Sorry for the long title, but I like to use the “that noise you hear…” intro whenever I can. Clearly the biggest fantasy news from the early games is Adrian Peterson‘s ankle injury. He was on his way to a huge day (7 touches, 70 yards, TD) before the injury, but could not return. Toby Gerhart (24 touches, 81 yards, TD) did an adequate job of fillling in. With the Bills on tap in Week 13, Gerhart will be a hot pickup this week, and if AP’s sprain is of the “high” variety, he could miss the remainder of the fantasy season. Given the tasty matchup with the Redskins’ woeful secondary, Brett Favre (173 yards), Percy Harvin (5-32) and Sidney Rice (1-20) were big disappointments this week. For Washington, it looks like Mike Shanahan is up to his old tricks. After carrying the load the past few games, Keiland Williams (6 touches, 26 yards) got the start but took a backseat to James Davis (6 carries, 11 yards), who was equally ineffective.

Speaking of surprises, Carolina put up a better offensive effort than expected, thanks to Mike Goodson (22 touches, 131 yards, TD) who started ahead of Jonathan Stewart (12 carries, 98 yards), who ran the ball much better (8.2 ypc), but Goodson brings a lot of value in the passing game. This is shaping up as a timeshare the rest of the way.

The Bills gave the Steelers a run, thanks to a workman-like effort by Fred Jackson (17 touches, 163 yards, TD) who is approaching must-start territory. RBs have fared horribly against the Pittsburgh defense this season, but Jackson averaged 4.9 ypc and racked up 104 yards and a TD in the passing game. Steve Johnson (7-68, 15 target) is clearly Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s (265 yards, TD, INT) favorite receiver, but he dropped a 50-yard game-winning bomb in OT that would have given him some gaudy numbers. Keep him in your starting lineup despite the drop(s).

Brandon Jacobs (14 carries, 87 yards) got the start over Ahmad Bradshaw (9 carries, 49 yards), but Bradshaw finished with 4-34 in the passing game to finish with almost as many touches and yards. Unfortunately, this looks like a throwback to the RBBC that the Giants have utilized the last few years. Jacobs will have more value in TD-heavy leagues while Bradshaw will score more in PPR leagues.

I’m looking at this TEN/HOU box score and I can’t help but scratch my head. I thought even Rusty Smith (138 yards, 3 INT) would be able to post nice numbers against a terrible Houston pass defense, but I was gravely mistaken. That, coupled with the Titans’ decision to only hand the ball off to Chris Johnson (9 touches, 7 yards) seven times, and I’m perplexed. Randy Moss (3-23) deserved to be benched and Nate Washington (1-10) was a huge disappointment as a result of Smith’s struggles.

The big headline from the late games was Dwayne Bowe‘s continued dominance of NFL secondaries.. He racked up 13 catches for 170 yards and three TDs, single-handedly winning fantasy games around the country. Jamaal Charles (22 carries, 173 yards, TD) went nuts, while Thomas Jones (20 yards, 68 yards) put up less than stellar numbers behind the same offensive line. It’s clear that Charles is the better back, but the Chiefs aren’t going to give him the ball 35 times a game, so they’re going to use Jones when they can. If Charles produces like this, his owners won’t care. For the Seahawks, the only thing to note is the emergence of Ben Obomanu (5-159-1), who filled in admirably for the injured Mike Williams. He caught two deep balls from Matt Hasselbeck, including an 87-yard TD bomb.

DeSean Jackson (2-26) was a dud in a bad matchup with the Bears, as Michael Vick (333 yards, 2 TD, INT, 44 rushing yards) had to throw to his other receivers, including Brent Celek (3-50-1), who finally had a good game with Vick under center. The Bears receivers took advantage of the absence of Asante Samuel — both Earl Bennett (4-56-2) and Johnny Knox (3-68-1) scored. Greg Olsen (1-9-1) caught a TD for the third time in four games, but was only targeted once the entire game.

It was a mediocre matchup for Darren McFadden (8 carries, 2 yards), who was never able to get it going on the ground. Before his Week 11 matchup with the Steelers, he averaged 6.8 ypc in the previous three games, so Oakland’s inability to open up running lanes is puzzling. It’s not going to get any easier next week against the Chargers, though the schedule eases up considerably after that (JAX, DEN, IND in W14-16). Jacoby Ford caught four passes for 108 yards and a TD and tied DMC for most targets (10) in the Oakland passing game. For the Dolphins, Chad Henne got the start and finished with 302 yards, 2 TDs and a pick, and with Brandon Marshall out, Davone Bess (6-111) re-emerged as a favorite target. PPR leaguers should pick up Bess this week if he’s available.

