“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
That’s what the song says, anyway. Thanksgiving presents a number of the usual greeting card elements and sentiments wrapped inside a giant blanket of gluttony. Aside from the obvious caloric horror shows, football fans also indulged in a triple-helping of NFL games (and perhaps a little Texas-Texas A&M).
Forget about the parade and the lip-synched performances.
Forget about the countdown until Nickelback.
Forget about the countdown until “Black Friday” and shopping for things that you “had to have” because one of those “Price is Right” tags got slapped on it.
Fans and fantasy owners stepped away from their food prep work and family conversations to set lineups on Thursday morning. They were faced with numerous difficult decisions for this holiday slate, particularly at the running back position. Aside from a few heroes (Aaron Rodgers and Laurent Robinson among them), most of the usual suspects came up short. Trusting James Starks owners may have gotten Kuhn’ed again.
In addition to “Thanksgiving,” I also call this “Evangelization Day.” In living rooms and kitchens across this great land of ours, many explanations about the glory of the fantasy nation were provided to the uninitiated. Fantasy owners had to explain why they were cheering for players on both sides of a given game. They spoke of the smack-talking. They yelled at their televisions. Before long, their family members and friends jumped onboard the emotion of the game, thereby allowing the conversations about jobs, relationships, unfinished schoolwork and embarrassing moments to fade into the background.
Click here for Harmon’s Week 12 QBs
Click here for Harmon’s Week 12 RBs
Click here for Harmon’s Week 12 WRs
Click here for Harmon’s Week 12 TEs
There’s your one-line strategy guide to deflecting. Get in there and sell! Sell! Sell!
Let’s get back between the white lines at wide receiver in this week’s “Lineup Calls.”
Exclude: Andre Johnson (he returns), Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Wes Welker, Steve Smith (CAR), Mike Wallace, Larry Fitzgerald, Vincent Jackson, Roddy White, Brandon Lloyd, Marques Colston, A.J. Green (expected to start)
Week 12 WR Heroes
Percy Harvin at ATL: The Vikings have been creative in getting the ball into Harvin’s hands of late. Harvin touched the ball 20 times in the past two weeks, and has logged at least two rushing attempts in four consecutive games.
With Adrian Peterson possibly shelved because of an ankle injury (he reportedly still wants to play), look for the Vikings to add more wrinkles to the game plan for Harvin.
Julio Jones vs. MIN: Jones is slated to return to action after missing Week 11 because of a hamstring injury. Fantasy owners, though somewhat fearful of an aggravation of the injury, are excited about the pending matchup. Jones faces a depleted Minnesota secondary in a huge home spot for the Falcons.
Minnesota has allowed the sixth-most points to opposing receivers.
Antonio Brown at KC: Brown returns from the Bye week as one of the most highly-targeted options in the NFL (tied for 18th with 80 targets). He’s averaged 4.4 receptions and 62.6 receiving yards per game opposite Mike Wallace.
The Chiefs have surrendered the seventh-fewest yards to wide receivers (136.1 yard). However, opposing wide receivers have scored one touchdown per game.
Reggie Wayne vs. CAR: I understand that there are two things working against Wayne’s insertion here. First, he’s still running around in an Indianapolis uniform. Second, the Panthers have allowed the seventh-fewest points to wide receivers (133.8 and 0.7 touchdowns per game).
Still, I’ll put Wayne on the board as a back-end WR3 this week with Indianapolis coming out of the Bye. He still ranks 13th in the NFL with 83 targets to date (42 receptions for 530 yards).
I’ll toss up Pierre Garcon as a dice roll in the late-WR3 slot or WR4.
Santonio Holmes vs. BUF: I’ll say it. The Jets irk me. I look at this matchup against the Bills and it screams, “Play me.” Despite Holmes’ tepid weekly numbers and inconsistent red zone love, I’ll put him on the board for a WR2 slot this week. The Bills allow 159 yards and a touchdown per game to opposing wide receivers.
Earl Bennett at OAK: Count me among those few in the punditry field who believe that the Chicago offense will continue its success under Caleb Hanie. The Raiders rank in the middle of the pack against the pass (16th), surrendering 150.7 yards and 1.1 touchdowns per game.
Bennett has caught three or more passes in three consecutive games since returning to action, finishing each game with at least 75 receiving yards. He scored one touchdown and narrowly missed adding a second last week. I have Bennett ranked as my 36th wide receiver this week. Johnny Knox rates lower (56th on my board), but I’m intrigued by the former No. 1 option as a deep “Ninja” option.
Nate Washington vs. TB: Washington leapt back onto the fantasy radar following Jake Locker’s insertion into the lineup and scored two touchdowns in the Titans’ failed comeback effort against the Falcons. He’s caught three or more passes in eight of 10 games this season with six games of at least 62 receiving yards.
