If you've followed me at all, you know how much I love to play guys on Monday night. No matter how far you're down, you always feel like you have a chance with those. Conversely, I feel terrible about having to play guys during "Thursday Night Football."
And to make matters worse, the Thanksgiving holiday provides three games, so there is triple the anxiety. So we turn to the Fantasy Anxiety Meter.
Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans: If you look at Dre's season statistics, it looks like he's had a pretty good year. But the game-by-game shows the majority of his damage came last week. But here's the story with Johnson, if you drafted him (and I advised against it), you have to play him. We probably won't see the Texans engage in a shootout. But at least the matchup is really good.
Fantasy Anxiety Meter: 20 percent
Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions: Tough matchup for Stafford this week. He's one of those guys if he's your lone starter at quarterback, you play him. But if you're one of the scores of people who has Stafford and Matt Ryan (I can't tell you how many times I get this), you start him. Although, I am afraid of it because not only does Stafford play on Thursday, most of his game will be completed by the time most of us on the West Coast even wake up.
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FAM: 60 percent
Mikel LeShoure, RB, Detroit Lions: The Texans defense has been brutal on running backs this season, and have not allowed a rushing touchdown this season. There is no way you can play LeShoure this week unless you are truly desperate at running back.
FAM: 100 percent
Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys: Most of you with RG3 (like me in our "NFL AM" league) won't even hesitate to play him. But many of you will balk at the chance to play Romo. Don't. Romo has been a pretty solid fantasy option in recent weeks and the matchup against the Redskins is really favorable. I understand some hesitancy because of the turnovers, but Romo will be fine. Well, mostly.
FAM: 40 percent
Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins: Yes, I should recuse myself from any mention of Redskins running backs because of my history with Shanahanigans. But did you know the Redskins have no rushing touchdowns in their last 11 games at Dallas. You're likely not in a position to bench him, but the anxiety meter has registered off the charts.
FAM: 100 percent (It's still Shanahan)
Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys: You want to know who had the most targets in Week 11? Well, it was Dre Johnson. You want to know who was second? Well, that was Reggie Wayne. But Bryant was third. Bryant has really hit his stride with Romo and he looks like a great play for the rest of the season. And especially this week against the Redskins who have had trouble with receivers this year.
FAM: 40 percent (Hey, it's still Dez.)
Cowboys running backs: The matchup against the Redskins is pretty tough for the running backs. Teams can pass on the Redskins, but not many have had success on the ground. So to play any Cowboys running back (and this week it could be Philip Tanner or Lance Dunbar) would be way too risky.
FAM: 100 percent
Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots: Normally it would be tough to justify Edelman in your roster. But with Rob Gronkowski out, he could be a pretty good option. Edelman is an effective receiver, but he also adds some versatility as he had a 47-yard run on a reverse. Still, it's going to be a tough call on a Thursday night game, because he still carries some risk. He would be a low-end WR3 for me.
FAM: 80 percent
Brandon Lloyd, WR, New England Patriots: I was worried about Lloyd to start the season. With so many weapons available in New England, Lloyd figured to be inconsistent this season. Which has proven to be the case. You could reason Lloyd will have a chance to be huge against the Jets, but I figure he's going to be the one to be shadowed by Antonio Cromartie, so he's not an option for me this week.
FAM: 100 percent
Aaron Hernandez, TE, New England Patriots: Our Bert Breer reported Hernandez will play on Thursday night. Normally, you would like to ease into this type of situation. But since Rob Gronkowski will be out, Hernandez will have to be quickly moved into your fantasy lineups. But if you won't have access to your team late Thursday night because of family obligations, it's understandable why you would move on. But I'm going for it.
FAM: 60 percent
Got a comment or a question? Don't waste your brilliant, biting flame in the comment section, hit Rank up via Twitter or via Facebook. Also be sure to catch the latest on the "Dave Dameshek Football Program".
