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Rookie Risers and Fallers: Week 12
Risers
Justin Herbert
With disappointing news to Burrow and Tagovailoa this week, Herbert continued to perform at a high level. He posted 366 yards on 37 of 49 passing and 3 TDs. He also had 11 yards on the ground while taking a season high 3 sacks. Herbert’s schedule the rest of the season is very favorable starting with Buffalo next week. He’s a mid-range QB1 in 2020 and will continue to find himself as a riser in my Rookie Risers and Fallers articles.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Le’Veon Bell vultured a rushing TD Sunday, but that didn’t stop CEH from finding the endzone twice in their victory over the Raiders. CEH got back to looking like his old self averaging 4.9 YPC on 16 carries for 69 yards. He only caught 1 of his 2 targets for 8 yards. He’ll be a flex play at best next week against a top Buccaneers run defense. CEH will be in the RB2 category against Denver and Miami the following weeks.
CeeDee Lamb
A regular riser on my Rookie Risers and Fallers lists, Lamb found himself as a faller the 2 games post Dak’s injury but has gotten back to his found his groove again. If you haven’t had a chance to see his TD catch from Sunday, I’d stop what you’re doing and look that up because it was a grab for the ages. He caught 4 of 6 targets for 34 yards while taking 3 punts back for 48 yards. He’s a flex play even against great Washington and Baltimore secondary’s though he failed to catch any of his 5 targets last time they played the Football Team.
J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins took lead of the Ravens backfield against the Titans posting 70 yards and a TD on 15 attempts. He added 2 catches for 15 yards. On Monday it was confirmed that Dobbins tested positive for COVID-19 which means he won’t be available for the Steelers game where he would’ve been a bench type matchup anyway. Week 13 and on he’ll be a flex play which should serve you well in the fantasy playoffs.
Jonathan Taylor
After calling JT droppable in redraft leagues in last weeks 2020 Rookie Risers and Fallers: Week 11 article, he made sure to shut me up and prove just how good he is when given the opportunity. He ran for 90 yards on 22 carries while catching all 4 targets for an additional 24 yards in his favorable matchup against the Packers. Fortunately, he’s got one of the best fantasy playoff schedules and is a flex start in every game except Week 16 against the Steelers.
Michael Pittman
Pittman’s 15.6 fantasy points isn’t amazing, but the fact that he produced after his breakout performance is huge. He caught all 3 balls thrown his way for 66 yards and his first career TD. Pittman is a low-end flex play if you’re in a pinch going forward this season.
Justin Jefferson
Another week, another Justin Jefferson sighting as a riser on my Rookie Risers and Fallers list. With Adam Thielen stealing the show Sunday, Jefferson put up a quiet 3 catches for 86 yards and a TD. The next 2 weeks pose favorable matchups, but how will Jefferson do as the WR1 against the Panthers with Thielen on COVID IR? He’s a flex start despite the matchup for the rest of 2020.
Fallers
Joe Burrow
Unfortunate news for Joe Burrow as he tore his ACL, MCL and did damage to his meniscus, PCL and other ligaments. After surgery, recovery is supposed to be 9-12 months, so his 2021 season is in jeopardy as well. While playing in 74% of snaps before his injury, Joe completed 22 of 33 passes for just 203 yards, 0 INT and 1 TDs. He also ran for 12 yards on 1 carry and lost a fumble. This will be the last time Burrow will be seen on my 2020 Rookie Risers and Fallers articles, but he’s still a franchise QB who we’ll be excited to have back.
Henry Ruggs III
Ruggs continues to see a decline in offensive snaps while seeing his fewest targets this season. He caught his only target for 6 yards and took his only carry for 12 yards. No one saw the emergence of Nelson Agholor coming as most of us expected that role to be taken by Ruggs. Ruggs is just a hold for dynasty, but he may have a game where he booms before the season ends finding a spot back as a riser on my Rookie Risers and Fallers list.
Tee Higgins
With the woes of Burrow’s play comes the woes of Higgins lack of production. He caught 3 of 10 targets for just 26 yards Sunday. The 10 targets is a good sign of high volume that remains. With Ryan Finley as the new QB in Cincinnati, Higgins’ value is sure to drop unless they develop some chemistry quick. Higgins should stay on your bench until we see if that’s the case. We hope to see Higgins on the riser side of my Rookie Risers and Fallers list before seasons end.
Tua Tagovailoa
Tua has been hesitant to throw the ball this season as defenses have taken away his first read. After playing 68% of snaps and completing 11 of 20 pass attempts for 83 yards, 0 INT and 1 TDs, he was benched for Fitzmagic. With all that, head coach Brian Flores still claims Tagovailoa is their starter going forward while expressing his confidence in him. Interesting claim from a coach who benched Tua for his performance. Despite all of that, he’s got the Jets and Bengals in the next 2 weeks and could be a sneaky play if you are short at QB.
Other Notable Observations
Van Jefferson
Van Jefferson sees his first time on my Rookie Risers and Fallers list. He played just 13 snaps, 5%, but caught his only target for the first TD of his career. Kupp, Woods and Reynolds are the clear top 3 for the Rams, so Jefferson isn’t a redraft play but a hold in dynasty formats.
Cam Akers
Running for just 15 yards on 5 carries, Akers wasn’t the only Ram to find the endzone for the first time in their career. Cam caught his only target for 4 yards and a TD. He only played 18% snaps and should stay on waivers this year.
Chase Claypool
Another Rookie Risers and Fallers article, another Claypool showing. He continues to produce and impress scoring his 10th TD while catching 4 of 8 targets for 59 yards. He’s got a tough few weeks ahead but still a flex play without question.
La’Mical Perine
Averaging 4.1 YPC, Perine found the endzone on 8 carries for 33 yards. He’s getting a solid amount of redzone carries, so look for that to continue and grow. He failed to catch his only target, but he’s got a bright future. Unfortunately, he’s not a play in 2020 as he heads to IR with a high ankle sprain.
New Names To Watch For
- K.J. Hill – took his only punt return for 5 yards (5% offensive snaps)
Thank you for reading 2020 Rookie Risers and Fallers: Week 12. If you have any additional questions about someone I didn’t touch on, make sure to let me know in the comments below! For more articles like this visit RotoHeat. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!
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