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š Let's Talk Turkey
Thanksgiving football stories, Week 12 start/sits and other notes ahead of another week in the 2023 Fantasy Football season.
Happy Thanksgiving! Letās start with a story.
Back in 1994, 28-year old Cowboys star QB Troy Aikman sprained his left knee a week prior to a Thanksgiving matchup against Brett Favre and the Packers. To make matters worse, Aikmanās backup, Rodney Peet, was also injured. Americaās team only had one man left. The backupās backup, a QB who had only played two quarters all year.
You might recognize himšļø
Thatās right, then-third-string QB Jason Garrett, the future hand clapper and ass smacker, was forced to start on Thanksgiving 29 years ago. And, despite an INT on his first drive, Garrett had the best game of his career. He threw for over 300 yards while leading the Cowboys to a thrilling 42ā31 victory against Favre and the Packers. Emmitt Smith helped, a little (video).
The perfect side to turkey and politics:
š§¾ Notes for Week 12
š Set Those Lineups Early
š¤ Deep Sleepers
š¦ Dave Heilman
Thanksgiving came early for Steelers fans. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada was fired on Tuesday. But not everyone is happy. Marcus (our resident Browns fan) is in rough shape. Matt Canada was his second-favorite coach in the NFL.
Canadaās firing marks the first time the Steelers fired a coach mid-season since 1941 (yup, during World War II). Ben Solak of The Ringer broke down the film to explain why the Steelers offense was struggling with Canadašļø
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TRIVIA
Yesterday marked the 8th anniversary of the best play in NFL history. In the second quarter of a Thanksgiving game in 2015, Jets QB Mark Sanchez took a snap and opened to his left, while fullback Lex Hilliard, who was supposed to get the handoff, ran by on his right. Sanchez had confused 30 Dive (fullback handoff) with 20 Dive (halfback handoff). Realizing heād turned the wrong way, a panicked Sanchez began blindly sprinting toward the line of scrimmage. Thatās when it happened.
Sanchezās instincts took over. He remembered his training. When running the football, you always do one thing: find a hole.
And it wasnāt the only time Sanchez stuffed his face with buns during an NFL game (video).
RANKINGS
Tua Tagovailoa drops to QB9. He hasnāt been bad, but his production has slowed. His lack of rushing ability (only 39 yards on the ground total in 2023), limits his upside; Tua has just one top-10 finish in his last four. With matchups against strong defenses (Jets, Cowboys, and Ravens) in the fantasy playoffs, youāll be wishing you had an elite option.
Devin Singletary rises to RB24. The Texans have their new starting RB. In two games as a full-time starter, Singletary posted top-10 fantasy finishes and averaged 5+ yards per carry (Dameon Pierce in 2023: a measly 3 YPC). A better fit for OC Bobby Slowikās zone running scheme, weāre betting Singletary is the guy this season (even with Pierce expected to be returning this week).
We also had to move the elite QBs up (Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen). The deeper we get into the season, the more valuable top-end difference makers are.
Our rest-of-season 0.5 PPR rankings were updated early this morning šļø
POSITION REVIEW
Quarterback
Loving It // Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports
Start Jordan Love (if you have to). Facing a Lions defense that allowed the QB2 in Week 10 and QB8 in Week 11, Loveās relatively high floor (he has at least 14 fantasy points in all but one start this year, per Evan Silva of Establish the Run) makes him a safer bet than usual in a dome against a struggling Lions pass defense.
Russell Wilson is playing well. Wilson is taking shots downfield at a higher clip: the Broncos had more air yards in Week 11 than in two prior games combined. Wilson also has the highest adjusted completion % in the NFL this season (80.8%), per PFF, and is feeding his RBs targets (Denver's 31.5% total target share to RBs easily leads the NFL, per Jacob Gibbs).
But sit Wilson against a Browns defense allowing just 12 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs.
Justin Fields is a weekly must start. The Bears QB saw 14 designed runs in Week 10, the most in a game in his entire career. This adds a massive floor to the highest rushing upside at the QB position (sorry, Lamar). In a āprove itā season, Fields is showing massive improvements in the passing game, too. Since Week 4, Fields ranks 2nd in passer rating, 3rd in highly accurate throw rate and 4th in completion percentage over expectation (among 34 qualifying QBs, per Derek Brown).
Water is wet. The Pope is Catholic. New Jets QB Tim Boyle should never start for any fantasy team. In three Boyle drives, the Jets had a fumble, a three and out and an INT. So maybe stash 3rd stringer Trevor Siemian in deep superflex leagues.
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