Fantasy Football Report: Week 12

By - Tim Swift

Here's the fantasy lowdown heading into Week 12.

1. Belichick's curious decision.

Photo by: Jim Rogash

The sight of Rob Gronkowski holding his forearm late Sunday afternoon in the 59-24 beat down of the Colts had fantasy footballers everywhere sick to their stomach. We all know Bill Belichick has always had a very different approach when it comes to blowouts, and Sunday was no exception -- having Tom Brady sling passes while up 4 scores with less than 5 minutes to go. Gronk's injury will keep him out for at least a month, and now one of the highest scoring TEs in fantasy won't be around for your playoffs. A few suggestions if you have Gronk are Scott Chandler, Brandon Allen, and Jared Cook. They won't produce like Gronkowski, but at this point in the season, you don't have very many options.

2. Can anyone explain what happened between Jacksonville and Houston on Sunday?

If you would have told me that Chad Henne and Matt Schaub would combine for nearly 900 yards passing, 9 TDs, and roughly 150 fantasy points between them, I would have had you consult a doctor immediately. It's one thing for a guy like Aaron Rodgers to rip apart a suspect Texans secondary, but when Henne does it, it's a whole different story. To put Schaub's day in perspective -- only Warren Moon and Norm Van Brocklin have thrown for as many yards in a game as Schaub did on Sunday. He also put up as much as 90 points in some fantasy leagues, which was easily the best point total of the season. I don't think this is going to become the norm though. This week, the Texans will go back to grinding teams into the turf, and the Jags will go back to being...the Jags.

3. RGIII gets back to being brilliant.

After two sub-par weeks before the bye, Robert Griffin III had fallen back in the fantasy QB rankings. But on Sunday, he announced his presence with authority -- 4 touchdowns and nearly 300 yards of total offense put him 4th overall in fantasy points for Week 11, behind only Schaub, Henne, and Andre Johnson. Down the stretch, RGIII could help you out a lot, with two matchups against Dallas, then games against Cleveland and Philadelphia. 30-plus points a week should be the norm for the rookie from Baylor from here on out.

4. Would someone please help Dwayne Bowe and Larry Fitzgerald?

Two of the most talented wide receivers in the National Football League are trapped in awful QB situations that have no end in sight. These are the five quarterbacks that Bowe and Fitzgerald have had to deal with this season: Kevin Kolb, John Skelton, Ryan Lindley, Matt Cassel, and Brady Quinn. Absolutely pitiful. If your trade deadline has not passed yet, try to unload these two, because it's getting harder to play them on a weekly basis. Fitzgerald has found the end zone just once since Week 6, while Bowe has not seen it since Week 4. Simply put, through no real fault of their own, they're not worth keeping around anymore.

5. Time to give Andy Dalton props.

Lost in the performances of Peyton, Brees, and Rodgers, among others, has been the very steady play of Andy Dalton. He is ranked in the top 10 in most fantasy formats, in part to his 20 touchdown season so far. Dalton has thrown for at least 3 scores in 5 games this year, and has helped turn A.J. Green into a fantasy stud. "Big Red" has also thrown a TD in every game this season except for Week 1. He has a couple of good matchups ahead against the likes of Oakland and San Diego, so expect the multiple touchdown games to continue. If you're in a keeper league and you drafted Dalton late, you probably have found a guy to hold on to for next season.

Solid Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups:

Chad Henne (QB), Colin Kaepernick (QB), Bryce Brown (RB), Ronnie Hillman (RB), Danario Alexander (WR)

The Underrated 15 For Week 12:

Quarterbacks:

1. Tony Romo

2. Cam Newton

3. Chad Henne

Running Backs:

1. Marcel Reese

2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis

3. Ronnie Hillman

Wide Receivers:

1. Randall Cobb

2. Danario Alexander

3. Dez Bryant

Tight Ends:

1. Brandon Myers

2. Jared Cook

3. Jermaine Gresham

Defense/Special Teams:

1. Arizona

2. Denver

3. Baltimore

*Catch me on Fantasy Football Live every Sunday morning from 8:00-9:00, and on the Thom Abraham Show every Wednesday afternoon starting at 3:40 for even more Fantasy Football talk on Sports Radio 560 WNSR Nashville.