FanDuel NFL 2021: Best lineup for Week 12
Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals-$7,100
Ben Roethlisberger is clearly a diminished quarterback outside of some brief flashes, but it’s made no difference for Johnson. He has had double-digit targets in seven of his nine games this season, with double-digit PPR points in all nine. In three of four games since Pittsburgh’s bye, he has gotten exactly 13 targets and topped 80 yards.
Johnson did not play against the Bengals back in Week 3, and Cincinnati is in the top-10 in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this season. But in 10 games, they’ve allowed over 9.5 full PPR points to 14 wide receivers and six have posted more than 14.5 points against them in full PPR. In Week 3, Steelers’ receiver Chase Claypool had 15 targets with Johnson out and had nine catches for 96 yards.
Johnson has been consistent, and his ceiling is high this week. If anything, Pittsburgh’s No. 1 wide receiver is a value here.
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos-$7,000
While touchdowns went elsewhere in Week 11 against the Steelers, all Allen did was post nine catches for 112 yards on 12 targets. He has gotten 11 or more targets in four straight games, with at least 98 yards (over 100 twice) or a touchdown in all four.
It’s a middle of the road matchup for the Chargers’ wide receivers in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, and their occasional tendency to allow big plays seems to play more toward Mike Williams this week. But at this price point, even as the 10th-most expensive wide receiver on FanDuel in a thinner slate of Sunday games, it feels like stealing points to have Allen here.
Laviska Shenault, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons-$5,600
Shenault was miscast as a perimeter wide receiver for weeks, and his production showed it. A Week 11 hip injury for Jamal Agnew, which is season-ending, opened up the slot role and Shenault finished with five catches for 50 yards (on five targets).
The Falcons are generally a sieve defensively, and naturally they are bottom-10 in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this season. But they are dead-last against wide receivers in numberFire’s adjusted fantasy points allowed per target (1.67).
Shenault is in for a solid chunk of the target pie over a full game against a bad defense, in what could be a high-scoring game (actually quality of the game is a different conversation). That adds up to value in fantasy, and a pretty easy choice for the the third wide receiver spot in this FanDuel lineup.