RADIO
This is not the time of the season to have a player put up a zero in your fantasy football lineup.
Don’t bother thinking about anyone from the Los Angeles Rams or Denver Broncos being your last-minute lineup change savior. Both of those teams have the week off. There are certainly many other prospects on your league’s waiver wire that could help you if one of your starters is iffy heading into the weekend. This is not the time to take a chance that your guy’s cobwebs will be cleared after he goes through concussion protocol or that his hamstring will be feeling fine after a week’s worth of stretching. Bolster your bench and have options in case your “questionable” player’s status changes to “out” between now and Sunday.
Without further ado, here are my sneaky starts, pivot plays and post-waiver pickups for Week 12 – and the questionable superstars who you might need to replace at the last minute in your fantasy lineup:
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Sneaky Pickups and Starts for Week 11
If Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) is ruled out again before Sunday’s kickoff, you could pick up and play…
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears (WR) vs. BAL
I like picking up players who are coming off a bye week and facing a defense that is ranked last in the league at what the player’s specialty is. That floats my fantasy boat. Mooney fits the bill. Chicago had a week off, and now he gets to run routes against a Baltimore defense that is ranked 32nd against the pass and needs four Ed Reeds in their prime to turn that secondary around.
I also like that Chicago’s franchise quarterback, Justin Fields, is starting to show signs he can actually throw NFL-quality passes. Fields threw for 291 yards against Pittsburgh two Monday nights ago and is finding a rhythm with his receivers and tight end Cole Kmet. Even though the Bears offense has been of the run-first mindset since Fields took the reins, Mooney has 28 targets over his last four contests. He should be able to get open against the Ravens, and hopefully now Fields can find him and deliver passes into Mooney’s bread basket. 75 yards and a TD is realistic for Mooney this weekend.
If Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (knee) cannot suit up on Sunday, you could pick up and play…
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (QB) at TB (MON)
For the second week in a row, I am imploring fantasy managers to pick up and play a waiver-wire quarterback when he is facing the Super Bowl champions. Washington’s Taylor Heinicke was solid if not spectacular last Sunday against Tampa Bay (256 passing yards, 15 rushing yards, 1 TD), but I think fantasy managers might get even more from New York’s scattershot game manager.
The same rationale I used for Mooney applies to Jones, too. Jones’ Giants were on bye last week, and he will be throwing against the NFL’s 22nd-ranked pass defense this Monday night. Bruce Arians’ bunch will be fired up after what happened in Washington and should jump out to an early lead, so the game script should be in Jones’ favor for most of Monday. Jones might have his full arsenal of skill position players all on the field together if Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard suit up. Jones could give fantasy players 250 passing yards, 30 rushing yards and a couple touchdowns.
If Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert (concussion) does not feel good to go on Sunday, you could pick up and play…
Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks (TE) vs. ARI
Everett is coming off a game where he was Seattle’s lone bright spot during a horrific offensive performance. The Seahawks’ top tight end set season-highs with eight receptions for 63 yards while Russell Wilson had trouble getting his shaky passes to any of his other receivers. It seems that Everett is ready to roll as the team’s No. 3 option in its passing attack behind wonderful wideouts Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf after he battled COVID a few weeks ago.
Seattle might have looked bad last Sunday, but Arizona looked 10 times worse, especially when backup quarterback Colt McCoy left the Carolina game with a chest injury. Who knows how the banged-up leaders of Arizona’s offense – QB Kyler Murray and WR DeAndre Hopkins – will be feeling heading into the weekend? Even if they play they will not be 100 percent. The Cardinals defense wears down and is not the same when their offense is not clicking on all its cylinders. I think Everett is capable of a 5-50-1 line this week now that he is healthy and Wilson’s hand is another week healthier as well.
If Pittsburgh’s Chase Claypool (toe) cannot find the field this Sunday, you could pick up and play…
Elijah Moore, New York Jets (WR) vs. MIA
I know Joe Flacco is going to be under center for the Jets this Sunday and not Zach Wilson, Mike White or Joe Namath. I also know that it is hard to predict if Flacco’s skills have regressed since he has not tossed a pass in an NFL game for a year and is 36 years old. Do not forget, however, that Flacco boosted the fantasy values of the Jets receivers during his short stint as the starting signal caller in 2020. Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims had their best games of the season when Flacco was the one throwing to them.
Moore is still available in almost half of fantasy leagues despite tearing up secondaries the past two weeks to the tune of 10 catches for 128 yards and three touchdowns. The return of Corey Davis last week did not dent his fantasy production, so Moore should be a safe play this week against Miami’s 28th-ranked pass defense. Moore might even be a better fantasy option than he has been because Flacco can throw the ball downfield better than White can. Moore does not have any 30-yard receptions this year. That should change with Flacco at QB and Miami defensive backs covering him.
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