Week 12 is special this year as this is the Thanksgiving week, so instead of the usual one Thursday game, we are treated to three games to watch as we consume copious amounts of turkey, mashed potatos and stuffing. Of course, this is vitally important from a fantasy perspective because there is plenty of offensive fire power that will be on display from all six teams playing, so while you are sitting with the family and enjoying the holiday, many will be keeping an eye on their fantasy teams in hopes that they get off to a good start to the week. This week’s 4-Eyed Previews cover a couple of guys who have been steady performers in the past and are looking to overcome some adversity and another couple guys who look like they could be hidden gems that one should seriously consider investing in.
Jordan Howard – Running Back – Chicago Bears
Coming off his 18 carry, 63 yard performance against a tough Minnesota Vikings defense, Jordan Howard is looking to fatten up on a very mediocre Detroit Lions defense. Over his last 5 games, Howard has averaged 10.5 points per game and 4 touchdowns. Despite some of his struggles this season, he is still considered the featured running back on a Bears offense that has jumped from being 30th in the NFL in total offense last year to 16th through 11 games this season. One interesting feature of Howard’s game that may come into play, particularly this week is the fact that he is a guy that likes to run between the hashmarks, as you can see by the chart below, of Howards 18 carries last week, only 3 times did he attempt to stretch it outside the marks. Howard is the typical “North-South” runner and that is a quality that plays well in goal line situations. Detroit is 23rd in the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing teams running backs. Howard remains a viable RB2 or Flex option in most standard fantasy leagues and a good flex option in PPR leagues.
Jordan Reed – Tight End – Washington Redskins
Jordan Reed has not missed a game yet this season, while I may have just jinxed it, this is a milestone accomplishment for the talented, yet oft-injured tight end for the Redskins. While he has not been as productive this season as he has been in the past, Reed remains a top 10 fantasy tight end and remains a favorite target for any Redskins quarterback. Last week in the loss to Houston, Reed was targeted 11 times, hauling in 7 receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. I would look for him to remain just as pivotal a part of the offense going into this Thursday’s game for two reasons, first, the Dallas Cowboys are 19th in the NFL in points allowed to opposing tight ends; and second, with new Redskins QB Colt McCoy taking over for the injured Alex Smith, he is going to need a reliable target, and Reed is the most dependable and consistent of all the Redskins receivers this season.
Tre’Quan Smith – Wide Receiver – New Orleans Saints
There are not many offenses in the NFL that are better than the New Orleans Saints; they are averaging a ridiculous 37.8 points per game and have scored 45 or more points in three straight games. So one would think that fantasy owners would snatch up every available offensive player on the team. That is not the case and if you are looking for a pretty solid waiver wire pickup at wide receiver this week and going into the playoffs, look no further than the Saints current #2 Wide Receiver Tre’Quan Smith. Owned in only 13.4% of fantasy leagues on ESPN and 27% in Yahoo, Smith savaged the Eagles defense on his way to a 10 reception, 157 yard, 1 touchdown performance. Smith was targeted 13 times by Drew Brees and with the Atlanta Falcons coming into New Orleans this Thursday, Smith is in a good position to have another bust out game against one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Smith has moved into the realm of a viable flex choice in most leagues, and a potential WR2 pick ½ or full PPR league.
Taylor Gabriel – Wide Receiver – Chicago Bears
In going over stats for Taylor Gabriel this week, I came across something that might actually surprise people when they read this. Gabriel is owned in an average of 36-37% of fantasy leagues, which on the Bears would rank him third among wide receivers behind Allen Robinson (~90%) and Anthony Miller (~45%). However, currently Gabriel leads Bears receivers in targets, receptions, yards, and of course most importantly, fantasy points. Gabriel is being targeted an average of 6 times per game with just over 4 receptions. So it is a bit of a mystery why he is not shown some of the same love that his other Bears teammates receive. This week’s matchup against the Detroit Lions looks like another good opportunity for someone to pick Gabriel up off the waiver wire and plug him into their flex or even potentially a WR2 slot (depending on WR depth and injury situation) and receive solid value.