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Bye Weeks: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Seattle
Grab a Helmet
Megatron: The best ever?
Calvin
Johnson v. TB: No, this isn’t me insulting your intelligence.
This is me breaking my own rule (see preamble) so I can just this
once talk about Mr. Johnson, otherwise known as Megatron or, if
you prefer, the best wide receiver who ever donned shoulder pads.
Outrageous? Consider the following. Johnson is really the only legitimate
receiver on the Lions’ squad and is double-teamed or triple-teamed
on almost every offensive play. Despite this fact, he’s averaging
19.4 fantasy points per game on the season, by far a career-best
pace. If he keeps that up, he’ll score more points this season than
any receiver has in the history of professional football. Oh, and
he would accomplish that feat having played only 15 of 16 possible
games (he missed Week 5). You’re watching a legend, people, so enjoy
him while he’s still at his peak. We may not see another like him
soon…or ever.
Rueben
Randle v. DAL: If you’ve been following the Cowboys of late,
you know starting all your Giants this Sunday wouldn’t be totally
inadvisable. Dallas’ D is a grease fire and only a bye week reboot
would prevent this one from turning into another high-scoring NFC
East shootout. Randle is certainly more of a borderline option than
guys like Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, and Andre Brown, but maybe not
as borderline as you think. He’s scored in five of his last six
outings (true story) and has consistently mattered despite very
limited targets (just ten total in his last four games). There’s
also this little tidbit: Hakeem Nicks spent Wednesday’s practice
riding a stationary bike, meaning Randle has a chance, albeit an
outside one, to get a lot more attention this weekend as Manning’s
second-best target. He’s not a guarantee like ‘Tron (who is?), but
I suspect Randle could be in for an explosive day.
Kendall
Wright @ OAK: If limited targets and uncertain production aren’t
exactly your thing, Tennessee’s Wright might be someone more to
your liking. He commands very consistent targets (about 8-12 per
game) and reliably hits that seven or eight-point mark. While he’s
only topped double digits a single time in 2013 (Week 2 at Houston),
he’s also scored fewer than five just once. You know what you’re
getting with Kendall Wright, in other words, and don’t have to worry
about a spectacular flameout a la A.J. Green last weekend. If you’re
in a larger league or just need a plugger to complement your more
volatile and talented assets, go get him. He might not put you over
the top, but he certainly won’t be the guy that gets you unexpectedly
ousted from the playoffs.
Grab Some Wood
Kenbrell
Thompkins v. DEN: Hey, remember this guy? Thompkins was the
surprise rook du jour back in September when he was receiving
all kinds of attention from Tom Brady (almost 10 targets per game
in that first month) and averaging double-digit fantasy points.
Since the beginning of October, however, the former Bearcat’s
targets have greatly diminished (just 18 in his last five) right
along with his production and, by extension, his overall fantasy
relevance. Don’t expect a sudden reversal of fortunes now that
Rob Gronkowski has rounded back into form and Shane Vereen has
returned to the rotation. There are plenty of Brady footballs
to go around, yes, but Thompkins is probably option #6 at this
point (behind those two guys, Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman,
and Aaron Dobson). He’s still young and may hold plenty of long-term
value, but…it’s playoff time. Forget about the long term.
Mike
Wallace v. CAR: If there’s been a bigger FA bust this season
than the stupendously overpaid Wallace, I don’t know who it is.
Miami’s $60M man has just 44 receptions, 534 yards, and a single
touchdown through 11 weeks, meaning he’s being significantly outperformed
by the guy he was ostensibly brought in to replace as the Dolphins’
primary target, Brian Hartline. He’s averaging a career-low 6.1
points/game (that’s bad) and hasn’t really connected with second-year
signal caller Ryan Tannehill (that’s why). There’s still time
for Wallace to matter, of course, as he’s relatively young and
isn’t close to losing a step. Nevertheless, you probably drafted
him fairly early and that means he could have already torpedoed
your playoff hopes. If not, don’t let him. The Fish are a mess
up front and that means Tannehill never has enough time to find
Wallace deep.
Cecil
Shorts @ HOU: Shorts called his five targets and two catches
v. Arizona last Sunday “dumb.” We couldn’t agree
more. The pride of D-III powerhouse, Mt. Union, may be the only
Jaguar opposing defenders actually fear and getting him the ball
twice in a game that was fairly competitive most of the day is
basically unconscionable. Then again, this IS Jacksonville we’re
talking about. Despite the Week 10 upset of Tennessee, they’re
probably the worst NFL squad in the last decade (or more) and
I’d bet a fairly sizeable sum they don’t win another
game this year…especially if they eschew their only legit
offensive weapon. Shorts should receive more attention in Week
12, but I’d still wager (a significantly smaller sum) that
he disappoints again. The Texans have allowed the fewest passing
yards in the league this year and are desperate for a season-saving
W. Stay away from Shorts.
Good luck, folks!
Quarterbacks 
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