Bay has allowed the 11th-most points to wide receivers.
Santana Moss at SEA: Moss is ready to return to action following a four-game absence because of a broken hand. The Seahawks have allowed the 10th-fewest points to opposing wide receivers, but I’m curious to watch the ever-pressing Rex Grossman on the road. He caught five or more passes in each of the Redskins’ first four games with two touchdowns before Nnamdi Asomugha and the Philadelphia secondary dominated Grossman and sent him to the bench in Week 6.
Week 12 WR Flop Alerts
Dwayne Bowe vs. PIT: You’re still going to start him, as the Chiefs likely get buried here and start chucking the ball downfield in comeback mode. Bowe caught seven passes for 87 yards against the Patriots in Week 11.
The Steelers rank third against wide receivers, limiting opponents to 198.5 yards and 1.3 touchdowns per game. Coming out of the Bye, the “older” Steelers are rested, healthy and ready to attack. Bowe slid all the way down to 25th on my wide receiver rankings for this week.
Denarius Moore vs. CHI: Moore was out of his walking boot on Thursday, but his ankle injury makes him a less than desirable play against the strong Chicago cornerbacks. Moore would likely draw Charles “Peanut” Tillman in the individual matchup, and Tillman appears headed to a Pro Bowl berth. Following last week’s flop in a huge spot (with the backing of fantasyland behind him) and this injury, Moore’s no better than a WR4 option this week.
Stevie Johnson at NYJ: Johnson battled Darrelle Revis a few weeks back and came through with a huge 52-yard reception to help push his numbers to respectability (three receptions for 84 yards). However, Johnson has been playing through a shoulder injury and has contributed just four receptions for 24 yards in the past two weeks.
I can’t anticipate much better from Johnson than the production of a low-end WR3 slot. The Buffalo offense has been beset by myriad injuries of late, including member of the receiving corps and first-half hero Fred Jackson.
Mario Manningham at NO: Manningham still rates a WR3 play in Week 12, but he’s clearly the third option in the passing game behind Hakeem Nicks and rising star Victor Cruz. Manningham has topped 60 receiving yards just twice this season, though he has accrued a total of 34 receptions on the season (six games between 49 and 77 receiving yards). He caught a single pass in Week 11 for four yards.
The Giants will likely be engaged in a shootout in Week 12, so Manningham is in play for a WR3 slot. Don’t anticipate fireworks out of that slot.
Week 12 WR Ninja Alerts
Vincent Brown vs. DEN: Brown failed miserably for fantasy owners against Chicago last week. He caught a single pass for eight yards on four targets. Still, I trust that Philip Rivers will keep slinging the ball downfield in Week 12 against Denver. Brown has been targeted 19 times in the past three weeks. He remains the second receiver to Vincent Jackson with Malcom Floyd still on the shelf (possibly headed to IR).
Eric Decker at SD: Decker was shut out in Week 11 against the Jets, but he provided for some memorable near-misses, including a passing attempt that would have gone for a touchdown. Decker had scored in three consecutive games before getting shut out by Darrelle Revis.
I’m anticipating higher production than his two-reception, -4 yard output of Week 5 against the Chargers. Decker is anything but a “sure” thing, but he’s still a WR3 option against the sinking San Diego pass defense. I know that I’m asking you to put faith in Tebow’s arm. What if Decker throws him a pass? I think back to the season of “Las Vegas” that included Tom Selleck. “Anything can happen.”
Legedu Naanee at IND: Do you like to gamble? Then perhaps I can interest you in a low-end WR3 or WR4 option in Carolina. Naanee has caught three or more passes in six of the Panthers’ past seven games and topped 40 receiving yards in three straight games.
The Colts’ have allowed the third-most points to wide receivers (254.5 yards and 1.9 touchdowns allowed per game).
Jerome Simpson vs. CLE: A.J. Green returns to the field to participate in a great individual matchup against Joe Haden. Simpson has been targeted at least nine times in six of the Redskins’ first 10 games, producing three 100-yard games. He caught four of nine targets in the season opener against Cleveland for 44 yards.
It’s not an ideal matchup against the top-ranked Cleveland pass defense, but Andy Dalton just keeps chucking. The rookie quarterback attempted 15 passes in Week 1 against Cleveland. Dalton’s averaged 35.2 pass attempts in the Bengals’ past nine games.
Jabar Gaffney at SEA: Gaffney has quietly amassed 69 targets this season for the Redskins (36th in the NFL). The loss of Santana Moss obviously raised his profile, but remember that he spent several weeks with John Beck under center. The return of Moss takes away a couple of Gaffney’s targets. However, we can reasonably expect Rex Grossman to keep firing downfield (who do you trust in the backfield?).
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