Can you believe it’s already week 12? We have about 1.5 months of action left in the tank, so no reason to hold back! Let’s see what’s cooking on this week’s main slate…
Quarterbacks
High Priced
Death, taxes, and Riley Leonard ($9,500) being an extremely safe with slight upside play weekly. The guy is a rushing touchdown machine, scoring once on the ground in every game since game one. We’ve seen a slight uptick in pass yardage, which has been nice, but you’re playing Leonard for his rushing ability. Against Virginia, I don’t see that stopping.
Shedeur Sanders ($9,700) is the same type of fantasy productive player as Leonard, but for entirely different reasons. His value comes basically only from the passing game, even though he has a rushing touchdown in three straight games. You’re looking for 300+ pass yards out of him, and this matchup against Utah is a good one.
Cade Klubnik ($8,600) has come back down to earth a little bit, but if there’s a matchup to bring his fantasy upside back it’s Pitt. They rank in the bottom 20 in pass defense, recently gave up 24 to a bad UVA offense and then 48 to SMU the week before that. It’s helpful that Pitt’s defensive strength is run defense where they rank top 20 in rushing yards allowed per game.
Middle of the Pack
A matchup that’s great for getting right is Stanford. This means that Tyler Shough ($7,900) is ripe for the picking this weekend. He’s coming off a bye week, so he should be fresh and ready to roll against a bottom 15-scoring defense in the FBS. We’ve seen his pass usage see an uptick in the past month or so, throwing 31+ times in six straight games. Before that, he had thrown 19, 33, and 24 times.
Is Kevin Jennings ($7,700) any good? Probably not, but he has nine or more rushing attempts in six of his last seven games and should be in a competitive matchup against BC on Saturday. His passing usage is limited, so a 35-point implied team total is necessary for him to hit value (which is their number this weekend).
Are we all signing up for the Jayden Maiava ($7,500) experience? A sprinkle is necessary, even if we haven’t seen him much in 2024, and the Nebraska matchup isn’t the best.
Bare Minimum
We’ve all seen Heinrich Harberg ($5,300) play before, and let’s say it’s not pretty. If he gets the start for Nebraska, though, we’ll see a lot of rushing and a guy who could be utilized heavily around the goal line. We’ll see if Raiola plays or not, but if he doesn’t, then this guy will likely see 12+ rushing attempts as his floor.
Will DJ Lagway ($5,400) give it a game at home against LSU? We hope so, and if he does, he’s in play, even if not 100%. Jalen Milroe just torched LSU’s defense on the ground, just like Marcel Reed did for Texas A&M weeks ago.
Running Backs
High Priced
There are a ton of good options at the top here, and it all starts with Woody Marks ($8,500) in my eyes. He has a new quarterback, so there is a chance they lean on him more, but at the very least, continue to lean on him as they have already (4+ receptions and 15+ rushing attempts in the past six games).
Brashard Smith ($8,800) might have the most upside of the group. He has an average quarterback, a 35-point implied team total, and usage in all facets of the offense. He does have some slight risk because what the heck happened against Stanford and Louisville? Smith has five touchdowns in his past two games.
Makhi Hughes ($7,600) has been a machine for Tulane, not something we’re surprised about considering the coach speak that was coming out of camp in the offseason. He’s produced 29+ fantasy points in five straight games, and it’s great to see they don’t seem to care about their quarterback putting up production.
Middle of the Pack
The matchup for Phil Mafah ($7,300) isn’t very good, considering Pitt is a top-20 run defense regarding yards allowed per game, but the volume is here. He has had 26 and 30 rushing attempts in his past two games, and that doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. I’m also facing Mafah in my big redraft league, so you know he’s about to pop off!
Isaac Brown ($6,700) somehow feels underpriced here, not even breaking the $7,000 mark, even though he’s hit 18.9+ fantasy points in six straight games. Since taking over starter duties, the guy has been a force through the air and on the ground. Against Clemson, he had 151 rushing yards on 20 carries. This Stanford matchup is a great one for him.
After Brown, the options become shaky in this tier. You could rock a Texas running back and hope for a massive game versus Arkansas – Jaydon Blue ($5,500) or Quintrevion Wisner ($5,900). You could roster the high-upside, high-risk option in Caden Durham ($6,200) against Florida. Finally, you could go with Bryson Washington ($6,400) at an irresponsible price tag, but hey, he might have some of the biggest upside at this position.
Bare Minimum
Is the best option on the slate Kaytron Allen ($4,900) against Purdue? Nicholas Singleton is banged up, and with Penn State being big favorites, I could see them sitting him for this matchup. Allen would then likely see 20 attempts against a horrible Purdue defense that managed to let TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins combine for 117 yards and a touchdown on just 17 attempts.
Sometimes, you’re just looking for usage when it comes to cheap options. Jadan Baugh ($3,500) is cheap and should see 15+ touches, assuming Montrell Johnson Jr. is out again.
I don’t necessarily love rostering fringe players against Texas, but Rashod Dubinion ($3,500) is cheap and has been great in two straight games. He will get you a few receptions and could see another 10+ rush usage game on the ground.
Wide Receivers
High Priced
Heisman season is in full force, so you should always consider Travis Hunter ($9,700). He has nine receptions in back-to-back games and has found the end zone three times. He was just one yard away from hitting the receiving bonus in those games as well. This Colorado offense wants to target him early and often.
With Shough as a good play, you should consider Ja’Corey Brooks ($7,700) against that putrid Stanford defense. Bad defenses give up big plays, and Brooks is a big play machine, as we see from his 17.5 yards per reception in 2024.
Middle of the Pack
I’ve mentioned how Pitt’s pass defense has struggled in 2024, so you should definitely consider Antonio Williams ($5,900), T.J. Moore ($3,200), and Bryant Wesco Jr. ($3,800) at their respective price points. Wesco has seemingly turned into the top target regarding target share, but Moore is right behind him.
I don’t consider Louisville an elite defense, so a guy like Elic Ayomanor ($5,200) is certainly in play this weekend. He’s been great against mid-defenses in NC State and Wake Forest, combining for 15 receptions and 204 yards. Considering his usage, he has a big upside with his speed and skills.
So, Jimmy Horn Jr. slipped on a tortilla last week and got hurt. If he’s out for this one, then I really like LaJohntay Wester ($6,100), who saw his second-highest target total (7) in his last six games. It might be Will Sheppard ($3,600) who benefits the most, though, as he saw ten targets last week, marking just the second time he has seen double-digit targets all season.
Makai Lemon ($5,000) has seemingly taken over as WR1 for USC, at least in my eyes, so why not Lemon here against Nebraska? There is some risk due to chemistry and what this offense may look like with a new quarterback, but this is a moderate price tag for a guy coming off 21 and 26 fantasy point performances.
Bare Minimum
My priority cheap options have already been listed, but a guy like Mario Williams ($3,900) is certainly in play this weekend. He’s had three straight games of double-digit fantasy production, and there’s a chance the Tulane speed is too much for Navy, at least on offense.
The Pitt players are likely too cheap if Konata Mumpfield is out this weekend. Kenny Johnson ($3,900) and Raphael Williams Jr. ($3,700) are in play even in the tough Clemson matchup.
