Get ready for a crucial week in fantasy football as lineup decisions could make or break your playoff hopes. Some key uncertainties and recent developments have shaken up depth charts around the league, with real implications for GMs trying to gain an edge.

Every roster tweak counts at this stage, and even minor updates might have a major impact on your matchups. Dive in to see what’s changed and how it might affect your path to a championship.

A.J. Brown | PHI (at DAL)

“If you got me on fantasy, get rid of me.”

If A.J. Brown is going to lean into his post-football career as a fantasy football analyst, we need much more context.

Was he talking in non-PPR or PPR? Did this mean that we should have been in on DeVonta Smith? Do we think he was aware that the defense would destroy the Lions, rendering everyone on that side of the ball useless?

We need details.

The details surrounding his performance on the field were just as confusing.

Over the past decade, his 49 yards were the eighth fewest by a receiver in a game with 7+ catches and a 10+ yard aDOT. It was a clunky stat line on Sunday night against the Lions, where he felt involved but never really threatening.

Brown has been held out of the end zone in five of his past six games and has caught under 70% of his targets in every qualified game (multiple targets) this season. Some of his predictive metrics are in the same range as what we’ve seen in past seasons, but he has just two end zone targets (12+ in each of the past three seasons).

He’s struggling, and the Eagles are winning.

Philadelphia wasn’t pressed into having to pass in volume back in Week 1 when these teams first met (twice as many rush attempts as completions), and that’s my expectation for this week as well, with Dallas coming in on a short week.

The season-high seven receptions from last week are a step in the right direction, though I wouldn’t mind seeing some layup targets. You’re playing Brown, even if he suggests doing otherwise, as his talent/target share combination offers too much upside against a vulnerable defense.

Suppose this passing game can take advantage of this matchup, wheels up. The Bears are on the books for next week, and the Raiders/Commanders await them at the beginning of the fantasy playoffs.

Alec Pierce | IND (at KC)

On the surface, the Alec Pierce profile should only be of interest to us when in times of need. Deep-ball threats are rarely consistent producers, and while the upside is intoxicating, the typically low floor can be prohibitive in a major way.

But Pierce appears to be the exception to the rule.

He owns a 20.4 aDOT and has seen 59.6% of his targets come 15+ yards downfield. Imagine a young kid with attention issues playing a video game, just trying to either score or turn the ball over.

It’s somehow working.

Pierce has a 25+ yard catch in five straight games and has been a top 22 PPR receiver in three of his past four games. In the weeks leading into the Week 11 bye, we began to see signs of Daniel Jones turning into a pumpkin, and that could cut the legs out of Pierce’s value in short order.

This is a tough matchup, and with the breadcrumbs hinting at regression on Jones’ behalf, I’m tempted to look elsewhere to fill my PPR flex. The Chiefs are a high-end defense against the deep ball, with a passer rating that ranks in the top quarter of the league, and their aggressive style (top quarter of the league in both blitz and pressure rate) makes those chunk plays even more difficult to count on.

If you’re going to roll the dice on a receiver, Pierce has the skill set and is attached to an elite offense, so you could do worse. I would, however, be skeptical that he can sustain his production in this variant role against an elite defense.

Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (vs NYG)

Pick yourself up and get back on the horse.

Last week hurt if you were counting on a big Amon-Ra St. Brown performance as the Sunday finale, but there’s no reason to think that his struggles are here to stay.

We can dive into the weather splits for Detroit’s WR1 another time: he doesn’t project to have any more cold games this fantasy season. The portion of those splits that you need to be comfortable with this week is his home numbers, and, man, are they impressive.

Last 9 Home Games

30.6% production over expectation
8.0 receptions per game
101.7 receiving yards
9 TD receptions

Don’t waste time sweating what the 12-target two-catch stinker in Philadelphia last week means moving forward. St. Brown is a bona fide star who is in a position to carry your squad this weekend.

Brandon Aiyuk | SF (vs CAR)

At this point, if there were good news, we would have heard it.

The Brandon Aiyuk (knee) timeline hasn’t been clear over the past month, and asking him to take the field is beginning to feel like a long shot, never mind proving to us that he is capable of posting usable numbers for an offense that has a handful of capable other options.

If he’s hanging out on your IR and you wouldn’t otherwise use the free roster spot, there’s no real reason to pivot. Still, outside of that situation, it’s time to admit that you’re never going to feel good about plugging him in this season, and that makes him cuttable in redraft formats.

He’s a 27-year-old in a great system with a pair of 75-1000-7 seasons on his resume: the asking price in 2026 will be interesting, and I’m going to go ahead and guess that I’ll be buying at a discount.

Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX (at ARI)

Brian Thomas (ankle) was never expected to play last week, but he’s trending toward a return. He missed consecutive games, and in that time, Jacksonville has added a target (Jakobi Meyers) and gotten an encouraging display from a rookie (Bhayshul Tuten). It is banking on a return from another starter (Brenton Strange).

In theory, this isn’t exactly lining up for BTJ to find his form, but crazier things have happened. The Cardinals allowed 18+ PPR points to Hunter Renfrow and Calvin Ridley earlier in the season, two receivers with their own QB issues, so I don’t think it’s crazy to consider him as a WR3 this weekend, should he suit up as expected.

If all reports are clean before this team travels, I’ll have Thomas ranked as the WR1 in this offense and in that Jordan Addison/DK Metcalf tier of “I want to bet on the single play upside but am not sure your QB is up for it” receivers.

Calvin Ridley | TEN (vs SEA)

The Titans wasted no time in announcing that Calvin Ridley had broken his fibula during the loss to the Texans last week.

This is obviously a bummer, though fantasy managers had long since moved on from him as a viable flex option. He turns 31 in December, and while the premature end to his season isn’t ideal, the teal eaves suggest he should be healthy enough this offseason to work out for teams and try to earn a short-term deal.

We’ve seen good teams (think Baltimore and Buffalo) try to patchwork their WR room in the past with a past-his-prime athlete like this. I’m not sure that Ridley has much left in the tank, but I’m not willing to say that the version of him we saw this year with a rookie QB is predictive either.

Track his progress during the spring. Right now, his name holds more value than his production, but in the right spot, I could see him being a reasonable pick late in redraft leagues.

Cedric Tillman | CLE (at LV)

Cedric Tillman has played over 72% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps in both of his weeks back from injury, something that is probably more damning to the receiving core than it is encouraging about Tillman’s trajectory.

Across those two games, he has an 11.6-yard aDOT. The big plays are where his bread is buttered, but a 37.2% slot rate last week was at least interesting. This is a low-octane offense, and if he starts to operate more out of the slot, there’s at least a chance for him to be efficient with his looks, a non-negotiable as a piece of this offense.

