted 58 red zone passes this year. That ranks tied for sixth in the NFL but Wentz has only thrown nine touchdown passes. We ve discussed Wentz s struggles in the past. Part if is play calling and part if it is the lack of weapons in the Eagles offense. Wilson and Wentz share a common reason for why they re red zone numbers are down: Neither utilizes their main weapon enough in the red zone. We discuss that further below. Rushing Lamar Miller, Texans Remember back in August when DeAndre Hopkins was getting drafted in Round 1 and Miller was going in the second? The Texans offense is struggling just to get into the red zone right now. Miller has 21 red zone carries but has scored just three times. The bad news is those aren t the kind of numbers Miller owners were looking for when they drafted him high. The good news is compared to Hopkins red zone numbers, Miller looks like a fantasy stud. Latavius Murray, Raiders It s a shame Murray hasn t gotten a few more goal line carries this year or he could be leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns. As it is, Murray s eight red zone touchdowns ranks tied for third in the NFL. That s impressive when you consider his 23 attempts ranks far below LeGarrette Blount, Melvin Gordon, David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliott. Murray is receiving 70 percent of the Raiders red zone carries. The problem is Oakland throws near the goal more than most teams. Murray is one of the best short yardage runners playing behind an elite offensive line. The Raiders just opt to throw in the red zone a lot because they have David Carr. He s not a bad option either. Spencer Ware, Chiefs We re going to hammer Ware every week. It s now four games in a row without a touchdown. He s averaging 17 touches a game and he s only scored two touchdowns all season. Both have come in the red zone on 20 carries. Ware and Charcandrick West basically split snaps last week. Does anyone else really miss Jamaal Charles? Receiving WR Chris Conley, Chiefs Last Monday during the Broncos/Chiefs game the announcers said Kansas City struggles in the red zone. One of the reasons for those struggles is that Conley has been targeted 12 times. He s caught three passes with no touchdowns. His catch percentage of 25 is one of the lowest

6 Weekly Report Page 6 in the NFL. Last week we said it s time for the Eagles to stop throwing the ball to Nelson Agholor and he was inactive. It s time for the Chiefs to stop throwing the ball to Conley. You re welcome. Terrelle Pryor, Browns Pryor has been targeted in the red zone seven times and has scored four touchdowns. Last week against the Giants the Browns had a first and goal and ran the ball up the middle twice. On third down they threw a fade to Pryor that the entire world knew was coming. Everyone is making excuses for Hue Jackson. If he doesn t want to go 0-16, maybe he should be more imaginative with his play calling and throw on first down. DeAndre Hopkins, Texans It s hard to comprehend Hopkins overall numbers but his red zone numbers are even more mind-boggling. Hopkins has been targeted just five times in the red zone with one touchdown. He s only seen 12.8 percent of the Texans red zone targets this year. Congratulations Brock Osweiler, you ve made one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the NFL irrelevant. Receiving TE Jimmy Graham, Seahawks Above we stated that Wilson had just nine red zone touchdowns. Graham continues to be under-utilized in the red zone. He s only been targeted nine times in the red zone but converted three of those into scores. Graham is one of the biggest red zone mismatches in the league. He should lead the NFL in red zone targets every year. Instead he has fewer targets than Hunter Henry, Jacob Tamme, Coby Fleener and Cameron Brate. Zach Ertz, Eagles Ertz missed a couple of games but his red zone numbers are still staggering given the Eagles lack of receivers. He s been targeted just three times with one touchdown. As mentioned above, Wentz is the least effective quarterback in the NFL. He would benefit by using Ertz and the rest of the Eagles more down near the goal line.

7 Weekly Report Page 7 THE DAILY PLANET BY TODD COLBURN The Daily Planet Week 13 By Todd Colburn Well I can t say that Week 12 was a prolific cashing week for The Daily Planet, although there were a few lineups that brought home a little bit of bacon. Hopefully you used Drew Brees early and often and stayed away from Russell Wilson (I m so over this offense!). Please tell me you went with Jonathan Stewart and passed on Thomas Rawls (have I mentioned how OVER this offense I am?)! I m praying that you got some use out of Terrelle Pryor, but ignored my love for Larry Fitzgerald (speaking of another dead offense). But be careful not to draw too many conclusions. What we glimpsed in Week 12 is the reality that things are about to change on us. What we think we know about the NFL in 2016 is getting ready to be frozen out. As December rolls in, it s time to consider how weather will affect offenses, and make sure we re taking venue into account. Let s have a look at the matchups this week and see where we can earn a buck BYES in Week 13: Cleveland, Tennessee VEGAS-SOURCING Vegas-sourcing is the term I use for the strategy of using the knowledge of the wise guys to inform your daily fantasy decisions. Each week you ll want to build a base of information around the matchups. Vegas bookmakers have an uncanny ability to project what teams are going to put up on the scoreboard. The over/unders and the spread give you a free look at what the experts think each team is going to produce. So instead of crowdsourcing, we present: Vegas-sourcing. You just extrapolate the projected points scored by a team by looking at the Over/Unders and cross-referencing the spreads. Keep in mind that the numbers all change throughout the week, so don t get too worked up if the line has moved based on what you see below. The takeaway is the same whether Vegas is projecting 28 or 29 points scored by a team at different points throughout the week. High Scorers: New Orleans Low Scorers: Houston 19.5 New England Carolina 19 Pittsburgh 27.5 Miami 18.5 Atlanta Jacksonville Oakland Los Angeles Notable: Arizona Kansas City Tampa Bay 21.75

8 Weekly Report Page 8 I m not sure Vegas has figured Miami out yet, as they drop out of the Top 5 and into the Bottom 5 this week, though they do have a tough matchup against Baltimore. I think there is still another big game lurking for Jay Ajayi, though he s had a rough couple of weeks. There are really no surprises in the Top 5 each one of those teams seems capable of uncorking a 40-point outing at any time. Note Carolina is now in the Bottom 5, despite putting up 32 points on Oakland last week. I m not sure how much fight they ll have in them though, at 4-7 and more or less out of contention for the division. Make note of Arizona and their point projection. They have averaged just over 18 points a game over the last 5 weeks, and though they are playing at home against a weary Washington team, I m not feeling an outburst of points here. They are another team that seems dead in the eyes. Lastly, be wary of Tampa Bay this week against San Diego. Granted, Tampa has to travel a great distance to get to San Diego; Vegas believes that Tampa will be among the lowest point totals this week. That may not keep you from using Mike Evans, but like last week, it might make you second guess using Jameis Winston. WEEK 13 VALUE PLAYS DEFENSE: Defense is where I usually like to steal some value. You can usually find some nice inefficiencies in pricing on defense. I will often start my roster construction with defense, looking for the best relative value, with an emphasis on low price. Some weeks, the matchup compels you to take the high-priced options, but I like to spend my money elsewhere. DraftKings Salary FanDuel Salary Baltimore $3000 New England $4600 San Diego $2900 Baltimore $4600 Miami $2600 San Diego $4500 Carolina $2600 Miami $4400 Washington $2400 San Francisco $4300 Keeping Vegas take on Miami s point total (18.5) in mind, I really like Baltimore at home for a decent value. In that same vein, San Diego is interesting at a lower price point, with a cross-country visit from Tampa Bay on tap. Tampa has scored 14 and 19 in the past two weeks. I love New England on FanDuel; a cross-country trip from LA seems like shooting fish in a barrel. If you re feeling especially bold, look at Washington on the road against Arizona. I m not a true believer in the Cardinals at this point, and Washington is a nice punt option on DraftKings. QUARTERBACK: Normally I like to pay up for the best QB options, as they are such a big source of points. This week is no exception, as some of the highest-priced players project to score big this

9 Weekly Report Page 9 weekend (I m looking at you, Drew Brees). But if you want to go big at another position, here are some values for you to consider: DraftKings Salary FanDuel Salary Matt Ryan $6800 Matthew Stafford $8300 Aaron Rodgers $6700 Philip Rivers $8200 Derek Carr $6500 Andrew Luck $8100 Philip Rivers $6500 Derek Carr $8100 Tyrod Taylor $5700 Tyrod Taylor $7400 Matt Ryan is a great value this week on DraftKings, and Kansas City has allowed the 4 th most fantasy points to QBs over the last five weeks. Don t be frightened off by Derek Carr s matchup; Buffalo has a good(ish) defense, but they have allowed the 6 th most fantasy points to QBs over the last five weeks, which is a trend not reflected in the season s stats. Aaron Rodgers also has a nice salary on DK. Over on FanDuel, there is an odd cluster of good QBs outside of the Top 5 salaries this week. My favorite of that batch is Carr, as both Andrew Luck and Matthew Stafford have tough road matchups (yep, New Orleans is a tough matchup these days). I m probably apt to stick with Carr, though I might dip a toe in the Tyrod Taylor waters here and there, now that he has Sammy Watkins back. RUNNING BACK: Normally, I m looking for value at RB and paying up for top WRs. These last few weeks though, I have found it harder and harder to find value at RB. I m starting to pay up for the top RBs and then looking for value at WR. With so many roles in question, it s hard to justify going too deep into the bargain bin, but here are some guys outside of the top tier to consider: DraftKings Salary FanDuel Salary Theo Riddick $5800 Matt Forte $6900 Lamar Miller $5600 Latavius Murray $6700 Carlos Hyde $5300 Carlos Hyde $6700 Devontae Booker $5100 Doug Martin $6500 Tevin Coleman $4300 Devontae Booker $6400 Once again, I m more compelled by the backs that carry Top 10 salaries this week, but there is a diamond or two in the rough here. I like Tevin Coleman an awful lot; in his return last week, he found the endzone. I suspect that Kansas City will be effective against Devonta Freeman, and Coleman should get some run as the change-of-pace guy. Lamar Miller draws the best matchup, facing a Green Bay team that has allowed 8 s to RBs over the last five weeks. Devontae Booker is both compelling from a usage, valuation AND matchup standpoint. Jacksonville is Top 10 defense for your RBs to face. I also see Doug Martin continuing to garner 20+ carries per week from here on

