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Sunday, November 28, 2021 |
Whether you got off to a great start in Thursday's games or you're looking to make up ground, you're going to have a lot of questions about your lineups this week, I know. Adam Aizer and Heath Cummings updated you on the latest news and answered some start/sit questions on this morning's FFT podcast, and Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath are on CBS Sports HQ until kickoff of the 1 p.m. games to answer your questions and keep you updated on all of the news you need to know on the FFT live show. |
Make sure you check both out, but if you want more direct answers to your questions and other news updates, I have two more ways for you to win: Go to Twitter and use the hashtag "#AskFFT", where our whole team will be answering questions all morning; and go to the FFT YouTube channel to chat with Adam and I from 11:30 until kickoff . We'll be there right up until kickoff answering as many questions as we can, so make sure you're in the chat early to get your questions in. |
Here's the rest of our preview content to get you ready, and check out my updated position rankings at the bottom of the newsletter to help with any early lineup dilemmas you may have: |
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Quarterbacks |
Zach Wilson will make his return to the starting lineup for the Jets after missing four games with a knee sprain, and he has a nice soft landing spot against the Texans. Nobody should be planning on using him for Fantasy, so the biggest question is really whether he'll play well enough to keep Elijah Moore's breakout rolling and to get Ty Johnson involved in the passing game. |
Running backs |
- Out: Jeremy McNichols (concussion), Michael Carter (ankle), Jordan Howard (knee), JaMycal Hasty (ankle), Travis Homer (calf), Rashaad Penny (hamstring)
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McNichols is actually the biggest injury here, because it seemingly frees up Dontrell Hilliard to play a big role again. Hillard surprisingly emerged as the most-used running back for the Titans in Week 11, catching eight passes and finishing with 82 yards from scrimmage. The Titans have a tough matchup against the Patriots on the way this week, but given the Titans' injuries at both running back and wide receiver, it's going to be hard to go away from Hilliard coming off that kind of usage. He's in the RB2 discussion for PPR leagues. |
The other interesting situation here is the Jets, with Carter placed on IR earlier this week. Johnson and Tevin Coleman figure to split work for the Jets in the backfield in a great matchup against the Texans, but can you actually trust either? Johnson played 20 snaps in Week 12 and had one carry and one target; Coleman rushed for a whopping 16 yards on five carries with one target of his own. Coleman probably needs a touchdown to have much Fantasy value, so you're hoping Johnson splits carries with him and gets a decent passing game role. He's more of an RB3, while Coleman is truly just a desperation play -- it wouldn't shock me to see La'Mical Perine out produce him. |
The Seahawks RB absences are also worth noting. Alex Collins figures to be the leading rusher against Washington, but DeeJay Dallas did match him in snaps last week, so he's an interesting beat-the-waiver-wire add this morning just in case he pushes Collins this week. |
- Legitimately questionable: Aaron Jones (knee), Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle)
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These two are looking like game-time decisions, which isn't a bad thing for those of you with Patterson, who plays at 1. If Patterson is active, you're playing him -- he's been one of the best players in Fantasy this season and has an excellent matchup against the Jaguars on the way. If he doesn't play, my preference would be to avoid the Atlanta backfield, but that may not be possible, so I would prefer Mike Davis to Wayne Gallman, especially in PPR. He wouldn't be a top-24 RB, however. |
The problem with Jones is he doesn't play until 4:25 p.m., so if you have to make a decision early, he's putting you in a tough spot. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Sunday morning there is "optimism" around Jones, who is pushing to play and will go through pre-game warmups to prove he's ready. The problem is, the Packers tend to be pretty conservative with injuries, and with a Week 13 bye coming up, they may opt to give him two full weeks to get back to full strength. I can't see into the future, so I can't tell you whether to sit an early player for Jones; if you have a viable replacement in the late slate of games, it's worth the risk, but otherwise, I would probably pass. AJ Dillon figures to see a solid role no matter what and is a decent starter even if Jones plays, so I would probably just keep him active. |
Likely in: Saquon Barkley (ankle), Kareem Hunt (calf), Elijah Mitchell (finger), Damien Harris (neck), Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) |
I'm willing to start Barkley and Hunt as top-20 running backs this week and Mitchell is right in that range as well, so you're probably starting all three of those guys. And I'm probably passing on the Patriots duo, since both are expected to play and it's not like we have any reason one way or the other to consider one or the other more likely to be limited -- injury details don't tend to leak out for the Patriots. Expect another timeshare there, one that makes them both fringe Fantasy options until something changes to give one of them a real advantage. You're hoping for a touchdown either way. |