Do I think Tillman takes advantage of this matchup?

I wouldn’t bet on it in a big way, but having him on the back end of your roster for one more week to find out isn’t a bad idea. Even after this week, Cleveland has favorable matchups coming up (banged-up SF in Week 13 before meetings with the Titans and Bears), and if he can carve out a 5-7 target role, that could prove to be at least worth flex consideration.

CeeDee Lamb | DAL (vs PHI)

It’s a good thing the Cowboys disciplined CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens for the first drive of their dominating win over the Raiders on Monday night … how else was he going to give us essentially the exact production that we’ve come to expect this season?

Lamb’s good day (5-66-1) probably should have been better with a late touchdown miss, but 17.6 PPR points is pretty hard to complain about. His aDOT is up 45.8% from a season ago, and while I’d normally want to see that be dialed back some, I think it’s part of the plan.

With Pickens on the other side, why not run both vertically and take your chances on whatever side has less help?

Lamb is one of the premier target earners in the sport, playing for a pass-centric offense. The floor is elite, and with the change in route type, his access to special weeks is on the rise.

I’d be surprised if he had a ceiling performance in this spot, but the Eagles have had good defenses in the past, and Lamb has 100 yards or a score in four of his past five meetings with the divisional rival.

Lamb ranks as the last receiver among my top tier for Week 12.

Chimere Dike | TEN (vs SEA)

Chimere Dike’s stock gathered some steam after clearing 16 PPR points in Weeks 7 and 8, but he was invisible in Week 9 before the bye. He wasn’t overly involved before suffering a concussion last weekend against the Texans.

Calvin Ridley is done for the season, and the Titans are going to continue to trail: it seems more likely than not that a pass catcher from this team is going to deserve at least to be rostered, and while Dike is my favorite to earn that title, we need him to prove his health before ranking him as a must-stash player.

If you’re pressed for roster space, move on. Life is too short to be buying Tennessee stock in 2025.

Chris Godwin | TB (at LAR)

You hate to see this.

Chris Godwin had the brutal injury (fibula) late last season, and while he was healthy enough to return at the end of September, the injury has had him sidelined for the past month, and we could be looking at another few weeks before he trends close to playing.

With Mike Evans on the shelf and Bucky Irving banged up, there are targets to be had, but a 29-year-old receiver who is coming off a full year of battling this injury gives me little confidence.

If you have an IR roster slot that won’t be used elsewhere, I don’t mind keeping Godwin. Still, things seem to be trending in the wrong direction, especially for a team that very well could opt to ease him back when he is reasonably healthy in the hopes of having him close to full speed come the postseason.

Chris Olave | NO (vs ATL)

This offense is boring at best and dreadful at worst, but even at its worst, Chris Olave is a fantasy asset.

He posted his first 100-yard game of the season in Week 10 against the Panthers before the bye, a performance that was highlighted by a 62-yard score. The fourth-year star has a touchdown or double-digit targets in nine of 10 games this season, a role that is locked in weekly with Tyler Shough clearly comfortable throwing his way and Rashid Shaheed now in Seattle.

His ceiling doesn’t measure up to the others at the top of the target share leaderboard, but you were never asking for that from him. He’s finished three of his past five games as a top-20 PPR receiver, and I think he makes it four of six against a defense that he sees twice a season.

New Orleans is coming off its bye, while Atlanta is in the midst of a rough travel stretch that saw it play in New England (Week 9), fly to Germany (Week 10), and host the Panthers last week.

Christian Watson | GB (vs MIN)

I try not to overreact to single games, never mind single plays, but Christian Watson scoring the go-ahead touchdown last week on a contested ball that was thrown despite double coverage was one of the more impactful plays of the week.

Think about it.

He doesn’t make that play if he’s worried about his body betraying him, and Jordan Love doesn’t throw that pass unless he trusts his guy to make a play on it.

You could argue that Love is a little too trustworthy in that respect at times, but a healthy Watson is a dangerous Watson when paired with an aggressive Love, and those stars seem to be aligning at the perfect time.

The Vikings have allowed the seventh most YPA on deep passes this season, with six touchdowns against one interception on those attempts. They’ve given you no reason not to test them vertically, and those are the spots that a healthy Watson thrives.

I think you could argue him up into the low-end WR2 conversation, but I’ve tried to show discipline in ranking him as more of a flex. Regardless, I believe there are valuable targets to be had in an offense that could lean more toward the pass, and Watson is as good a bet as any to see a drastic bump in usage.

Cooper Kupp | SEA (at TEN)

Cooper Kupp logged his third-highest snap share of the season last week against the Rams, but I think that was more a game script thing than a designed plan (his top three snap share games have come in Seattle’s three losses).

Even with the spike in playing time, the veteran continued his season-long streak of failing to eclipse 40 receiving yards in a game and has turned his 225 routes into just a single end zone target.

Rashid Shaheed is coming for this WR2 role, and, with Sam Darnold, is more comfortable funneling the high-percentage looks to AJ Barner. Where exactly does Kupp win even if he continues to play three-quarters of the offensive snaps?

This is a good matchup on a week where four teams are on a bye, so you’re not dropping Kupp right now, but I think we are one dud away from pulling the trigger.

Darius Slayton | NYG (at DET)

What could have been.

Jameis Winston started last week, and a player like Darius Slayton is built for a risk-taking QB like that, but it wasn’t meant to be with this hamstring injury nagging at the explosive receiver.

For the season, Slayton has three games with 4+ receptions, and two came in Weeks 8-9. He doesn’t possess the skill set of a consistent option, but he has shown some signs of coming around under Jaxson Dart for an offense in desperate need of playmakers.

I’m hopeful that we get him (and Dart) back this week. While it’s a tough matchup, it is on a fast track in a game where the G-Men figure to be playing from behind. You know what you’re signing up for, and if you’re in a spot where a wide range of outcomes is acceptable, you have my blessing to roll these dice.

New York has been an underdog in eight of Dart’s nine career games with 15+ PPR points.

Darnell Mooney | ATL (at NO)

Has there been a less impactful receiver that is on our radar over the past month than Darnell Mooney?

Weeks 8-11, Production Profile

129 routes
21 targets
6 catches
33.8 expected PPR points
13.7 PPR points

I feel pretty good about the answer being a resounding “no.” He’s available in the majority of leagues right now, and I think that tracks: at this pace, there was no way he was going to establish himself as a player with a high enough floor ever to be usable, so why hold?

If nothing had changed, I’d agree with you. But now that this is a Kirk Cousins-led offense, I think there’s at least a thread to pull when it comes to rostering who we assumed to be Atlanta’s WR2.

This is the first of two meetings the rest of the way with the Saints, a defense that allows the fourth-highest deep TD% in the sport this season. In fact, you could pick apart a portion of all of the remaining games on Atlanta’s schedule, but that doesn’t mean anything if the targets are lacking or sporadic.