10 Weekly Report Page 10 out. He s the #19 RB in salary on FD this week. WIDE EIVER: Most weeks, my plan will be to max out the wide receiver position. I ll try to get top guys for their reliability. With RB being so tight right now, I really want to find some good value at one, maybe two WR positions. Here are some options for Week 13: DraftKings Salary FanDuel Salary Stefon Diggs $6700 Michael Thomas $6900 Davante Adams $6300 Donte Moncrief $6700 Tyrell Williams $6100 Stefon Diggs $6500 Willie Snead $5100 Michael Crabtree $6400 Tyreek Hill $4600 Tyreek Hill $5800 First of all, I m done with Brandin Cooks, the decoy. You re better off chasing Willie Snead (DK) or Michael Thomas (FD) for those wanting a piece of the Saints offense. If Stefon Diggs is healthy enough to go on Thursday night, you have to like his usage. There s no question he gets double-digit catches IF he is good to go. My man Tyrell Williams continues to climb the salary ranks, but he still represents value. He has scored a in each of his last three games. If you want a piece of Oakland s passing game this week, I d look at Crabtree rather than Amari Cooper. Cooper s targets have been going to Crabtree as of late. If you ve been reading, you know I ve been on the Tyreek Hill bandwagon (though I sadly didn t beat that drum loudly enough last week). This guy is the real deal, and you should not expect a letdown. He has 28 targets over the last three weeks! TIGHT END: I m going extreme on TE most of the time. Either it s Gronk or Delanie Walker if the numbers work out right (I find multiple bargains at other positions), or I might be punting TE. That said, punting TE doesn t mean you put a can of corn out there. You can get a quality contributor for cheap. Here are some options: DraftKings Salary FanDuel Salary Kyle Rudolph $4100 Kyle Rudolph $5400 CJ Fiedorowicz $3800 Zach Ertz $5300 Cameron Brate $3600 CJ Fiedorowicz $5000 Coby Fleener $3500 Vance McDonald $4900 Vance McDonald $2900 Ladarius Green $4500 I feel like the whole TE class is pretty bland. Rob Gronkowski isn t himself, Jordan Reed is hit-andmiss, and Greg Olsen may not be in the league anymore. We re left with a lot of blah. This week, I m looking deep for a punt option with upside. Vance McDonald is averaging over 6 targets per

11 Weekly Report Page 11 game over the last five weeks, with a season-high 8 targets last week. McDonald is a threat every time the ball is in his hands, and his production is no worse than any other bland TE, such as Kyle Rudolph. I like McDonald or perhaps Ladarius Green, who caught two 30+ yard passes last week for Pittsburgh. Here are a couple of sample lineups for cash game entries this week: SAMPLE TOURNAMENT LINEUP DRAFTKINGS POS PLAYER SALARY QB Philip Rivers $6500 RB Jordan Howard $6900 RB Theo Riddick $5800 WR Tyrell Williams $6100 WR Davante Adams $6300 WR Tyreek Hill $4600 TE Vance McDonald $2900 FLEX LeSean McCoy $7800 DST Baltimore $3000 SAMPLE TOURNAMENT LINEUP FANDUEL POS PLAYER SALARY QB Derek Carr $8100 RB Le Veon Bell $9300 RB Melvin Gordon $8000 WR Michael Crabtree $6400 WR Tyreek Hill $5800 WR Julio Jones $8300 TE Vance McDonald $4900 K Josh Lambo $4600 DST San Diego $4500 Thanks for reading this week, best of luck with your Daily Leagues in Week 13! Top

12 Weekly Report Page 12 ASSUME THE POSITION BY BILL AQUAVIVA ASSUME THE POSITION: Week 13 Kirk Cousins continues to light up opposing defenses and his future bank account is growing significantly with each game. Trevor Siemian, Josh McCown and Matt Barkley were unlikely fantasy QB studs this week, Kaepernick was the third leading rusher, Blake Bortles was 9th and Russell Wilson was 10th; not bad for a bunch of QBs, Kansas City s Tyreek Hill will be a huge waiver wire pickup this week, and Atlanta s Taylor Gabriel will be too (if he s still available). LeSean McCoy should have hand surgery every week, Rams rookie QB Jared Goff looked more like a #1 pick this week (although it was only the Saints he faced), and why is Brock Osweiler still playing QB in Houston? Andrew Luck should be back this week, the Jets are starting Ryan Fitzpatrick again this week and Derek Carr don t need no stinkin pinky. This week is the last bye scenario you have to worry about for the year and it only affects Cleveland and Tennessee. The weekly Assume The Position article takes a look at some of the great matchups ( Money in the Bank ), good matchups ( Safe Bets ) and bad matchups ( Rolling the Dice ), and we give you one player at each position (QB, RB, WR and TE) that we ve identified for that respective performance (great, good or bad), taking into account the player s offensive capabilities as well as the defensive matchup they re facing. And remember, a bad matchup is not a suggestion to bench a player; that decision depends on your roster and who you have available to replace that player, it s just a caution for you to review and consider and check for a better alternative. If you don t have a better alternative you should stick with that player. MONEY IN THE BANK (Great Matchup) Alex Smith QB, Kansas City Chiefs (@ ATL) Smith is normally a backup QB but he had a decent showing against one of the top pass and overall defenses in the league last week (220 yards and 1 ) in the Denver Broncos, and he s facing the league s worst ranked pass defense and the defense that gives up the most fantasy points to QBs. Atlanta gives up an average of 282 YPG passing and against fantasy QBs the Falcons give up the 2nd most yards and the 3rd most s. Alex Game Manager Smith could have a huge day in Atlanta. Jordan Howard RB, Chicago Bears (vs. SF) Howard is currently 10th in the league in rushing YPG with 77 but his problem has been scoring s; he only has 3 scores this year (2 rushing, 1 receiving). He didn t score last week either but had a nice game against Tennessee with 84 yards rushing. This week he gets to face the league s worst run defense in the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners give up a whopping 172 YPG on the ground, and they

13 Weekly Report Page 13 give up the most yards, s and fantasy points to RBs. Howard could feast on the 49ers all day so make sure he s in there. Julio Jones WR, Atlanta Falcons (vs. KC) Julio Jones (4-35) was outshined by several Falcons receivers last week, notably Taylor Gabriel ( ) and Mohamed Sanu (8-65), but even Justin Hardy (3-47) matched Julio s output. That s called an anomaly and this week Julio Jones should return to triple digit yardage and the end zone against the Chief s 20th ranked pass defense that allows the 2nd most fantasy points, the 4th most receptions, the 2nd most yardage and the 6th most s to WRs. You never need to worry about one bad game from Julio and this time is no different. Expect a huge week from this superstar. Jimmy Graham TE, Seattle Seahawks (vs. CAR) The resurgent Graham is averaging 64 YPG receiving, 3rd best in the league for TEs and overall has the 2nd most receiving yards for TEs. He s also 6th in the league for receptions by a TE and tied for 7th in the league in s by a TE. And this week he faces the Carolina Panthers who give up the 3rd most fantasy points to TEs including the 12th most yards and the 3rd most s. With the overall poor pass defense of Carolina and the particularly bad defense against TEs, this is shaping up to be a big week for Graham. SAFE BETS (Good Matchup) Russell Wilson QB, Seattle Seahawks (vs. CAR) Wilson is straddling the line of being a starting fantasy QB this year, and last week s performance certainly didn t help anyone want to play him again this year ( ), but this week Seattle is at home and facing a Carolina Panthers team struggling in pass defense. The Panthers are the 28th ranked pass defense in the NFL, allowing 275 YPG. They ve given up 22 total s to QBs, the 6th most in the league and they give up the 7th most fantasy points to QBs. Wilson only has 11 passing s this year and obviously needs to increase that number. This week against Carolina may be just what the doctor ordered. Theo Riddick RB, Detroit Lions (at NO) Riddick only averages 39 YPG rushing and has just 1 rushing this year, but he s always been more of a threat as a receiver and averages another 39 YPG receiving but with 4 s receiving, and this week he takes his nearly 80 YPG production and 5 total s to the New Orleans Saints who are giving up the 3rd most fantasy points to RBs, including the 4th most rushing s, as well as the 4th most receiving yards and 5th most receiving s to RBs. This has all the makings for a big day from Riddick. Sammy Watkins WR, Buffalo Bills (@ OAK) Watkins returned last week and hauled in 3 balls for 80 yards, which has to be a pleasant stat for his owners who have seen him play in just 3 games so far this year. But as Rex Ryan pointed out in his

