By Winsto (11/23/2022)
As we prepare for a holiday special with three games on the schedule for Thanksgiving, I have a few thoughts regarding the fantasy football.
- Though there are definitely concerns regarding the New York Giants offensive line injuries (3 starters and a back-up will be out), I still wonder if Saquon Barkley (RB) will be able to rise above the issues and prove his fantasy worth. Yes, the odds are against him going up against Dallas’s stout defense that has allowed only 5 rushing TDs on the season, but they are susceptible to the run, allowing 4.7 ypc, which is in the bottom third of the league. As stated in an earlier column, I am one who will trust in the talent of Barkley. He is still a must start for me. And, if New York is forced to throw, Darius Slayton (WR) is the guy I think Daniel Jones (QB) will be throwing to.
- As for the Dallas side of that same game, the implied total from Vegas for their offense is about 28 points. You are playing CeeDee Lamb (WR), Tony Pollard (RB), Ezekiel Elliot (RB), and Dalton Schultz (RB) already. You are also playing Dallas-DST, and in IDP leagues, this could be a Thanksgiving feast for Micah Parsons (LB). I do wonder, however, who the not-so-obvious player will be that has a nice day. Michael Gallup (WR), I think I am looking at you.
- Speaking of implied points for an offense, Vegas thinks Buffalo will score about 32 points against Detroit. Josh Allen (QB) and Stefon Diggs (WR) are must-starts. I really wonder how Gabe Davis (WR) will do. Despite being a slight boom or bust player this season, it would be very difficult for me to bench him in this game. The prospects of a boom game are simply too tantalizing. In addition. Dawson Knox (TE), over the past three games, has seen 4 targets, 6 targets, and 7 targets. Unless you have a top 10 TE, start him with confidence.
- Simply put, I wonder what in the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Parade is going on with Detroit’s usage of D’Andre Swift (RB). If you are still using him, you know he is getting red zone touches, which is why he has scored a TD in the 3 out of the last 4 games after he missed some time. (In the game he did not score, he was stopped at the 1 yard line). But still, that is not something you can rely on. He has not had more than 10 touches in that span. That is a recipe for an unsavory fantasy performance. (Sigh!) As for the rest of Detroit, Aman-Ra St. Brown (WR) and the 2022 godfather of TDs, Jamaal Williams (RB) should be locked into your line-ups. Yes, I know St. Brown has not scored a TD since Week 2, but the volume is there. Stay the course and trust the talent.
- As for the New England-Minnesota prime-time match-up, I really do wonder how this game is going to play out. The narrative of Kirk Cousins (QB) and his struggles in prime-time games is probably a little overblown if you look at his stats. What is not overblown, however, is Bill Belichick. It is hard to trust what is going to happen in this game. You are not not playing Justin Jefferson (WR) and Dalvin Cook (RB). I would, however, be hesitant to play Cousins in this game–I have him ranked 13th this week. On the New England side, it “looks” like Rhamondre Stevenson (RB) is a lock to start, but would any of us be shocked if Damien Harris (RB) had more of a run this week after he out-gained Stevenson on the ground in Week 11? Still, Stevenson “should” get the receptions out of the backfield. If you need to start a New England WR, then Jacobi Meyers is one. There is just not too many other New England skill position players that I can trust, even in this match-up. This is a game, in my opinion, that could have even more outcomes than a typical game.
- And finally… I wonder why some people won’t give up telling Thanksgiving jokes. I guess they just can’t quit cold turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving.