There's more than enough insanity heading into the Week 12's remaining games. The Broncos don't have a starting QB (they'll find someone, but still . . .). The Steelers-Ravens contest might not happen. James Conner--a cancer survivor--is COVID-positive and realistically might not play the rest of the regular season. The Bucs' o-line is a mess, while lineman A.Q. Shipley's career appears over due to a neck injury. Jonathan Taylor's out. Todd Gurley's out. Salvon Ahmed's out. Adam Thielen's out. D.J. Chark's out.
As always, points will be scored, and savvy fantasy managers will make adjustments based on new realities. With that in mind, here are the fantasy storylines I'm most focused on today:
Falcons vs. Raiders -- You all know my thoughts on Gurley since the summer. His production has surprised me, but his painful inefficiency has not. If Brian Hill comes up big, it will put pressure on Atlanta during these final games. They can cut Gurley loose in January. Hill's auditioning for a prime role next September. And is Nelson Agholor the Raiders' #1 wideout, or will his drops and general inconsistency banish him to weekly dart-throw status?
Bills vs. Chargers -- Again and again, Zack Moss vs. Devin Singletary, though the deeper we get into the season, the less this battle seems to matter. And if Austin Ekeler (questionable) returns, will he be used as a bellcow in light of the Chargers' lost season?
Bengals vs. Giants -- A new quarterback and potentially a new backfield if Gio Bernard (questionable) can't go. I want to see whether any Cincy receiver can be useful with Brandon Allen hurling the ball. And can we take Wayne Gallman seriously as a weekly RB2+? In other words, can he manufacture startable numbers even if he doesn't score?
Colts vs. Titans -- Does Jordan Wilkins have any shot, or is this Nyheim Hines' time? And as always, is A.J. Brown (13 catches in his last four games) a trustworthy starter? He's caught less than 50% of his targets during this stretch. The touchdowns are sky-high, but I'm still not all in.
Vikings vs. Panthers -- Who will step up as Kirk Cousins' #2 receiver, and will it matter? And Robby Anderson has been sitting on one touchdown since Week 1 and is now edging teammate D.J. Moore by 0.7 fantasy points. Who's the #1 here?
Patriots vs. Cardinals -- Was last week a fluke for Damiere Byrd, or is he now a weekly threat to Jakobi Meyers? And once again, Kenyan Drake vs. Chris Edmonds.
Jets vs. Dolphins -- Can Frank Gore be fantasy-relevant, or will he still be forced to cede touches? And will Ryan Fitzpatrick do what he's done so many times before: seize a short-term opportunity and convert it into a semi-secure starting job? If he leads Miami to a convincing win, it will be hard to bench him for Tua Tagovailoa next week.
Jaguars vs. Browns -- Mike Glennon is one of too many third-string QBs to get their shot this year. Is James Robinson QB-proof? And Baker Mayfield hasn't thrown for a touchdown since OBJ went down. He needs a breakout to reassure doubters. Is today the day?
Broncos vs. Saints -- Some combination of Kendall Hinton and Royce Freeman (and possibly a surprise guest) will throw for a combined 110 yards. The bigger question is whether Melvin Gordon or Phillip Lindsay can do anything against a Saints D that knows what's coming. And for New Orleans, is the real Michael Thomas officially back?
Rams vs. 49ers -- Will anyone claim an advantage in the Rams' backfield? And if Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson (both questionable) return, will Mostert return to greatness, or is this a little more complicated than how Mostert left it?
Buccaneers vs. Chiefs -- A Tom Brady rebound seems inevitable. If it doesn't and Tampa Bay falls to 7-5, headed toward a potential 6 or 7 seed, will there be an RB or receiver shakeup for a team that should have been favorites to reach the Super Bowl? And Le'Veon Bell is averaging only 1.3 receptions per game despite averaging 4.7 for his career. Is he essentially a one-dimensional RB4 at this point?
Packers vs. Bears -- Jamaal Williams' touches continued declining last week. But Aaron Jones had only 14, so I want to see if a more favorable game script might mean more volume. And can Mitch Trubisky salvage his career in a near-impossible matchup?
Good luck today.