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On a slate notably lacking in QB star power, strategy must be adjusted for building GPP tournament lineups. By paying up for Tom Brady, fantasy gamers unlock a floor and ceiling combo not possible with any other QB. Paying down for Cam Newton will be more popular, but by stacking him with D.J. Moore, leverage is available on those looking to only play Newton for his rushing.

The first, and least desirable, game of the Thanksgiving slate is shaping up to be even uglier; both starting quarterbacks are likely out for the matchup. No Justin Fields on Turkey Day is a bummer, but at least we get D’Andre Swift in this one. The second year back is No. 5 in PPR scoring, and with Jamaal Williams getting work. Some didn’t think this was possible. But it is and he’s killing it; he ranks No. 4 in Snap Share at the position, and No. 1 in Targets and Receptions. Oh, and his Dominator Rating is a stellar 32.5 percent, good for No. 4 among qualified backs. He’s in for a day on Thursday.

The obvious issue here is the Cowboys receivers. Dallas did not play well last week against the Chiefs, and the injuries were certainly a part of it. They’ll have to rebound against the Raiders, and they still will be without both Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. Michael Gallup led receivers with 10 Targets, but failed to capitalize. He’s had a quiet return from IR thus far, but Dallas will need him to step up Thursday, even if the run game is working well.

With three games on the docket, the pickings are slim on a short Thanksgiving slate. At the quarterback position, Josh Allen is the clear-cut top option and is worth the spend-up. After bodying DFS lineups in a surprising flop performance against the Colts, expect a bounce-back game against a Saints team that has allowed a lot of fantasy points to the quarterback this season (No. 7) but especially over the past four weeks (No. 1 in points allowed).

With the questions surrounding the Cowboys offensive weapons, consider a complete dart throw in tight end Sean McKeon. With Blake Jarwin shelved on IR, the second-year tight end has seen a slight uptick in playing time. Dallas should run more two tight end sets in support of the run-heavy Game Script, which would put him on the field more. McKeon is athletic given his 93rd-percentile Vertical Jump and 78th-percentile Speed Score. At the stone minimum $2,500 10 DKPt gives us tournament-winning upside.

Darnell Mooney took full advantage of the injury related absence of Allen Robinson (DK: $5,100) in Week 11. Mooney saw a team-high 16 targets, which was one less target that everyone else on the team combined. He also saw 219 Air Yards and was able to capitalize on this immense opportunity despite only catching five passes. Mooney finished as the WR4 on the week with 23.1 fantasy points. At only $5,700, he would enter chalk play territory if Robinson is force to miss the game against Detroit and their exploitable secondary.

Emmanuel Sanders posted another dud last week against the Colts scoring only 5.6 fantasy points. Considering his performance so far this season, its best to chalk up his Week 11 opportunities as a fluke. Sanders has seen 100 Air Yards or more in half of the games he played this season, and setting last weeks performance aside on the cooling rack, Sanders has seen at least 78 Air Yards per game. His 17.4 Average Target Distance will make him volatile however he should a mainstay in tournament lineups.

The tight end throne has been taken for quite some time because Travis Kelce is the undisputed tight end champion of the world. All the talk at the beginning of the 2021 season was between tight ends T.J. Hockenson, Darren Waller, George Kittle, maybe Kyle Pitts, and of course Kelce. Mike Gesicki was so far down that he was an afterthought TE. The truth is Gesicki is now the number one contender for the TE 1 crown. Don’t make the mistake of upgrading him too slowly like many fantasy analysts do.

My prediction is Mike Gesicki will gradually fall down the ranks this year as Miami’s quarterback struggles will continue. He will finish anywhere from No. 5 to No. 10 in fantasy scoring, but his ADP won’t reflect his true upside. My guess is next year he will be overshadowed by players like T.J. Hockenson, Kyle Pitts, Darren Waller, Mark Andrews, and of course Travis Kelce. However, Gesicki will be the best value tight end drafted, and has a good chance to be the best tight end in fantasy football.

Before week 11, Sanders had a 7.9-percent (No. 5 among qualifying RBs before Week 11) Breakaway Run Rate and a 61.1-percent (No. 15) Snap Share. The Eagles have run the ball more in the second half of the season, with at least 30 rush attempts each of their last five games, so Sanders is slated to see more opportunity. The Giants have allowed at least 100 yards rushing to opponents in five of their last seven games this season (with 97 rush yards given up in Week 11).

Despite entering week 11 with an 80-percent (No. 8 among qualifying TEs before Week 11) Snap Share on a team averaging 38.0 (No. 9) Pass Plays per Game, Tyler Conklin averages less than 10.0 Fantasy Points Per Game, outside the top-10 TEs. Behind Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, the Vikings’ pass game becomes murky. While Conklin gets his share of targets, he does not produce enough to be a weekly start in leagues with 10 or less teams. The 49ers have allowed more than 40 receiving yards to opposing TEs just once since Week 1. Conklin is in for a rough matchup.

Michael Carter is out for at least two weeks. Ty Johnson split time with Tevin Coleman, but outsnapped him last week. Expect Johnson to see an even larger share of the RB work this week. We have already seen his ability as a receiver with three games of five receptions or more. Treat him as a high end RB3/flex play this week.  

Marquez Valdes-Scantling led the Packers with 10 targets this past weekend, including a 75-yard TD grab. He finished with 123 yards receiving and has a plus matchup this week as Green Bay faces off in a potentially high-scoring game with the Rams. MVS can be frustrating at times, but he has big-play potential and can be started if you need a flex with upside.  

The New York Giants simply don’t deserve to be on Primetime TV. Daniel Jones is an erradic mess, and has struggled to get the ball to playmakers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney. The offense looks to turn things around with Saquon Barkley hopeful to return to the lineup.

Tampa Bay is in a slump, but the Giants are the perfect get-right opponent. Tom Brady is still racking up elite production and helping Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have solid seasons. Leonard Fournette has blossomed as a bell-cow, racking up 15 fantasy point performances. The Bucs looks to gain Rob Gronkowski back to the slew of playmakers. =

If you think back to training camp, a different Elijah was the talk of the NFL town. It was the Jets’ Elijah Moore, with one of the most impressive college metrics profiles you’ll find; Start him every week. It doesn’t matter who’s at QB or if the Jets lose out. He’s the team’s best receiver and will someday be their first Pro Bowl receiver this century.

Enjoy watching this generation’s most complete, exciting running back. I hope you followed PlayerProfiler and Breakout Finder’s Advice and selected Jonathan Taylor at 1.01 in last year’s dynasty rookie drafts. If you followed the herd and went Clyde Edwards-Helaire instead, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

This is another one of those, “don’t rest on your laurels” check points. The payoff to the grind of it all is in sight. And in a week with a blank IR room and only the Rams and Broncos on BYE, there is still much to discuss. With both good news and bad, The Infirmary is here to provide the essentials for fantasy managers.

Rashod Bateman is primed for a big game with Marquise Brown sitting out. He’s seen a 27.7 percent Target Rate since entering the lineup, good for No. 17 at the position. Not to mention, he’s facing off against the No. 26-ranked pass defense. The Bucs will be without Antonio Brown again, and face Tom Brady’s nemesis- the New York Football Giants. This offense needs to step it up. Speaking of the G-Men, they’ll be without Sterling Shepard. Once again, it’s Kadarius Toney time.