There were two big disappointments in the TB/BAL game, and they were both WRs. Both Mike Williams (2-20) and Anquan Boldin (3-27) were in line for solid games, but neither delivered. Both matchups were mediocre, so they should have done more. Instead, it was Derrick Mason (8-87-1) and Kellen Winslow (4-44-1) who delivered for their respective teams.

Five more weeks…can I hold on?

Below you’ll find my rankings for Week 12. Be sure to check back as the week wears on because I’ll be updating them as news trickles in.

Updated Sunday, Nov. 28.

If the FantasyPros rankings widget isn’t come through, click below to see the rankings in text format.

Quarterbacks

1. Aaron Rodgers (GB @ ATL)
2. Drew Brees (NO @ DAL)
3. Philip Rivers (SD @ IND)
4. Peyton Manning (IND vs. SD)
5. Michael Vick (PHI @ CHI)
6. Shaun Hill (DET vs. NE)
7. Tom Brady (NE @ DET)
8. Ben Roethlisberger (PIT @ BUF)
9. Kyle Orton (DEN vs. STL)
10. Joe Flacco (BAL vs. TB)
11. Jon Kitna (DAL vs. NO)
12. Matt Ryan (ATL vs. GB)
13. Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF vs. PIT)
14. Eli Manning (NYG vs. JAC)
15. Mark Sanchez (NYJ vs. CIN)
16. Matt Cassel (KC @ SEA)
17. Matt Schaub (HOU vs. TEN)
18. Sam Bradford (STL @ DEN)
19. Brett Favre (MIN @ WAS)
20. Josh Freeman (TB @ BAL)
21. Carson Palmer (CIN @ NYJ)
22. Rusty Smith (TEN @ HOU)
23. Jay Cutler (CHI vs. PHI)
24. Matt Hasselbeck (SEA vs. KC)
25. David Garrard (JAC @ NYG)
26. Donovan McNabb (WAS vs. MIN)
27. Chad Henne (MIA @ OAK)
28. Bruce Gradkowski (OAK vs. MIA)
29. Derek Anderson (ARI vs. SF)
30. Troy Smith (SF @ ARI)
31. Jimmy Clausen (CAR @ CLE)
32. Jake Delhomme (CLE vs. CAR)

Running Backs

1. Arian Foster (HOU vs. TEN)
2. Chris Johnson (TEN @ HOU)
3. Peyton Hillis (CLE vs. CAR)
4. Adrian Peterson (MIN @ WAS)
5. Ray Rice (BAL vs. TB)
6. Frank Gore (SF @ ARI)
7. LeSean McCoy (PHI @ CHI)
8. Steven Jackson (STL @ DEN)
9. Jamaal Charles (KC @ SEA)
10. Rashard Mendenhall (PIT @ BUF)
11. Darren McFadden (OAK vs. MIA)
12. Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC @ NYG)
13. Michael Turner (ATL vs. GB)
14. Knowshon Moreno (DEN vs. STL)
15. Mike Tolbert (SD @ IND)
16. Matt Forte (CHI vs. PHI)
17. Thomas Jones (KC @ SEA)
18. Keiland Williams (WAS vs. MIN)
19. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (NE @ DET)
20. LaDainian Tomlinson (NYJ vs. CIN)
21. Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG vs. JAC)
22. Fred Jackson (BUF vs. PIT)
23. Cedric Benson (CIN @ NYJ)
24. LeGarrette Blount (TB @ BAL)
25. Danny Woodhead (NE @ DET)
26. Maurice Morris (DET vs. NE)
27. Brandon Jacobs (NYG vs. JAC)
28. Felix Jones (DAL vs. NO)
29. Christopher Ivory (NO @ DAL)
30. Donald Brown (IND vs. SD)
31. Ronnie Brown (MIA @ OAK)
32. Brandon Jackson (GB @ ATL)
33. Jonathan Stewart (CAR @ CLE)
34. Marshawn Lynch (SEA vs. KC)
35. Mike Goodson (CAR @ CLE)
36. Shonn Greene (NYJ vs. CIN)
37. Darren Sproles (SD @ IND)
38. Justin Forsett (SEA vs. KC)
39. Willis McGahee (BAL vs. TB)
40. Reggie Bush (NO @ DAL)
41. Tim Hightower (ARI vs. SF)
42. Tashard Choice (DAL vs. NO)
43. Chris “Beanie” Wells (ARI vs. SF)
44. Ricky Williams (MIA @ OAK)
45. Jahvid Best (DET vs. NE)
46. Michael Bush (OAK vs. MIA)
47. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams (TB @ BAL)
48. Marion Barber (DAL vs. NO)
49. Isaac Redman (PIT @ BUF)
50. Javarris James (IND vs. SD)

