X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Smashmouth - Offensive Lines Impacting Fantasy Football For Week 12

The end of the fantasy football regular season is fast approaching so owners need to make the move or moves that will get them over the top and secure a playoff spot. Most fantasy owner will strictly look at upcoming player matchps and maybe team statistics, but what the team statistics do not tell at first glance is just how line play could impact an upcoming matchup.

For example, we know the Steelers have a great rushing attack led by Le'Veon Bell, but Right Tackle Marcus Gilbert has been suspended for four games. Gilbert was a key cog on the right side of the Steelers offensive line and ignited some of the best gains Bell has this season. Without him earlier in the season, Bell struggled to get going in most games. Most expect Bell and the Steelers to dominate the Packers, but without Gilbert, Bell may not be as effective as he has been in previous weeks.

Speaking of offensive tackles, this week the focus will be on teams that needed to replace their left tackles, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys offensive play-calling and strategy have changed drastically to help support their new left tackle, Byron Bell as he struggled to fill in for Tyron Smith. The Eagles have fared much better since the departure of Jason Peters in both the pass and run game and seem to be a juggernaut heading to the Super Bowl. Let’s dig into the film for both teams and figure out why these teams are struggling and thriving.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Offensive Line to Watch - Dallas Cowboys

Please come back soon Tyron Smith. Since losing their All-Pro caliber left tackle, the Dallas Cowboys have not been in the same. Their offensive line surrendered four sacks by the Eagles defensive line during the Cowboys Week 11 defeat and was shaky in pass protection throughout. The Chaz Green experiment at left tackle went so poorly in Week 10 the team had to turn to Byron Bell to try and fill the large gap left by Smith. Bell has graded out at a 35.3 according to Pro Football Focus, slightly above Chaz Green’s 30.6, certainly not a great mark. Bell did not have the easiest of matchups in Week 11 against one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, but his deficiencies hampered the execution and play calling for the Cowboys. In this clip early in the first half, the Cowboys use Witten to chip the defensive end prior to releasing into his route. Even after the extra help from Witten, Bell is pushed back nearly into the lap of Dak Prescott. Witten was not only used to chip early and often throughout this game, but he did stay into block on a few third down situations as well.

While the Cowboys did offer Bell help as much as they could throughout the game there are always parts of games where an offensive lineman needs to block a defensive lineman one on one. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, most of those situations led to pressures on Dak Prescott. You will see in this clip that Bell’s initial punch isn’t bad, but it gets him of balance. Bell’s feet are too slow to react to the inside move of the defender and he is no match for the inside swim. This leads to a quick pressure on Dak Prescott, making Prescott throw to one of his shallow crossers.

Not only did Bell’s struggles hamper the passing game, but he completely altered the way the Cowboys running game operated as well. The Cowboys could not run the ball to the left side with any success in Week 11. Bell did grade out fairly well in the run game at 76.0 for the season, but he routinely lost technique causing his running back to have to make cuts before the backs are ready to do so. In his clip in the first quarter, Bell hops out of his stance versus taking strong firm steps. Due to this hop, his feet are unbalanced and he has little to no power. That lack of power and base get him beat to the outside by the defender which in turn causes his running back to cut up earlier than expected.

 

Fantasy Impact

Stock Down: Jason Witten 

Jason Witten has really had an up and down season. He has as many one catch games (four) as he does seven or more catch games. The large issue comes when Witten is being asked to block due to concerns for the offensive line. If Tyron Smith does not return as planned on Thursday, Witten will be needed to slow down the combination of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Fantasy owners should expect a low-catch output from Witten until Smith is back and fully healthy.

Stock Up: Alfred Morris 

Even with some of the inconsistencies in the running game, the Dallas Cowboys offensive line has performed fairly well run blocking. Right Guard Zack Martin and Center Travis Fredrick are two of the very best in the game at their positions and solidify their interior. Morris was effective in Week 11, rushing 17 times for 91 yards. He should continue to be the main cog in the running game until Ezekiel Elliott returns.

