- by the NFL DFS team
Despite three games being played Thursday night, we still have a full Sunday DFS slate in Week 12 since no teams are on a bye. There is the potential for a few shootouts, which could lead to some lofty DFS totals. Let’s dive into the matchups and highlight a couple of players to consider at each position.
Last week’s matchup against the Jets set up Herbert to thrive. He took advantage of their lackluster defense, throwing for 366 yards and three touchdowns. That marked his fifth game with at least 300 passing yards and his seventh straight game with at least two touchdown passes. In fact, Herbert has now thrown at least three touchdown passes in a game five times. This is another favorable matchup for him with the Bills allowing an average of 26.5 points per game and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.
The Raiders’ defense couldn’t hold a late lead against the Chiefs last week, ultimately falling at home. However, Carr played well, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He’s certainly had the Chiefs’ number this season, throwing for 622 yards and six touchdowns across two games. Things are shaping up nicely for him to keep things rolling against the Falcons, who are tied for the second-most touchdowns passes allowed (22) in the league.
Yes, Cook is pricey on both sites. However, his floor is as high as it gets. He has five games with at least 115 rushing yards and he has at least one touchdown in all but one game that he has played in. The Vikings have built their offense around him, which has enabled him to receive at least 20 carries in a game six times. The Panthers have allowed 14 rushing touchdowns this season, setting up Cook with a favorable opportunity to find his way into the end zone, once again, while racking up plenty of yards.
A shoulder injury forced Ahmed to the sidelines briefly against the Broncos last week. He still received 12 carries and six targets, finishing with 74 total yards. The return of Matt Breida did not prove to be a problem for Ahmed’s workload since Breida finished with only two carries and no targets. Ahmed’s shoulder should not limit him in what is a great matchup against the Jets. The Dolphins are the vastly superior team, so if they race out to an early lead, the game script could work in Ahmed’s favor.
Simply put, Allen destroyed the Jets last week. He finished with 16 catches on 19 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown. That marked his fourth straight game with a touchdown and the seventh time this season that he has received at least 10 targets. Amazingly, that was his second game with 19 targets. While being shadowed by Tre’Davious White isn’t ideal, this should be a high-scoring game in which Allen receives a lot of targets, which still makes him a viable option.
Coming out of their bye, the Giants will be looking to win their third straight contest. They have the opportunity to have one of their best offensive performances of the season considering the Bengals have allowed an average of 27 points per contest. Shepard will likely be right in the thick of the action given that he’s received at least six targets in all four games since returning from injury. Although he only has one touchdown this season, he doesn’t necessarily need to find his way into the end zone to be able to provide value at his salary on both sites.
It’s usually not a bad idea to deploy tight ends against the Falcons. They have allowed the fourth-most receptions (57), the second most receiving yards (622) and are tied for the most touchdowns allowed (eight) to the position. Now they have to face one of the best ones in the league in Waller, who is coming off of 88 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs last week. The Raiders certainly like to look his way when they get in close since he has 17 red zone targets already. To put that into perspective, he received 11 red zone targets all of last season.
If you can’t afford to fit Waller into your budget, Fant is a cost-effective option to at least consider. He’s one of the main options in the Broncos’ passing attack, which has resulted in him receiving the second-most targets (58) on the team. That’s even with him missing a game because of an injury. The Broncos might be forced to throw a lot to keep up with the Saints, leaving Fant with the potential to be busy.