Get Kenny Golladay into lineups this Thanksgiving and indulge in a side of fantasy football points with your turkey.
Golladay gets a divisional rematch against the Bears, who he scored 19.8 PPR points against in Week 10. He’s also the benefactor of injuries to two key Lions that will raise his floor and ceiling. Running back Kerryon Johnson (ankle) and wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. (knee) both were ruled out for Thursday’s game. That affects Golladay’s outlook in two positive ways.
First, without Jones Jr. to compete with, Golladay’s target share will remain high. He saw a season-high 14 targets last week when Jones Jr. sat. That resulted in an 8-113-1 line for Golladay, his best fantasy showing of 2018. Matthew Stafford targeted him three times in the red zone.
Second, with Johnson out the Lions rush attack takes a big hit. An aging LeGarrette Blount takes over as lead back, offering none of the dynamic ability that Johnson brings. Blount and satellite back Theo Riddick face a tough test against a Bears defense that gives up the second-fewest fantasy points (17.8) to opposing teams’ running backs. That will force Stafford to throw the ball more, benefitting his top target Golladay.
Gollday proved he could beat cornerback Kyle Fuller and the Bears secondary when he caught six passes for 78 yards and touchdown. Trust him on Turkey Day in a classic matchup. Just try not to fall asleep at halftime.
Bank On
Wide Receiver
D.J. Moore, Carolina vs. Seattle. He’s in line for more targets with Devin Funchess (back) sidelined by injury. It’s perfect timing for Moore, who’s coming off his best game of the season (7-157-1) and looks like the Panthers new No. 1 receiver. Over the past four games he’s seen 21 targets, and turned those into 17 catches for 283 yards and a TD. He matched Funchess’ target share during that span. Moore gets a favorable matchup against Seattle and figures to see the most of cornerback Tre Flowers, who’s allowed 17-plus fantasy points in three of his past four games.
Running Back
Marlon Mack, Indianapolis vs. Miami. After monster outings in Weeks 7-8, Mack cooled off after the Colts bye. In tough matchups against Jacksonville and Tennessee, he scored 7.8 and 13.9 points in PPR formats. But this week he draws a beatable Miami rush defense that’s been exploited in recent action. The Dolphins allowed a 100-yard rusher in Weeks 7, 8 and 10. They allow opposing teams’ running backs to score the fourth-most FPG (29.6). Mack averages 5.0 yards per carry and runs behind an offensive line that ranks No. 3 in run blocking.
Gus Edwards, Baltimore vs. Oakland. Edwards surged out of left field to take over the Ravens backfield in Week 11. He carried the ball 17 times for 115 yards and a TD, averaging an eye-popping 6.8 yards per carry. Make no mistake, he’ll compete for touches as three other Ravens backs saw action in Week 11. But the matchup against the Raiders is too good to ignore. Opposing RBs average 5.1 YPC against them and have scored 11 total TDs.
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland vs. Cincinnati. Another week, another offense poised to dismantle the Bengals defense. Mayfield makes for a great play as a streamer or bye week fill-in. He had his best fantasy performance of the season prior to the Browns bye, scoring 22.64 points against Atlanta. With another exploitable defense coming to town, Mayfield will look to build off the three TD passes he threw against the Falcons. The Bengals rank No. 31 in total defense, give up an average of 31.2 points per game and allow the second-most fantasy points to opposing QBs (23.3).
Tight End
Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay vs. San Francisco. With O.J. Howard (foot, ankle) placed on injured reserve, he becomes the top option at tight end for the Bucs. It’s a favorable position for Brate, who’s shown chemistry in the past with Jameis Winston, especially before Howard’s emergence. And considering Howard was the overall TE6 in PPR formats before getting hurt, the Bucs pass-happy offense supports a fantasy relevant tight end. Brate’s matchup against the 49ers isn’t one to shy away from. Although they haven’t given up a ton of points to tight ends, they haven’t played many good ones. Travis Kelce and Jimmy Graham both dinged them for more than 100 receiving yards.
D/ST
Dallas vs. Washington. Redskins backup Colt McCoy gets the start and brings with him a career 60.2 completion percentage and a TD:INT ratio of 27:23. He’s fumbled 11 times over 36 NFL games. At home in a key divisional matchup, the Cowboys defense goes into lock-down mode. Dallas boasts the No. 3 overall defense, which holds opponents to an average of 331.1 total yards and 19.0 points per game. With control of the NFC East on the line and the Redskins themselves having the No. 5 overall defense, expect a low-scoring affair.
Bench
Running Back
Tevin Coleman, Atlanta at New Orleans. After a season-best fantasy performance in Week 9, Coleman’s production has gone downhill. He failed to top more than 11 PPR points in each of his past two games. In those games the Falcons scored 16 and 19 points, respectively. He’s hard to trust against New Orleans’ No. 2-ranked rush defense, which limits opponents to an average of 77.9 rush yards per game. The Saints hold opposing teams’ RBs to an average of 3.4 YPC and 19.6 FPG. They don’t concede much in the passing game to RBs, either, as only two have scored receiving TDs against them.
Dion Lewis, Tennessee at Houston. Lewis nose-dived for the second consecutive week, this time in a juicy matchup with the Colts. He totaled 32 scrimmage yards on 10 carries and one catch. The Titans lost QB Marcus Mariota in the first half of that game and the offense sputtered under Blaine Gabbert. Mariota (neck) is day-to-day, and if he sits Lewis is unplayable. Regardless, it’s still a tough matchup for Lewis against Houston’s No. 7 ranked rush defense. The Texans hold opposing backs to an average of 3.7 YPC and 96 rush yards per game.
Wide Receiver
DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay vs. San Francisco. With the Bucs benching Ryan Fitzpatrick (again), it’s time to bench Jackson in fantasy football. Jackson’s appeal comes in the form of his field-stretching speed, but he needs someone who can throw the deep ball. Jameis Winston is not that someone. His deep ball completion percentage of 35.0 ranks No. 19. Jackson is also struggling of late, and he hasn’t topped more than 11 PPR points in his past three games.
Tyrell Williams, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona. Williams draws one of the week’s toughest cornerback matchups in Patrick Peterson. The No. 2-ranked CB on PlayerProfiler.com holds opposing receivers to an average of 3.3 receptions and 43 yards per game. He can hang with Williams down the field, too; Peterson’s 4.38 40-yard dash time is faster than Williams’ 4.48. That doesn’t bode well for Williams, who relies on the big play to make his money.
Quarterback
Phillip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona. He’s thrown for at least two TDs in every game this season, but the Rivers might run dry this week. The Cardinals No. 4-ranked pass defense holds opponents to an average of 218 passing yards per game. They’ve allowed a league-low 13 passing TDs, and hold QBs to an average of 14.8 FPG. With Arizona’s rush defense ranked No. 29, the Chargers should feature Melvin Gordon heavily.
Tight End
Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota vs. Green Bay. He hasn’t scored a TD since Week 3 and has failed to top 40 yards receiving in each of the past five games. After a solid start to the season Rudolph fell off the face of the Earth. Now he faces a Packers defense that holds opposing teams’ tight ends to an average of 8.6 FPG. Green Bay has only given up one TD to the position this season.
D/ST
Miami at Indianapolis. Andrew Luck, a lock for comeback player of the year, has the Colts offense rolling. They rank No. 5 in points scored per game (29.8). Indianapolis doesn’t turn the ball over much, evidenced by its No. 6 ranking in turnover differential (+5). The Colts offensive line provides Luck with ample protection: he’s only been sacked 10 times this season. All of this adds up to a bad fantasy football day for the Dolphins D/ST.