14 Weekly Report Page 14 discussion with Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News, just Watkins presence is encouraging: "I know it was a limited role, but he's such a difference-maker. We hope he can play a little more and more, because we certainly need him and we're a different team with him." Well, the news gets even better for owners as the Bills face the Oakland Raiders this week. Oakland is 25th in the NFL in pass defense and against WRs they allow the 7th most fantasy points, give up the 16th most receptions, the 5th most receiving yards and the 9th most s to WRs. Watkins has a great opportunity to build off last week and produce some big numbers this week. Travis Kelce TE, Kansas City Chiefs (@ ATL) Kelce is 6th in YPG and 3rd in receptions for TEs, and his 3 s is still good for 13th among TEs and this week he has a great matchup against the Falcons and their league worst pass defense that is also the 7th worst defense in fantasy points allowed to TEs. Atlanta gives up the 4th most s, the 7th most receptions and the 15th most receiving yards to TEs. As cbssports.com points out, Kelce has gone over the century mark three times in all and has at least five catches in eight of 11 games this season, making him a top option against the generous Falcons defense next week. I agree; Kansas City should be able to exploit the Falcons defense and Kelce should rack up some nice points. ROLLING THE DICE (Bad Matchup) Blake Bortles QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. DEN) Bortles has had a lot of problems this year and his 250 YPG passing is just 18th in the league but he does have 20 s, good for 9th in the NFL, including 2 s against Buffalo last week. While he may still have a hold on some people waiting for last year s Blake to show up, this week is not one to roll the dice and hope he goes off. Denver has the #1 ranked pass defense and gives up the fewest fantasy points to QBs, the 2nd fewest s and has the 8th most INTs. Bortles has had some recent running success; according to Hays Carlyon of jacksonville.com, Bortles has run for over 50 yards in two of the four games [Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel] Hackett has called, including a career-high 81 yards last week. But even his recent ground game won t help him against the Denver defense and Bortles should have a very long day. Jay Ajayi RB, Miami Dolphins (@ BAL) After just an 18 rush, 45 yard and 1 performance last week, you re likely hoping for and maybe even expecting a better showing from Ajayi this week, but the matchup isn t a favorable one as he travels to Baltimore to face the Ravens #1 ranked rush defense in the NFL. The recent Ajayi decline has more to do with offensive lineman injuries than Ajayi suddenly sucking. Cbssports.com points out the Dolphins badly missed their three offensive linemen, even against a defense [San Francisco] as bad as this one. Giving up just 75 YPG rushing, the Ravens are giving up the fewest fantasy points, yards and s to RBs. That makes for a very risky start for Ajayi and his depleted offensive line. Davante Adams WR, Green Bay Packers (vs. HOU)

15 Weekly Report Page 15 Adams is playing very well this year, and many consider this to be a breakout season for him. Last week he destroyed the Eagles with 5 catches for 113 yards and 2 scores, but two weeks ago against Washington he was a bust so there s still some inconsistency to deal with. Unfortunately for Adams owners this week, against the very tough Houston Texans pass defense (ranked 4th in the NFL) it looks like it could be another tough outing, maybe not as bad as his performance against the Redskins, but still concerning. Houston gives up the 3rd fewest fantasy points to WRs and allows the second fewest s, the 4th fewest receptions and the third fewest receiving yards to WRs. Jordan Reed TE, Washington Redskins (@ ARZ) So, after an incredible 10 catch, 95 yard, 2 performance last week against the Cowboys, you d think there was nothing that could show up as a bad matchup for Reed, well, maybe there s nothing but this matchup that could appear to be a bad matchup for him. The Cardinals.not only have the #2 ranked pass defense in the league, they also have the best defense against TEs and allow the fewest fantasy points to TEs at under 3 points per game. They allow the fewest yards, the fewest receptions and the fewest s to TEs. And by the fewest s I mean none. The only team in the NFL not to allow a by a TE this year. I would never say bench Jordan Reed but you need to know this is a very, very tough matchup.

16 Weekly Report Page 16 FLEX APPEAL BY MICHAEL NEASE Flex Appeal Week 13 By: Mike Nease, Senior Writer My goal each and every week is to help you fill that wild card slot in your lineup, the flex position, with some viable, practical solutions. In a typical fantasy football lineup we have one position dedicated to a flex player, that being an extra RB, WR, or TE. Many people just take a lower tier RB or WR and slap them into the lineup. Following that haphazard strategy can cost you games on a regular ongoing basis. You can turn the challenging flex position in your lineup into one of strength, rather than an afterthought. Typically the selection pool here in a 12-team league includes those players ranked beyond RB24, WR36 and TE12. I will use several rankings sources to obtain a healthy consensus. Marriage Material This could be either an available free agent pickup, or a player you already have on your roster that you would take home to meet your folks. This is a likely keeper that you can use more often than not throughout the rest of the season. He has a flair for consistency and the ability to light up the scoreboard with big numbers some weeks. RB James Starks, GB The Green Bay Packers have added James Starks beck to the lineup so they now actually have a RB playing RB, instead of rotating WRs. Averaging 14.4 FPPG over the last three games he has compiled a stat line with /// numbers. When we are looking for steady scoring in the last few key weeks, Starks is a great choice. We expect him to score 9-10 FP in Week 13 vs the Texans in Green Bay. WR Willie Snead, NO Buried publicity wise behind Drew Brees, Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas, Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower, you might think there are not enough passes to support a 6 th offensive star in New Orleans. Wrong! Willie Snead is a strong WR3 in New Orleans. Over the last three games he has averaged almost 15 FPPG and had stats totaling In addition, he threw a 50 yard pass in Week 12. Against the Lions this week in a key game, Look for about 9-10 FP from Snead.

17 Weekly Report Page 17 WR Dontrelle Inman, SD There seems to be a reluctance to play Dontrelle Inman of the Chargers, but he is a solid Flex choice, Averaging 16.6 FPPG, he has compiled a set of numbers over the last three games. You can trust Inman, he has the Philip rivers stamp of approval. Watch for him to give you a solid 9-10 FPPG, with an upside, vs the Bucs this week. WR Tyler Boyd, Cin In the last two games with A.J. Green out and that absence expected to continue, Tyler Boyd has stepped up and has averaged 14.3 FPPG, acquiring a nice stat line. Expect his increase in targets to continue. We expect Boyd to score about 9-9 FP this week vs the Eagles at home. Love em and Leave em A player here has some flex appeal, but you really only want him because of a favorable matchup this week. You will likely see some red warning flags as you approach. A background check may alert you to injury risks, his coach may favor someone else that is not even suiting up this week, etc., etc. But hey, you don t want to consider marriage. A one week stand is all you need him for now. But over the long-haul, maybe, just maybe he could fit the bill for something long-term. RB Terrance West, Bal Having a quiet, but consistent season in Baltimore, Terrance West has compiled a /// stat line over his last three games. While a 10.1 FPPG like he has over that span is not sensational, with RBs in short supply he gives you a solid Flex player if you need one. The last time he played Miami he scored five FP. Expect West to get about 8-9 FP for you this week when the Ravens play the Dolphins at home. RB Bilal Powell, NYJ In his last two games, Bilal Powell has averaged 13.6 FPPG with a /// stat line. He has a much stronger yards/carry stat and is generally outplaying Matt Forte. Amazingly, this seems to happen every year and the Jets keep giving the RB1 job to someone else. Count on Powell to have about 7-8 FRP against the Colts this week at home. WR Quincy Enunwa, NYJ With a revolving wheel at QB and injuries to WRs, somebody still has to catch passes on this team. Quincy Enunwa is playing well again after a bit of a slump. In Week 12 he used five targets to carve a

18 Weekly Report Page 18 nice stat line. He matches up well against the Indianapolis Colts and will be a good Flex choice this week. We expect Enunwa to be good for about 8-9 FP against the Colts in Week 13. TE Cameron Brate, TB After an initial stir about Cameron Brate this season, he has kind of been put on that fantasy shelf in the corner and has been gathering dust. Teams like Tampa Bay can operate in almost complete anonymity unless your name is Mike Evans. With a stat line in his last three games resulting in an 11.3 FPPG average over that time, Brate has been effective and would be a good solution for filling that Flex spot in your lineup. You should be able to get about 7-8 FP from Brate this week against the Chargers in San Diego. Last Call The bar is closing and you are so, so desperate. We have all been there at one time or another. A wasted draft choice is a scratch once again. Who can I add to my roster? Here we will give you a guy to start. He won t be great and very seldom will he be even good. But this week this mutt of a player will give you at least something from the flex position. WR Sammy Watkins, Buf Play him while he s healthy! Sammy Watkins returned in Week 12 and scored 11 FP. While his three targets yielding a stat line was not too impressive, it certainly makes him an unexpected and welcome flex option this week vs the Raiders in Oakland. We expect him to score about 9-10 FP for you against the Raiders in Week 13. Adrian Balboa To Rocky, she was the greatest, prettiest woman in the world. To the rest of us with discerning tastes perhaps not so much. In fantasy football there are players like that available all the time. While others are running away from a player and completely overlooking them is the time for you to swoop in and snap them up. TE Vernon Davis, Was I know, he disappeared from the fantasy horizon a long time ago. But with a QB who loves to throw to TEs and with Jordan reed at least impaired by a Grade 3 shoulder separation, if not out entirely, Vernon Davis is a good Flex play this week. With a 9.1 FPPG average ( stats) over the last three games, he should do well with Reed being injured.

