Each week in the NFL is its own story -- full of surprises, both positive and negative -- and fantasy football managers must decide what to believe and what not to believe moving forward. Perhaps we can help. If any of these thoughts come true ... don't be surprised.
Don't be surprised if ... these players are fantasy playoff stars
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: Well, of course, right? Barkley scored more than 32 PPR points in three of the past four weeks, and he and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson are the lone players averaging at least 23 PPR points per game. They are fantasy and real-life MVP candidates. The schedule moving forward matters, though, and the Eagles play three home games in December, two against the Panthers and Cowboys, defenses permitting the most and fourth-most PPR points to RBs this season. The Panthers and Cowboys aren't so good against QBs and WRs, either, so enjoy your Eagles the rest of the way.
As for those Ravens, leading the league in total yards per game and second to the Lions in points, after they host the thriving Eagles in Week 13, they must serve their bye week in Week 14. That is quite the bummer since the fantasy playoffs begin in many leagues in Week 14. The Ravens, with Jackson, RB Derrick Henry and others, will not help anyone that week, along with the Broncos (Courtland Sutton), Texans (Nico Collins), Colts, Patriots and Commanders (Jayden Daniels). Fantasy managers must plan, and there are myriad stars that cannot help in Week 14.
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: These productive QBs, two of the five averaging better than 20 PPR points per game this season, each served their byes in Week 12, which we interpret as a good thing. We can presume most players, nearly three months into the season, are dealing with some degree of physical limitation. Allen and Burrow are no different, but the week off must have helped. Neither QB faces the Panthers or Cowboys this week (Bills vs. 49ers, Bengals vs. Steelers), but then it gets easier. Allen hosts the Patriots and Jets in Weeks 16 and 17, two non-contending teams offering little defensive prowess/interest of late. Burrow gets the Cowboys in Week 14, and Dallas is permitting 37.4 points per their five home games (losing all five of them entering Thanksgiving). The Bengals also play the Titans and Browns. There's no stopping Allen and Burrow.
Tony Pollard, RB and Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans: Perhaps this is not whom you expected next. The Titans are 3-8. However, Pollard rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown in Week 12, his top fantasy outing of the season, while Ridley caught 93 yards worth of passes, the fourth time in five weeks he reached double digit fantasy points. The Titans face the more terrible Jaguars twice in December, and the Jaguars are among the top two teams in permitting all of QB, RB and WR PPR points, an attractive fantasy trifecta, if you will. Titans QB Will Levis may even appeal to fantasy managers, too. The Titans also face the Bengals and Colts.
Bucky Irving, RB and Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Irving may not wrestle full volume in this productive backfield until 2025, but he enters Week 13 having reached 15 PPR points in five of six games, and RB2 production works for all leagues, too. Evans returned in Week 12 from a hamstring injury with modest numbers, but the team's schedule is quite enticing, with a pair of games remaining against the Panthers, along with one against the Raiders, Cowboys and, if it matters in your league, the Saints in Week 18. Evans reached 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 NFL seasons, and while he needs to increase his production the final six games, he likely is motivated and aware of this and, with this remaining schedule, perhaps he makes it 11-for-11.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders: Unlike Evans, the underrated Meyers has yet to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a six-season career, but he has topped 100 receiving yards in two of his past three games, coinciding with the trade of teammate Davante Adams. He also lands on this list because the team's schedule features the lowly defenses of the Buccaneers, Falcons, Jaguars and Saints. The Raiders aren't good, either, and it is tough to recommend their QB/RB options because we lack clarity, but Meyers and TE Brock Bowers should pile on numbers in the fantasy playoffs.
Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, WRs, Los Angeles Rams: Here we ignore the schedule and focus on a pair of ultra-productive players shredding opposing defenses, even the good ones. Kupp returned from injury in Week 8, and he has averaged more than 20 PPR points per game since then, including Sunday night against the soaring Eagles. Nacua has topped 18 PPR points in four of five games since he came back from injury. The schedule from Week 14 through 17 is not simple (Bills, 49ers, Jets, Cardinals), but Matthew Stafford isn't Will Levis, either. If he and his WRs remain healthy, they should provide for fantasy managers anyway.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, RBs, Detroit Lions: The RB version of the Rams WR theme, Gibbs reaches Thanksgiving having scored double digit PPR points in each of Detroit's 11 games, topping 20 points in three of the past six contests. Fantasy managers may wish for more volume, but Gibbs has already reached double digit touchdowns for the second consecutive season. Montgomery boasts only one single digit PPR effort, and he has 11 rushing touchdowns, nearly one per game in his two-season run with the Lions. We can count on this production. The Lions establish the run every week, and their December foes (Packers, Bills, Bears, 49ers) will struggle to stop them.