Fantasy Football Week 12: Complete Monday Night Preview
Yes, we are aware that there are a pair of NFL games on Monday night.
Unfortunately for the citizens of Buffalo (and we wish them well these last few days), their team will be playing the New York Jets on Monday as well…in Detroit.
Due to the snowstorms in upstate New York, that AFC East rivalry will be renewed in the Motor City.
As for the regularly scheduled Monday night affair, we are here to go over the fantasy football ramifications for the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.
As we head down the stretch for both the league’s regular season and the fantasy postseason, this is an intriguing contest with a number of performers on plenty of owners’ rosters.
Starting Quarterbacks
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Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco
What’s in a number?
For Flacco, the figure is No. 5. As in five touchdown passes and just as many interceptions in his last four outings. This was after (you guessed it) throwing five touchdown passes (zero interceptions) in the first 16:03 of the team’s 48-17 victory at Tampa Bay in Week 6.
Still, for the Super Bowl XLVII champion, it’s not been a stellar showing in terms of numbers this season, although the statistics are much better than a year ago. In 10 games, Flacco has thrown for 2,521 yards and 17 scores while being picked off eight times. In 2013, the seven-year performer threw 19 touchdown passes and a career-high 22 interceptions.
Fantasy Prediction: 24-of-35, 289 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. 3 carries, 11 yards, 0 TD.
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees
Like his team, Brees has been average at best this season to date. Then again, by his lofty standards, you could perhaps label his play subpar these days.
This season, the veteran signal-caller has thrown for 19 scores but has already been picked off 10 times in as many games. Brees has also fumbled four times and lost a pair of those miscues. And it might surprise some to know that the 14-year performer has thrown just as many interceptions at home (five) as he has on the road in 2014.
One year ago, the prolific quarterback threw 39 touchdown passes compared to only a dozen interceptions.
Fantasy Prediction: 28-of-40, 343 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. 2 carries, 0 yards, 0 TD.
Running Backs
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Baltimore Ravens Backup: Justin Forsett
When last we saw John Harbaugh’s team, Forsett was busy exploiting the Tennessee Titans for 112 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on just 20 carries. It marked the second time in the team’s last five games that the 2014 free-agent pickup ran for at least 100 yards.
Forsett leads the Ravens this season with 721 yards rushing and five scores on 133 carries and takes aim at a Saints run defense allowing 114.7 yards per game on the ground. He also ranks third on the team with 31 receptions, good for 202 yards.
Fantasy Prediction: 23 carries, 91 yards, 1 TD. 2 receptions, 14 yards, 0 TD.
Baltimore Ravens Starter: Lorenzo Taliaferro
The fourth-round pick from Coastal Carolina this spring was a bigger factor earlier in the season. Taliaferro got his first carry in Week 3 vs. the Browns and in consecutive games combined for 33 carries for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
However, in his last six outings, the rookie running back has totaled 28 carries for 108 yards and a pair of scores—both of those touchdowns coming in the team’s Week 8 loss at Cincinnati.
In Baltimore’s 21-7 win over the Tennessee Titans, Taliaferro totaled 10 yards rushing on three carries. Meanwhile, teammate Bernard Pierce ran for 31 yards on eight attempts.
Fantasy Prediction: 11 carries, 34 yards, 0 TD. 0 receptions.
New Orleans Saints Starter: Mark Ingram
He’s been the workhorse in the New Orleans backfield as of late. And the former Heisman Trophy winner, for the most part, has looked like the player that enjoyed a very promising 2014 preseason.
In his last four games, Ingram has totaled at least 23 carries in each contest. Over that span, he has rushed for 459 yards on 104 attempts and run for three touchdowns.
The Saints entered Week 12 with the league’s eighth-ranked running game. Meanwhile, only four teams in the NFL have allowed fewer rushing yards per game than the Ravens.
Fantasy Prediction: 17 carries, 76 yards, 0 TD. 3 receptions, 21 yards, 0 TD.
New Orleans Saints Backup: Pierre Thomas
With Khiry Robinson out again, take your pick on whom the backup running back will be on Monday night between Thomas and Travaris Cadet, both on the injury list this week (as is Ingram) but all listed as probable.
As for Thomas, he’s been inactive for the last four games but still ranks third on the team with 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He’s also totaled 26 receptions for 204 yards and one score and is one of the league’s most underrated backs when healthy.
Fantasy Prediction: 6 carries, 28 yards, 0 TD. 5 receptions, 51 yards, 0 TD.
Wide Receivers
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Baltimore Ravens: Steve Smith Sr.
After a sensational start, the 14-year veteran and five-time Pro Bowler has slowed down in terms of production more than just a little bit in recent weeks.
In his last four contests, Smith has totaled 14 catches for 155 yards and zero touchdowns. That is in stark contrast to the beginning of 2014, when the former Carolina Panthers star amassed 35 receptions for 573 yards and four scores in the Ravens’ first six games. The talented wideout also totaled 100 or more yards receiving in four of those first six outings.
Of course, it’s safe to say that Smith has enjoyed his share of quality performances against the Saints during his impressive career.
Fantasy Prediction: 5 receptions, 67 yards, 0 TD.
Baltimore Ravens: Torrey Smith
This Smith has suddenly become a somewhat regular visitor to opposing end zones over the last month or so.
While the speedy wideout has not piled up huge numbers in 2014, it’s actually been a tale of two seasons for the fourth-year player. In his last five outings, Smith has totaled 16 receptions for 270 yards and five touchdowns in his last five games. That’s in stark contrast to the start of the season, when he caught just 11 passes for 176 yards and one score.