They might still be. Let me be very clear and say that, in the year 2025, Cousins isn’t likely to be Joe Flacco to Michael Penix’s Jake Browning. That said, there wasn’t a ton of separation a year ago between Drake London (battling a knee issue right now) and Mooney when he was under center (PPR stats):

London

2.7 points per catch
1.8 points per target
91.3 air yards per game

Mooney

3.1 points per catch
1.8 points per target
86.5 air yards per game

Again, Mooney is a long shot to be a lineup staple at any point this season, but I do think his outlook changed last week, and there’s at least enough in the profile for me to give him a one-week trial run, assuming that he’s on your waiver wire after a disaster of a month.

Davante Adams | LAR (vs TB)

Davante Adams caught one of eight targets last week against the Seahawks, and while he hasn’t been the most efficient receiver this season (50% catch rate), that’s a bit extreme.

But because he’s Davante Adams, the one reception was a one-yard touchdown (his 1,000th career catch). At worst, he’s a TD vulture that is on the field plenty, and at best, he’s the most feared red zone threat in the league.

It sounds like the veteran is physically OK, so I’m starting him with confidence against a much more favorable opponent.

All 10 of his touchdowns this season have come on end zone targets, and they have an average depth of 8.4 yards, a number that is heavily influenced by the 44-yarder in Week 3’s loss to the Eagles.

This is a unique player filling a unique role, and we have no choice but to embrace it at this point.

DeAndre Hopkins | BAL (vs NYJ)

DeAndre Hopkins played a season-high 68.3% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps last weekend in Cleveland due to the absence of Rashod Bateman, but it didn’t mean anything for his fantasy value.

He finished the game with just a single reception for 11 yards on four targets. Hopkins has yet to reach 20 receiving yards in a game during this win streak, and if the plan is to unleash him in the postseason, the Ravens don’t appear in a hurry to ramp him up.

There’s no reason to chase name value here, no matter the status of Bateman.

DeMario Douglas | NE (at CIN)

We entered this season thinking that DeMario Douglas had a chance at being the AFC East’s version of Wan’Dale Robinson, but that hasn’t materialized in the slightest.

His next game with 5+ catches this year will be his first, and he’s oddly relying on big plays to give us any value whatsoever (26+ yard catch in four straight games).

There are a lot of things to like about this Patriots offense, but there is only one that matters for us, and that’s Stefon Diggs. Without the elevated floor that we thought we’d have access to, I’m more likely to cut ties with Douglas than I am to hold.

DeVonta Smith | PHI (at DAL)

It’s cliché, but the run game sets up the pass game, and that’s the Philadelphia approach.

For the season, DeVonta Smith has turned 14 play-action targets into 222 yards and two scores. He’s a tough cover when the defense is spread thin, and while the Cowboys certainly showed better last week on the defensive side of the ball, the Jalen Hurts/Smith/AJ Brown trio offers slightly more than Geno Smith/Tre Tucker/Jack Bech.

Smith is coming off a dud against the Lions (1-8-0), but that’s the price of doing business with the Eagles these days. In the last two games in which he was held under 50 receiving yards, he came back the following week with a triple-digit performance.

I’m not projecting him for that sort of production, mainly because I don’t think Philly will need it, but he’s been the most consistent receiver on this offense, and with my belief that they score 30+ points, at least one receiver is going to get home.

I have Smith ranked over Brown, though both are in the WR2 tier for me this week and moving forward.

DJ Moore | CHI (vs PIT)

DJ Moore waited until the second half in Minnesota last week to record his only reception, and that brings his total to one over the past two weeks.

Yikes.

The veteran was on the field for 80.8% of the snaps in the win, but he couldn’t shake free and saw his target total decline for a third straight week.

Luther Burden seems to be ascending, and his gain is coming at the expense of Moore. I have a hard time thinking that there is something better on the waiver wire, so you’re probably holding at this point, but until something changes, he’s not on my flex radar in an offense that can be Jekyll and Hyde on a good day.

DK Metcalf | PIT (at CHI)

This situation is getting murkier before it gets clearer.

Last week, DK Metcalf had 21 first-half yards and was one of eight Steelers to see a target in the first 30 minutes. This isn’t an explosive offense in the least, and that requires plus-volume to make things work, so that was disappointing to see.

Add in the Aaron Rodgers wrist issue, and a boring passing game could graduate to unusable in relatively short order. I’ll wait to drop Metcalf out of the lock starter conversation one more week, if for no other reason than they face the seventh-worst scoring defense in the league.

You’re playing Metcalf, but I can’t imagine you’re excited about it.

Dontayvion Wicks | GB (vs MIN)

Dontayvion Wicks has been on the field for the majority of Green Bay’s offensive snaps in both of his games back in action, but that doesn’t mean he is rosterable.

Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are the two receivers I have hope for, and if I had to pick a third, it would be Matthew Golden over Wicks.

He hasn’t reached 45 receiving yards in a game this season, and outside of two instances, his ability to earn targets has been unimpressive.

I’m not against getting cute with Green Bay WRs this week if you believe they really lean into a pass-heavy script sans Josh Jacobs, but I am against doing that by way of Wicks.

Drake London | ATL (at NO)

Drake London has looked unguardable for a month now, and last week was no different.

On the second drive of the game, he had receptions of 30 and 41 yards to set up a Bijan Robinson touchdown, with each play seemingly being more impressive than the one prior.

He’s hit 100 yards before halftime twice this season, and I’ve felt that the Falcons have largely leaned into his matchups when it’s clear that he holds an edge.

Sadly, we won’t be seeing that in the short term after he suffered a PCL sprain against the Panthers. London won’t play this week, and if Brock Bowers/Ricky Pearsall are examples with a similar ailment, we could be looking at an absence that impacts your playoff roster.

The Falcons aren’t going anywhere this season and picked up their club option on their WR1 for next season. I’m not saying that London’s season is over, but it’s not off the table, and savvy fantasy managers will plan for that, understanding that a return will only make your life easier.

Emeka Egbuka | TB (at LAR)

Emeka Egbuka is getting all of the usage he could ask for, and that locks him into fantasy lineups, even in a tough matchup with the Rams.

The rookie has earned at least nine targets and an end zone look in four straight, a role that figures to be his for the remainder of the season. I think it’s very possible we see some shootout game environments for the Bucs moving forward, and with No. 2 their clear No. 1, the production should follow, even if the efficiency can leave room for improvement at times.

The backend of the WR1 tier is littered with high-target, marginal efficiency players (Justin Jefferson, Chris Olave, and Tetairoa McMillan, to name a few), and that’s where Egbuka belongs. He’s a special talent that is going to be expensive next season: do what you can to make a run this season, understanding that the price you paid in August was a bargain.

