It's time for the Week 12 installment of Monday night matchups with my start/sit recommendations. This week, the Packers and Eagles battle to remain relevant in the playoff race.
Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down every game and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and injury information as well. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL matchups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.
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Packers @ Eagles - Monday 11/28 @ 8:30 PM EST
Matchups We Love
Wendell Smallwood (RB, PHI) - Ryan Mathews has been ruled out for Monday's game, so Smallwood should get the majority of carries on early downs. Once upon a time, Green Bay was first against the run defensively. The last couple of weeks they were shredded by DeMarco Murray for 123 yards and a TD, then Rob Kelley for 137 yards and three TD. Smallwood's highs for the season came in Week 3 when he ran 17 times for 79 yards. It may be premature to predict a 100-yard effort, but he is certainly worth plugging into your lineup.
Zach Ertz (WR, PHI) - Green Bay has been equally bad on pass defense lately, but the Eagles aren't exactly known for their receiving prowess. Ertz could present the biggest matchup advantage for Philly. He has come alive lately, catching eight, six, and another six passes in the last three weeks. He scored his first TD last week against Seattle after seeing a season high 11 targets. Ertz is a borderline TE1 this week.
Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB) - Whether they make the playoffs or not, you can't blame Rodgers. The Pack has scored at least 24 points each of the last five games and Rodgers has thrown 15 TD in that span. He is now up to second in the league in passing TD with 25. The Eagles bring one of the better pass defenses in the NFC, but with the way Rodgers is rolling, he is a top-five QB play.
Davante Adams (WR, GB) - After last week's relative dud (3 REC, 42 YDS), Adams may be discounted by many fantasy owners this week. He had provided four straight weeks of excellent value, however, and shouldn't be shut out by Nolan Carroll on the other side. Adams is a low-end WR2 in deep leagues due to his high floor.
Matchups We Hate
Jared Cook (TE, GB) - His sudden re-emergence last week after a seven week hiatus opened some eyes. Cook caught six balls for 105 yards and a TD, consistently getting open against the Redskins. Be warned that Cook has done this before - posting big games, only to disappear for long stretches again. The Eagles are one of the stingiest against tight ends and the Packers have enough receivers to make forcing the ball to Cook unnecessary. Don't overpay or force him into your lineup based on last week.
Ty Montgomery (RB/WR, GB) - The Tybrid (trademark) experiment may be over. He only saw four targets in the pass game and four rushes in the backfield last week, barely more than the three carries and two targets from the week before. Christine Michael should be worked into the RB mix, reverting Montgomery back to an WR4 with little to no value.
Nelson Agholor (WR, PHI) - For a first-round pick, Agholor is proving to be a colossal bust so far. His 52.9% Catch% is no better than last year. He hasn't gone over 50 yards or scored a touchdown since Week 1 against the Browns. Green Bay's secondary isn't very good, but they will look a whole lot better facing off against Agholor.
Notable Players
Christine Michael (RB, GB) - It would be a big leap of faith to expect Michael to have fantasy value this week, but it will be worth noting his workload. The Packers have been without an early down back since Eddie Lacy went out in Week 6. Michael was averaging four yards per carry in Seattle and scored seven TD in nine games, so there is potential.
Key Injuries: Ryan Mathews (RB, PHI) - out, Darren Sproles (RB, PHI) - probable