Team of the Week
QB: Josh Allen, BUF
Even considering the rainy conditions, Allen was in a great spot to put up numbers against a vulnerable Philadelphia secondary—and he did not disappoint by throwing for 339 yards and two touchdowns (one interception) along with 81 yards and two scores on the ground. Allen will now rest up over the bye week, but he’ll likely be the top quarterback play against the Chiefs in Week 14.
RB: Kyren Williams, LAR
Williams wasted zero time re-establishing himself as a legitimate RB1 option in his return yesterday, as the second-year runner turned 16 carries into 143 yards and caught all six of his targets for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Next week will be tougher against the Browns, but Williams is a top-ten fantasy scorer at the position despite missing four games.
RB: Christian McCaffrey, SF
McCaffrey went off with 139 total yards and two touchdowns in a primetime clash against Seattle on Thanksgiving—ripping off chunk gains and grinding for extra yardage when needed. The biggest cheat code in fantasy football will be the best play at running back next week in a playoff rematch versus the Eagles.
WR: Mike Evans, TB
There were a handful of wide receivers to reach the 20.0-point threshold all bunched together, but Evans leads the position heading into Monday night thanks to his first multi-score performance of the year. He could get lost again next week against the one-win Panthers to make Evans a definite WR1 play.
WR: Zay Flowers, BAL
The timing for Flowers with a full-blown breakout on Sunday Night Football gives him the nod here, and the 20.7 fantasy points were a new high for the rookie after a quiet stretch since he last found the end zone in Week 6. We’ll see how involved Flowers is following the Week 13 bye, but the arrow is pointing up after a receiving and rushing score against LA.
TE: Tyler Higbee, LAR
On a day where Matthew Stafford threw for four touchdowns, it was Higbee and Kyren Williams that caught two each—with the veteran tight end breaking double-digit fantasy points for the first time this year. Interestingly, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport mistakenly tweeted that he was inactive, so we can only hope that didn’t lead to anyone dropping Higbee and being unable to get him back if planning to start him.
FLEX: Bijan Robinson, ATL
Robinson caught his third receiving touchdown of the season on a well-designed wheel route out of the backfield in the win over New Orleans, and he also had one of his best games on the ground with 16 carries for 91 yards and another score. Bijan should continue to be fed as Atlanta looks to remain atop the NFC South.
D/ST: Dolphins
The first Black Friday game in NFL history was certainly a memorable one, and the performance of the Miami defense was a big reason for it. In addition to total dominance with 159 yards allowed, the Dolphins had the highlight pick-six by Jevon Holland at the end of the first half to boost them to 23.0 fantasy points on the day.
K: Blake Grupe, NO
Grupe did have a costly miss in a comeback attempt by New Orleans, but he also nailed five previous attempts with the Saints being unable to find the end zone. Because of those struggling finishing drives, Grupe—coming off an 18.0-point performance—should be a strong option next week against Detroit.
Surprise of the Week: Pat Freiermuth
There weren’t really any major surprises this week, but Freiermuth being more involved was a welcomed change for Pittsburgh, and he was able to haul in nine-of-11 targets for 120 yards. Facing an Arizona defense that just allowed an overall TE1 finish to Tyler Higbee next week, Freiermuth is suddenly an exciting add for fantasy rosters.
Disappointment of the Week: Adam Thielen
Seattle’s overall performance on Thanksgiving or Cooper Kupp being limited to 18 yards were also options here, but Thielen had been a no-doubt WR1 when Frank Reich has called plays this season—so it was frustrating to see him only bring in one reception (for two yards) in another poor showing for Carolina’s offense. Although Thielen could benefit from a plus matchup next week against the Bucs, his outlook has certainly dimmed.
Rookie of the Week: Bijan Robinson
A few rookie pass-catchers impressed on Sunday, but Robinson was arguably overshadowed with 25.8 fantasy points to give him a new season-high, and he’s seen touch totals of 23 and 19 over the past two games. Things should set up for another big game next week against a collapsing Jets team that isn’t very good defending the run.
Week 12 MVP: Josh Allen
Kyren Williams (35.4 fantasy points), Jalen Hurts (34.5), and Dak Prescott (32.24) could have all easily been the choice here most weeks, but Allen exploded for 39.66 fantasy points in a heroic losing effort—playing almost a flawless game other than one interception on a terrific play by James Bradberry. Although fantasy owners will need to find a replacement in Week 13, Allen is right with Jalen Hurts as the top fantasy quarterback to own for the playoffs.