Fantasy Football

Week 12 Fantasy Football Game Previews & Predictions: A Full Serving Of Football On Thanksgiving

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Here comes the final week of the regular season for most fantasy leagues, and it begins with three games on Thanksgiving featuring teams with a lot of fantasy players.

The most important week of the season up to this point for most fantasy leagues, and we get a great tripleheader that should keep most of us glued to the TV all day on Thursday. You gotta love the way the football schedule worked out.

Add in a Monday night game between the Giants and Saints, two more fantasy-friendly teams, and you have a five-day window when every fantasy team could have somebody playing a game.

Can’t wait, so lets check out the match-ups.

Green Bay at Detroit: After so many years of dreading having to watch the Lions on Thursday, we get the best Thanksgiving Day game I can remember in the last decade. Should be a shootout with Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford both throwing more than 40 times. Big day coming for Jordy Nelson and Calvin Johnson and I’d take a shot on the tight ends, Brandon Pettigrew and Jermichael Finley as well. Stay away from the running game because James Starks is questionable and even with a full workload, I don’t like Ryan Grant here. Kevin Smith is a nice pick-up in deeper leagues, but I don’t trust him to repeat last week’s performance with the Lions likely throwing a lot from behind. Both defenses have solid ownership, but bench them here.

Miami at Dallas: Have to love your Cowboys here, so get Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, and Jason Witten in for sure and Laurent Robinson is a solid flex. DeMarco Murray owners were relieved to see him get 25 carries even with Felix Jones, so you will get another big day from him. Matt Moore is fine in a 16-team league and Reggie Bush has become a good flex option. Look for Brandon Marshall to bounce back from his no-show last week.

San Francisco at Baltimore: Finally, a week you can feel good about Frank Gore’s health and even against Baltimore, I look for him to have a big day. I’ve been pumping up Michael Crabtree for a while so nice to see him come through last week and he and Alex Smith are safe plays in a 16-team league. Tough matchup for Ray Rice, but you play him if you’ve got him. I’ve got Joe Flacco in my bottom half of quarterbacks this week but Torrey Smith has become a solid flex who can perform like a No. 1 receiver on some weeks.

Houston at Jacksonville: Welcome back Andre Johnson, we missed you. Now pick up where you left off. Sounds like he’s close to 100 percent and even with Matt Leinart, I think he can get 100 yards and a score. Arian Foster will have a huge day and I think the Texans run enough to get Ben Tate 50 yards and a score. As usual for the Jags, it’s just Maurice Jones-Drew although I do think the re-emergence of Marcedes Lewis this week makes him a decent play if you are struggling to find a tight end.

Buffalo at New York Jets: Both teams struggling on offense and there isn’t much to like in Buffalo with Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson both injured. If Jackson is healthy, he’s the only Bill worth starting. Tough to feel confident in any Jets this week either. Shonn Greene blew a chance to be the feature back last week and I think Joe McKnight becomes a bigger part of the offense, so don’t trust any of them especially if LaDanian Tomlinson returns. Santonio Holmes may be the best bet for the Jets, but another risky play.

Cleveland at Cincinatti: Chris Ogbannaya almost beat me in a fantasy match-up last week, so I am not ready to call him a one-week wonder. He went over 100 yards and scored a TD and if Monterio Hardesty is back, I want no part of either of them. But if no Hardesty, I’m fine with taking a chance on Ogbannaya. Andy Dalton has a tough second-half schedule, but this is the breather in the middle so he should be a good play and A.J. Green too, if he is healthy. Even if Green is healthy, I think Jerome Simpson is finding a niche with Dalton and should have another solid week. Jermaine Gresham is another good play against the Browns. I picked up the Cinci defense this week and feel good about it.

Minnesota at Atlanta: I’m back in on Percy Harvin as the Vikings seem to finally have found ways to get him the ball. He could be their top option receiving and rushing if Adrian Peterson is out so I think he’s a WR2 this week. I don’t like Toby Gerhart in anything but deeper leagues even if Peterson is out. Matt Ryan will continue his second-half surge and Roddy White could be the guy this week, but you’ve heard that before, so beware. Michael Turner will be good here.

Arizona at St. Louis: Be healthy Beanie Wells, and be the feature back all your owners want. The Rams give him a great opportunity to run and I think he’s in for his best week in more than a month. Arizona defense seems like a crazy pick, but against the Rams, they are not a bad pick-up. Steven Jackson the only Ram to play.

Carolina at Indianapolis: Cam Newton should copy last week’s numbers minus the interceptions, so feel good about him and Steve Smith. Jonathan Stewart is getting plenty of touches and has re-emerged as at least a solid flex. Panthers defense is another good one to pick up if your regular defense has a tough match-up because you are not playing any Colts.

Tampa Bay at Tennessee: Welcome to the season, Josh Freeman and Mike Williams, but I haven’t seen enough consistency from those guys to count on two big weeks in a row. LaGarrett Blount, however, I do trust to repeat his performance. Just when you thought Chris Johnson was back, he tosses up another stinker, but if you have him, you still have to play him especially if Jake Locker starts at quarterback and the Titans look to run.

Chicago at Oakland: With Jay Cutler out, expect a lot of Matt Forte and he’s the only Bear to trust. Oakland defense should pile up points at home against Caleb Hanie. Michael Bush owners hoping Darren McFadden sits another week and it looks like he might. I think Carson Palmer struggles here and it is impossible to count on any Oakland receivers these days.

Washington at Seattle: I think the Seahawks defense will outscore any Redskins offensive player. I think Sidney Rice is beginning a strong stretch run so I don’t have a problem starting him and Marshawn Lynch should be good again here too.

Denver at San Diego: We’ve all heard enough about Tim Tebow, so just play him and watch in amazement as he finds his way to 17 points. Willis McGahee should bounce back here. Philip Rivers should finally come through with one of those weeks you expected from him all year and I like Vincent Jackson to finally put a couple good weeks together. Play Ryan Mathews as well.

New England at Philadelphia: Not sure what happened to the Patriots last week, but no reason to expect Tom Brady and Wes Welker to slow down two weeks in a row. Rob Gronkowski is obvious, but what about Aaron Hernandez? I traded for him this week thinking the Pats’ soft schedule could lead to some big weeks for him down the stretch, but I don’t expect that to start just yet. Play the Eagles quarterback even if it is Vince Young because Philly will move the ball at home against New England. I think DeSean Jackson gets deep once or twice and Brent Celek will be reliable again.

Pittsburgh at Kansas City: Play Ben Roethlisberger if healthy, but if not, don’t be tempted to pick up Charlie Batch. Raise Rashard Mendehall’s stock if Roethlisberger is out and expect less than usual out of Mike Wallace. Heath Miller could be a good play regardless of who plays quarterback. Tyler Palko reduces Dwayne Bowe to a flex play and none of their running backs are fantasy starters.

New York Giants at New Orleans: Expect a shootout here, so get Eli Manning and all three of his main receivers in your lineup, even Mario Manningham, who could bounce back. Drew Brees is also solid, but other than Marques Colston, his receivers and running backs are too unpredictable to count on.

Written by Steve Mims exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @nwsportscards

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