19 Weekly Report Page 19 Expect Davis to garner you about 8-9 FP vs the Cardinals on a trip to the desert. And there you have it the Week 13 Flex player recommendations. When you look at your lineup, view it as a combination of players designed to give you enough points not only to win this week, but enough to win each and every week and ultimately to win the league championship. So, one more time work hard each week to have the strongest lineup possible. Use your judgment to maximize your points based on the players you have. Work the waiver wire and seek out trades to give you the strongest roster you can have. Outwork your opponents and keep building your team from week to week, even as the end of the regular season draws closer. Good luck! Have fun! Mike Nease is a member of the FSWA and has been playing the game since 1985, while also writing about it since Over the years he has sampled about all the playing scenarios that fantasy football offers, including re-drafter, keeper, dynasty, auction, IDP and salary cap leagues. He and his wife Bonnie reside in West Chicago, IL You can contact Mike at mnease23@yahoo.com anytime and during the football season follow

20 Weekly Report Page 20 The Blitz will update and post during the day on Thursday

21 Weekly Report Page 21 GAME CAPSULES WEEK 13 By Matt Wilson FantasySharks.com Senior Writer BYE WEEK: Cleveland Browns Tennessee Titans

22 Weekly Report Page 22 DALLAS COWBOYS (10-1) MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-5) T H UR S D A Y DECEMBER 1 ST 8 : 2 5 PM ET U. S. B A N K S T A D I U M M I N N E A P O L I S, M N L I N E : D A L 3. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 44.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG DAL OFFENSE MIN DEFENSE MIN OFFENSE DAL DEFENSE

23 Weekly Report Page 23 INJURIES TO MONITOR: None DALLAS COWBOYS A Minnesota Vikings defense that has rediscovered its mojo usually plays its best at home, but that s not going to stop you from starting the fantasy stars on a Dallas Cowboys offense that has scored at least 27 points in seven straight outings. Well there is one concern: Vikings top cornerback Xavier Rhodes is expected to shadow Dez Bryant, which will depress his numbers and Dak Prescott s passing stats. With Bryant drawing Minnesota s best cover guy, Cole Beasley, who has amassed 50- something receiving yards in six of his last seven games, is the most likely Cowboys wideout to score. The Vikings have been mediocre versus tight ends, aside from their Thanksgiving Day goose egg treatment of Eric Ebron (Lions), but Jason Witten hasn t scored or eclipsed the 60-yard mark in three straight outings. Ezekiel Elliott is a must-start as usual. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Dak Prescott RB Ezekiel Elliott RB Alfred Morris WR Dez Bryant WR Terrance Williams WR Cole Beasley WR Brice Butler TE Jason Witten FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Dan Bailey P/A SK INT FUM s DT Cowboys

24 Weekly Report Page 24 Dallas Cowboys Notes: Previous matchup: The last regular-season duel between the Cowboys and the Vikings took place three years ago. Dallas downed Minnesota MINNESOTA VIKINGS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Stefon Diggs (knee), Sam Bradford (ankle), Adam Thielen (shoulder) The sputtering Minnesota Vikings offense hasn t scored more than 20 points in a game since Week 5. Since the Dallas Cowboys defense ranks third in fantasy points allowed to running backs, there s little reason to get excited about Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata as usual. At last check, Stefon Diggs, who sat out his team s Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions, was expected to return and looks like a great start versus a banged up Cowboys secondary. Diggs and Sam Bradford playing pitch and catch is really all this offense has going for it. The return of Diggs puts a dent in Adam Thielen s value, but he s the Vikings second-most targeted wideout. Even though Dallas has yielded the sixthmost fantasy points to opposing tight ends, the inconsistent Kyle Rudolph is a dicey play. His weekto-week numbers have been up and down lately. The Minnesota team defense is a low-end starting option. The Dallas offense has surrendered the third-fewest sacks and has committed just nine turnovers all season. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Sam Bradford RB Jerick McKinnon RB Matt Asiata WR Stefon Diggs WR Cordarrelle Patterson WR Adam Thielen WR Charles Johnson

25 Weekly Report Page 25 TE Kyle Rudolph FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Kai Forbath P/A SK INT FUM s DT Vikings Minnesota Vikings Notes: Previous matchup: The last meaningful clash between the Vikings and the Cowboys occurred during the 2013 regular season. Minnesota fell to Dallas KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-3) ATLANTA FALCONS

26 Weekly Report Page 26 (7-4) SUNDAY DECEMBER 4 TH 1 : 0 0 PM ET G E O R G I A D O M E A T L A N T A, G A L I N E : A T L 3. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 49.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG KC OFFENSE ATL DEFENSE ATL OFFENSE KC DEFENSE K A N S A S C I T Y C H I E F S INJURIES TO MONITOR: Jeremy Maclin (groin) The Kansas City Chiefs offense looks primed for a productive game versus an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranks in the bottom five in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback, running back and tight end positions, but the Chiefs could have a letdown after their hard-fought Sunday night overtime victory over the Denver Broncos. The Falcons have lost top cornerback Desmond Trufant, which clearly hurts their secondary. Even if Jeremy Maclin returns (he hasn t played since Week 9 and would be a dicey play), Travis Kelce and rising fantasy star Tyreek Hill are both must-starts. Gamemanager Alex Smith deserves streaming consideration. Atlanta actually has been stingy against the run at home, allowing just one rushing score to opposing tailbacks. Spencer Ware hasn t found the

27 Weekly Report Page 27 end zone since Week 7. The Kansas City team defense will have its hands full with a high-scoring Falcons offense. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Alex Smith RB Spencer Ware RB Charcandrick West WR Jeremy Maclin WR Tyreek Hill WR Albert Wilson WR Chris Conley TE Travis Kelce FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Cairo Santos P/A SK INT FUM s DT Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs Notes: Previous matchup: The last regular-season meeting between Kansas City and Atlanta took place four years ago. The Chiefs were routed by the Falcons INJURIES TO MONITOR: None ATLANTA FALCONS The Atlanta Falcons offense has scored at least 30 points in four straight home contests, and the Falcons will sniff the 30-point threshold in this matchup. Since the Kansas City Chiefs defense has hemorrhaged the second-most fantasy points to the wideout position, it s no mystery how the Atlanta

28 Weekly Report Page 28 offense will attack. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, who will bounce back from his Patrick Peterson treatment last week, are must-start options as always. Taylor Gabriel has racked up 322 total yards and five total touchdowns on just 16 touches in his last four games played. While Gabriel is a boomor-bust option, it s hard not to start him. Mohamed Sanu has been more consistent lately and deserves flex consideration in PPR leagues. The Kansas City defense ranks fourth in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, so don t expect much from Austin Hooper for the third game in a row. Since the Chiefs have been solid overall versus the run, dial down your expectations for Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Tailbacks have had success against the Chiefs in the passing game. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Matt Ryan RB Devonta Freeman RB Tevin Coleman WR Julio Jones WR Mohamed Sanu WR Taylor Gabriel TE Austin Hooper FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Matt Bryant P/A SK INT FUM s DT Falcons Atlanta Falcons Notes: Previous matchup: The last meeting between the Falcons and the Chiefs happened during the 2012 regular season. Atlanta pounded Kansas City

29 Weekly Report Page 29 DETROIT LIONS (7-4) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-6) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 1 : 0 0 PM ET M E R C E D E S - B E N Z S U P E R D O M E N E W O R L E A N S, L A L I N E : NO 5. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 53.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG DET OFFENSE NO DEFENSE NO OFFENSE

30 Weekly Report Page 30 DET DEFENSE INJURIES TO MONITOR: None DETROIT LIONS Since the New Orleans Saints defense has quietly shown some modest improvement, this probably won t be the big Detroit Lions scoring festival that you may have expected. Even though New Orleans has allowed only one quarterback to throw for more than two scores at the Superdome (oddly, it was Jared Goff last week), Matthew Stafford will still have a nice outing and has a nice change to rack up three himself. Golden Tate is Detroit s most productive wideout. The struggling Marvin Jones four catches for 54 yards versus the Minnesota Vikings last week was his best outing in a month. Even though we haven t projected a touchdown for Anquan Boldin, it wouldn t be a surprise for him to hit pay dirt in this matchup. The New Orleans Saints rank just 21st in fantasy points allowed to the tight end position, so Eric Erbon, who usually has his best fantasy outings on the road, will bounce back from his Thanksgiving Day goose egg. Since the Saints defense remains weak against running backs (fifth-most fantasy points yielded to the position), Theo Riddick is a solid play. It s hard to imagine the Lions team defense containing the high-octane New Orleans passing attack. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Matthew Stafford RB Theo Riddick RB Dwayne Washington WR Marvin Jones WR Golden Tate WR Anquan Boldin TE Eric Ebron FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Matt Prater

