There are only a few weeks left until the fantasy football playoffs. Many teams were eliminated this week. Others clinched their spot. But some are still in a dogfight for the final available spots. But anyone with championship dreams is still doing their due diligence to add any player who can contribute to their playoff run. Some players to watch during Week 12’s bouts are Tim Patrick, Sony Michel, and Denzel Mims.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Watch List: Sony Michel, Tim Patrick
Tim Patrick
Tim Patrick is turning into the unsung hero of the Denver Broncos. First-round rookie Jerry Jeudy has gotten most of the buzz this season in fantasy circles. Still, he was supposed to play behind Courtland Sutton, who ended up injuring his knee trying to make a tackle after an interception.
KJ Hamler was a name floated in fantasy circles at the position, but few were talking about Patrick, who has been the most productive of the position group. Jeudy has 26 more receiving yards on one more catch, but also 21 more targets. Usually, fantasy football team managers want to follow the targets, but this is an exception to the rule.
Jeudy has been force-fed many games but isn’t really making much of it. He only has one 100-yard game this season, and it took him 14 targets to get there. Aside from that, Jeudy only has one game where he topped 68 yards.
On the other hand, Patrick has three 100-yard games this year. Patrick suffered a hamstring injury in week seven against the Kansas City Chiefs, limiting him to three catches for 44 yards. The issue caused him to miss week eight’s contest against the Los Angeles Chargers as well. However, aside from those two games, Patrick has at least six targets each game since week four.
Patrick could be a sneaky add for wide receiver needy teams coming into the playoffs.
Sony Michel
It is rare to see a player who was drafted in many leagues get onto the watch list, but Michel is in an interesting situation where he might come back from the dead in the coming weeks. He began the year as the team’s “starter” but still didn’t get a ton of work despite the New England Patriots new run-heavy offense. Rex Burkhead and James White operated mostly ahead of him. And while he was injured, Damien Harris started to come on strong.
Michel was activated from Injured Reserve last week but still didn’t make it into the game. There is no doubt he sees time week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals. Burkhead suffered a knee injury last week, and he will miss the rest of the year. Harris has played well enough to keep himself as the lead back, with White operating as the receiving back.
But, Harris has been dealing with an ankle, and apparently a chest injury recently. It could have been the reason why he saw his fewest carries since week 7. Michel is a player to monitor in the coming weeks, and potentially even stash just in case.
Denzel Mims
Rookie wide receiver Denzel Mims was on many people’s radar coming into the 2020 season. With Jamison Crowder as his only real competition for targets, Mims had the potential for fantasy relevance by volume alone. However, a hamstring injury caused the Jets to put him on Injured Reserve, leading many to wonder if he would even get the chance to make an impact in year one.
Luckily, Mims was able to make his return in week seven against the Buffalo Bills. So far, he looked impressive during his small sample size. He only saw fewer than seven targets in one of his four games played. And he has at least 42 yards in each game. He has been relatively explosive, averaging 16.7 yards per catch. But, if there is one weakness in his game so far, it is actually bringing in his targets. Mims only has a 50 percent catch rate.
But in a way, it’s a glass-half-full type of outlook. Sure, Mims could be bringing in more balls, but the Jets really have nothing to lose by peppering their young wideout with targets. And it will undoubtedly lead to some big games for him. Mims is a volatile player, but one that could reward bold fantasy owners.
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