Daily Dr. Roto—December 2, 2019
Prescription Notes for Week 13
—No one is angrier than I about the putrid play of Jaguars QB Nick Foles. Not only did I start him in two seasonal leagues, I also used him in a few DFS lineups. There’s nothing quite as annoying as lighting money on fire. However, I learned an important lesson: Stop playing guys on teams who suck! The Jaguars have obviously packed it in and HC Doug Marrone is certain to be fired within the next month. I can only hope that RB Leonard Fournette still remains the starter for the next three weeks or that might kill more of my seasonal teams.
—It’s so important to remain active on your league’s waiver wire. Bears WR Anthony Miller was drafted in numerous leagues but then dropped as the Bears offense sputtered. Now, Miller has become a viable target in this offense and someone worthy of starting each week. Some owner probably picked him up in Week 8 or 9 of waivers which turned out to be a shrewd move.
—People seem surprised that the Bills played so well on Thanksgiving Day, but I was not. The Bills have improved dramatically this season due to the improved performance of QB Josh Allen, the fresh legs of RB Devin Singletary, and the shrewd acquisition of WR Cole Beasley. If the Bills weren’t in the same division as the Patriots, we might be looking at them with a first round bye in the playoffs.
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—Keep a close eye on the shoulder and overall health of Falcons WR Julio Jones. I have a sneaky feeling he is going to get shut down before the end of the season. Anyone who listened to me and picked up Russell Gage might end up being a big winner down the stretch.
—I bet the Titans are sorry that they did not pivot away from QB Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill a few weeks earlier in the season. Tannehill has the offense playing at a very high level and he is just enough of a threat to throw that it makes RB Derrick Henry even more potent. The Titans still need either A.J. Brown or Corey Davis to step up and become the team’s WR1. Once that happens, the Titans could make a splash in the playoffs.
—Say goodbye to Panthers HC Ron Rivera. In his last two home games against the struggling Falcons and Redskins, the Panthers looked flat and lost both games. Even worse was that the team had a chance to tie both games late in the game but were stopped on the goal line twice. There needs to be a complete overhaul in Carolina with a new Head Coach, Offensive coordinator, and QB (assuming that Cam Newton is gone).
—Didn’t the Ravens-49ers game have a playoff feel to it? Fantasy owners focus on the Ravens offense, but their defense has been impressive as well. They held 49ers TE George Kittle to 2 catches for 17 yards and WR Emmanuel Sanders to 4 catches for 41 yards. Fantasy owners need to avoid the Ravens defense in Weeks 14-16 if they want to win championships.
—The Packers won an ugly game in the snowy mix of Met Life Stadium against the reeling Giants. WR Davante Adams had 2 TD receptions, but it was WR Allen Lazard who had a big play in the first half which helped open the flood gates for the Packers. Lazard has the confidence of QB Aaron Rodgers, and he might step up and take over the vacant WR2 spot that Geronimo Allison and MVS have been unable to fill.
—I must admit that I am happy that the Bengals got their first win of the season. It was also good to see QB Andy Dalton show that he can still lead the team. Tyler Eifert and C.J. Uzomah dropped WIDE OPEN passes which should have been easy TDs that could have blown this game wide open. As for the Jets, is there another team who can play so well one week, but lose to a winless team the next?
—With each passing week I am more and more impressed with Steelers WR James Washington. He has become way more confident this season and is coming down with those 50-50 catches that we watched him make in college. Looking towards next season, the Steelers are going to be tough to beat with Juju, Washington, and Diontae Johnson catching passes from Big Ben.
—It was great to see the Rams offense finally explode after being dormant for most of the season. Jared Goff played well and Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp were exceptional on the day. TE Tyler Higbee’s 100-yard receiving game and TD is just more affirmation that the Cardinals are the worst team against opposing tight ends.
—The end of the Chargers-Broncos game was startling. Chargers Pro Bowl CB Casey Hayward got a defensive pass interference on the second to last play of the game, allowing Brandon McManus to kick a FG to win it. It was a terrible play from a great player. The Chargers seem to make more mental mistakes than most teams at critical times and it really seems like the team is due for an overhaul soon. I can envision a scenario where Head Coach Anthony Lynn and QB Philip Rivers are not with the team next season.
—If you told me before the season that Dolphins WR DeVante Parker was going to be the best Fantasy WR in Week 13 I would have told you that you should call my office for an immediate appointment. But the truth is that Parker has been nothing short of amazing and he should get a HUGE free agent contract this off-season.
—Don’t forget the name Darwin Thompson. With Damien Williams dealing with a rib injury and Darrel Williams injuring his hamstring, Thompson came in off the bench and looked terrific as a runner. We already know that he is a good pass catcher out of the backfield, so his ability to run the football might have given him an opening for more carries in the coming weeks. He is certainly someone I would target in FAAB if your league still has waivers.
—The Patriots lack of offense finally hurt them on Sunday night. QB Tom Brady was so exasperated that at one point he started to scream at his receivers on the bench to get more separation from the defense. RB James White is going to have to play a central role if the Patriots are going to fix their lagging offense. White gives them another pair of hands out of the backfield that Brady can use to make plays.