31 Weekly Report Page 31 P/A SK INT FUM s DT Lions Detroit Lions Notes: Previous matchup: Last season (Week 15), the Lions defeated the Saints at the Superdome. In that game, Matthew Stafford passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns. Ameer Abdullah (foot) amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Theo Riddick compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Joique Bell (free agent) rushed for a score. Golden Tate logged six grabs for 45 yards and two touchdowns. Eric Ebron caught four passes for 79 yards. Fullback Michael Burton hauled in Stafford s third scoring strike. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Mark Ingram (toe) Everybody knows the potent New Orleans Saints offense, aside from a super-tough Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, has been money in the bank at the Superdome. Drew Brees and leading receiver Michael Thomas are both must-start options. Look for New Orleans to do everything possible to get Brandin Cooks back on track after he logged a doughnut on zero targets last week. If you toss out Willie Snead s two-score outing from Week 10, he has been stuck on between 30- something and 50-something receiving yards per game since Week 8. The Detroit Lions have hemorrhaged the most fantasy points to the tight end position, but Coby Fleener is still a risky play because of his inconsistency and timeshare with Josh Hill. The Lions have yielded the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs, but Mark Ingram will still cobble together a solid outing thanks to volume. Tim Hightower will do the same and deserves flex consideration in deeper leagues.

32 Weekly Report Page 32 WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Drew Brees RB Mark Ingram RB Tim Hightower WR Brandin Cooks WR Michael Thomas WR Willie Snead TE Coby Fleener FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Wil Lutz P/A SK INT FUM s DT Saints New Orleans Saints Notes: Previous matchup: Last season (Week 15), New Orleans lost to Detroit at the Superdome. In that contest, Drew Brees threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns. Tim Hightower compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Mark Ingram missed the game due to a shoulder injury. Brandin Cooks reeled in 10 balls for 124 yards and one score. Willie Snead made 10 grabs for 76 yards. Ben Watson (Ravens) and Marques Colston each caught a touchdown pass. LOS ANGELES RAMS

33 Weekly Report Page 33 (4-7) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-2) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 1 : 0 0 PM ET G I L L E T T E S T A D I U M F O X B O R O U G H, M A L I N E : N E O V E R / U N D E R : 44.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG LA OFFENSE NE DEFENSE NE OFFENSE LA DEFENSE INJURIES TO MONITOR: None LOS ANGELES RAMS The Los Angeles Rams decision to switch to rookie Jared Goff two weeks ago hasn t turned their offense into a fantasy dumpster fire like many had expected. Goff, flashing a strong arm, looked

34 Weekly Report Page 34 largely solid while tossing three scoring strikes against the New Orleans Saints in Week 12, but we all know the New England Patriots defense loves to torment young quarterbacks. Goff obviously isn t starter material in this matchup. Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin and Lance Kendricks have stayed afloat statistically so far. Britt, who seems to be Goff s favorite target, is the most likely one to score, but all Los Angeles Rams receivers are very risky starts. Since Goff took over, Brian Quick has amassed just four catches for 24 yards. The struggling Todd Gurley has either scored or compiled more than 70 yards just once since Week 6. New England s defense will focus on him like a laser. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Jared Goff RB Todd Gurley RB Benny Cunningham WR Tavon Austin WR Kenny Britt WR Brian Quick TE Lance Kendricks FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Greg Zuerlein P/A SK INT FUM s DT Rams Los Angeles Rams Notes: Previous matchup: The last clash between the Rams and the Patriots took place during the 2012 regular season. Los Angeles was shellacked by New England NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

35 Weekly Report Page 35 INJURIES TO MONITOR: Rob Gronkowski (back), Tom Brady (knee), Julian Edelman (foot), Martellus Bennett (ankle) The Los Angeles Rams defense has played very poorly on the road, which is why most folks reasonably think the New England Patriots offense can get by without the services of a very bangedup Rob Gronkowski this week. Tom Brady and Julian Edelman are the mandatory starts here as usual (yes, they ll both play). The kneejerk reaction to Gronkowski s likely absence is to start Martellus Bennett, but the struggling backup has caught just four passes for 36 yards in his last two outings. Bennett is clearly a dicey play. Brady has been spreading his passes around among receivers not named Edelman, which makes Malcolm Mitchell and Chris Hogan both risky starts. However, they both deserve flex consideration versus a leaky Rams secondary. LeGarrette Blount is the safest start in the New England backfield, but James White and Dion Lewis have been playing in a timeshare. The Patriots team defense is a solid start. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Tom Brady RB LeGarrette Blount RB James White RB Dion Lewis WR Julian Edelman WR Chris Hogan WR Malcolm Mitchell WR Danny Amendola TE Rob Gronkowski TE Martellus Bennett FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Stephen Gostkowski P/A SK INT FUM s DT Patriots New England Patriots Notes: Previous meeting: The last regular-season Patriots/Rams contest happened four years ago. New England pounded Los Angeles 45-7.

36 Weekly Report Page 36 DENVER BRONCOS (7-4) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-9) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 1 : 0 0 PM ET E V E R B A N K F I E L D J A C K S O N V I L L E, F L L I N E : D E N 5. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 41.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS

37 Weekly Report Page 37 RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG DEN OFFENSE JAC DEFENSE JAC OFFENSE DEN DEFENSE D E N V E R B R O N C O S INJURIES TO MONITOR: Trevor Siemian (foot) A Denver Broncos squad that s coming off a heartbreaking Sunday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs should be able to cobble together enough points to pull out a win here, but it looks like the Jacksonville Jaguars defense is still giving a solid effort despite the team s 2-9 mark. While the Jaguars rank just 18th in fantasy points allowed to the running back position, the struggling Devontae Booker is compiling barely average weekly rushing numbers and hasn t scored since Week 8. Jacksonville has been stingy versus the pass, so don t expect big numbers from Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Trevor Siemian. The Jaguars gave up two scores to tight ends last week, which is why I like A.J. Darby s chances to hit pay dirt. The Broncos team defense is a must-start as always. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Trevor Siemian RB Devontae Booker RB Kapri Bibbs WR Demaryius Thomas WR Emmanuel Sanders WR Bennie Fowler TE A.J. Derby FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Brandon McManus

38 Weekly Report Page 38 P/A SK INT FUM s DT Broncos Denver Broncos Notes: Previous matchup: They played the last regular-season Broncos/Jaguars contest three years ago. Denver thrashed Jacksonville by a final of JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Chris Ivory (hamstring), T.J. Yeldon (ankle), Julius Thomas (back), Allen Hurns (hamstring) It s very difficult to trust any Jacksonville Jaguars fantasy stars on an offense that likely will be shorthanded and going up against the Denver Broncos defense. Everybody knows the Broncos secondary is elite, so Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns (assuming he plays) and Marqise Lee are all weak plays. Even if Julius Thomas returns, he isn t a reliable option. Thomas had been struggling before he went down with a back injury. Chris Ivory wasn t expected to suit up, so Jacksonville will use T.J. Yeldon (assuming he plays) and Denard Robinson in a timeshare. If Ivory and Yeldon both sit, Robinson is the lead dog in the backfield. The Denver Broncos rank only 21st in fantasy points allowed to opposing tailbacks, but the Jaguars ground game is one of the weakest in the NFL. This looks like a buffet of desperation fantasy plays. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Blake Bortles RB Chris Ivory RB T.J. Yeldon RB Denard Robinson WR Allen Robinson WR Allen Hurns

39 Weekly Report Page 39 WR Marqise Lee WR Bryan Walters TE Julius Thomas TE Ben Koyack FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Jason Myers P/A SK INT FUM s DT Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars Notes: Previous matchup: The last meeting between Jacksonville and Denver happened during the 2013 regular season. The Broncos won handily, HOUSTON TEXANS (6-5)

40 Weekly Report Page 40 GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-6) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 1 : 0 0 PM ET L A M B E A U F I E L D G R E E N B A Y, W I L I N E : G B 6. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 45.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG HOU OFFENSE GB DEFENSE GB OFFENSE HOU DEFENSE H O U S T O N T E X A N S INJURIES TO MONITOR: Lamar Miller (ankle), Alfred Blue (calf), Jaelen Strong (ankle) It s going to be tough sledding for a Houston Texans offense that very rarely plays well on the road. A banged-up Green Bay Packers defense is slowly getting healthy again, and the Packers, despite their injuries, usually put up a fight at Lambeau Field. Lamar Miller, thanks to his regular high volume of touches, is an okay start versus a Green Bay defense that ranks 15th in fantasy points ceded to the