 

Offensive Line to Watch - Philadelphia Eagles

There certainly was a fear that once Jason Peters was out for the season that the Eagles offense would take a massive step backwards. That simply has not been the case and while the rest of the offensive line has been great, Peters’ replacement. Halapoulivaati Vaitai has filled in admirably. The Vaitai has been a contributor in the run game with solid footwork and the ability to get some push and has been solid in the passing game, but with some misses. On this critical third down in the first quarter, Vaitai fails to pass off the Cowboys twist as he was not hip to hip with his Left Guard Stefan Wisniewski allowing the penetrator a straight path to the quarterback. This results in a rushed throw from Carson Wentz, which he short arms and falls incomplete.

Even though Vaitai’s awareness is lack at points, one on one he was performed admirably. He faces off against two of the NFC’s top pass rushers, DeMarcus Lawrence and in this upcoming case Tyron Crawford. This second down Vaitai is one on one with Crawford. He is able to punch and lock his hands into Crawford with success. Having this hand placement limits Crawford when he tries to make a swim move to the inside. Crawford is not able to knock down Vaitai’s hands and loses his feet.

Not only has Vaitai been a pleasant surprise, but the rest of the offensive line is playing as well as any unit in the league. Right Tackle Lane Johnson, Wisniewski, Right Guard Brandon Brooks and Center Jason Kelce are all in ranked inside the top 10 at their positions according to Pro Football Focus. The line has specifically been great in the running game with all four of those starters grading out with at least an 82.2 run blocking grade according to PFF. They pounded the Cowboys with trap and power plays throughout the game with 15 plus yard runs from Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount. This run early in the first quarter set the tone for the game. The combination of Vaitai and Wisniewski use great technique and power to create an opening for Lane Johnson to pull through. There is a clean alley with no front side penetration to worry about. Johnson finds the linebacker filling the hole and locks onto that linebacker, allowing Jay Ajayi to run into the second level.

 

Fantasy Impact

Stock Up: Alshon Jeffery

Any fantasy player that has seen Alshon Jeffery play knows he is not a burner on the field. He needs a while to run his routes and potentially get up to his top speed. Allowing for Jeffery to get to top speed takes time, which Carson Wentz has on more occasions than not. Fantasy owners have seen the relationship between Wentz and Jeffery really blossom over the last few weeks with Jeffery seeing at least seven targets in the last three games. Expect him to continue to be a low end WR1 for the remainder of the season.

 

Top Five Offensive Lines

1) New Orleans Saints
2) Philadelphia Eagles
3) Pittsburgh Steelers
4) New England Patriots
5) Minnesota Vikings

 

Bottom Five Offensive Lines

32) Miami Dolphins
31) Cincinnati Bengals
30) San Francisco 49ers
29) Seattle Seahawks
28) Jacksonville Jaguars

 

For any questions about offensive line play in the NFL, feel free to contact me @TheRealHalupka on Twitter.

 

More Week 12 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

MacKenzie Weegar2 hours ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini2 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov2 hours ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan2 hours ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski2 hours ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes2 hours ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo2 hours ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Jerry Jeudy5 hours ago

Leads Browns In Receiving In Week 12 Win
Nick Chubb5 hours ago

Scores Two TDs In TNF Win Over Pittsburgh
NFL10 hours ago

Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry Likely Returning To Browns In 2025
Deshaun Watson10 hours ago

Likely To Remain With Browns, Could Face Competition
Cedric Tillman10 hours ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Cedric Tillman12 hours ago

Suffers Head Injury On Thursday Night
Wendell Carter Jr.13 hours ago

Out Against Lakers
Anthony Davis13 hours ago

Available Versus Magic On Thursday
Rui Hachimura13 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Carlos Ulberg14 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir14 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes14 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA14 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo14 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan14 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Yves Missi14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
CJ McCollum15 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Friday
Alexander Mattison15 hours ago