Wide Receivers

1. Dwayne Bowe (KC @ SEA)
2. Calvin Johnson (DET vs. NE)
3. Roddy White (ATL vs. GB)
4. Greg Jennings (GB @ ATL)
5. Brandon Lloyd (DEN vs. STL)
6. Marques Colston (NO @ DAL)
7. Andre Johnson (HOU vs. TEN)
8. Reggie Wayne (IND vs. SD)
9. Larry Fitzgerald (ARI vs. SF)
10. Mike Wallace (PIT @ BUF)
11. Mario Manningham (NYG vs. JAC)
12. DeSean Jackson (PHI @ CHI)
13. Santonio Holmes (NYJ vs. CIN)
14. Steve Johnson (BUF vs. PIT)
15. Mike Williams (TB @ BAL)
16. Vincent Jackson (SD @ IND)
17. Dez Bryant (DAL vs. NO)
18. Jeremy Maclin (PHI @ CHI)
19. Anquan Boldin (BAL vs. TB)
20. Percy Harvin (MIN @ WAS)
21. Terrell Owens (CIN @ NYJ)
22. Wes Welker (NE @ DET)
23. Sidney Rice (MIN @ WAS)
24. Santana Moss (WAS vs. MIN)
25. Nate Burleson (DET vs. NE)
26. Mike Thomas (JAC @ NYG)
27. Chad Ochocinco (CIN @ NYJ)
28. Miles Austin (DAL vs. NO)
29. Braylon Edwards (NYJ vs. CIN)
30. Nate Washington (TEN @ HOU)
31. Danny Amendola (STL @ DEN)
32. Steve Breaston (ARI vs. SF)
33. Ben Obomanu (SEA vs. KC)
34. Randy Moss (TEN @ HOU)
35. Hines Ward (PIT @ BUF)
36. Deion Branch (NE @ DET)
37. Pierre Garcon (IND vs. SD)
38. Johnny Knox (CHI vs. PHI)
39. Brian Hartline (MIA @ OAK)
40. Davone Bess (MIA @ OAK)
41. Michael Crabtree (SF @ ARI)
42. Derek Hagan (NYG vs. JAC)
43. James Jones (GB @ ATL)
44. Derrick Mason (BAL vs. TB)
45. Blair White (IND vs. SD)
46. Brandon Gibson (STL @ DEN)
47. Jabar Gaffney (DEN vs. STL)
48. Lee Evans (BUF vs. PIT)
49. Robert Meachem (NO @ DAL)
50. Steve Smith (CAR @ CLE)
51. Lance Moore (NO @ DAL)
52. Louis Murphy (OAK vs. MIA)
53. Malcom Floyd (SD @ IND)
54. Donald Driver (GB @ ATL)
55. David Gettis (CAR @ CLE)
56. Deon Butler (SEA vs. KC)
57. Anthony Armstrong (WAS vs. MIN)
58. Mike Williams (SEA vs. KC)
59. Eddie Royal (DEN vs. STL)
60. Emmanuel Sanders (PIT @ BUF)

