Daily Dr. Roto—November 25, 2019
Prescription Notes for Week 12
— I am sure that Bears fans were happy to see QB Mitch Trubisky play well against the Giants. Trubisky looked more confident than at any other point during the season (playing the horrific Giants defense has a way of doing that), and WR Allen Robinson was virtually unstoppable. The bigger problem, however, was the disappearance of RB David Montgomery. In what should have been one of his best matchups of the season, Montgomery was only able to rush for 22 yards on 13 carries. Getting their running game going is critical to helping Trubisky become successful.
— The Bills have a great way of beating the teams they are expected to beat. It is probably what will secure them a playoff spot. They also took advantage of a porous Broncos run defense. In a week where it was so hard to throw the ball due to the wind, the Bills ran the ball effectively. Devin Singletary had 106 yards, Frank Gore 65 yards, and Josh Allen 56 yards. If the Bills continue to run this well, they might go deeper into the playoffs than people expect.
Join FullTime Fantasy for top advice in the industry from check-cashing, proven winners!
— I am not sure that there should even be a debate in Pittsburgh. QB Devlin “Duck” Hodges is playing better than Mason Rudolph. With the Browns playing in Pittsburgh next week, it’s probably a good idea for Mike Tomlin to make the QB change. It will end controversy on and off the field.
— Browns QB Baker Mayfield finally had a great week throwing the football. Don’t be shocked to see Mayfield-lead teams compete for Fantasy Championships. In Week 13, the Browns play at Pittsburgh, but in Weeks 14 and 15, the Browns play Cincinnati and Arizona, two of the worst defenses in football. It just goes to show that winning a Fantasy Football league is about getting the right players hot at the right time.
— Bucs QB Jameis Winston is so difficult to watch. Some weeks, he looks like the best QB in football. In other weeks, he looks impulsive and lost. This was one of his better weeks, as he led the Bucs to a huge road victory against the Falcons. WR Chris Godwin was unstoppable (7 catches for 184 yards and 2 TDs), and even Ronald Jones scored a rushing TD. What the Bucs lack is consistency. There are pieces of a good football team here, and if Bruce Arians can add the right guys in free agency and during the draft, he might be looking at a playoff berth in 2020.
— Why is Fantasy Football so frustrating? Because when you think you know how something is going to go, you soon realize it is going nothing as you imagined. Last week, Panthers QB Kyle Allen looked horrible at home when the Panthers got demolished by the Falcons. This week, Allen almost lead the Panthers to a road victory over the Saints. Allen looked very comfortable against one of the top defenses in the league and connected with WR D.J. Moore with regularity. Now all Allen has to do is find a way to get WR Curtis Samuel more involved, and the Panthers might be a scary team over the coming weeks.
— I knew the Jets were going to play well on Sunday; I just had no idea that the Raiders weren’t even going to show up. I think it was that the Raiders are so dependent on their running game that when Josh Jacobs was stopped, they had no answer to compete with the Jets. Derek Carr is better in play-action passing than he is in dropping back, and his receivers barely got open. Look for the Raiders to rebound next week against Kansas City as Jacobs should be able to set the tone.
— Why do you hold talented players even when they are not playing? Because when they do get the opportunity, they are difference makers. Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny has barely played all season, but when his team needed him on Sunday, he looked amazing. Penny ran for 129 yards and a TD, showing that he is a RB to be reckoned with. Look for Penny to split carries more evenly with Chris Carson as the Seahawks ramp up for the playoffs.
— The Redskins may have won at home, but I am not so sure I would be cheering loudly if I was a Redskins fan. QB Dwayne Haskins still looked awful, missing his receivers on virtually every pass pattern. RB Derrius Guice could barely find any running room against the league’s worst run defense, and WR Terry McLaurin was the only receiver who was able to get open downfield. I am not trying to be a downer, but if Matthew Stafford was playing, I think the Lions would have won this game by double digits.
— The Titans ran their offense to perfection against the Jaguars. Ryan Tannehill looked mobile in the pocket and made some big plays with his arm, and RB Derrick Henry was unstoppable, scoring twice in 16 seconds. Not to take anything away from the Titans, but it did seem like the Jaguars have given up. If this is the case, look for some teams to put up some huge numbers against them during the Fantasy playoffs and look for head coach Doug Marrone to be fired before Week 17.
— If you look at the Patriots/Cowboys box score, do you know what you won’t see? Any catches for WR Amari Cooper. Cooper was completely shut down by Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore. Without Cooper, Dallas couldn’t get on track and make any big plays to come out with the victory. As for Gilmore, he faces Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins and Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill in the next two games. This could be an absolute difference-maker in the Fantasy playoffs for many teams.
— When the 49ers traded for WR Emmanuel Sanders, I thought he might be the missing piece to their becoming a playoff team. I was right, but only in part. The emergence of WR Deebo Samuel and Sanders has brought the 49ers to a new level and gives them a legitimate chance to make the Super Bowl. The 49ers run the ball with authority, have solid receivers with Sanders, Samuel, and George Kittle, and they play suffocating defense. The game against the Packers felt like a bigger blowout than the scoreboard indicated.
