Kicking off Week 12 of this NFL season will be an AFC North showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) and the Cleveland Browns (2-8)!
Vegas has the point total set at 37 for this faceoff between the Steelers and the Browns this Thursday. Of all the games this week, this is expected to be the lowest scoring affair with the Steelers favored to take the win (Moneyline -192). Despite the Steelers reigning supreme at the top of this division, the Browns can be sneaky. They were able to steal the win against another AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens, in Week 8, scoring 29-24. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at this week’s matchup.
Veteran Quarterbacks
Going toe-to-toe at quarterback are two veteran quarterbacks who are both on new teams this year, and also neither were the starter at the top of the season. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson was previously with the Seattle Seahawks for ten years and recently with the Denver Broncos for two. Signing with the Steelers in the off-season, he joined the quarterback room with Chicago Bears transplant Justin Fields. Due to a calf injury, Wilson sat on the sidelines while Fields notched multiple wins for the team. In Week 7, Wilson was named the starter and has kept the Steelers on an undefeated streak since. Can he do it again this week?
On the other side of the field will be Browns quarterback, Jameis Winston. Winston started his career on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for five years, then was with the New Orleans Saints for four years. Like Wilson, Winston’s current team is his third team. Starting the season as the backup for Deshaun Watson, Winston stayed ready. Due to an Achilles tear, Watson was ruled out for the season, and Winston took over the starting role in Week 8. It was in this game that Winston led the team to a win over the Ravens, passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite the fact that Winston is averaging two passing touchdowns in the games he starts, the Steelers defense has only allowed an average of 0.9 passing touchdowns a game this season. Coinciding with that, the Steelers have intercepted passes more than once per game. Because of this, one of my favorite Tootsie’s Picks for TNF Jameis Winston: MORE than 0.5 INT. Comparable players against the Steelers have hit the over seven out of ten times. Additionally, Winston had three interceptions alone in the Week 9 game against the Chargers.
Run This Town
Returning to the field in Week 7, Browns running back Nick Chubb has averaged 47 rushing yards across his last three games played. Because the Steelers is a division rival and the Browns will need to move the chains on the ground, this figures to be a Chubb game. Throughout his career playing against the Steelers Chubb has averaged 71.7 rushing yards per game, and this game will be no different. Chubb will be a safety valve for Winston and can be counted on to give fantasy managers points. My next favorite Tootsie’s Picks for TNF is Nick Chubb: MORE than 52.5 Rush Yards. Relieving Chubb in the backfield will be backup Jerome Ford who has averaged 4.8 fantasy points since Chubb’s return. Ford isn’t relevant for fantasy but will be helpful support to spell the star Chubb in this run-heavy game.
Running the ground for the Steelers is running back Najee Harris. Harris has 708 rushing yards, 182 receiving yards, and three rushing touchdowns on the season. Averaging 12.8 PPR fantasy points per game, Harris is a solid starter this week for fantasy lineups. The Browns defense is allowing an average of 18.75 fantasy points to the running back position. Splitting the backfield with Harris is Jaylen Warren who is averaging 7 fantasy points per game played.
Believe and Receive
Not only will Russell Wilson have Najee Harris to depend on in this game, but he will have his top receiver George Pickens. Pickens is the WR16 on the season with 728 receiving yards and averaging 13.2 fantasy points per game this season. Since Wilson has been at the helm, Pickens has averaged 17.7 fantasy points. We gotta believe that Pickens and Wilson have synergy. With six NFL teams on bye this week, fantasy managers can plug in Pickens for a solid WR2 or flex option this week. Because Pickens looks to be a key player in TNF, my last favorite Tootsie’s Picks to highlight is George Pickens: MORE than 57.5 Receiving Yards. The over has hit six out of ten times this season. Comparable players against the Browns have hit the over on their respective lines nine out of ten times as well.
Losing top receiver Amari Cooper to the Bills earlier this season has hurt the Browns’ receiving attack. Jerry Jeudy is the next man up. With 560 rushing yards on the season, he has averaged 10.7 fantasy points a game. Because of this, Jeudy is only a desperation play for fantasy at the moment.
Tight End Factor
Though Jeudy won’t be a valuable receiving option, Winston will have tight end David Njoku to lean on. Currently the TE14, Njoku is averaging 12.1 fantasy points per game played this season. The Steelers defense is allowing an average of 45.8 receiving yards to the tight end position, and Njoku is averaging 57 yards with Winston under center. Due to the many teams on bye, fantasy managers can plug in Njoku if needed.
When it comes to tight end, Russell Wilson has Pat Freiermuth to pass to. Freiermuth has 295 receiving yards on the season and is averaging 7.8 fantasy points per game played. There are better options for fantasy managers to start at TE both this week and rest of season. That being said, Wilson will take any weapon he can as the Steelers face a division rival.
Who Comes Out on Top
This AFC North showdown may not be action-packed, but both defenses have strengths that will hold the other team down. In this battle of veteran quarterbacks redeeming themselves, will it be Wilson or Winston coming out on top? Enjoy this week’s TNF as Week 12 kicks off!
Here are my favorite Tootsie’s Picks for TNF Week 12 placed on PrizePicks!