Tight Ends

1. Jacob Tamme (IND vs. SD)
2. Brandon Pettigrew (DET vs. NE)
3. Jason Witten (DAL vs. NO)
4. Marcedes Lewis (JAC @ NYG)
5. Chris Cooley (WAS vs. MIN)
6. Vernon Davis (SF @ ARI)
7. Todd Heap (BAL vs. TB)
8. Tony Gonzalez (ATL vs. GB)
9. Kevin Boss (NYG vs. JAC)
10. Dustin Keller (NYJ vs. CIN)
11. Greg Olsen (CHI vs. PHI)
12. Zach Miller (OAK vs. MIA)
13. Kellen Winslow (TB @ BAL)
14. Evan Moore (CLE vs. CAR)
15. Aaron Hernandez (NE @ DET)
16. Jimmy Graham (NO @ DAL)
17. Joel Dreessen (HOU vs. TEN)
18. Visanthe Shiancoe (MIN @ WAS)
19. Heath Miller (PIT @ BUF)
20. Jermaine Gresham (CIN @ NYJ)
21. Bo Scaife (TEN @ HOU)
22. Tony Moeaki (KC @ SEA)
23. Benjamin Watson (CLE vs. CAR)
24. Michael Hoomanawanui (STL @ DEN)
25. Rob Gronkowski (NE @ DET)

Kickers

1. Rob Bironas (TEN @ HOU)
2. Nick Folk (NYJ vs. CIN)
3. Neil Rackers (HOU vs. TEN)
4. Matt Bryant (ATL vs. GB)
5. Sebastian Janikowski (OAK vs. MIA)
6. Adam Vinatieri (IND vs. SD)
7. Mason Crosby (GB @ ATL)
8. David Akers (PHI @ CHI)
9. Garrett Hartley (NO @ DAL)
10. Phil Dawson (CLE vs. CAR)
11. Matt Prater (DEN vs. STL)
12. Billy Cundiff (BAL vs. TB)
13. Shaun Suisham (PIT @ BUF)
14. Olindo Mare (SEA vs. KC)
15. Ryan Succop (KC @ SEA)
16. Graham Gano (WAS vs. MIN)
17. Lawrence Tynes (NYG vs. JAC)
18. Shayne Graham (NE @ DET)
19. Robbie Gould (CHI vs. PHI)
20. Dave Rayner (DET vs. NE)
21. Joe Nedney (SF @ ARI)
22. Jay Feely (ARI vs. SF)
23. Josh Scobee (JAC @ NYG)
24. David Buehler (DAL vs. NO)
25. Aaron Pettrey (CIN @ NYJ)
26. Ryan Longwell (MIN @ WAS)
27. Dan Carpenter (MIA @ OAK)
28. Nate Kaeding (SD @ IND)
29. Connor Barth (TB @ BAL)
30. Josh Brown (STL @ DEN)
31. Rian Lindell (BUF vs. PIT)
32. John Kasay (CAR @ CLE)

Defenses

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT @ BUF)
2. Cleveland Browns (CLE vs. CAR)
3. New York Giants (NYG vs. JAC)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (PHI @ CHI)
5. New York Jets (NYJ vs. CIN)
6. Indianapolis Colts (IND vs. SD)
7. Oakland Raiders (OAK vs. MIA)
8. Arizona Cardinals (ARI vs. SF)
9. Baltimore Ravens (BAL vs. TB)
10. Washington Redskins (WAS vs. MIN)
11. San Francisco 49ers (SF @ ARI)
12. Chicago Bears (CHI vs. PHI)
13. Green Bay Packers (GB @ ATL)
14. Tennessee Titans (TEN @ HOU)
15. New Orleans Saints (NO @ DAL)
16. New England Patriots (NE @ DET)
17. Kansas City Chiefs (KC @ SEA)
18. Minnesota Vikings (MIN @ WAS)
19. Seattle Seahawks (SEA vs. KC)
20. Detroit Lions (DET vs. NE)

The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week you pick up a defense that is playing against a bad offense (preferably at home). And each week you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position.

Last season, my top pick averaged 9.8 fantasy points per game. My second pick averaged 9.1 and my third pick averaged 7.3. On the whole, DTBWW averaged 9.3 fantasy points per game, which equate to DT5 numbers — all for the price of a few waiver wire pickups. In 2008, my top two picks averaged DT6-type numbers. (Note: To calculate fantasy points, I use this scoring system.)

Unlike Defensive Team By Committee (DTBC), which is for those owners who prefer low maintenance teams, DTBWW strategy allows fantasy owners to virtually ignore DTs on draft day and focus on picking up an extra RB/WR flier instead.

