Week #12 of NFL action kicks off with a handful of Thursday game because of the Thanksgiving holiday. There are three games scheduled, and here we will break down some of the major fantasy components that might help you as you draft your daily fantasy football teams.
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions
This is an interesting matchup, mostly because both of these teams are experiencing a similar set of troubles. The Eagles have a weak defense and have been having trouble putting points on the board. The Lions have a few moments of brilliance thanks to wide receiver Calvin Johnson, but Detroit QB Matthew Stafford is not having the kind of season that he needs to help Johnson get his stats up as high as they are capable of going. Stafford is only averaging 260.7 yards per game and has only thrown 12 touchdowns.
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But because regular Philly QB Sam Bradford is not certain for this game, there’s no telling what the Eagles’ offense will do. Backup QB Mark Sanchez played pretty poorly last week, and the receivers and backs on the team suffered as a result. Whether players like RB DeMarco Murray have any sort of fantasy value or not are all dependent upon whether or not Bradford plays, and whether or not he plays well. This is a game to keep an eye on and not make any decisions on until Bradford’s status is a bit more clear.
Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys
The Panthers are still undefeated going into week #12, and the Cowboys are going through some midseason growing pains. Tony Romo is back from his injury, but had his lowest QB Rating of his three games so far this season during the Dallas win last weekend with an 83.5. He threw 2 touchdowns, but there were 2 interceptions in the mix. The Miami Dolphins are a much weaker team than the Carolina Panthers, though. Carolina QB Cam Newton is a fantasy point machine, and there’s always a high likelihood that he will have a rushing TD. His passing game has improved a lot this year, too. Carolina RB Jonathan Stewart had a big game last week and has potential to repeat that kind of performance this week. Another top RB is Dallas’ Darren McFadden, who was the third best yard producing RB last weekend.
The Panthers are overwhelming favorites for this game, but it is really up to Romo. If he plays like he is capable of, he will be a contender against Newton and this will be a high scoring game. If he isn’t in top form, the Panthers’ offense will walk all over Dallas’ defense.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
All eyes are on the Green Bay Packers for Thursday as the Packers try to end their skid. They went from one of the undisputed best teams in the NFL to losing against teams that they had no business losing against. QB Aaron Rodgers has received much of the blame for this, unfortunately, but it has driven his price at daily fantasy sports down a lot, which is good for those that want to use him this weekend. There’s not really a reason why you shouldn’t. This is a perfect scenario where Rodgers should be used: he’s cheaper than normal and fewer people are going to draft him in your league than they normally would. Definitely draft him over Bears QB, Jay Cutler. Also look to Green Bay WR James Jones who has been having a surprisingly strong season. The Bears’ defense is not a good idea this game as Green Bay will be looking to come back hard after their three game losing streak and silence their critics.
Dallas picture.
