Week 11 was full of offensive explosions. 11 teams scored 27 or more points, and there were plenty of massive fantasy performances. Weeks 12 and 14 each have six teams on bye, so it’s essential to be prepared. The fantasy regular season has only three weeks left, so the time to secure playoff seeding is now. These are fantasy football lessons for Week 12.
Fantasy Football Lessons for Week 12 and Beyond
Joe Mixon Is Making His Case To Be The Overall RB1
The Houston Texans have changed their offense quite a bit this season. Last season was all about C.J. Stroud throwing the ball to Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but things are different now. They’ve turned Joe Mixon into a workhorse. Mixon is the only running back in the NFL, averaging over 20 carries per game, and he’s thriving.
Mixon missed three games due to an ankle injury but is currently the RB1 in points per game. His lead would have been even more significant had he not played through his injury in Week 2. Mixon is not an elite pass catcher, but his rushing volume negates that. He’s had 25 or more carries in a game four times and scored multiple touchdowns three times despite only playing eight games.
His 35.3-point performance in Week 11 was just the icing on the cake for what has been a phenomenal fantasy season. Mixon has a few problematic matchups left but should be in all lineups. It would not be a surprise to see him finish as one of the top three running backs in points per game.
Bo Nix Has Established Himself As A Top 10 Fantasy QB
For most of the season, Jayden Daniels rightfully received attention for his play. Daniels has been tremendous in real life and even better in fantasy. However, another rookie quarterback has quietly overtaken him. Bo Nix has outscored Daniels in six of the last seven fantasy weeks, and has made his way up to QB7 on the year.
It’s especially impressive, considering most of the pieces on the Broncos offense are either very young or unproven. In addition to having six passing touchdowns in his last two games, Nix has rushing upside. He has four rushing touchdowns this season and isn’t afraid to scramble.
On top of all that, Nix has a very favorable schedule. Four of the Broncos’ last five opponents are against teams in the bottom 12 in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Nix is a top-eight QB for the rest of the season and should be a trade target in both redraft and dynasty formats.
The Chargers Offense Is Clicking
The Los Angeles Chargers lost Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler in the offseason, leaving many questions about the offense. Justin Herbert is a very talented player but needs help like any quarterback. Now, ten games into the season, Herbert and the offense have dispelled any doubts.
The Chargers are on a four-game winning streak, having scored 26 or more points in each game. Herbert averaged 21.9 fantasy points per game in that stretch, making him the QB6 for that time period. He’s comfortably a fantasy starter now after having mediocre numbers for the first half of the season. Herbert’s thriving has naturally helped the pass catchers, too.
Quentin Johnston, who has been a fringe waiver-wire player for most of the season, has three consecutive games with a touchdown. He’s a decent flex option moving forward. Ladd McConkey is now third in receiving yards among rookies and looks like a real star. He’s one to watch, especially in dynasty formats. Will Dissly has also emerged as a startable tight end, having six targets or more in four of his last five games.
The Chargers are getting it together at the right time. They face Tampa Bay and New England during the fantasy playoffs, two matchups that allow them to score many points. After mostly not being fantasy-relevant this season, they now have plenty of good options.
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