To be eligible, defenses have to be available on the waiver wire in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Let’s see how my Week 11 picks fared:

#1 Chiefs: 13 PA (4) + 2 SK = 6 fantasy points
#2 Dolphins: 16 PA (2) + 3 SK + 1 INT = 6 fp
#3 Browns: 4 SK + 3 INT + 2 FR + 1 RET TD = 15 fp

Overall, not a bad week for DTBWW. The Browns were obviously the best of the bunch, which is a little surprising because they were on the road and the Jags weren’t looking too bad the last few weeks.

On the season, DTBWW is averaging 7.4 | 9.4 | 6.5 (1st, 2nd, 3rd) for a total of 7.6 fantasy points per game.

Let’s take a look at my Week 12 picks keeping in mind that to be eligible, defenses must be available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues:

#1: Cleveland Browns (vs. CAR)
The Ravens DT scored 21 points on the road against Brian St. Pierre and the Carolina offense last week. The Browns are playing good D (11.5 ppg over the last four games) and are at home. This looks like the best matchup of the week.

#2: Indianapolis Colts (vs. SD)
Get this — the Colts DT is averaging 17.3 fantasy ppg in four home games this season, and just 4.3 ppg on the road. They’re at home this week against the Chargers, who have played well of late, but have a history of giving up points (8.9 per game) to fantasy defenses this season.

#3: Oakland Raiders (vs. MIA)
The Raiders DT is averaging 8.8 ppg on the season, and with the Dolphins (10.0 ppg allowed last three games) making the long trip to the West Coast, I see good things for Oakland’s defense this week.

Bonus Picks: ARI (vs. SF), WAS (vs. MIN)

Below you’ll see a table for each position with a list of team names on the left. If a square is pink, it means that the matchup is tough. If it’s green, it means it’s a favorable matchup. On the far right, the column “R16″ shows the average SOS for the remaining weeks.

It’s important to note that this is NOT straight fantasy points allowed. I removed the bias of schedule by looking at the opponents of each defense and how they fared in their other games. For example, if a particular defense faced a series of great QBs, then that is taken into account in these tables.

How do I use these tables?

Generally speaking, I use strength of schedule as a tiebraker between two similarly ranked players. Let’s say I’m trying to decide between starting Fred Jackson and Ronnie Brown. All else being equal, these two players are very close in my mind. But if Jackson has a great matchup and Brown has a bad matchup, the choice is clear. In fact, if Jackson just has a mediocre matchup while Brown has a bad matchup, I’d probably go with Jackson.

Be careful not to read too much into these tables. You aren’t going to bench Chris Johnson in a bad matchup unless you somehow have Arian Foster waiting in the wings.

Note: I apologize for the size of the text, but there really is no other way for me to present this data, at least not at this point.

Wondering who to add/drop or whether or not a trade is fair?

I’m here to help.

After checking out our Waiver Wire Watch, you can post your questions here, and unless you say differently, I’m assuming your league has a standard (non-PPR) scoring system.

If you are wondering who to start in a standard scoring league, please wait until later this week (Wednesday) when I’ll release my official Week 12 rankings.

And if you’re a regular visitor, please take a moment to rate my advice at Fantasy Pros (under Member Rating). I’d appreciate it.

Also, follow me on Twitter @fantasytips.

Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only guys eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 40% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

Shaun Hill (8.8)
In his last six full games, Hill has averaged 290 yards and 1.8 TDs, so why is he still available in 91% of ESPN leagues. He has a great matchup this week (NE) and the fantasy playoffs (@TB, @MIA) look pretty good too.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (32.4)
The Bengals weren’t a great matchup for Fitzy, but he shredded them to the tune of 316 yards and four TDs in a big comeback win. He has proven that he’s startable even in bad matchups, but Week 14 (CLE) and Week 16 (NE) look tasty, assuming the weather in Buffalo cooperates (and that’s a BIG assumption).

Josh Freeman (59.1)
Freeman has now thrown two TDs in each of his last three games, and has thrown for at least 212 yards or two TDs in nine of 10 games this season. In other words, he’s been really consistent, and with a favorable fantasy playoff schedule (@WAS, DET, SEA), he’s a nice guy to have on the roster.

Sam Bradford (28.4)
Bradford is posting the best rookie season of any QB since Matt Ryan. He had two more TDs (along with 233 yards) against the Falcons on Sunday, and has a couple of nice matchups (@DEN, @ARI) coming up. And while other QBs will be battling the elements, Bradford will be playing indoors during the entire fantasy playoffs (@NO, KC, SF).

