NFL Week 11 was definitely one for the ages. While top players like Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson struggled, some unlikely heroes stood tall of their absence.
Jacoby Brissett broke the NFL record for many completions in a game, Bryce Young set a Panthers record for many passing yards in a game, and fantasy football victories were earned because of them, and players like Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker and Seahawks tight end AJ Barner.
Their names shall be plastered throughout Week 12 waiver wire articles this week, but will they be price your attention or are they the classic one-week wonders?
Fantasy QBs are at all times tricky. Guys like Brissett and Young are typically bye-week replacements, and in a single-QB league you most likely aren’t starting them over any of the present top 12. In superflex leagues they aren’t even available.
If you happen to roster one, likelihood is you realize methods to handle things. Given the upcoming schedule for Arizona, Brissett could warrant some spot starts when you’re combating players like Trevor Lawrence or Jordan Love, but we’ve seen enough from Young to know that the consistency just isn’t there.
But in taking a look at running backs and just how barren the position is in your waiver wire, many are going to leap at the prospect so as to add Tucker. You need to not. We don’t wish to diminish the performance as he ran everywhere in the Bills for 106 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries while also chipping in a pair of receptions for 34 yards and a 3rd rating, but expecting any type of a repeat might be a significant mistake.
Though Tucker’s performance led all running backs for the week and sure saved the hides of Jonathan Taylor managers, we cannot ignore that conditions for this matchup were ideal. The Bills ranked thirtieth in DVOA against the run and were allowing the second-most rushing yards per game. As a real north-south runner, Tucker was a a lot better fit for this game than the typically inefficient Rachaad White, and it showed.
Nonetheless, with the approaching return of Bucky Irving, each Tucker and White will fall back into reserve or complementary roles. And even when Tucker’s performance rates him a number of extra carries while Irving gets his feet wet, do you actually need to make use of him in Week 12 against the Rams and their top five-ranked run defense? Probably not.
The identical goes for Barner, who saw a career-high 11 targets Sunday, which was greater than he saw within the previous 4 games combined. The Rams corners did a masterful job of stifling the Seahawks receivers, which left Barner in a greater position to see some extra looks. But this continues to be a man who routinely shares snaps and targets with rookie Elijah Arroyo, and with Sam Darnold so focused on feeding Jaxon Smith-Njigba, there’s just no consistency. Not to say, Seattle’s next three opponents all rank favorably against the tight end.
Betting on the NFL?
It is straightforward to get caught up within the hype of a player’s standout performance. But as we enter Week 12, trusting a fluke achievement will be dangerous. Save your waiver priority and your FAAB dollars for more consistency. That’s the way you finish the season strong and head into the playoffs.
Howard Bender is the top of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all of your fantasy football news and advice.
