Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 29th at 4:25 PM ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Betting Odds: KC -3.5, 56 total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes (Start, QB1)
Patrick Mahomes is the fantasy QB3 going into this matchup against a Bucs defense that has looked extremely vulnerable lately and got picked apart by Jared Goff on Monday Night Football. Mahomes has thrown for more than 340 yards in 3 consecutive games with an impressive 11:1 TD:INT ratio. He has only failed to throw multiple touchdowns in a game once this season, the 43-16 blowout win in Denver when the Kansas defense and special teams contributed 2 touchdowns before the half. You should see elite production once again from the best quarterback in football.
Running Backs
Clyde-Edwards Helaire (Start, RB2), LeVeon Bell (Sit)
After 3 weeks of disappointing production in which he failed to rush for more than 46 yards in any one game, rookie Clyde-Edwards Helaire burst back onto the fantasy radar with his 1st multi-touchdown game in the NFL last weekend. Take caution, however, as the Bucs currently boast the best defense in the league in terms of yards-per-carry allowed and total rushing yards-per-game allowed. The gameplan may allow for Mahomes to go big early which would mean plenty of volume later in the game – for this reason CEH has a high-upside RB2 status for Week 12. LeVeon Bell has done very little since joining the Chiefs but did notch his 1st TD last week in garbage time. He is not fantasy-relevant, however.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Tyreek Hill (Start, WR1), Sammy Watkins (Start, FLEX), Mecole Hardman (Sit), Damarcus Robinson (Sit), Travis Kelce (Start, TE1)
After posting consecutive 100-yard receiving weeks, Tyreek Hill will look to jump ahead of Davante Adams as the leading fantasy wideout in the NFL this week. Hill has found paydirt in every game but 1 this season and the barometer is only pointing upwards at this stage as the Chiefs look to keep pace with the undefeated Steelers to challenge for the NO.1 seed in the AFC. The return of Sammy Watkins after 6 games out with a hamstring problem is a welcome fantasy story for this week. Watkins was averaging 7 targets per game before his injury and posted 2 scores in his first 4 games. He will return as the No.3 option after Hill and Kelce in this offense. Unfortunately, that means no room for Mecole Hardman or Damarcus Robinson going forward. Hardman caught his only target last week and Robinson will revert to backup status.
Travis Kelce is the top fantasy TE in the NFL right now and it is not even close. He sits more than 55 points ahead of Darren Waller and only 3 wide receivers have scored more points than him – Keenan Allen, Davante Adams, and teammate Tyreek Hill. Kelce is justifying his round 1 selection in fantasy drafts and then some. Much like his QB, set and forget.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Tom Brady (Start, QB1)
It has been a schizophrenic few weeks for Tom Brady and this stuttering Bucs offense. He has posted 2 mammoth games scoring 30+ fantasy points alongside 2 middling scores in the teens and that horrific night against the Saints where he threw 3 INTs and mustered just 5.36 fantasy points. Add to that the fact that he is 0-for-19 on pass attempts of 20+ yards over the past month and things look a little worrying for your fantasy run in. You certainly cannot expect Brady to provide consistently, he is a boom or bust option at this point. Even the return of Chris Godwin hasn’t helped matters.
Running Backs
Ronald Jones (Sit, RB2), Leonard Fournette (Sit, FLEX)
This backfield is a mess. After encouraging signs from Ronald Jones earlier in the season, Bruce Arians has opted to use Leonard Fournette in key passing situations despite his numerous drops in recent weeks. Jones nudged out Fournette for carries 10-7, but it was the former Jaguar who got the goal-line carry for the score. They combined for 17 rushes for 41 yards, which is just awful. The Chiefs’ defensive front has stifled rushing attacks in recent weeks. There is no good news story here for Week 12.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Mike Evans (Start, WR2), Chris Godwin (Start, FLEX), Antonio Brown (Sit, FLEX), Scotty Miller (Sit), Rob Gronkowski (Start, TE1)
A Herculean effort for a touchdown from Mike Evans had us licking our lips after last weekend and Evans looks to be the apple in Brady’s eye at the minute, especially in the red zone – Evans has boasted 11 catches on 20 targets with 2 scores in the past 2 weeks. No other Bucs receiver comes close to that. The return of Chris Godwin should have allowed for a more dynamic Bucs offense in recent weeks but Brady’s inability to push the ball downfield limits Godwin’s outlook down the stretch. He is operating as an explosive slot receiver at best. He should still be a regular feature in your lineup in the FLEX spot. The acquisition of Antonio Brown has done little to improve this offense and has also made the promising Scotty Miller disposable in fantasy leagues. Brown has had a couple of useful weeks but don’t be looking for anything above average.
It was only a few weeks ago that we stated that the old groove was back after Rob Gronkowski posted 3 consecutive games with a touchdown. Since then he has just 5 catches on 15 targets since Brown’s arrival. The Bucs have shot themselves in the foot with that decision. Gronk is back to being a low-TE2 option.
-Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)