41 Weekly Report Page 41 tailback position. Brock Osweiler s struggles in road venues are common knowledge in the fantasy universe, but his top-two targets, DeAndre Hopkins and C.J. Fiedorowicz, are still moderate starts versus a Packers secondary that played much better Monday night thanks to the return of cornerback Damarious Randall. Will Fuller looked solid last week, but he should be considered a dart-throw fantasy WR4 start. The Houston team defense has struggled big time away from home. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Brock Osweiler RB Lamar Miller RB Alfred Blue RB Akeem Hunt WR DeAndre Hopkins WR Will Fuller WR Braxton Miller WR Jaelen Strong TE C.J. Fiedorowicz FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Nick Novak P/A SK INT FUM s DT Texans Houston Texans Notes: Previous matchup: The last clash between the Texans and the Packers happened during the 2012 regular season. Houston was on the losing side of a blowout. GREEN BAY PACKERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Aaron Rodgers (hamstring)

42 Weekly Report Page 42 Since the Houston Texans defense hasn t travelled well all season, this is a great week to start your Green Bay Packers fantasy stars. Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams are all strong plays. Even though Nelson likely will draw shadow coverage from Jonathan Joseph, Nelson will still do enough to make a worthwhile play. Since the Texans have been very stingy to the tight end position regardless of the venue, this isn t the week to gamble on either Jared Cook or Richard Rodgers. Don t expect mediocre James Starks to erupt against a Houston defense that has yielded the 10th-most fantasy points to the running back position, but Starks, a three-down back, should cobble together a solid outing in PPR leagues. Christine Michael isn t receiving enough touches to be trusted in starting lineups right now. The Packers team defense is a nice streaming option. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Aaron Rodgers RB James Starks RB Christine Michael WR Jordy Nelson WR Randall Cobb WR Davante Adams WR Ty Montgomery TE Jared Cook FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Mason Crosby P/A SK INT FUM s DT Packers Green Bay Packers Notes: Previous matchup: The last regular-season Packers/Eagles duel took place in Green Bay shellacked Houston

43 Weekly Report Page 43 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-6) CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-7-1) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 1 : 0 0 PM ET P A U L B R O W N S T A D I U M C I N C I N N A T I, O H L I N E : P H I 1. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 42.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG PHI OFFENSE

44 Weekly Report Page 44 CIN DEFENSE CIN OFFENSE PHI DEFENSE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURIES TO MONITOR: Jordan Matthews (ankle), Ryan Mathews (knee), Darren Sproles (ribs) The poor performance by the Philadelphia Eagles offense (a season-low 13 points scored) versus a banged up Green Bay Packers defense this past Monday night was a surprise, but don t expect huge rebound outings from any of the Eagles fantasy stars. The Cincinnati Bengals defense ranks 22nd in fantasy points allowed to running backs, but the Bengals have been tougher at home. Look for just moderate outings from the timeshare of Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood, with Sproles the more likely of the two to score. Ryan Mathews was expected to miss his second straight game. Cincinnati has yielded only three touchdown passes since Week 3 and ranks fifth in fantasy points ceded to opposing wideouts, so don t expect big numbers from Carson Wentz, Jordan Matthews and Dorial Green-Beckham. The Bengals have coughed up the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends, but the struggling Zach Ertz is a risky start. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Carson Wentz RB Darren Sproles RB Ryan Mathews RB Wendell Smallwood WR Jordan Matthews WR Dorial Green-Beckham WR Nelson Agholor WR Bryce Treggs TE Zach Ertz

45 Weekly Report Page 45 FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Caleb Sturgis P/A SK INT FUM s DT Eagles Philadelphia Eagles Notes: Previous matchup: The last Philadelphia/Cincinnati clash went down during the 2012 regular season. The Bengals routed the Eagles CINCINNATI BENGALS INJURIES TO MONITOR: A.J. Green (hamstring) Last week we got to see life for the Cincinnati Bengals offense without A.J. Green (hamstring) and Giovani Bernard (torn ACL), and it wasn t pretty to say the least (just 12 offensive points). Even though the Philadelphia Eagles defense isn t very scary on the road, don t expect the Bengals offense to erupt. It s hard to see Andy Dalton passing for more than one touchdown since an Eagles defense that ranks second in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends will still have success containing Tyler Eifert despite the road matchup. Philadelphia has yielded the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. Tyler Boyd, who has been targeted 17 times in the last two weeks, is the leading candidate for a scoring grab. Brandon LaFell, with just seven catches in the last two weeks, has been a non-factor and hard to trust. The Eagles rank seventh in fantasy points allowed to opposing tailbacks, but Jeremy Hill, who is operating as a three-down back in Bernard s absence, usually runs well at home. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Andy Dalton RB Jeremy Hill

46 Weekly Report Page 46 RB Rex Burkhead WR A.J. Green WR Brandon LaFell WR Tyler Boyd TE Tyler Eifert FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Mike Nugent P/A SK INT FUM s DT Bengals Cincinnati Bengals Notes: Previous matchup: The last Bengals/Eagles duel took place during the 2012 regular season. Cincinnati pounded Philadelphia by a final of MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-4)

47 Weekly Report Page 47 BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-5) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 1 : 0 0 PM ET M & T B A N K S T A D I U M B A L T I M O R E, M D L I N E : B A L 3. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 41.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG MIA OFFENSE BAL DEFENSE BAL OFFENSE MIA DEFENSE MIAMI DOLPHINS INJURIES TO MONITOR: DeVante Parker (back) Don t expect the Miami Dolphins bread-and-butter ground game, which is led by Jay Ajayi, to do much versus a Baltimore Ravens defense that has surrendered the fewest fantasy points to the running back position. Ajayi hasn t scored in a road contest so far this season, and it s very unlikely to happen here. The Dolphins offense obviously will sink or swim on Ryan Tannehill s right arm this week. A Ravens secondary that has yielded the sixth-most fantasy points to enemy wideouts likely will be

48 Weekly Report Page 48 missing standout cornerback Jimmy Smith (back), which will make things easier for DeVante Parker (assuming he plays), who would have matched up on Smith. Baltimore also has struggled against slot receivers on occasion, so a moderate outing from Jarvis Landry is likely. Kenny Stills remains a boom-or-bust fantasy WR4 play. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Ryan Tannehill RB Jay Ajayi RB Damien Williams WR Jarvis Landry WR DeVante Parker WR Kenny Stills TE Dion Sims FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Andrew Franks P/A SK INT FUM s DT Dolphins Miami Dolphins Notes: Previous matchup: Last season (Week 13), the Dolphins beat the Ravens at Sun Life Stadium. In that game, Ryan Tannehill threw for 86 yards and one touchdown. Jay Ajayi, in a backup role, toted the rock four times for 12 yards. Lamar Miller (Texans) amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. DeVante Parker caught three passes for 63 yards and one touchdown. Jarvis Landry made two grabs for five yards.

49 Weekly Report Page 49 INJURIES TO MONITOR: None BALTIMORE RAVENS The Baltimore Ravens want to run the football, but they haven t been doing it well lately. The Miami Dolphins defense, which ranks 12th in fantasy points ceded to the running back position, has been softer against the run in road venues. On top of that, Baltimore has been using Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon in a timeshare. The struggling West is still receiving the bulk of the touches, but he has scored just once in the last five weeks. Even though West could go off, Dixon could receive enough touches to limit his upside. Consider both runners very marginal flex plays. The Miami secondary is beatable, but Joe Flacco hasn t exploited great matchups all season. Maybe he ll do it here, but Flacco has tossed multiple touchdown passes in just one of his last nine games. Steve Smith and Mike Wallace are the best bets for yardage and scores in the receiver corps. Dennis Pitta still hasn t scored this season. The Baltimore team defense is a solid play. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Joe Flacco RB Terrance West RB Kenneth Dixon WR Steve Smith, Sr WR Mike Wallace WR Kamar Aiken WR Breshad Perriman TE Dennis Pitta FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Justin Tucker P/A SK INT FUM s DT Ravens Baltimore Ravens Notes:

50 Weekly Report Page 50 Previous matchup: Last season (Week 13), Baltimore lost to Miami at Sun Life Stadium. Joe Flacco missed the game due to a knee injury. Matt Schaub passed for 308 yards and one score. Terrance West compiled an rushing line and a receiving line. Javorius Buck Allen amassed a rushing line and a receiving line. Steve Smith missed the contest because of an Achilles tendon injury. Kamar Aiken made six grabs for 48 yards. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-10) CHICAGO BEARS (2-9) S U N D A Y DE CEMBER 4 TH S O L D I E R F I E L D C H I C A G O, I L 1 : 0 0 PM ET L I N E : C H I 2. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 43.5

