Breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 12
By Jon Dove
This past weekend saw a handful of players step up and provide a breakout fantasy football performance.
Week 11 of the NFL season featured a few players that basically came out of nowhere to produce. This is the part of the year where teams are getting desperate and might be more willing to give a young player a shot.
We are seeing that type of scenario play out with the Baltimore Ravens. Obviously, Joe Flacco’s injury played a role but things were trending towards Lamar Jackson getting a start sometime soon.
Jackson’s debut as a starter resulted in a win and a ton of rushing yards. There’s a whole different conversation to be had about his actual play, but for us the yardage both as a runner and passer is great for fantasy purposes.
Those who took a flyer on Mitch Trubisky have seen first hand who a quarterback who runs can boost his fantasy production. Trubisky’s passing stats alone aren’t enough to consistently keep him as a favorable option.
Last year’s crazy stretch by Deshaun Jackson was also aided by the use of his legs. Jackson is in a unique situation. He showed well this weekend, but Joe Flacco is still the team’s starting quarterback.
It’s going to be tough for Jon Harbaugh to bench the veteran Flacco in favor of an unproven rookie. Especially, when the team is still technically in the playoff race.
This line of thinking could change quickly if Flacco comes of his injury flat. Baltimore can’t afford to lose many more games and still get into the playoffs. So, picking up Jackson in your fantasy league is a high upside play that could potentially win you your league.