Garrett Wilson | NYJ (at BAL)

News broke in the middle of last week that Garrett Wilson was placed on IR with a knee injury that was expected to keep him out for multiple games upon initial diagnosis.

Given the direction of this season, it’s reasonable to think that we’ve seen the last of New York’s WR1 this season. That hasn’t been reported, and until it is, you’re holding. The required four-game absence means that Wilson can return for Week 15’s game in Jacksonville, a matchup I’d be fine with targeting, and a New Orleans matchup the following week would also be intriguing.

But I’m not counting on it.

This is a 2-8 team that isn’t exactly motivated to compete. This passing game is broken, but with Wilson under contract through the 2030 season, he’s their primary path to digging out. The Jets need to figure out the quarterback position, but they have a building block in their top receiver and will want to enter 2026 with him at full strength instead of putting him in harm’s way this winter.

George Pickens | DAL (vs PHI)

George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb were benched for the first possession on Monday night, and that could have resulted in a contentious situation that left us with more questions than answers had they dropped a close game against the Raiders.

Fortunately, it was against the Raiders, so that didn’t happen. Pickens became the first receiver this season to clear 130 receiving yards three times, and he looked engaged throughout.

If he’s not the best WR2 in the league, he’s on the very short list, and that makes him a start, even against an Eagles defense that looked to level up on Sunday night. He’s cleared 100 air yards in four of his past five games, and while the quality of target is fair to question in this spot, it does only take one to make him worthy of your WR2 spot, and he has a good chance at making that happen.

Ja’Marr Chase | CIN (vs NE)

The lack of judgment to spit on another human being is painful.

The gall to stare into a camera post-game and lie about something that we can all see is on another level.

Ja’Marr Chase will miss this game as a result, and the Bengals’ slim hopes could be dashed in the process. The role has cooled a bit for him (45.8% target share in the first three Joe Flacco starts, 21.4% since), but with multiple red zone targets in five straight games, there’s nothing really to worry about.

The hope is for Joe Burrow to join him on the field next Thursday night in Baltimore in what could be the most fun Thursday night game of the season.

Jakobi Meyers | JAX (at ARI)

Jakobi Meyers saw his snap rate spike from 41.8% in his first game with the Jags to 63.8% last weekend against the Chargers, and he had a viable PPR afternoon (five catches for 64 yards on six targets).

We did see just about everything go right for him in that game, so I still need to see more before recommending him as a flex option. Jacksonville dominated from start to finish, punished Los Angeles with the run game, and played again without Brian Thomas Jr. or Brenton Strange.

Time will tell if his teammates come back this week, but I’ll phrase it this way: asking Trevor Lawrence to sustain two pass catchers weekly feels like too big an ask right now. If you want to plant your flag on one of them and earn volume in bulk, maybe you can squeeze out flexible production. But with several moving pieces, I’m avoiding all parts of this passing game if I can for the foreseeable future.

Jalen Coker | CAR (at SF)

Bryce Young has the game of his life, and Jalen Coker posted a 9.1% target share.

The 21-yard grab on the first drive of the second half was good to see, but there simply aren’t enough looks available in Carolina to justify holding onto Coker at this point.

In a given week, he could be their WR2 and fill the eight-target role that Xavier Legette did a week ago, but is that hope worth chasing when the floor is a 9.1% target share from a quarterback that we aren’t 100% sold on as a building block?

Jameson Williams | DET (vs NYG)

In the two games since Dan Campbell took over playcalling duties, Jameson Williams has six catches for 108 yards and two TDs on first downs (in his first eight games this season: six catches for 123 yards and zero touchdowns in such spots).

The effort to get him involved is there, and that’s all we need. His skill set is going to come with some statistical ups-and-downs; that’s just the way it is, but if the play calls are going to put him in spots to win, I’m comfortable betting on him.

He’s scored in three straight, the one last week coming on a nice route where he was streaking across the middle of the field and leveraged his speed to put the defender in a tough spot.

I like the player and am growing to love the usage. With Sam LaPorta on the shelf, it’s wheels up from a quality and quantity point of view when it comes to targets for Williams: he’s my WR16 this week, ranking ahead of Brown and Pickens, to name a few.

Jauan Jennings | SF (vs CAR)

With Ricky Pearsall back, Jauan Jennings didn’t see his role change a ton. He earned six targets, on par with his season rate, and had 11.5 expected fantasy points, also a number that is within the range of predictable given what we’ve seen up to this point.

What I was encouraged by was that, with Brock Purdy under center, Jennings posted his second-best yards per route run figure (2.25) of the season.

This is an offense that will prioritize efficiency, and while that probably rules out much in the way of ceiling games moving forward for Jennings, asking him to score 9-12 PPR points every week is plenty fair.

You have to decide if that profile is a good fit for your roster. He slides into the back-end of my top 30 at the position because I value what I think is a stable role, but if you’re a big underdog, playing Rashid Shaheed over him is logical as you swing for the fences.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA (at TEN)

I told you a month ago that instead of saying “Jaxon Smith-Njigba is as good as anyone in the game, play him” every week, I’d dig up a goofy stat to showcase his excellence and leave the analysis at that.

If you took only the receptions that JSN has recorded 10+ yards down the field this season, he’d still be a top 20 flex player in total PPR points, ranking ahead of Emeka Egbuka, Justin Jefferson, and Saquon Barkley.

I found it interesting that he was used in a more shallow route last week than in games prior (9.7 aDOT< his second lowest of the season). In theory, Seattle may have done that in an effort to protect Sam Darnold, and while that plan didn’t work, their WR1 still gave us another nice stat line.

Jayden Reed | GB (vs MIN)

Jayden Reed underwent foot and clavicle surgeries in the middle of September, and the first half of November was the initial target. Still, without much in the way of confirmation, I’m skeptical that we’ll get a viable version of him any time soon.

Green Bay’s presumed WR1 scored in Week 1 and was injured on a play in Week 2 that was inches from being a score. It’s only a six-target sample, so do with it what you will, but three came 15+ yards downfield (sub 30% rate in each of his first two seasons).

My thought is that the team was aware of what Tucker Kraft could do in the short receiving game, and the speed of Matthew Golden was anything but a secret, thus opening up Reed to expand his route tree a bit. The names have changed a bit with Kraft on IR and Golden banged up, but the general idea remains that there is a relatively clean role for him to assume when ready.

The Packers play the Bears twice in December, matchups that give Reed the potential to crack my top 24 in those impact weeks, should his usage trend in the direction we saw out of the gates.

Jerry Jeudy | CLE (at LV)

If we don’t have Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame because we view his gaudy numbers as superficially inflated, why do we not carry that thought over to fantasy lineup decisions?