Jon Kitna (11.7)
Kitna has posted back-to-back three-TD games in the last two weeks against a pair of pretty good pass defenses. The next two weeks (NO, @IND) are kind of tough, but Week 15 (WAS) and 16 (@ARI) are tantalizing, assuming Tony Romo is still sidelined.

Matt Cassel (43.8)
After a tremendous 469-yard, four-TD effort in Week 10, Cassel posted a solid 193 yards and two scores against the Cardinals. The schedule for the next two weeks is nice (@SEA, DEN) and he wouldn’t be a terrible start in Week 15.

David Garrard (53.3)
It wasn’t pretty, but Garrard mustered 254 yards and two scores against CLE, though he did turn the ball over four times. He has a terrible matchup this week (@NYG), but can be used in Week 14 (OAK) and Week 16 (WAS) as part of a QBBC.

Matt Hasselbeck (14.3)
He posted good numbers (366 yards, TD) in a bad matchup, and other than a semi-tough matchup against the Panthers pass D in Week 13, his schedule is quite favorable down the stretch.

Bruce Gradkowski (0.9)
He replaced the ineffective Jason Campbell and is likely to be the starter going forward. He has nice matchups in Week 14 (@JAX) and 15 (DEN).

Tyler Thigpen (0.9)
Okay, he looked pretty awful against the Bears, but everyone is struggling against Chicago’s pass defense right now. With OAK, CLE, BUF and DET up in the next five weeks, Thigpen isn’t a bad guy to use in deeper leagues.

Derek Anderson (3.8)
He hasn’t been terrible lately, throwing for one TD in each of the last four games. Other than a Week 15 game in Carolina, the schedule looks pretty nice down the stretch.

Colt McCoy (4.2)
He has accounted for one TD (two pass, one rush) in each of the last three games, but other than a Week 14 trip to Buffalo, the schedule is pretty rough.

Brian St. Pierre (0.1)
Well, the schedule is pretty nice, so there’s that…

Rusty Smith (0.0)
He’s taking over for the Titans at the right time, with the Texans and Jags up the next two weeks. Throw in another date with Houston in Week 15, and Smith could post surprisingly decent numbers down the stretch.

Keiland Williams (12.4)
Clinton Portis returned to the starting lineup and almost immediately injured himself, so the job is Williams’s for the time being. Ryan Torain and/or James Davis could take over if Williams proves to be ineffective.

Mike Goodson (10.5)
Goodson now has two straight 100-yard days, which is two more than the number of 100-yard games DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have combined for this season. Moreover, he racked up 120 yards in Week 11 against a pretty good Balitmore rush defense. Until Stewart comes back, Goodson should continue to be a decent RB2 start for owners in a pinch.

Chris Ivory (11.7)
Ivory was iffy all week, but carried the ball 23 times for 99 yards and a TD against the Seahawks on Sunday. Reggie Bush is due back soon and Pierre Thomas should be back in Week 13, so Ivory’s long-term value seems to be limited.

Maurice Morris (0.7)
Has Jahvid Best left you in a pinch? With Kevin Smith headed to IR, Morris will be the Lions’ feature back while the team lets the rookie rest his toes. Plus, he has a pretty nice matchup with the Pats this week.

James Davis (0.5)
With Portis likely done for the season and Ryan Torain out for the time being, it looks like Davis will be the RB2 in Washington for now.

Vincent Jackson (59.2)
He’s due back this week and with the Charger receiving corps banged up, Philip Rivers sure could use him.

Sidney Rice (43.1)
He saw 10 targets in his first game back, and only posted 3-56. The important thing is that Brett Favre was looking his way often, and with a pair of nice matchups coming up (@WAS, BUF) he’s usable in deeper formats.

Nate Washington (45.8)
I have my doubts about his consistency, especially with Randy Moss on the other side and Rusty Smith under center, but I can’t argue with his upcoming schedule (@HOU, JAX).

Nate Burleson (27.1)
Burleson has a pretty nice run going — he has posted an average of 5.8-68-0.7 over the last six weeks. With the Pats’ suspect pass defense on tap this week, he’s a decent start.

Danny Amendola (26.6)
Amedola continues to be a solid PPR start. He has 21 catches in his last three games.