Zamir White Miss Practice Again
Brandon Ingram15 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Shohei Ohtani15 hours ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge15 hours ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter15 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo15 hours ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley15 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson16 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson16 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins16 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis16 hours ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Chris Paul16 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Brock Purdy16 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Malik Monk16 hours ago

Making Progress
George Kittle16 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Tre Mann16 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Miles Bridges16 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Vince Williams Jr.16 hours ago

Out At Least A Month
Scottie Barnes16 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Alex Ovechkin16 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Paul George17 hours ago

Out At Least Two Games
Aaron Gordon17 hours ago

Availability In Question For Friday
Zach Hyman17 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson17 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov17 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts17 hours ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Mikael Granlund17 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev17 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
TB17 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
Frederik Andersen17 hours ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson17 hours ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta18 hours ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Sam Darnold18 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco18 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift18 hours ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
CeeDee Lamb18 hours ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey18 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans18 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith19 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Cody Bellinger20 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks20 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb20 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
21 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chandler Stephenson24 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson24 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist24 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund1 day ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Returns To Practice
Chris Sale1 day ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal1 day ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
3 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
3 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
3 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil4 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes4 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer4 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
4 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
4 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
4 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones5 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 12-17)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 12 - Top Lineup Plays Include Jayden Daniels, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Puka Nacua

It’s already Week 12, although the end of the 2024-25 campaign can’t come soon enough for teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, and Panthers, to name a few. On the other hand, clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions are only a few weeks away from officially punching their tickets to the postseason.   In […]


Braelon Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best/Worst Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules: Streamers and Starts To Win A Championship (2024)

Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. However, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 should be a key piece of your strategy if you're in line to make the bracket. Fantasy players still have time to trade for […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The King's Week 12 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel shares his Week 12 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league participants. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some of your must-start players have a good chance of supplying […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 12 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Anthony Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Courtland Sutton, and more

How's it going, RotoBallers? Welcome back to our DraftKings Main Slate article. Known around the fantasy football world as "Bye-Mageddon," Week 12 certainly offers up some unique challenges from a DFS perspective. Don't worry, we'll work through those difficulties to find the best plays we can on this slate. These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 12: Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, Will Dissly

Week 12 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Will Dissly. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 12 Lineups Include Tua Tagovailoa, J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey

Week 11 was pretty kind to us in this space. We correctly labeled Justin Herbert as a boom pick. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on the ground. It culminated with a QB8 finish. We also nailed Kirk Cousins and Tony Pollard as busts. Cousins and the Falcons […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Jayden Daniels, D'Andre Swift, Chuba Hubbard, Mark Andrews

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 12 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint for fantasy lineups this week. It's a strange week in the NFL with six teams taking their bye week. That could mean lineups are gridlocked and fantasy managers don't have the luxury of analyzing matchups to decide their starters. Potential […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 12 (Sunday Main Slate)

Hello everybody, and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 12 - Sunday Main Slate! The 2024 NFL season is now past the midpoint, and our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 12 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 12! There will be a whopping six teams on bye this week (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets), so that means fantasy managers might need to look deeper on their benches. This Week 12 matchups […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 12 Include Bo Nix, De'Von Achane, Quentin Johnston, Calvin Ridley, more

It seems as though fantasy managers were either incredibly disappointed or incredibly excited in Week 11. The output was modest for most players. However, if you had a monopoly on a select few players such as Cooper Kupp, Taysom Hill, or the Detroit Lions, you likely won your week. With the fantasy playoffs roughly three weeks […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Week 12 Predictions: Picks and Analysis for Every Game Including Thursday Night Football

After some high-octane matchups over the last couple of Thursday nights, Week 12 kicks off in a more old-school fashion with a classic rivalry game between the Steelers and Browns. There are some fun matchups on this Week 12 slate, however, "Bye-Mageddon" certainly does take a little of the sizzle away, as six teams will […]