No, there are no steroid allegations against Jerry Jeudy … I’m talking about his 6-78-1 stat line in Week 10 against the depleted Jets. In the same way that we try to judge Bonds for his pre-PED numbers, we should aim to do the same for outlier fantasy performances.

In Weeks 1-8, Jeudy was averaging 11.4 expected fantasy points and coming through on 6.0 of them. He’d been a drain of a roster spot, suffering at the hands of a directionless offense that doesn’t threaten defenses in any way.

He went to New York and went off.

In Week 11, he scored 5.1 points with an expectation of 12.4.

We have 10 data points, and nine of them are consistent. I’ll listen to the data in a spot like this as an excuse to do something I already want to do: bench my Browns.

The matchup grades out well, but I’m not sure it really matters from a projections standpoint if I don’t think that the Cleveland offense is at a professional level. An optimistic view of Jeudy would be a top 40 receiver on a week-to-week basis, and that’s not hitting your lineup with any regularity.

Jordan Addison | MIN (at GB)

Justin Jefferson’s struggles and discontent with what is going on in this passing game grab the headlines, but let’s not act like Jordan Addison is having himself a good time.

He’s earning targets, but much like Jefferson, they are largely empty with JJ McCarthy spraying the ball all over the place. Addison has caught five of 18 targets over the past two weeks, and while he bailed you out with the short touchdown against the Bears, this is a thin profile at best.

Now, there was a drop from Addison that was going to be a chunk play at worst and had the potential to turn into a 61-yard score, so he wasn’t far from this write-up having an awfully different spin. That said, he didn’t make the play.

Half of his targets in those two games have come 15+ yards downfield, and I wonder if Kevin O’Connell tries to get his young QB on track with layup targets before asking him to look vertical.

If that’s the case, Jefferson figures to get fed at a high rate, but I’m not sure the same would apply for Addison. This week, he grades as an awfully risky flex play that I’m putting in the same range as Xavier Worthy/Alec Pierce, two boom/bust types who play in the same game this weekend.

Josh Downs | IND (at KC)

The script almost entirely wrote Josh Downs out of the game in Berlin against the Jets, and seeing that happen is scary.

In the win, he saw just two balls thrown his way, but my greater concern is his ranking fifth on this team in routes run.

Alec Pierce: 36 routes (7 targets)
Michael Pittman: 35 routes (2 targets)
Tyler Warren: 32 routes (10 targets)
Jonathan Taylor: 24 routes (3 targets)
Downs: 23 routes (2 targets)

Everything equal, I like the slot role that Downs owns (74.3% of his routes this season have come there), but if the run game is dominating and the team isn’t prioritizing the quick passing game, games like this are at risk.

I’m willing to look past this game because he had scored over 11 PPR points in each of the four games prior, but this is a scary occurrence that is worth keeping track of.

Justin Jefferson | MIN (at GB)

Justin Jefferson has fallen out of my top 10, and it’s not a comfortable feeling, but I need this JJ McCarthy offense to work through its best player before I bank on it.

On the bright side, they are trying. They just haven’t been successful. Jefferson has posted a target share north of 28% in every McCarthy start, but a 51.2% catch rate (66% in Carson Wentz starts) with 54 receiving yards per game is criminal.

Layered into this is an opponent who is familiar with defending him. Who do you think wins this game?

For his career, when beating the Packers, Jefferson averages 24 PPR PPG on the back of 8.8 targets and 111.2 receiving yards. When losing to the NFC North rival, those numbers dip to 7.4 PPR PPG, 7.3 targets, and 39.5 receiving yards.

The risk is too high for me to pay top DFS dollar. That said, his falling in my rankings isn’t close to putting him on the fringe of your lineup. Jefferson was responsible for 54 of McCarthy’s 75 first-half passing yards last week: we just need them to get on, and stay on, the same page for 60 minutes.

Get it together, Minnesota.

Kayshon Boutte | NE (at CIN)

A hamstring injury has resulted in consecutive missed games for Kayshon Boutte, but he’s trending toward a return to action for the AFC East leaders.

I don’t think there’s anything to see here, even as part of what is trending toward being labeled as an elite offense.

Boutte hasn’t reached a 22% target share in any game this season and has seen 51.8% of his PPR fantasy points this season come on touchdown receptions. He, of course, doesn’t have to apologize for his ability to make big plays. Still, with the limited ability to earn targets, he’s too reliant on those plays to justify weekly flex consideration.

It goes without saying that this is a PED matchup: Performance Enhancing Defense. If you’re backed into a corner, Boutte is as good a one-week dart throw as there is, and it’s widely available, though you should make this spot start understanding that it’s a rental situation, not a long-term solution.

Kendrick Bourne | SF (vs CAR)

If you were holding onto Kendrick Bourne because of the injury-prone nature of the San Francisco receiving room, I don’t blame you, but we are done now.

Week 11 WR Usage

Jauan Jennings: 24 routes, 6 targets
Ricky Pearsall: 23 routes, 3 targets
Demarcus Robinson: 13 routes, 2 targets
Bourne: 3 routes, 0 targets

Brock Purdy is among the most efficient quarterbacks in the game, and that will put Bourne back on my radar should an injury happen ahead of him on the depth chart, but this isn’t the type of player you hold if you don’t have to.

Move on and circle back if need be.

Luther Burden III | CHI (vs PIT)

Things are gradually moving in the right direction for Luther Burden, and there’s a good chance that the development is too slow to really matter for redraft managers. This is exactly the type of player that should be on the end of your bench.

Participation Tracker

Weeks 1-9: 24.3% snap share, 8.7 routes, 2.1 targets
Weeks 10-11: 46.7% snap share, 21.0 routes, 4.0 targets

He earned a season-high five targets against the Vikings last week, and the opportunity diet has my attention. Of his 23 targets this season, seven have come 15+ yards downfield, and eight have come at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Roster now, ask questions later. Ben Johnson has shown creativity in the past, making this a low-risk, high-reward investment.

Mack Hollins | NE (at CIN)

He’s interesting.

That’s not the first time that word has been used to describe Mack Hollins, but with over 10 PPR points in three of his past four games, it’s now descriptive of his fantasy stock as we approach the most valuable time of year.

I don’t view him as a stable source of production, but he’s carved out a role in a strong offense, and that is how I like to fill out my roster. The veteran receiver has posted an aDOT north of 15 yards in consecutive games, and with Drake Maye putting his name on the short list of top deep ball throwers in the league, that’s a niche I want access to.

He’s not a top 30 receiver, but he’s available in far too many leagues.

Marquise Brown | KC (vs IND)

Has he lost nickname rights?

