By SCOTT FELTS
Happy short work week as the NFL blesses us with their Thanksgiving football schedule. There are no byes to deal with this week, which means that everyone on your team who isn’t injured is available for your starting lineups.
Aside from the normal Sunday slate of games there are four games on Thursday and Friday. Let’s see what those are.
Thanksgiving Games: Packers vs. Lions, Chiefs vs. Cowboys, Bengals vs. Ravens
Black Friday Game: Bears vs. Eagles
Let’s get into this week’s recommendations so that you can set those lineups and dig into the cranberry sauce. None of that jiggly canned crap.
SIT
QB: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (at Browns): Have you seen Miles Garrett‘s numbers the last couple of weeks? The Browns defense have allowed the third fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the whole season. Purdy will be on the run all day. Stuff Purdy on your bench.
RB: Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings (at Seattle): If I’m Seattle’s defensive coordinator I let the struggling JJ McCarthy or undrafted rookie Max Brosmer beat me. So to do that I’ll make sure I stop the Vikings’ run offense. Seattle has allowed the second fewest rushing yards to running backs all season. Jones is just averaging 59 rushing yards per game and it scored only once in the four games since returning from his injury. Dunk Jones into the mashed potatoes.
WR: Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Arizona). It looks like opposing defenses have figured out Egbuka’s game easier than Aunt Linda’s sweet potato recipe. He has finished as a top 30 wide receiver in PPR just once in his last six games. Add to that the fact he likely has Teddy Bridgewater throwing to him now and it’s time to let Emeka sit at the kids table.
TE: Like a three layer bean dip that cousin Jimmy brings for Thanksgiving for no good reason, here are three tight ends to sit this week. TJ Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings (@Seattle), Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (vs. Denver), and Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (at NY Jets). All of these guys have a backup quarterback throwing to them that could probably be beat out in your backyard by your sister, even if she were blindfolded. Like Jimmy’s dip, avoid starting these tight ends.
START
QB: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (@Washington.) Nix has had more up and downs this season than your brother‘s girlfriend after her Ozempic shot. The matchup this week, though, is a good one. The Commanders rank fourth in fantasy points per game allowed to quarterbacks and have allowed at least three passing touchdowns to four of the last five teams they faced.
RB: Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Bills.) For a backup running back, Gainwell is getting more sauce than Grandma‘s dry ass turkey. He’s averaged 113.5 yards the last two weeks and scored twice. The Bills have allowed a league-high 14 rushing touchdowns to running backs this season and, with Warren still a little gimpy, Gainwell figures to gain well from the added playing time.
WR: Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills (at Steelers). No team in the NFL has allowed more receiving yards to wide receivers this season than the Steelers. Shakir is Josh Allen‘s top target and offensive coordinator Joe Brady is loving the challenge of getting him the ball. He had eight catches for 110 yards in Week 12. Shakir is eating more than Uncle Ralph at the dessert table. Wedge him into your lineup.
TE: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Bengals). Yeah, I know the turkey with your mom‘s wrist up its butt is getting more action than Andrews has this season but he’s playing the magical team that all tight ends love to see. The Bengals gave up two touchdowns to a tight end last week, which takes their season total to 13 — six more than the next closest in the league. Don’t kiss mom’s hand for a few days and play Andrews this week.
SNIPE
QB: Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (vs. Jacksonville) (Owned in about 13% of leagues) Cam’s start to his NFL career left a worse taste in his fantasy owners’ mouths than four-day-old deviled eggs. After the bye, however, Ward put together a couple of strong starts against two of the league’s better defenses. Ward has committed only one turnover in his last two games and has rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown. This week’s opponents, the Jaguars, have allowed the third-most passing touchdowns this season so Ward likely has the most upside of any quarterback on waivers.
RB: Devin Neal, New Orleans Saints (at Miami) (Owned in less than 8% of leagues) Miami’s rush defense has allowed the fourth most rushing yards to running backs this season. If Alvin Kamara is unable to play this week, Neal should be able to capitalize as a receiver out of the backfield. Taysom Hill may carry more, but Neal should see more PPR points and play moving forward. Gobble him up.
WR: Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans (at Indianapolis) (Owned in about 23% of leagues) Higgins hasn’t just been eating. He’s been going back for seconds. In Week 12 he finished with a 30% target share, 38 yards, a touchdown, two red zone targets, and two deep targets. Since Week 10, he’s been steadily becoming a strong wide receiver three option.
TE: Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Tennessee) (Owned in about 13% of leagues) Like Grandpa Delon scooting tennis balls across the dining room, Strange returned from a hip injury in Week 12 and played almost 71% of his team’s offensive snaps. He caught five balls for 93 yards. The Colts have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, but this week’s opponent isn’t much better so Strange should have another decent week just monitor his matchups the rest of the season.
This week’s extras and leftovers:
Luther Burden, Jr., and Colston Loveland are first and second in yards per route on the Bears right now.
Christian Watson‘s target shares have increased from 11 to over 33% in the five weeks since his return.
Trevor Lawrence has finished four weeks outside the top 20, five weeks between QB10 and QB19 and two weeks in the top 10.