Week 12 is underway, with a full slate of three NFL games on Thanksgiving Day: Eagles at Lions, Panthers at Cowboys and Bears at Packers. We'll keep you up to date on the fantasy implications of those games all day long as you keep yourself stuffed with delicious food. So keep checking back for stat updates and recaps as the games progress. And ... Happy Thanksgiving!
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions
Top performers:
» Mark Sanchez, QB: 199 yards, 2 TDs, 14.36 fantasy points
» DeMarco Murray, RB: 30 rush yards, 3 fantasy points
» Jordan Matthews, WR: 3 rec, 60 rec yards, TD, 12 fantasy points
» Brent Celek, TE: 2 rec, 10 rec yards, TD, 7 fantasy points
» Matthew Stafford, QB: 337 yards, 5 TDs, 34.78 fantasy points
» Theo Riddick, RB: 5 rec, 62 yards, TD, 6 rush yards, 12.8 fantasy points
» Ameer Abdullah, RB: 63 rush yards, 12 rec yards, 7.5 fantasy points
» Calvin Johnson, WR: 8 rec, 93 yards, 3 TD, 27.3 fantasy points
» Golden Tate, WR: 7 rec, 50 yards, TD, 11 fantasy points
The Eagles offense ... yeah. Chip Kelly was committed to running DeMarco Murray on stretch plays for no yards, even though it's evident his high-paid running back is better between the tackles. This led to Murray's most disappointing game in a month, with just 30 yards. Brent Celek, a sleeper pick by the NFL fantasy team, caught a touchdown, which was nice, and Jordan Matthews scored a garbage time touchdown. No one else on the Eagles did anything noteworthy in fantasy.
Well, hello Lions offense we hoped to see all season! Matthew Stafford shredded an Eagles secondary that seemed to care less with each completion. He threw five touchdowns on the day, three to Calvin Johnson, helping frustrated fantasy fans everywhere. Ameer Abdullah did some nice work out of the backfield, but of course it was Joique Bell who found the end zone once the game was out of hand. Theo Riddick also had a fantastic day for those who started him in PPR formats. Golden Tate got back on track, but we aren't ready to trust him week-in and week-out just yet. This was a game that fell perfectly in line for the Lions and they took full advantage.
Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys
Top performers:
» Tony Romo, QB: 106 yards, 3 INTs, -1.76 fantasy points
» Darren McFadden, RB: 14 touches, 56 total yards, 7.60 fantasy points
» Dez Bryant, WR: 2 rec, 26 yards, 2.60 fantasy points
» Cole Beasley, WR: 6 rec, 44 yards, TD, 10.40 fantasy points
» Cam Newton, QB: 229 total yards, rush TD, 17.92 fantasy points
» Jonathan Stewart, RB: 24 touches, 77 total yards, 7.70 fantasy points
» Jerricho Cotchery, WR: 5 rec, 73 yards, 7.30 fantasy points
» Devin Funchess, WR: 2 rec, 19 yards, 1.9 fantasy points
» Greg Olsen, TE: 5 rec, 70 yards, 7.0 fantasy points
The Cowboys fell behind early on the back of three Tony Romo interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and were never able to come back. The Cowboys are built on controlling the clock and sustaining drives, but the game script threw them off that. Darren McFadden took his 10 carries for 11 yards. The Panthers defense was suffocating, and the passing game was off rhythm all game. Tony Romo went down with a serious injury late in the contest, which was a totally deflating moment. It looks like Romo will be out for an extended stretch. We already know how painful this offense is without Romo, and it brings the ceiling down several notches. All your Cowboys become risky propositions going forward, outside of McFadden when he gets 20-plus touches.
The Panthers did not have to do much with their defense giving them an early lead. Jonathan Stewart saw his usual workload, but didn't get a chance in the end zone. Cam Newton salvaged his day with a late rushing touchdown, and is still one of the most valuable quarterbacks in fantasy football. One thing to note: while Devin Funchess did not post a strong stat line, he played on the majority of snaps and in one wide receiver sets. At this point, it looks like we can trust him as this offense's top receiver. Since it is a low volume passing game, he may not see enough regular volume, but he's worth flex consideration in good matchups.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Top performers:
» Jay Cutler, QB: 200 yards, TD, 9 rush yards, 12.9 fantasy points
» Matt Forte, RB: 53 total yards, 5.3 fantasy points
» Jeremy Langford, RB: 53 total yards, TD, 11.3 fantasy points
» Alshon Jeffery, WR: 7 rec, 90 rec yards, 9 fantasy points
» Zach Miller, TE: 10 yards, TD, 7 fantasy points
» Aaron Rodgers, QB: 202 yards, TD, INT, 33 rush yards, 13.38 fantasy points
» Eddie Lacy, RB: 109 rush yards,34 rec yards, TD, fmbl, 17.9 fantasy points
» Randall Cobb, WR: 6 rec, 74 yards, 7.4 fantasy points
This game lacked the offensive fireworks many expected, but Eddie Lacy continued his resurgence with a rock solid day that was only dampened by a fumble. He's looking like an every week RB2 moving forward and is clearly ahead of James Starks in terms of backfield touches. Aaron Rodgers struggled with his receivers unable to get open, and Davante Adams put in a performance that was drop-worthy in fantasy. Randall Cobb has a solid PPR outing, but didn't find the end zone. Alshon Jeffery also had a solid PPR day as he was once again fed targets by Jay Cutler. Langford and Forte split the touches basically down the middle (13 to 16), with the rookie returning more value thanks to his touchdown. This will be a tough fantasy backfield to figure out down the stretch, and owners will want to pay close attention to the reports out of Chicago in the coming weeks.