Marquise Brown has gone five straight games with under five targets, an impressive feat given the Chiefs’ high PROE in the Andy Reid era. Since the return of Rashee Rice, Brown has been little more than useless, and he’s not even first in line of WRs that I think the Chiefs would want to break out of a slump (Xavier Worthy).

This is the type of player I’d cut for an upward-trending player like Luther Burden or a player with a QB change like Darnell Mooney.

Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI (vs JAX)

Marvin Harrison posted a target share north of 27% with a touchdown in Weeks 9 and 10, but he underwent surgery on his appendix in the middle of last week and thus was inactive over the weekend.

His status is up in the air for this week, but the trends we saw from him with Jacoby Brissett under center were strong enough to consider him a viable option (low-end WR2, high-end flex). Bona fide WR1s have torched the Jaguars, and I don’t think it’s crazy to think that Harrison benefits from that weakness.

Week 2: Ja’Marr Chase scores 36.5 PPR points
Week 3: Nico Collins scores 22.4 PPR points
Week 6: Jaxon Smith-Njigba scores 30.2 PPR points
Week 10: Nico Collins scores 22.6 PPR points

No, he’s not in the same zip code as those stars, but there is a sizable gap between him and Arizona’s WR2, so I think there is some value to extract from a trend like that.

Keep tabs on this situation. Ideally, we get him back sooner rather than later, but it is worth noting that his greatest impact could come when you need it most (Week 17 against the Bengals).

Matthew Golden | GB (vs MIN)

A shoulder injury kept Matthew Golden out of action in Week 10, but after practicing in a limited capacity, he returned last week against the Giants.

Sort of.

He ran just 11 routes, fourth among Packer receivers. Earning three targets is an impressive rate, I suppose, but I’m not close to counting on the WR4 on any offense, let alone one that would prefer to pound Josh Jacobs 20+ times if they can.

The craziest part? He cleared 100 air yards. Golden has one role in this offense, and while I certainly hope there’s more to his profile with time, given the draft capital Green Bay spent on him, there isn’t right now.

Yes, he forced a DPI that resulted in 35 yards he wasn’t credited with, and it set up the Josh Whyle touchdown. That’s great for the Packers and will keep him involved, but isn’t Christian Watson just a better version of him right now?

I don’t ever love betting on a singular skill, and if you’re sharing that trait with a teammate, the math really gets iffy in a hurry. If you have luxury spots on your bench, Golden is a fine hold. He’s the type of player you plug in as a big underdog situation where you’re not expecting much, but if he hits for a 4-125-2 day, you’re in the mix.

Outside of a situation like that or one of sheer desperation, I don’t see the rookie working his way into enough of a role that we ever feel good about flexing him in 2025.

I hope 2026 is different.

Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (at KC)

Two targets on 35 routes?!?

A week has gone by, and I’m still fuming about Michael Pittman’s lack of usage in Week 10 against the Falcons.

It likely cost you the week, and that hurts, but it’s nothing that I’m really worried about in terms of projecting forward. Pittman earned at least one-quarter of the targets in each of the three games prior and is the bailout option that Daniel Jones trusts in times of need.

Through 10 games, Pittman has been targeted 13 times with his QB feeling duress: he’s caught nine of them and scored three times.

This offense is, and will continue to be, centered around Jonathan Taylor, and that caps the ceiling of everyone attached to this passing game, but if there’s one member with a role that presents a floor you can feel good about locking in weekly, it’s Pittman. I’m not sure it’s close.

Michael Wilson | ARI (vs JAX)

We are 12 weeks into the season, and Michael Wilson has the single-highest receiving yardage game of the year.

Yep, certainly had that projected this preseason.

He was the focal point from the jump with Marvin Harrison sidelined, and things really picked up in the third quarter when he had gains of 25 and 34 yards over a three-play stretch. I’m not sure that he’s a top 15 talent in the league or anything like that (in fact, I’m sure he’s not), but we have a decent sample size of Jacoby Brissett finding two targets he is comfortable with and taking the Joe Flacco approach in terms of volume.

Week 9, Marvin Harrison Jr. + Trey McBride: 65.5% of targets (19 targets)
Week 10, Harrison + McBride: 56.8% of targets (25 targets)
Week 11, Wilson + McBride: 51.7% of targets (29 targets)

McBride deserves to be labeled as the primary target, but this offense, as long as Brissett heads it, has made it clear that their WR1 is worthy of our trust in terms of opportunities.

You could dial back Wilson’s efficiency from last week (15 catches on 18 targets) and chop his volume in half and still have a pretty fine flex play. The Jags own the second-highest opponent aDOT this season, and that opens up the door for a few chunk plays that could land Wilson as a top 15 receiver this week.

I’m a little more reserved than that (WR23), but I don’t think last week was a flash in the pan as long as he’s holding the WR1 role in this offense.

Parker Washington | JAX (at ARI)

Parker Washington was battling a hamstring injury last week and was hardly needed in Jacksonville’s demolition of the Chargers on Sunday.

This is more of a strategy take than a player one, but why were you banking on Washington?

It was because of a few spike games, but without real evidence that he is any more of a target earner than those surrounding him, the floor was always going to be crippling in this Trevor Lawrence-led offense.

In Week 11, Jakobi Meyers. Tim Patrick, Johnny Mundt, and Quintin Morris all earned more targets than Washington. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze. We know this offense isn’t exactly a high-flying attack, and the quarterback position is in question. I’m not interested in any Jaguar pass-catchers right now, with the target distribution seemingly random and target quality an issue.

Oh, and that was a game in which both Brian Thomas Jr. and Brenton Strange were inactive.

Chasing targets in Jacksonville feels like a fool’s errand at this point, and I’m not seriously considering any of their secondary pieces.

Puka Nacua | LAR (vs TB)

Puka Nacua is so inevitable that a 7-75-0 game on eight targets against one of the best defenses in the NFL feels like a letdown.

Los Angeles’ star has caught 83.9% of his targets this season and has had at least seven looks in seven of nine games (14+ expected points in all seven of those contests). In a huge game, the Rams elected to hand the ball to Nacua multiple times for the first time this year, further proof that they want him dictating their outcome every single week.

Is it ideal that he has just two end zone targets this season? It’s not, but Nacua’s profile and skill set are immune to a usage wart like that, something that could sink other top 15 receivers.

You’re getting a solid return on your investment this year, and he’ll be a first-round pick this summer as we look ahead to 2026.

Rashee Rice | KC (vs IND)

Rashee Rice is a great player in an elite role. He has the trust of his future Hall of Fame quarterback (26 catches on 35 targets in his four games back) and is as good as it gets once the ball is in his hands (6+ yards per catch after the reception in three straight).

The Chiefs are struggling on the results front, and it hasn’t affected their WR1. Imagine what can happen now that they are in desperation mode.