Mike Thomas (16.4)
Thomas is another PPR star — he has gone for double digits in that format in six of his last seven games, and has scored a TD in his last three outings. Beware: His upcoming schedule is pretty tough save for a great matchup in Week 16 with the Redskins. However, with Mike Sims-Walker out with a high ankle sprain, Thomas should get plenty of targets.

Blair White (0.6)
With Austin Collie sidelined for half of the NE game, White stepped up with 5-42-2 during the Colts’ near-comeback. He has a bad matchup this week, but with the Cowboys in Week 13 and the Jags in Week 15, he could surprise down the stretch if Collie remains sidelined.

Deion Branch (40.5)
Branch has turned 18 targets over the last two weeks into 14 catches for 141 yards. He probably won’t score many TDs as the Pats like to use their TEs and Danny Woodhead in the redzone, but he should be rostered in most PPR formats.

Ben Obomanu (0.0)
Even before Mike Williams hurt his foot, Obomanu was starting to gain some fantasy relevance with his 4-60 outing against the Cards in Week 10. If Williams is sidelined for any length of time, Obomanu becomes the Seahawks’ de facto WR1, and given his 5-87-1 line against a pretty good Saints’ pass defense, he’s capable.

Derek Hagan (0.1)
With Steve Smith 2.0 sidelined and Hakeem Nicks out for three weeks with a leg injury, the Giants are likely going to turn to Hagan as a fill in. He caught three passes for 10 yards and a TD against the Eagles on Sunday, and has a pair of great matchups (JAX, WAS) coming up. He’s probably not going to help you in the fantasy playoffs, but he may help you get there.

Kenny Britt (57.1)
He has a hamstring issue, but if he can get healthy, the Titans have some great matchups coming up.

Robert Meachem (53.4)
I wouldn’t get too excited about Meachem’s fine 3-50-2 day against the Seahawks; he was only targeted three times. However, with the Cowboys up on Thanksgiving, Meachem isn’t a bad stab-in-the-dark play.

Jabar Gaffney (39.4)
Eddie Royal (39.6)
They didn’t do much against the Chargers, but San Diego has been tough on opposing WRs all year. In PPR leagues, they’re worth rostering.

Louis Murphy (22.5)
Murphy has a chance to make a little noise down the stretch if Bruce Gradkowski can recapture his early season magic.

Davone Bess (29.5)
The former PPR machine has only been targeted 11 times in the last two weeks as Tyler Thigpen has taken over at QB.

James Jones (7.4)
He has 11 catches for 174 yards and two TDs over the last two weeks, but Donald Driver looked pretty good in his return against the Vikings, and that’s going to eat into Jones’s value.

Donald Jones (0.0)
Jones has apparently taken over for Roscoe Parrish in the slot. He posted 5-70-1 against the Bengals, which will put him on the fantasy radar.

Brandon Pettigrew (36.9)
Pettigrew continues to play an integral role in the Lions’ passing attack, as evidenced by his 8-75 outing against the Cowboys on Sunday. He’s not going to set the world on fire, but in PPR formats, Pettigrew has posted at least 8.8 points in each of his last nine games.

Greg Olsen (54.6)
Cutler looks for him in the redzone, so you’re banking on a TD when you start Olsen. He has three-plus catches in his last four games, so at least he’s involved.

Kevin Boss (10.5)
With both Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith 2.0 sidelined, Boss could make some noise in the next two weeks against the sketchy secondaries of the Jags and Redskins.

Jimmy Graham (0.3)
He’s been drawing comparisons to Jermichael Finley, which is a stretch, but Graham now has eight catches for 121 yards and a TD in his last two games. With Jeremy Shockey sidelined and a date with the Cowboys on Thursday, there’s some upside here.

Benjamin Watson (29.9)
Watson squandered an outstanding matchup with the Jags and failed to register a single catch. So he’s now caught less than two passes in three of his last four games.

Joel Dreessen (1.1)
Dreessen posted 4-106-1 on Sunday, which was the kind of numbers I was expecting in Week 10 against the Jaguars. Better late than never, I guess.

Heath Miller (43.0)
Miller only posted 3-26 despite Big Ben’s monster day. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.

Bo Scaife (3.9)
PPR leagues should be aware that Scaife has cuaght 11 passes for 102 yards in his last two games, and faces the Texans and Jaguars over the next two weeks.