51 Weekly Report Page 51 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG SF OFFENSE CHI DEFENSE CHI OFFENSE SF DEFENSE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Quinton Patton (concussion) The San Francisco 49ers offense is slowly becoming more than just the must-start Carlos Hyde show. Colin Kaepernick s play has quietly improved. Last week he racked up the bulk of his 296 passing yards and three touchdown passes, and 113 rushing yards against the Miami Dolphins when it mattered. Consider Kaepernick a solid streaming option versus a sagging Chicago Bears defense that ranks just 15th in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback position. The Bears also rank just 22nd in fantasy points ceded to opposing wideouts, but here s the problem Kaepernick doesn t have a favorite target right now. The touchdown pass projected for the inconsistent Jeremy Kerley could just as easily go to Torrey Smith or Quinton Patton (assuming he plays). Vance McDonald, however, has been solid with Kaepernick under center. In the last month, McDonald has either scored or amassed 60 receiving yards in three of four games played. Chicago ranks 13th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS

52 Weekly Report Page 52 PLAYER QB Colin Kaepernick RB Carlos Hyde RB DuJuan Harris WR Torrey Smith WR Quinton Patton WR Jeremy Kerley WR Rod Streater TE Vance McDonald TE Garrett Celek FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Phil Dawson P/A SK INT FUM s DT 49ers San Francisco 49ers Notes: Previous matchup: Last season (Week 13), the 49ers downed the Bears at Soldier Field. In that contest, Blaine Gabbert threw for 196 yards and one score, and amassed a rushing line. Carlos Hyde missed the game due to a foot injury. Shaun Draughn compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Torrey Smith made two grabs for 76 yards and one touchdown. Vance McDonald caught two balls for 18 yards. CHICAGO BEARS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Jay Cutler (shoulder)

53 Weekly Report Page 53 The San Francisco 49ers defense still ranks in the bottom four in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions, so a ton of in-depth analysis isn t necessary here. Jordan Howard is a must-start. Matt Barkley, who is coming off a 300-yard, three-touchdown Week 12 outing, is expected to start again in place of the injured Jay Cutler. It s a great matchup for Barkley and his receivers, but they should all be treated as risky starts. The inexperienced Barkley could just as easily flop. Alshon Jeffery (suspended) obviously won t play. Last week Barkley targeted Marquess Wilson and Cameron Meredith the most, and it looks like Wilson ( last week) is Barkley s favorite. Meredith logged just two catches despite being targeted nine times. He s the more dicey start of the two. Eddie Royal caught just one ball from Barkley in Week12. The other Bears pass catchers are fantasy dart throws. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Jay Cutler QB Matt Barkley RB Jordan Howard RB Ka Deem Carey WR Alshon Jeffery (SUSP) WR Cameron Meredith WR Eddie Royal WR Josh Bellamy WR Marquess Wilson TE Daniel Brown FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Connor Barth P/A SK INT FUM s DT Bears Chicago Bears Notes: Previous matchup: Last season (Week 13), Chicago lost to San Francisco at Soldier Field. In that game, Jay Cutler threw for 202 scoreless yards. Matt Forte (Jets) amassed a rushing line and a receiving line.

54 Weekly Report Page 54 Jeremy Langford compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Ka Deem Carey carried five times for 17 yards and one touchdown but didn t catch any passes. Alshon Jeffery hauled in four balls for 85 yards. Eddie Royal missed the game because of a knee injury. Marc Mariani caught two passes for 33 yards. Zach Miller (foot surgery) snagged one ball for six yards. BUFFALO BILLS (6-5) OAKLAND RAIDERS (9-2) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 4 : 0 5 PM ET O. C O C O L I S E U M O A K L A N D, C A L I N E : O A K 3. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 49.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG BUF OFFENSE

55 Weekly Report Page 55 OAK DEFENSE OAK OFFENSE BUF DEFENSE BUFFALO BILLS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Robert Woods (knee), Sammy Watkins (foot), Percy Harvin (illness) The Oakland Raiders defense is still struggling against the run, yielding the eighth-most fantasy points to the tailback position. However, you re smart enough to know that LeSean McCoy is a must-start. Mike Gillislee will return after spending last week on the injury shelf, but he isn t expected to see enough action to have standalone value. The Raiders defense remains soft against the pass, too, but the Tyrod Taylor-led aerial attack isn t going to light it up. How often has that actually happened? Sammy Watkins, according to media reports, had a setback with his bum foot and looks very iffy to play, and so does Robert Woods. Marquise Goodwin is the team s healthiest wideout, but the boomor-bust Goodwin is a dart throw. The struggling Charles Clay has been held below 30 receiving yards in every game played since Week 6. Consider the Bills team defense a fringe starting option. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Tyrod Taylor RB LeSean McCoy RB Mike Gillislee WR Sammy Watkins WR Robert Woods WR Marquise Goodwin WR Percy Harvin WR Justin Hunter TE Charles Clay

56 Weekly Report Page 56 FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Dan Carpenter P/A SK INT FUM s DT Bills Buffalo Bills Notes: Previous matchup: The last meaningful contest between the Bills and the Raiders took place during the 2014 regular season. Buffalo lost to Oakland OAKLAND RAIDERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Derek Carr (finger, throwing hand) The Oakland Raiders offense has racked up at least 27 points in seven of its last eight outings. The big bad Buffalo Bills defense isn t as scary when it plays on the road, so don t be afraid to start your Raiders. The Bills rank 17th in fantasy points allowed to opposing tailbacks and have yielded four rushing scores in their last four away contests, so Latavius Murray looks like a solid start. Jalen Richard operates in a fantasy irrelevant breather-back role. DeAndre Washington was a healthy scratch last week. Statistically Buffalo has been solid against quarterbacks and wideouts, but the Bills haven t faced many above-average players at those positions. Consider Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree good but not great plays. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Derek Carr RB Latavius Murray RB Jalen Richard WR Amari Cooper WR Michael Crabtree WR Seth Roberts

57 Weekly Report Page 57 TE Clive Walford TE Mychal Rivera FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Sebastian Janikowski P/A SK INT FUM s DT Raiders Oakland Raiders Notes: Previous matchup: The Raiders and the Bills met during the 2014 regular season. Oakland nipped Buffalo NEW YORK GIANTS (8-3)

58 Weekly Report Page 58 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-5) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 4 : 2 5 PM ET H E I N Z F I E L D P I T T S B U R G H, P A L I N E : P I T 6. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 49.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG NY OFFENSE PIT DEFENSE PIT OFFENSE NY DEFENSE INJURIES TO MONITOR: None NEW YORK GIANTS The New York Giants offense hasn t travelled well all season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers defense usually plays above its pay grade at home. That s why I m expecting just moderate production from the Big Blue fantasy stars. Odell Beckham is a must-start as always despite a matchup versus a Steelers defense that ranks fourth in fantasy points allowed to the wideout position. With the Pittsburgh secondary focusing on Beckham, look for Sterling Shepard to get back on track. Eli Manning

59 Weekly Report Page 59 apologized to Shepard for no targets last week, which snapped Shepard s three-game scoring streak. Pittsburgh has yielded the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs, but Rashad Jennings is a risky start after he pulled a no-show against the Cleveland Browns last week. Paul Perkins isn t receiving enough touches to trust in starting lineups. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Eli Manning RB Rashad Jennings RB Paul Perkins WR Odell Beckham, Jr WR Sterling Shepard WR Victor Cruz TE Will Tye FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Robbie Gould P/A SK INT FUM s DT Giants New York Giants Notes: Previous matchup: Four years have passed since the last Giants/Steelers regular-season clash, which Pittsburgh won by a final of PITTSBURGH STEELERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: DeAngelo Williams (knee), Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot)

60 Weekly Report Page 60 With at least 24 points scored in three straight games, it looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is back to its high-scoring ways. Even though the vastly improved New York Giants defense has been solid against all the offensive positions, Le Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger are all must starts, and we all know that Roethlisberger plays his best at Heinz Field. However, Eli Rogers, after posting a 100-yard game in Week 9 and a solid outing with a score in Week 10, has been stuck between 20-something and 30-something receiving yards in the last two weeks. The Steelers keep promising to get Ladarius Green more involved, but that has yet to happen. Take a wait-and-see approach with him. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Ben Roethlisberger RB Le Veon Bell RB Fitzgerald Toussaint RB DeAngelo Williams WR Antonio Brown WR Eli Rogers WR Cobi Hamilton WR Sammie Coates WR Darrius Heyward-Bey TE Jesse James TE Ladarius Green FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Chris Boswell P/A SK INT FUM s DT Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers Notes: Previous matchup: The last meaningful contest between Pittsburgh and New York happened during the 2012 regular season. The Steelers prevailed

61 Weekly Report Page 61 WASHINGTON (6-4-1) ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-6-1) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 4 : 2 5 PM ET U N I V E R S I T Y O F P H O E N I X S T A D I U M G L E N D A L E, A Z L I N E : A R Z 2. 5 O V E R / U N D E R : 49.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS

