Moving right along with the 2021 NFL season, Week 12 is officially here in full. Happy Thanksgiving to all the football fans everywhere. With the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs on a bye this week, many fantasy players will be looking for help at quarterback. Along with this, with three games on Thursday, navigating your lineups with playoffs beginning soon is crucial to securing a spot in your league’s postseason. Continuing on with our weekly fantasy sleepers article, our picks struggled last week.
Fresh off a season-high six reception performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cole Kmet hauled in just one catch in the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Furthermore, Jamal Agnew had just three receptions after leaving the game with a hip injury. Remaining the lone bright spot, Tua Tagovailoa bounced back after missing time with a finger injury. He passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns in the Miami Dolphins 24-17 victory over the New York Jets.
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Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Jones has been solid during the Patriot’s five-game winning streak. He has averaged 14.42 fantasy points per game since Week 7. The University of Alabama product has finished inside the top 24 in eight of his 11 starts this season. Jones was nearly perfect as a passer during the team’s victory over the Atlanta Falcons last week. He completed 22 of 26 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. With a matchup against the conference-leading Tennesee Titans on deck in Week 12, start Jones as a high-end QB2/low-end QB1.
Destined to be a back and forth affair with playoff seeding on the line, look for Mike Vrabel‘s group to force the young quarterback to take shots down the field. One of the best units in the league at slowing down opposing running backs, they have given up just 73.1 yards per game to the position. This has led them to give up just 13.1 fantasy points per game on average. On the flip side, the Titans have continued to enjoy their struggles against opposing passing attacks. They have given up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing signal-callers. This has all the warning signs of another strong outing for Jones this weekend.
Ty Johnson, New York Jets
The Jets will be without rookie running back Michael Carter after the 22-year old suffered a high ankle sprain a week ago. Destined to become the largest beneficiary in his absence, look for Johnson to play a more prominent role for Mike Lafleur’s group. Receiving just seven touches over the last few weeks, the University of Maryland product rushed for just 28 yards.
Likely to split time with Tevin Coleman in the backfield on Sunday, play Johnson as a RB3. Miserable all year long at slowing down opposing ground games, the Texans have allowed over 117 yards per game on the ground to opposing running backs on 24 attempts. Furthermore, they have also surrendered 4.4 receptions on average. This should give the 24-year-old plenty of looks as the primary option of late in the passing game.
Marvin Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones enjoyed a hot start to his 2021 campaign. The veteran wideout finished inside the top 25 in three of his six starts. Quickly becoming an afterthought in the Jaguars slumping passing game over the last few weeks, he averaged just three targets per game after the team’s bye week. However, the 31-year-old wideout once again led Jacksonville in receiving a week ago. He hauled in four passes for 52 yards in their blowout loss to the Falcons.
Look for him to continue to take up a large percentage of the group’s target share down the stretch after Agnew was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list. In a matchup with the Falcons on tap, play Jones as a low-end WR3. Unable to slow down opposing wideouts all year long, Arthur Smith’s team has given up 22 points per game to opposing wideouts on over 18 targets per game on average. Furthermore, with 14 touchdown grabs already surrendered this season. With ongoing problems in the Atlanta secondary, Jones offers significant upside for owners.
Evan Engram, New York Giants
Fresh off one of the finest performances of his season in Week 9, Engram struggled against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a week ago. He hauled in just two passes for 12 yards. However, the 27-year-old is still ranked inside the top 15 for tight ends over the last five weeks. Now under the guidance of Freddie Kitchen’s in the Giants offense after the team parted ways with Jason Garrett, look for Engram to get even more targets going forward. Last calling plays for the Cleveland Browns in 2018; Kitchens used 11 personnel on 62 percent of his plays. However, he also utilized a high amount of 13 personnel with three tight ends on the field. This led Brown’s tight-end David Njoku to average career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
Slated to square off in a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, play Engram as a TE1. In tough against Adam Trautman a week ago, the Eagles allowed the second-year tight end to haul in 58 yards and a touchdown. Now surrendering over 11 points per game to the position this season, Nick Sirianni’s team has given up 7.4 receptions on average, leading to 73.7 receiving yards. Owned in just 27 percent of ESPN leagues, look for him to shine in a plus matchup.
Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns
Hooper has quickly seen an uptake in his target share following the release of Odell Beckham Jr. The 27-year-old has gotten at least four targets in three of his last four games. This has led him to finish as TE13 in full-point PPR leagues over that stretch of time. Set to take on the Ravens on Sunday Night Football in an AFC North clash, play him.
Banged up at the wide receiver position heading into the weekend, Cleveland could be without Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Anthony Schwartz. Still searching for answers in the secondary, John Harbaugh’s team has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per contest to opposing tight ends. Hooper is an intriguing option for owners in need of help at the position. He can be viewed as a high-end TE2 with an added boost in PPR leagues.
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