Rice has nine red zone touches and has been targeted on half of his routes inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. He’s the closest thing this offense has to a “run” game and is being prioritized by the game’s greatest offensive minds.

I’ve got him as my WR5 this week, and I wouldn’t dismiss the idea of him producing at a Tier 1 level for the remainder of the season.

Rashid Shaheed | SEA (at TEN)

Sam Darnold undershot Rashid Shaheed by half a step on what could have been a 25-yard touchdown in the third quarter last week, and it feels like the breakout is more of a matter of when, not if.

The pace of play is a natural concern for a player coming from a turbo-charged (inefficient) offense to one of the slower units in the league, and there’s a learning curve to assume. The Seahawks didn’t bring in Shaheed to win games in November; they want him to make an impact as the weather turns.

We know that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to earn a ton of volume in a low-volume offense. That means that, for a WR2 to carve out a viable role in our world, he needs to own a great connection with Darnold.

I think we get there, but I’ll take a wait-and-see approach. Could the fast track in Atlanta (Week 14) be the breakout spot? Maybe a spot against the Colts the following week, where this offense presumably has to keep up with one of the most efficient units in the league?

We are going to have some interesting conversations as time goes on, but we aren’t there yet. Shaheed sits outside of my top 35 this weekend, and I’ll save the DFS bullet for another day.

Rashod Bateman | BAL (vs NYJ)

Rashod Bateman was never close to giving it a go last weekend against the Browns with an ankle sprain and hasn’t been nearly productive enough to justify being rostered as he works through this injury.

His yards per route (0.89) and air yards per game (44.7) are easily pacing for career lows, trends I don’t see reversing any time soon. Zay Flowers looks the part of a WR1, and with a pair of viable tight ends, there’s simply not enough volume to chase for a player that has yet to really prove capable of doing so.

The Bateman role isn’t worth chasing, either. You can find week-to-week upside that far exceeds what you’re wise to expect from the fourth option in this run-oriented offense.

Ricky Pearsall | SF (vs CAR)

The 49ers didn’t hesitate to reintroduce Ricky Pearsall (knee) into the mix as he played 38 snaps, good for a 73.1% share that matched Jauan Jennings for the WR lead.

One catch for zero yards probably isn’t what you had in mind, given that run out, but after nearly two months off with a QB who was just returning from an injury of his own, it wasn’t exactly optimal.

My concern is less with Pearsall (he did earn an end zone target, so that’s a start) and more with the idea of him. Where are the consistent targets going to come from?

Jennings is a reasonable target earner, and we know that the Christian McCaffrey/George Kittle tandem is going to vacuum in looks in bulk. Pearsall’s speed is a valuable asset to this uber-efficient offense, though asking him to be a consistent fantasy asset is a bit too much.

We are looking at a player who will see 5-7 targets most weeks, with half of them coming down the field. There is upside in a role like that, but more often than not, his median projection isn’t going to rank inside of my top 30.

On the surface, this matchup doesn’t scare me, but offenses don’t often have to rely on the big play to move the ball against Carolina (39.7% deep throw completion rate, eighth lowest in the NFL).

Rome Odunze | CHI (vs PIT)

Rome Odunze came blazing out of the gates this season with five scores in September, resulting in four straight top-20 finishes at the position, and “Ben Johnson is a magician” talks reaching a fever pitch.

Times have been a little tougher since. After that first month, he had just two top 50 weeks and one touchdown. The efficiency has fallen off a cliff in November (eight catches on 19 targets) due to a vertical role that sees him running almost exclusively deep routes.

Against Minnesota last week, his aDOT (23.3) and percentage of looks that came 15+ yards downfield (83.3%) were both season highs. He’s cleared 135 air yards in three of his past four games, and while this is great for ceiling games, it also introduces the type of low floor we’ve seen over the past two months.

So what do we do now?

I think we rank him as a middling WR2 with the knowledge that we will adjust based on the matchup. Home games stand to be tricky for the Bears this time of year, but given the role change and the fact that the Steelers are the seventh-worst YPA defense on deep throws, I’m comfortable giving Odunze a bounce-back look in DFS and ranking him as a top 15 option at the position.

I think the days of consistent high-end production are gone, though I have a similar ceiling projection for him today as I did one and two months ago.

Romeo Doubs | GB (vs MIN)

Sunday was far from a banner day for Romeo Doubs.

He made a few plays to approach 10 PPR points, but he could have been flirting with 100 receiving yards if not for two of the worst drops you’ll see from him.

Usually, I don’t mind drops from a projection standpoint. They are hard to watch, but it happens when you’re getting targeted in bulk (8+ targets in five of his past seven games).

In this instance, however, I put a little more weight into it because Green Bay’s target hierarchy is a little more vibes-based than most. With Christian Watson looking like a full go and Matthew Golden back, Jordan Love isn’t tied to a bona fide star WR1, and that introduces usage risk should he lose confidence in any one player.

I don’t think that’s happened in the case of Doubs, but we are closer to that being a concern today than we were a week ago.

I have both him and Watson ranked as sound flex plays against a Vikings team that is taking on water since the bye (1-4 record with the lone win somehow coming at Detroit). The iffy nature of Josh Jacobs (knee) this week puts more responsibilities on this passing game, and Doubs remains at the front of the line in terms of target earners on this unit.

Stefon Diggs | NE (at CIN)

There is plenty of target variance in New England these days, but it’s all a race for the WR2 role behind Stefon Diggs.

The veteran receiver has cleared 10 PPR points in five straight games, and it’s not by accident: he’s reached at least 11.5 expected points in four of those contests. The scoring upside isn’t what you’d hope for when attached to a unit like this (two end zone targets and a 23.8% red zone target rate), but with his slot percentage spiking, I’m buying the steady PPR floor moving forward.

Weeks 1-8: 43.1% of routes came when lined up in the slot
Weeks 9-11: 59.2% of routes came when lined up in the slot

He caught three of Drake Maye’s five passes on the first drive, further proof that this offense wants to funnel their aerial attack through the consistency of their WR1. I don’t think we get another explosion game from Diggs moving forward, but counting on him for consistent WR2 value is something I’m very comfortable doing.

Tee Higgins | CIN (vs NE)

We saw Tee Higgins score on Cincinnati’s first drive last weekend, and if they are going to keep this thing tight, as 8.5-point home underdogs, he’ll have to produce early and often.

Thus far, he’s scored on 22.7% of his Joe Flacco receptions, a rate more than double his career mark (10.5%) and unsustainable. This week, however, we won’t be asking it to sustain, as he figures to be loaded up with as many targets as he can handle due to the Ja’Marr Chase suspension.

