Week 12 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books. For the majority of the league, Tuesday morning brings a whole new week of football and preparing for their next game. However, a handful of players might not want to leave Week 12 so soon. Here’s a look at who impressed and who underachieved in fantasy football this week.
All point totals are based on PPR scoring.
Quarterback
Winner: Josh Allen (34.7 FPTS)
Allen torched the Saints on Thanksgiving Day, completing 23 of 28 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns. He was picked off twice, but he made up for these turnovers by rushing eight times for 43 yards on the ground. After losing two of their last three to the Jaguars and Colts, the Bills seem to be back on track and Allen remains a key beneficiary.
Loser: Cam Newton (6.18 FPTS)
Just when fantasy managers got excited about Newton, he laid one of the duds that became all familiar last season. The veteran posted a horrible 5-for-21 line with just 92 passing yards and two interceptions before being benched in favor of P.J. Walker. Newton is not worth rostering in single-quarterback leagues following a Week 13 bye.
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Running Back
Winner: Leonard Fournette (44.1 FPTS)
It’s tempting to pick Joe Mixon, but how can you not recognize the guy who scored four touchdowns? That’s right. Fournette ran wild while facing off against the Colts, who are no stranger to big scoring days from running backs after Jonathan Taylor found paydirt five touchdowns the week prior. Anyways, Fournette notched 131 scrimmage yards and remains a low-end RB1 option heading into a clash with the Falcons. It will be interesting to see if Antonio Brown‘s expected return impacts Fournette’s volume at all.
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Loser: Kareem Hunt (2.0 FPTS)
There were a couple of options for this honor, but Hunt gets the nod after he was expected to have a near-full workload and then rushed for just 20 yards and failed to haul in his lone target in the passing game. The Browns’ avoidance of the running game was ridiculous considering they have the best backfield in the NFL, and the fact that Baker Mayfield threw at Hunt just once adds to the bizarreness of this situation. He heads into a Week 13 bye, then opposes the Ravens again in Week 14.
Wide Receiver
Winner: Jaylen Waddle (28.7 FPTS)
The Dolphins’ rookie baffled the Carolina secondary with ease, hauling in nine passes for 137 yards and one touchdown. He benefitted from Tua Tagovailoa‘s strong day and ultimately finished as this week’s No. 1 receiver in terms of fantasy points. The Alabama product has 49.3 fantasy points over his last two games and can be trusted as a mid-range WR2 against the Giants in Week 13.
Loser: Mike Evans (4.6 FPTS) and Chris Godwin (4.7 FPTS)
Sure, the Buccaneers’ running game was going strong, but it was stunning to see Tom Brady complete just seven passes to his top two receivers for a mere total of 40 yards. The duo of wideouts should get back on track against the Falcons next week, though the return of Antonio Brown does add some preliminary confusion to the situation. Keep in mind that D.K. Metcalf (one catch, 13 yards) would have been the selection here if not for the dual woes of Tampa’s lead wideouts.
Tight End
Winner: Jack Doyle (20.1 FPTS)
Doyle was quietly emerging as a very strong streaming option. Now, the secret is out. Doyle caught seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown on Sunday and has now scored three times over his last five games. He could lose targets at any point in time thanks to the prowess of Jonathan Taylor, but it’s safe to view Doyle as a mid-to-low TE2 against the Texans in Week 13.
Loser: George Kittle (1.3 FPTS)
After posting 185 yards, three touchdowns, and 49.5 fantasy points over his last three games, Kittle came crashing down to earth as he caught just one pass for 13 yards against the Vikings this past Sunday. While this is presumably just an outlier from Kittle, fantasy managers were still disappointed by his low production in a game that centered around Elijah Mitchell, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk. Look for Kittle’s volume to rise again with Deebo Samuel expected to miss time due to injury.
Defense
Winner: Miami Dolphins (25.0 FPTS)
Wow. Miami came up big against the Panthers, racking up three interceptions, five sacks, and one touchdown off a blocked punt. They also held Carolina to just 10 points in the effort. The unit, which has averaged 16 points over its last three games, remains one of the top fantasy options heading into a Week 13 clash with the Giants.
Loser: Las Vegas Raiders (-3.0 FPTS)
Despite earning the overtime win, Las Vegas’ defense struggled against the Cowboys. The unit allowed 33 points, recorded just one sack, and did not force a turnover. A matchup against Washington makes Las Vegas’ defense a low-end streaming option for desperate managers in Week 13, but they’ll lose all fantasy relevance when they oppose the Chiefs in Week 14.
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