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Wide receivers |
- Out: A.J. Brown (chest; IR), Corey Davis (groin), Antonio Brown (ankle), Sterling Shepard (quadriceps), Kadarius Toney (quad), Auden Tate (thigh), Anthony Schwartz (concussion), Ben Skowronek (back)
- Legitimately questionable: Allen Lazard (shoulder), Donovan Peoples-Jones (groin), Curtis Samuel (groin), Nico Collins (hip), Adam Humphries (hip)
- Expected to play: Marquise Brown (thigh)
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The Titans already have Julio Jones and Marcus Johnson on IR, so they are incredibly short-handed for this one. Dez Fitzpatrick, Chester Rogers, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine led the team in WR snaps last week, and Westbrook is the only one you could even consider starting coming off a 100-yard game, but you'd probably have to be pretty desperate to do so -- he turned eight targets into 29 yards in Week 4 against the Jets the last time Brown was out. He's not a top-40 WR for me. |
I'm starting Marquise Brown in his return against the Browns, and it really doesn't take much thought. He'd been a bit disappointing prior to the injury, with fewer than 40 yards in two of his previous four games, however he also had 44 targets in those four games, so there's no way I'm not starting him. He's a top-15 WR, while Rashod Bateman is in the WR3 discussion as he's had at least six targets in each of the first five games of his career. |
Tight ends |
- Out: Ricky Seals-Jones (hip), Eric Ebron (knee; IR), Kyle Rudolph (ankle)
- Questionable: Jonnu Smith (shoulder), Geoff Swaim (concussion)
- Expected to play: Logan Thomas (hamstring), Hunter Henry (neck)
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The hope is that Thomas will be activated from IR prior to Monday's game, but given the late kickoff there, you can't take the risk that he won't play unless you want to add Gerald Everett as a fill in just in case. I like Thomas' chances of returning to be a viable starting Fantasy option, however, so if he's available in your league, I would go out and add him unless I've got one of the handful of no-doubt-about-it, must-start tight ends. |
Updated rankings |
Here are my latest rankings as of Sunday morning: |
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- Lamar Jackson vs. CLE
- Tom Brady @IND
- Jalen Hurts @NYG
- Justin Herbert @DEN
- Aaron Rodgers vs. LAR
- Tua Tagovailoa vs. CAR
- Cam Newton @MIA
- Matthew Stafford @GB
- Kirk Cousins @SF
- Joe Burrow vs. PIT
- Russell Wilson @WAS
- Tyrod Taylor vs. NYJ
- Teddy Bridgewater vs. LAC
- Taylor Heinicke vs. SEA
- Ben Roethlisberger @CIN
- Carson Wentz vs. TB
- Matt Ryan @JAX
- Daniel Jones vs. PHI
- Mac Jones vs. TEN
- Trevor Lawrence vs. ATL
- Jimmy Garoppolo vs. MIN
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- Christian McCaffrey @MIA
- Jonathan Taylor vs. TB
- Najee Harris @CIN
- Austin Ekeler @DEN
- Dalvin Cook @SF
- Joe Mixon vs. PIT
- Cordarrelle Patterson @JAX
- Leonard Fournette @IND
- Darrell Henderson @GB
- Saquon Barkley vs. PHI
- James Robinson vs. ATL
- Nick Chubb @BAL
- Myles Gaskin vs. CAR
- Dontrell Hilliard @NE
- Antonio Gibson vs. SEA
- Miles Sanders @NYG
- Aaron Jones vs. LAR
- Kareem Hunt @BAL
- Elijah Mitchell vs. MIN
- AJ Dillon vs. LAR
- Ty Johnson @HOU
- Melvin Gordon vs. LAC
- Javonte Williams vs. LAC
- D'Onta Foreman @NE
- Alex Collins @WAS
- Damien Harris vs. TEN
- Rhamondre Stevenson vs. TEN
- Devonta Freeman vs. CLE
- David Johnson vs. NYJ
- Mike Davis @JAX
- Deejay Dallas @WAS
- Latavius Murray vs. CLE
- J.D. McKissic vs. SEA
- Nyheim Hines vs. TB
- Boston Scott @NYG
- Jeff Wilson vs. MIN
- Devontae Booker vs. PHI
- Alexander Mattison @SF
- Rex Burkhead vs. NYJ
- Brandon Bolden vs. TEN
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- Davante Adams vs. LAR
- Cooper Kupp @GB
- Justin Jefferson @SF
- Keenan Allen @DEN
- Deebo Samuel vs. MIN
- Diontae Johnson @CIN
- Chris Godwin @IND
- D.J. Moore @MIA
- Mike Evans @IND
- Ja'Marr Chase vs. PIT
- Marquise Brown vs. CLE
- Terry McLaurin vs. SEA
- D.K. Metcalf @WAS
- Tyler Lockett @WAS
- Brandin Cooks vs. NYJ
- Jaylen Waddle vs. CAR
- Michael Pittman vs. TB
- Jerry Jeudy vs. LAC
- Elijah Moore @HOU
- Adam Thielen @SF
- Tee Higgins vs. PIT
- Chase Claypool @CIN
- Jamison Crowder @HOU
- Odell Beckham @GB
- DeVonta Smith @NYG
- Brandon Aiyuk vs. MIN
- Rashod Bateman vs. CLE
- Mike Williams @DEN
- Kenny Golladay vs. PHI
- Jarvis Landry @BAL
- Marvin Jones vs. ATL
- Jakobi Meyers vs. TEN
- Laviska Shenault vs. ATL
- Tyler Boyd vs. PIT
- Courtland Sutton vs. LAC
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine @NE
- Van Jefferson @GB
- T.Y. Hilton vs. TB
- Dez Fitzpatrick @NE
- Russell Gage @JAX
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- Mark Andrews vs. CLE
- George Kittle vs. MIN
- Rob Gronkowski @IND
- Kyle Pitts @JAX
- Mike Gesicki vs. CAR
- Dallas Goedert @NYG
- Dan Arnold vs. ATL
- Evan Engram vs. PHI
- Tyler Higbee @GB
- Pat Freiermuth @CIN
- Noah Fant vs. LAC
- Hunter Henry vs. TEN
- Jared Cook @DEN
- Tyler Conklin @SF
- Logan Thomas vs. SEA
- Austin Hooper @BAL
- O.J. Howard @IND
- David Njoku @BAL
- Gerald Everett @WAS
- C.J. Uzomah vs. PIT
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