Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls was so good in week 11 that he outdistanced the competition in fantasy football by two touchdowns.
Marshawn Lynch’s fill-in generated 37.50 points against the 49ers with 209 yards rushing and two total touchdowns. That was 14 points better than Doug Martin, who ran for 235 yards, but failed to reach the endzone.
As long as Lynch is injured, Rawls is a quality start for an offense unable to do much through the air. For other running backs, here’s our week 12 start ’em, sit ’em guide.
Daily fantasy start of the week
Chris Ivory vs. Miami Dolphins
Have you watched the Dolphins play defense? Toward the end of the game Sunday against Dallas, it looked more like a college team looking to stop a professional team. The Cowboys imposed their will against the Dolphins at the end of that game and we don’t see that stopping this week against the Jets.
Miami has been consistently awful against the run this season.
Miami allows 138.6 yards per game, just 0.2 yards less than the Cleveland Browns, who own the NFL’s worst rush defense. Also, the season may be over for the Dolphins and they likely know it, giving us some indication of what to expect from their defense.
Now’s the time of year where some teams quit. The Dolphins, with all the turmoil surrounding them this season, would be a likely candidate for quitting.
And if they quit, the Jets will run Ivory early and often. Don’t worry about his output last week. The Texans got ahead early and limited his workload. He’s still the best option offensively for the Jets and we expect him to get several touches, especially when New York milks away the clock in the final stages of this contest.
Start
Alfred Blue vs. New Orleans Saints
Go ahead and fill your roster full of Houston Texans players this week. The Saints defense has been as equally bad against the pass as it has against the run.
Blue is getting several touches per game, making him the number-one option since Arian Foster went down with injury again.
Last week, Blue went for 15.20 points on 92 total yards and one touchdown. That’s the second time this season he’s gone in double digits, and although he’s not a great option each week, the Saints’ defense hasn’t done much to stop opposing offenses.
The Saints own the fourth-worst rushing defense and allow 131.2 yards per game on 4.9 yards per rush attempt. Blue will see several touches in this game as the Texans continue their hot streak.
T.J. Yeldon vs. San Diego Chargers
This is another game where we may have a team that has quit for the season.
The Chargers looked awful coming off a bye this past week against the Kansas City Chiefs. Offensively, the Chargers don’t have an offensive line and their main weapons are injured.
And the Chargers must travel to the East Coast to square off against a now-quality Jaguars team. We believe this game should feature plenty of offense, and if Jacksonville can get a lead, Yeldon should see several touches.
The Chargers own a bottom-10 defense against the run, allowing 130 yards per game. San Diego also has allowed the second-most touchdowns this season in the NFL at 12.
Yeldon will get more carries than usual this week and the Jaguars should be able to move the ball at will against San Diego.
Daily fantasy sit of the week
Lamar Miller vs. New York Jets
We’ve been a little concerned with Miller in recent weeks, but we kept playing him based on his ability to score touchdowns.
Miller had scored touchdowns in five consecutive games before doing very little against Dallas last week. Toward the end of his run with consistent touchdowns, we were questioning his viability, based on his carries being stolen on occasion by backup Jay Ajayi.
He hasn’t rushed for more than 44 yards in four consecutive weeks, and the Jets still own one of the best rushing defense in the NFL.
We’re down on the Dolphins this week, so pass on their skill positions.
Sit
Frank Gore vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We’re beginning to believe in Tampa Bay’s defense. The Buccaneers shut down Darren McFadden and the Cowboys two weeks ago, and didn’t let the Eagles offense to get going on the road last week.
Tampa Bay’s front is legitimate and we don’t believe the Colts will be able to run the ball well enough to generate enough carries for Gore.
The Buccaneers allow just a little more than 100 yards per game rushing and have allowed just five rushing touchdowns this season.
That isn’t a good sign for Gore owners. He registered single digits again last week with six points. That’s the seventh time in 10 games he’s registered single digits in fantasy points.
He can’t be trusted on a weekly basis and Tampa Bay’s defense has suddenly become a real problem for opposing offenses.
Melvin Gordon vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
San Diego’s offensive line is in shambles. And don’t think since there’s no receivers that San Diego will start running the ball.
Gordon just hasn’t reached the hype that surrounded him in the offseason. Maybe next season will be better for him if the Chargers invest in their offensive line. For this season, though, Gordon’s value has plummeted.
He hasn’t gone over 100 yards yet this season and doesn’t have a week where he’s generated double-digit points in fantasy football.
In this matchup, the Jaguars have a quality rush defense, which means Phillip Rivers will once again throw constantly. That will force Danny Woodhead into action, leaving Gordon on the sidelines.
He may have a good game before the season’s over since he does see plenty of playing time, but this is not the matchup. Stay away from Gordon against the Jaguars.
