Every week this season, Fantasy In Frames is going to help you at the quarterback and tight end position by providing you with some of the best favorable matchups of the Week. This week, let’s discuss the favorable QB & TE Matchups for Week 12!
Gobble, gobble! It is Week 12, which means it is Thanksgiving! We get to watch three games on Thursday, and hopefully, you can enjoy the holiday however you like to celebrate it. 2021 has been a difficult year for most for understandable reasons. I hope you can think about some things in your life that you are thankful for as you reflect.
I am thankful for so much this year! I have focused on my health this year by eating better and exercising regularly and I have seen great results and feel so much better. I want to be healthier for my family that I am also thankful for because they support me and my children always know how to make me smile. This is my first year creating fantasy football content. I have been playing fantasy football since 2006, but I appreciate someone reaching out to me to allow me to write fantasy football articles with zero prior experience. Now I write for multiple sites and host a weekly podcast. I am thankful to all of you that read this weekly article throughout the season and hopefully it has helped you get some wins or at least help you learn something new. Whether you are playoff-bound, fighting for a spot, or already eliminated keep playing to win and just try to have fun.
Now let’s talk about quarterbacks and tight ends to pick up and stream this week to help you earn the next win!
How Did We Do?
For the season we have recommended streaming a QB1 39% of the time, and for Week 11 we were okay going 1 for 3 after Cam Newton was the QB4 in his first start of the season! Tua Tagovailo finished just outside a QB1 as the QB13 and Mac Jones missed out on touchdowns and finished as the QB18.
For the season, we have recommended streaming a TE1 39% and a TE2 64% of the time, and for Week 11 we were 0 for 3 for TE1. TEs can be tricky but all of our streamers failed. We have been following the targets with plenty of recent success, but the targets dried up in Week 11. Dan Arnold had 0 targets in Week 11 after having the 2nd most TE targets in the NFL over the previous three weeks. We will continue to trust the process!
Week 12 Bye Week Teams (impacted QBs and TEs): Arizona Cardinals (QB Kylar Murrary and TE Zach Ertz), Kansas City Chiefs (QB Patrick Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce)
Quarterbacks to Stream – Week 12
Jimmy Garoppolo (vs MIN) – 13.5% rostered in ESPN:
Jimmy Garoppolo has a passer rating of 145.6 when targeting Brandon Aiyuk over the last three games, per @PFF 👀🔥#49ers || #FTTB pic.twitter.com/SCRS5L8Pcs
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers_) November 24, 2021
Honestly, I did not expect Jimmy G to still be the San Francisco starting quarterback in Week 12. Over the last four games played, Garoppolo is the QB7 scoring 22.4 points per game! He has scored 8 total touchdowns and threw only 1 interception during that span. He has been efficient and his offensive weapons have been making big plays every week. He has a great matchup this week because the Minnesota Vikings allow 24.2 points per game and give up the 6th most fantasy points to QBs (20). The Vikings offense has been playing well, and this could be a higher scoring game with the point total projected at 48.5. If you expect to be on the playoffs then Garoppolo makes a great stash quarterback because his playoff matchups (Week 15-17) are: vs ATL, @ TEN, vs HOU. It does not get any better than that for a quarterback in the fantasy football playoffs, but the catch is Trey Lance is always lurking when you project that far into the future.
Taylor Heinicke (vs SEA) – 12.8% rostered in ESPN:
I recommended Heinicke as a streamer a few weeks ago and he flopped, but I am ready to be hurt again. Heinicke was the QB7 in Week 11 with an efficient three touchdowns on 22 pass attempts against a tough Carolina defense. Seattle used to be a defense to fear, but they have been average at best. Their offense has been struggling more and averages the least amount of plays per game (55). The Washington Football Team should dominate time of possession, which gives Heinicke more opportunities to score fantasy points. He is a risky streamer this week because he has been in a slump until last week, but I think Heinicke will ride the positive momentum again this week for another QB1 performance.
Tyrod Taylor (vs NYJ) – 5% rostered in ESPN:
Now we are getting deep, but Tyrod Taylor is a sneaky streamer this week. Taylor finished as the QB11 last week only throwing for 107 and no touchdowns because he had two rushing touchdowns. Normally, I would not expect a QB to run for two touchdowns two weeks in a row, but Taylor is playing against the New York Jets. The Jets have given up 20 rushing touchdowns through 10 games. I expect Taylor to have a much better passing stat line against an inferior defense, and he can score touchdowns on the ground. Taylor should only be a streamer in deep leagues.
Tight Ends to Stream – Week 12
Dan Arnold (vs ATL) – 40.2% rostered in ESPN:
There is a theme this week because I am ready to be hurt again. We have been talking about Dan Arnold for so long and the train came to a screeching halt in Week 11 because he had zero targets. Honestly, it does not make any sense but since it is the Jaguars is makes total sense. I believe the coaches will look back at the tape and realize they need to get Arnold way more involved. Jamal Agnew is out for the rest of the season, and he had a 15.1% target share in the last three games. Last week was a blip for Arnold, and he will be highly targeted in a great matchup against the lowly Atlanta Falcons. This is the week Dan Arnold will be thankful because he will finally score his first touchdown of the season.
Evan Engram (vs PHI) – 26.7% rostered in ESPN:
Evan Engram has been a below-average tight end this season. However, from Weeks 7-9, he scored at least 10 PPR points but came out of his bye week flat last week against the Bucs. The only reason Engram is a streamer this week is that he is playing against the Philadelphia Eagles. They are the best matchup for tight ends giving up the most points per game to the position (15.5). The following TEs have scored a touchdown against the Eagles in 2021: Dalton Schultz (x2), Tommy Tremble, O.J. Howard, Foster Moureau, Donald Parham, Stephen Anderson, and Adam Trautman. It has not been the stud TEs that have dominated the Eagles, so Engram is a streamer this week to take advantage of the juicy matchup.
Cole Kmet (@ DET) – 12.5% rostered in ESPN:
I couldn’t finish this list without keeping the theme. I am ready to be hurt again. Cole Kmet was a complete bust last week with 1 reception from 2 targets for 12 yards. Jimmy Graham even had one more target than Kmet. On a positive note, Kmet was on the field for 90% of the snaps compared to Jimmy Graham’s 20% snap share. It appears Andy Dalton will start against the Detroit Lions for the first Thanksgiving game of the day because Justin Fields is dealing with a rib injury suffered in Week 11. The Detroit Lions allow the 3rd most points per game in the NFL (27.3), and they are average against tight ends. Before Week 11, we were encouraged by Kmet’s usage and after he was on the field for 90% of the snaps, I expect his targets to bounce back this week against the Lions. Kmet can start your Thanksgiving celebrations the right way by feasting on the Lions on Thursday.