62 Weekly Report Page 62 UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG WAS OFFENSE ARI DEFENSE ARI OFFENSE WAS DEFENSE WASHINGTON INJURIES TO MONITOR: Jordan Reed (shoulder) The Washington offense has been red hot during the last month, but it looks like the party will end here. Even though the Arizona Cardinals defense hasn t been as dominant as it was last season, this stop unit still plays solidly at home. Washington likely will be without the services of Jordan Reed (shoulder), and DeSean Jackson likely will draw shadow coverage from Patrick Peterson. Those are the two reasons why Kirk Cousins, who has averaged 386 passing yards and 2.5 touchdown passes per contest since Week 9, will post what for him are moderate numbers. Arizona has been soft against slot guys, so Jamison Crowder should have a nice game. The Cardinals, however, have yielded the fewest fantasy points to enemy tight ends, so Vernon Davis isn t a safe streaming option. Rob Kelley is a weak play versus an Arizona defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs and only one rushing score to the position at home all season. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Kirk Cousins RB Rob Kelley RB Chris Thompson WR DeSean Jackson WR Pierre Garcon WR Jamison Crowder WR Maurice Harris

63 Weekly Report Page 63 TE Jordan Reed TE Vernon Davis FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Dustin Hopkins P/A SK INT FUM s DT Washington Washington Notes: Previous matchup: They played the last Washington/Arizona regular-season game two years ago. Washington lost at University of Phoenix Stadium. ARIZONA CARDINALS INJURIES TO MONITOR: John Brown (sickle cell/hamstring) The sputtering Arizona Cardinals offense hasn t scored more than 24 points in a game since Week 6. The Washington defense has been soft against the run, so it s a no-brainer for Arizona to pound the rock early and often with the must-start David Johnson. Even though the Burgundy and Gold haven t yielded more than one passing touchdown in a road contest all season, Carson Palmer should be an exception. Look for depressed numbers from Larry Fitzgerald since Josh Norman likely will shadow him. It s hard to trust Michael Floyd since he has tallied more than 65 yards in a game just once this season. Floyd also hasn t scored since Week 6. Jermaine Gresham has hit pay dirt in two straight contests and could make it three in a row versus a Washington defense that has yielded the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends, but he s clearly a risky play. The Cardinals team defense is a decent starting option. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Carson Palmer

64 Weekly Report Page 64 RB David Johnson RB Andre Ellington WR Larry Fitzgerald WR J.J. Nelson WR Michael Floyd WR John Brown TE Jermaine Gresham TE Darren Fells FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Chandler Catanzaro P/A SK INT FUM s DT Cardinals Arizona Cardinals Notes: Previous matchup: The last clash between Arizona and Washington took place during the 2014 regular season. The Cardinals won at University of Phoenix Stadium. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

65 Weekly Report Page 65 (6-5) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (5-6) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 4 : 2 5 PM ET Q U A L C O M M S T A D I U M S A N D I E G O, C A L I N E : S D 4. 0 O V E R / U N D E R: 47.5 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG TB OFFENSE SD DEFENSE SD OFFENSE TB DEFENSE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Jacquizz Rodgers (foot) After watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense score only 19 points and 14 points in the last two weeks, respectively, look for this score unit to light up what s still a suspect San Diego Chargers

66 Weekly Report Page 66 defense. The Buccaneers triplets the must-start Mike Evans, Jameis Winston and Doug Martin are all strong plays. Evans leads the NFL in targets, and he gashed the Legion of Boom for two scores last week. Trevor Siemian (Broncos) was the only quarterback to visit San Diego and not pass for at least two touchdowns so far this season. The Chargers have coughed up the sixth-most fantasy points to the running back position, so Martin, who continues to operate as a three-down workhorse, should have a nice outing. The other Tampa Bay wideouts are dice rolls as usual. Cameron Brate could surprise against a San Diego defense that remains suspect versus the tight end position. Consider the Buccaneers team defense a streaming option. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Jameis Winston RB Doug Martin RB Jacquizz Rodgers RB Peyton Barber WR Mike Evans WR Russell Shepard WR Adam Humphries WR Cecil Shorts TE Cameron Brate FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Roberto Aguayo P/A SK INT FUM s DT Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Notes: Previous matchup: Four years have passed since the last Buccaneers/Chargers regular-season duel, which Tampa Bay won

67 Weekly Report Page 67 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS INJURIES TO MONITOR: Tyrell Williams (shoulder), Travis Benjamin (knee) Statistically the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense looks improved, but the Buccaneers Week 12 home performance versus the Seattle Seahawks screams fluke to me. In other words, don t be afraid to start your Chargers. Philip Rivers, Tyrell Williams (if he suits up) and Dontrelle Williams are all strong plays. Travis Benjamin was quiet last week, which was his first game played after a knee injury layoff. He ll have to do more if Williams sits. Antonio Gates should rebound from his Week 12 goose egg since Tampa Bay has been soft against the tight end. Hunter Henry has scored in two straight but hasn t compiled more than 20 yards in a game since Week 6. Melvin Gordon is a muststart as usual. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Philip Rivers RB Melvin Gordon RB Kenneth Farrow WR Travis Benjamin WR Tyrell Williams WR Dontrelle Inman TE Antonio Gates TE Hunter Henry FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Josh Lambo P/A SK INT FUM s DT Chargers San Diego Chargers Notes: Previous matchup: The last San Diego/Tampa Bay contest took place during the 2012 regular season. The Chargers lost

68 Weekly Report Page 68 CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-7) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-3-1) S U N D A Y DECEMBER 4 TH 8 : 3 0 PM ET C E N T U R Y L I N K F I E L D S E A T T L E, W A L I N E : S E A 7. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 44.5

69 Weekly Report Page 69 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG CAR OFFENSE SEA DEFENSE SEA OFFENSE CAR DEFENSE C A R O L I N A P A N T H E R S INJURIES TO MONITOR: Kelvin Benjamin (shoulder) Last week the Carolina Panthers offense, battling the Oakland Raiders defense, finally showed a scoring pulse (32 points) with Cam Newton notching at least three total touchdowns in a game for the first time since Week 6. However, there s a world of difference between the Raiders defense and the Seattle Seahawks defense. Don t expect last week s scoring success to carry over. We all know the Seahawks are great against the pass, especially at home, so dial down your expectations for Newton. Big physical wideouts like Kelvin Benjamin have had success against the Legion of Boom, but Benjamin won t be 100 percent if he plays. Newton has been leaning heavily on Ted Ginn in the last two weeks, but the speedster is a weak start in this matchup. So are all Panthers wideouts. The struggling Greg Olsen should rebound against a Seattle offense that hasn t faced any top tight ends. Jonathan Stewart hit pay dirt twice in each of last two matchups against the Seahawks, but I m not to promise a big outing from him since the Carolina offense hasn t been clicking on all cylinders. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Cam Newton RB Jonathan Stewart RB Fozzy Whittaker

70 Weekly Report Page 70 FB Mike Tolbert WR Kelvin Benjamin WR Ted Ginn WR Devin Funchess WR Corey Brown TE Greg Olsen FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Graham Gano P/A SK INT FUM s DT Panthers Carolina Panthers Notes: Previous matchup: In a 2015 season playoff contest, the Panthers defeated the Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium. In that game, Cam Newton threw for 161 yards and one score, and amassed an rushing line. Jonathan Stewart compiled a rushing line and a receiving line. Greg Olsen made six grabs for 77 yards and one touchdown. Devin Funchess caught one pass for 12 yards. INJURIES TO MONITOR: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS It goes without saying that the Seattle Seahawks offense will rebound in spades after a head-scratching three-point flop (the defense notched a safety) in a road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. We all know the Seahawks want to pound the rock as often as possible, but don t expect Thomas Rawls to find much running room versus a Carolina Panthers defense that ranks fourth in fantasy points allowed to the running back position. The Panthers, however, rank in the bottom seven in

71 Weekly Report Page 71 fantasy points ceded to the quarterback, wide receiver and tight end positions, which makes Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham all strong plays. Jermaine Kearse and/or Tyler Lockett could go off in this matchup, but they re both dart throws. The Seattle team defense is a starting option. WEEK 13 PLAYER PROJECTIONS PLAYER QB Russell Wilson RB Thomas Rawls RB Alex Collins WR Doug Baldwin WR Jermaine Kearse WR Tyler Lockett TE Jimmy Graham FGA FGM XPA XPM PTS PK Steven Hauschka P/A SK INT FUM s DT Seahawks Seattle Seahawks Notes: Previous matchup: In a 2015 season playoff duel, the Seahawks lost to the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. In that contest, Russell Wilson passed for 366 yards and three scores. He also compiled a rushing line. Marshawn Lynch (retired) carried six times for 20 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards. Jermaine Kearse hauled in 11 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Doug Baldwin made eight grabs for 82 yards. Tyler Lockett caught three passes for 75 yards and one touchdown. Jimmy Graham missed the game because of a knee injury.

72 Weekly Report Page 72 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (5-6) NEW YORK JETS (3-8) M ONDAY DECEMBER 5 TH 8 : 3 0 PM ET M E T L I F E S T A D I U M E A S T R U T H E R F O R D, N J L I N E : I N D 1. 0 O V E R / U N D E R : 49.0 TEAM OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE MATCHUPS UNIT OVERALL SCORING POINTS RANK RANK PER GM RANK YPG RANK YPG IND OFFENSE NY DEFENSE NY OFFENSE IND DEFENSE