Sit Em, Start Em – Week 12
Start Em
Jordan Matthews – Matthews has emerged as a legit WR2 and is a top 20 option in what has lived up to his billing as the year of the rookie receiver. I thought I was a bit nuts when I was doing my preseason rankings and dynasty rankings but Matthews is among the quintuplet of receivers who can now be counted on as top-20 options for most of the weeks they will suit up, possibly for the majority of their careers. Matthews has shown excellent rapport with Mark Sanchez as the two spent time together over the summer working with the 2’s and we can see the results as the former low yards per catch WR4 with Nick Foles has exploded as an WR2 with weekly WR1 upside with Mark Sanchez at the helm.
Marques Colston – With Brandin Cooks lost for the season Marques Colston will be back to upside WR3 status. It is hard to believe that we are not ranking him as a WR2 this week but that is just a testament to how much receiver talent the league is currently boasting. Further limiting potential upside is the emergence of Mark Ingram as a legit workhorse back capable of RB1 numbers. Start Colston in all but the shallowest of formats this week.
Ben Tate – Ben Tate may be able to be utilized as a flex option this week with Mckinnon and Asiata both banged up and offering less overall talent than Tate. Many owners may have soured on Tate this year but he started behind the eight ball due to injury and had two running backs who were very close if not greater talents than him competing in Cleveland. He does not have that issue in Minnesota. Ben Tate will be a borderline RB2 if Mckinnon cannot go and still offers RB3/flex upside even if Mckinnon starts. Tate has top-15 talent when healthy.
Mychal Rivera – Mychal Rivera has been a seven reception, touchdown per game average over his last three and is a top five option this week for Thursday Night Football. We expect the Chiefs to be up in this one leaving Rivera to be a garbage time hero once again.
Zach Mettenberger – We believe Mettenberger will have a solid game this week against the Eagles so much so that we have him as out 16th ranked QB this week. Mettenberger looked solid last week has good receivers and a run game that is finally starting to get going. add to that the potential for a shootout or at least garbage time and Mettenberger is a high upside play who is capable of QB1 numbers this week. Those in two QB leagues will want to give the rookie a shot.
Sit Em
Cordarelle Patterson – Oh Cordarelle, Cordarelle, how you have disappointed us so. Patterson remains one of the most naturally talented receivers in the league but he still cannot run routes and does not yet possess the football IQ to get it done without a strong running game to open up the space he needs to operate. Sweeps and end arounds are also a lot harder to pull of when opponents do not fear your run game or running backs. We have hope for him with Ben Tate now in town but Tate will have to have a big game before defenses start to stack the box. Keep Patterson on fantasy benches for the time being.
Dwayne Bowe – Dwayne Bowe just cannot get it going with checkdown Alex Smith at the helm for the Chiefs and that will not change this week against the Raiders. Keep Bowe on benches despite the seemingly plus matchup.
Jerick Mckinnon – Mckinnon is banged up and may not even get the start this week so if he is healthy he is someone you want to leave on fantasy benches with the more talented Ben Tate now in town. Mckinnon will undoubtedly still have a role when health but may be limited to 10-15 touches per week with Tate now in the fold, a number that may be even lower this week if Mckinnon is not fully healthy and still active.
Darren McFadden – There have been rumblings out of Oakland that with the Riders season now all but in the tank that they may start to give measurables monster Latavius Murray some extra burn which will all but kill McFadden’s fantasy value going forward. There are only so many touches for running backs on a team that cannot win a game and if Murray does get even a 50/50 share than McFadden needs to be on fantasy benches in all but the canyon-like deepest of leagues.
Vernon Davis – V. Diddy is still one of the leagues premier tight ends but with the 49ers asking him to block far too often for his fantasy owners tastes he has become yesterdays news. Davis only has 176 yards and two touchdowns on the entire season…he had 180 and two touchdowns in week five last season versus Arizona. Keep Davis on fantasy benches and do not be afraid to drop him despite his draft status if a higher upside option is available.
