Start 'Em

Antonio Brown @ KC
Brown, the second-year man from Central Michigan, has clearly elevated his level of play. Over his last four games, he has become a favorite target of QB Ben Roethlisberger, as evidenced by 26 receptions for 364 yards (91.0 yards per game) and 1 TD. Brown leads the AFC in third-down catches (18) and yards (282), including a 21-yard grab on 3rd and 19 in the Steelers last game. He continues to improve and make big plays with every game. The kick return yardage is gravy for those in leagues that reward such stats. Lock him into lineups the rest of the way, he will continue to take advantage of the extra attention that WR Mike Wallace receives. The Chiefs have served up 18 passing TDs, tied for the 4th highest number in the league.

Brandon Lloyd vs. Ari
QB Sam Bradford looks to Lloyd early and often in games; he racked up 14 targets last week en route to 5 catches, 67 yards and a TD. In five games with the Rams, he has averaged 5.2 receptions for 64.4 yards and scored 3 TDs. He could benefit from a capable receiver on the other side as defensive backfields can double-team him without fear of getting burned elsewhere, but he should still produce against a Cardinals team that has allowed 256.6 passing yards per game. The fact that the almost every Rams receiver is banged up could actually serve to increase his targets further.

Riley Cooper vs. NE
The status of Jeremy Maclin remains uncertain, but if he can’t play on Sunday, Cooper is expected to draw another start. Cooper entered last week’s contest without a reception in nine games, yet finished with 5 catches, 75 yards and a TD on 12 targets from Vince Young. It’s a tough sell based on Cooper’s previous history (or lack thereof) but if Maclin doesn’t suit up, his matchup couldn’t be better. I would not plug him in if QB Michael Vick plays - it was Young who looked to Cooper so frequently, so keep an eye on both Maclin and Vick. New England still has one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, surrendering 299.5 passing yards per game and 15 aerial TDs.

Brandon Pettigrew vs. GB
There are drawbacks on Pettigrew - he doesn’t give much in terms of yardage (8.7 yards per reception would be a career-low); and QB Matt Stafford spreads the ball around – evidenced by 9 different receivers last week. On the plus-side, he is a preferred target in an offense that could do a lot of passing this week, and I’m not talking about passing the cranberry sauce. The Packers have allowed an average of 289.3 passing yards per game and 18 TDs, including recent big games to fellow TEs Kellen Winslow Jr. (9 catches, 132 yards last week) and Antonio Gates (8 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD in Week 10).

Bench 'Em

Another benchable week for Stevie.

Steve Johnson @NY
Struggling QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is having difficulty getting the ball to Johnson, who was battling a shoulder injury heading into last week’s game. The targets are still there, but Johnson has just 7 catches in his last three games and hasn’t found the end zone since Week 6. In his last game versus New York, Johnson had a long gainer of 52 yards and totaled 84 yards on 3 receptions against the Jets secondary, but a repeat performance is not likely. Injuries to and lackluster play by the other Bills receivers will not help matters this week against a defense that has allowed only 8 TDs and 200.1 passing yards per game.

Jabar Gaffney @ Sea
Gaffney was tremendous last week against Dallas, racking up season-highs with 7 catches and 115 yards; he’s scored twice (1 from QB John Beck, 1 from Rex Grossman) in his last three games. Unfortunately, until Sunday, Gaffney hadn’t topped 68 yards in any other game this season, and hadn’t grabbed more than 4 catches in a game since Week 3. Additionally, reliance on another sharp performance from QB Rex Grossman while your squad is pushing to the playoffs is asking too much. The Seahawks have a better than average pass defense; they’ve allowed 13 passing TDs but just 6.9 yards per pass and 233.7 per game.

Michael Crabtree @ Bal
Last week versus the Cardinals, Crabtree posted a season-high 120 yards on 7 receptions; his day could have been bigger as QB Alex Smith missed him what appeared to be a fairly easy TD. The matchup will be more challenging on Thanksgiving night in Baltimore, although it is notable that Bengals WR Jerome Simpson burned the Ravens for 8 catches and 152 yards last week. With only 1 TD catch, Crabtree simply hasn’t shown the consistency to be a regular WR3 on your team, though he makes for good depth and can be plugged in the right matchup. Despite allowing 373 passing yards to QB Andy Dalton last week, the Ravens still have a formidable pass defense; they have allowed just 7 aerial TDs, which ranks 1st in the NFL.

Happy Thanksgiving & Good Luck in Week 12!

Quarterbacks