12 games this week have been decided by a touchdown or less. 11 teams are on the cusp of being -- or have already been -- eliminated from postseason contention. As always, let's examine the most notable fantasy impact for each Sunday team:
Falcons -- Saturday's column: "Kyle Pitts, as always. Can't confidently start him. Can't confidently bench him." Sunday: Zero catches on two targets. He has 11 or fewer scoreless yards in three of his last four outings. Nothing more needs to be said. And perhaps more notably, the dynasty value of rookie QB Michael Penix keeps ticking upward after another dismal Kirk Cousins performance.
Chargers -- Saturday's column: "How will Gus Edwards fare with D.J. Dobbins out, and is there any realistic chance that sixth-round rookie Kimani Vidal will poach touches?" Sunday: Since he doesn't catch many balls, Edwards has always been TD-dependent. Even without Dobbins, now he's volume-dependent, and the volume simply wasn't there. Oh, and of course Ladd McConkey's shoulder injury should be monitored this week.
Bengals -- Cincy's three-game slide couldn't be worse for managers depending on Ja'Marr Chase, who still doesn't have the long-term contract he sought this summer. Now 4-8, the Bengals need a minor miracle to remain relevant. Barring that, Chase is a *huge* risk to sit down the stretch, rather than risk an injury that could cost him tens of millions of guaranteed dollars.
Steelers -- Saturday's column: "Najee Harris hasn't cleared 3.5 yards per carry in more than half his games this year -- including each of his last three. Could Jaylen Warren push for more of a timeshare?" Sunday: This was probably Harris's best all-around effort this year. Warren was a distant second alongside Cordarrelle Patterson.
Vikings -- Saturday's column: "It seems like it's Justin Jefferson's turn, which raises the question of whether Sam Darnold can feed more than two receivers per game." Sunday: It was, and he didn't.
Cardinals -- Saturday's column: "As always, I'm on a James Conner watch, which is just as much a Trey Benson watch." Sunday: Shortly after earning a contract extension, Conner did what he does best, which is better than most. Still, he labored much of the afternoon, while Benson continues to overwhelm defenses. Despite the re-investment in Conner, it's hard to imagine the playoff-hungry Cards limiting Benson to 3-5 touches most games.
Patriots -- Saturday's column: "How much longer will New England stick with Rhamondre Stevenson? Longer term, they're already stuck with him. But he's struggled to the move the ball at a time when Antonio Gibson has caught fire." Sunday: Stevenson got it done, though Gibson once again outplayed him. Stevenson's 32-yard run aside, he garnered only 41 yards on 17 carries. Yeah, I'm cherry-picking. But it's important to highlight that a large majority of his touches aren't productive.
Colts -- Saturday's column: "Last weekend, Michael Pittman enjoyed only his second 65+ point performance of the season. Anytime it looks like he's turning a corner with Anthony Richardson under center, he quickly falls flat." Sunday: Pittman led Indy in targets, catches, and receiving yards. Unfortunately, he couldn't do much even with Josh Downs sidelined.
Jets -- Saturday's column: "Although Breece Hall is expecting to be active, Braelon Allen looms for a team that's almost been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention." Sunday: Don't be surprised if Allen outproduces Hall in the fantasy playoffs.
Seahawks -- Saturday's column: "Once again, Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. D.K. Metcalf, with major implications for managers who 'guess wrong.' This is the challenge when a rising star competes for targets with an established weekly fantasy starter." Sunday: JSN did slightly more with a lot less. He's caught 23 of his last 25 looks, which is simply incredible.
Commanders -- Saturday's column: "Given the injury situation, can we bet on anyone in this backfield?" Sunday: Whoa, how wrong I was. Entering yesterday, the opposing Titans had surrendered just under 3.6 yards per carry to RBs. But Washington's backfield went bonkers. I wouldn't put too much stock in Chris Rodriguez's outburst (yet), as much of it came with the game out of reach. Still, RB-needy managers suddenly have another dart throw to choose from.
Titans -- Saturday's column: "Can Nick Westbrook-Ikhine somehow do it again?" Sunday: Yes, and at Calvin Ridley's expense. He now has eight touchdowns in his last eight games.
Jaguars -- Saturday's column: "Will Travis Etienne come close to resembling his former self, or is it time to throw in the towel?" Sunday: Nothing left to say. And with the rest of Trevor Lawrence's season up in the air, we might wonder whether Mac Jones can replicate Sunday's performance, or if it was more of an anomaly.
Texans -- Saturday's column: "Last year, C.J. Stroud had six outings with multiple touchdowns and zero interceptions. This year, he has only two . . . and none since early October. Is he even a deep-league starter against a bottom-tier Jags pass defense?" Sunday: Apparently not.
Saints -- Saturday's column: "Will Taysom Hill slow down?" Sunday: Ugh. If the 34-year-old Hill is done for the season, it's hard to pinpoint who can even partially fill his shoes assuming Chris Olave doesn't return.
Rams -- Saturday's column: "Matthew Stafford has everything he needs to be productive. The problem is that his all-world WR duo haven't been as durable as a typical starting WR." Sunday: It wasn't quite enough.
Panthers -- Saturday's column: "Statistically, there's no good reason to worry about Chuba Hubbard. But in a lost season, we should see more of Jonathon Brooks, and nothing good can come of that if you're depending on Hubbard in the fantasy playoffs." Sunday: Not what managers wanted to see, as Hubbard barely out-touched Brooks (12-9). The latter brings legit NFL-caliber abilities. This has the look of a 2025 Week 1 timeshare. Also, cool to see Bryce Young garnering his second consecutive quality start -- though he needed 46 throws against one of the league's worst pass defenses. But still, a timely confidence boost and helpful for managers invested in Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette.
Buccaneers -- Saturday's column: "Mike Evans' return corresponded with a reduced role for Cade Otton, who didn't really catch fire until Evans and Chris Godwin got hurt. Will be interesting to see if Otton's no longer a trusted top-10 TE." Sunday: Another quiet afternoon for Otton, despite a healthy seven targets.
Ravens -- Saturday's column: "Same as always: crowded receiving corps vs. typically low-volume passer." Sunday: Rashod Bateman exited with a knee injury, which of course is potentially brutal news for a guy who's been plagued by injuries. If he misses time, the offense surely will consolidate, as Diontae Johnson appears to be a complete afterthought.
Eagles -- Saturday's column: "How urgently should managers add Kenneth Gainwell?" Sunday: Will Shipley carried the ball on the team's third play. Besides that, it was all Saquon Barkley (another 25 touches). Unless there's more going on here behind the scenes, Barkley doesn't have a true handcuff.
Bills -- The poor weather makes most of what happened in this game fantasy-irrelevant (that is, aside from the obvious). But it's notable that Ray Davis got plenty of work, even when Buffalo was down early. And he made the most of it. I was wrong earlier this season about whether James Cook could hold onto the bell cow role. And . . . Davis still looks ready to step up if Cook gets hurt.
49ers -- CMC's season might be over. Just like that. In February, this franchise was a hair away from winning a Super Bowl title. Now they're a half-decent bet to finish last in the NFC West. Turning 29 next summer, CMC is potentially headed toward a long recovery after playing less than half a season in three of the last five years. Although it's too soon to say he's post-prime, it's hard to imagine him delivering overall top-10 RB numbers ever again. Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo appear locked into a hot-hand situation. Neither was prolific in the passing game in college and Mason hasn't caught many balls in the pros. It'll be interesting to see if either one has consistent must-start value in the fantasy playoffs.
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