The New England defense is tough, but good offenses can beat good defenses in today’s NFL, and that is why I’ve got Cincy’s now clear-cut WR1 ranked as a top 10 play at the position this week. There’s always risk in taking on an elite unit like this, but since Week 6, we’ve seen Chris Olave, Drake London, and Emeka Egbuka all leverage their athletic tools to score above their season average against the Pats.

It may not be the prettiest of performances, but I like Higgins to see double-digit targets from an accurate QB in an aggressive script: I’ll take my chances.

Tetairoa McMillan | CAR (at SF)

This Carolina offense scored 30 points against the Falcons for the second time this season, and everything positive worked through Tetairoa McMillan, their WR1 of the present and future.

The rookie cleared 100 yards for the first time and scored multiple touchdowns for the second time with a career-high 128 yards as a nice bonus. He’s now averaged at least two yards per route run in four straight and has quietly been a very efficient player on third downs (six catches on eight targets in November).

The 49ers were picked apart by Michael Wilson last week, albeit in a one-sided game, and that was the fourth time in six weeks that the receiver leading his team in fantasy points more than doubled his season average in this matchup.

McMillan scored on the Panthers’ first drive last week, and I expect him to be weighed down with all of the usage he can handle for a team that is somehow just 1.5 games behind the three-seed Bears in a crowded middle tier of the NFC.

Tory Horton | SEA (at TEN)

Tory Horton has now missed both games since the Rashid Shaheed trade, and given that Mike Macdonald introduced Injured Reserve into the conversation, I think we can safely cut ties with the rookie in all redraft formats.

The Seahawks are in it to win it in 202,5, and while Horton has had his moments, it’s clear that they are treating him more like a developmental piece.

With Cooper Kupp clearly on the wrong portion of the age curve and Shaheed a UFA after this season, Horton’s name is likely to come up in sleeper conversations for next year. Use his remaining routes this season to scout and determine your future intrigue: his utility this season is gone.

Travis Hunter | JAX (at ARI)

Three weeks ago, news emerged that a knee injury had landed the talented rookie on IR, and we got news on Tuesday that the dual threat’s season is over.

Weekly Participation Report

Week 1: 27 routes, 6 defensive snaps
Week 2: 27 routes, 39 defensive snaps
Week 3: 27 routes, 41 defensive snaps
Week 4: 23 routes, 9 defensive snaps
Week 5: 26 routes, 25 defensive snaps
Week 6: 44 routes, 22 defensive snaps
Week 7: 51 routes, 12 defensive snaps

This will be a situation to watch as the offseason comes into focus. Not for the health; everything on that end seems like it’ll be fine, but for reports coming out of Jacksonville about how they felt this season went.

Does the injury force their hand in picking a side of the ball to focus on? What does the WR room look like?

This partial rookie season has me with more questions than answers, but the asking price won’t be nearly what it was this August.

Wan’Dale Robinson | NYG (at DET)

It was good to see Wan’Dale Robinson haul in Jameis Winston’s first pass of the season (20-yard gain), but he managed to turn eight targets into just 16 yards after that chunk play, giving us the 7.5-13.6 PPR points that have been customary for over a month now.

There’s nothing fun about playing him, but this is an offense that is low on better options and high in potential pass volume as a huge underdog this week.

Robinson is sitting as my WR23 this week, not because I think he has the 23rd-best odds of leading the position in scoring, but more because there aren’t 30 receivers I trust more to flirt with 10 points.

That’s a distinction that I think is worth highlighting. If you’re playing a powerhouse in your league and grasping for straws, playing New York’s slot machine is setting yourself up for failure. You’re better off with Christian Watson, Alec Pierce, or Tez Johnson.

But if you are the powerhouse, Robinson should be in your mix weekly, as he can steady the ship and let your stars do the heavy lifting.

Xavier Legette | CAR (at SF)

Xavier Legette, posting two top 15 PPR finishes this season, will be among the random notes that we forget about, but it’s a real thing. He’s caught more than three passes twice this season, and he just so happened to clear 18 PPR points in both of them.

If you think Bryce Young will sustain the momentum from last week and be midseason Joe Flacco, then by all means, play Legette as a WR2.

If you’re a rational human who operates with a broad sense of logic, I think we can take a step back and admit that he simply ran hot. Gabe Davis used to do this once a month, and we were never willing to trust him, despite his better offenses, right?

Carolina remains a run-centric offense that wants to put as much of their passing game in the hands of Tetairoa McMillan as possible. Let’s not overcomplicate things.

The 21-yard catch on fourth down during the first drive was nice, and the 36-yard TD to open the second half was even better. Maybe there is something to be said about scheming him looks, but until we see sustained viability, I’m not tempted to put him inside of my top 40 at the position.

Xavier Worthy | KC (vs IND)

This is going to sound harsh, and that’s probably because it is: Was September the most useful month from Xavier Worthy this season?

He burned you in Week 1 when he was hurt after three plays, missed two games, and came back in Week 4 with 121 total yards and 17.1 PPR points.

So he was a drain on your roster in three of four weeks … and that was the peak of his season?

He killed you once. Weeks 2-3 were a pain, but you got replacement-level value because you knew he was inactive.

Since then, he’s been a mess, and you’ve likely tried to work through it by playing him. Week 6 was the last time he was a top-35 receiver, and he really does profile as a misfit toy in this offense.

Tyquan Thornton has assumed the vertical route while the Rashee Rice/Travis Kelce tandem has, as assumed, eaten up all of the short-to-mid-range targets.

So, where does Worthy win in this system?

He has no more than 35 receiving yards in four of his past five games, has scored once on 45 targets, and is averaging just 10.4 yards per catch. The per catch number wouldn’t bother me if we could pencil in consistent volume, but we can’t (27 targets over his past five games).

How different is he than Mack Hollins right now? Heck, Hollins is at least on an upward trajectory role-wise and gets the Bengals this week. They are ranked in the same tier for me this week, and that’s outside of my circle of lineup trust.

Zay Flowers | BAL (vs NYJ)

Zay Flowers doesn’t get the hype of other WR1s because of how the Baltimore offense is structured, but the fact that he has 10 more catches than any of his teammates with targets this season makes him a weekly lineup lock.

He’s been handed the ball once in three of his past four games and has cleared 60 receiving yards eight times this season, a mark that has only been topped by Jaxon Smith-Njigba (10).

The odds of Flowers winning you any given week are small. This is a great matchup, but if the Ravens have their way, they’ll run the ball 35 times for 200 yards and three scores. That said, I trust him more than most receivers to not sink me, and that holds value.

Give me Flowers as a top 20 receiver this week, over players like Tee Higgins, George Pickens, and Michael Pittman, all of whom find themselves in much more difficult matchups.

Soppe’s Fantasy WR Start-Sit Week 12 Players Include A.J. Brown, Jameson Williams, DJ Moore, and Others