He will certainly challenge the New Orleans secondary deep on more than one occasion.
Fantasy Prediction: 7 receptions, 112 yards, 1 TD.
Baltimore Ravens: Marlon Brown
A year ago, Brown totaled 49 catches for 524 yards and a team-high seven touchdown receptions.
However, we haven’t seen a lot of the young wideout this season. He was inactive for two games and did not catch a pass in three other contests. In eight outings in 2014, he’s totaled 10 receptions for 93 yards and zero scores. Brown has totaled no more than three catches in any contest this season.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 10 yards, 0 TD.
Baltimore Ravens: Kamar Aiken
The former undrafted free agent bounced around the league with the Buffalo Bills (2011) and New England Patriots (2012) and didn’t play a game for the Ravens last season.
In 2014, Aiken has played in all 10 games and been targeted 18 times, catching 13 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. He has totaled at least one reception in seven straight games but has not had a huge impact this year.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 reception, 14 yards, 0 TD.
New Orleans Saints: Marques Colston
The Saints’ all-time leader with 641 receptions obviously keeps adding to that total. However, the nine-year veteran hasn’t spent much time in the other teams' end zones this season.
Colston ranks third on the team with 25 catches and 536 receiving yards and is averaging 15.8 yards per reception. But the former Hofstra University product has scored only one touchdown in 2014, and that was back in the Week 3 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Still, all of that could change against an iffy Baltimore secondary and with rookie wide receiver Brandin Cooks unavailable.
Fantasy Prediction: 7 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD.
New Orleans Saints: Kenny Stills
Stills scored the only touchdown of the game for Sean Payton’s club in last week’s 27-10 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Unfortunately, it was only the second score of 2014 for the young performer, who was a fifth-round pick of the Saints from the University of Oklahoma a year ago.
On the season, Stills has totaled 31 catches for 431 yards in nine games.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 61 yards, 0 TD.
New Orleans Saints: Robert Meachem
The one-time first-round draft choice is in the midst of his second stint with the Saints. Meachem is also listed as questionable for this game and could be a game-time decision.
Regardless, it’s worth noting that the veteran wide receiver has totaled just five catches for 85 yards this season and has been inactive the last two games.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 reception, 20 yards, 0 TD.
New Orleans Saints: Nick Toon
In three NFL seasons, the 2012 fourth-round pick has played in a total of 10 games and caught four passes 68 yards—all of those receptions coming last season.
Toon has played in just two games in 2014 and may or may not be active for this game, even with Cooks injured.
Fantasy Prediction: 0 receptions.
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Tight Ends
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Baltimore Ravens Starter: Owen Daniels
The former Houston Texans Pro Bowler has proved to be a solid pickup for the club. Daniels ranks second on the team with 35 receptions and third on the club with 348 receiving yards in just nine appearances this season.
The veteran tight end has been targeted at least four times in seven outings this season. Daniels has also scored three touchdowns in 2014 but just one in his last seven games.
Fantasy Prediction: 5 receptions, 66 yards, 0 TD.
Baltimore Ravens Backup: Crockett Gillmore
After not catching a pass in the first five games of the season, the rookie from Colorado State has been targeted eight times and caught six passes for 53 yards and a score in the team’s last five games.
Gillmore, a third-round pick in May, may get his share of throws his way against Rob Ryan’s 3-4 defense.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 18 yards, 0 TD.
New Orleans Saints Starter: Jimmy Graham
One of the most dangerous players in the league at his position (and it is tight end), Graham led the entire NFL with 16 touchdown receptions in 2013.
This season, Graham has totaled 59 catches for 623 yards, both team-highs, and has been on the receiving end of seven of Drew Brees’ 19 touchdown passes.
Graham has scored at least once in five of the team’s 10 contests this season.
Fantasy Prediction: 8 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD.
New Orleans Saints Backup: Benjamin Watson
The veteran performer and 13-year veteran caught 19 passes for 226 yards and two scores last season for the Saints.
In 2014, Watson has totaled a dozen catches but for only 84 yards and has yet to reach the end zone this season. And it’s worth noting that five of those 12 receptions came in one game.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 reception, 13 yards, 0 TD.
Defense/Special Teams
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Baltimore Ravens Defense/Special Teams
This is an emerging unit that has certainly had its moments this season. The Ravens have totaled 25 sacks (10.5 by outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil) and has forced 15 turnovers.
However, as has been the case in recent seasons, this is a different team and a different defense on the road as opposed to home.
Baltimore has allowed 20 offensive touchdowns in 10 games in 2014, 16 of those in the team’s five road contests.
Fantasy Prediction: 26 points allowed, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF.
New Orleans Saints Defense/Special Teams
Last season, the Saints ranked fourth in the league in terms of fewest yards and fewest points allowed. While they struggled to force turnovers (19 takeaways), Rob Ryan’s unit at least came up with 49 sacks.
That’s hardly been the case in 2014. The pass rush has totaled just 22 sacks in 10 games, half of those by the combination of Junior Galette (six) and Cameron Jordan (five). However, it should be noted that Ryan’s pass rush has produced 16 sacks in their last five outings.
Still, this team continues to have issues turning the opposition over, amassing just 10 takeaways in as many contests this season.
Fantasy Prediction: 23 points allowed, 3 sacks, 2 INT, 0 FF.
Best Sleeper Adds
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It’s the final weekend of down-time in the league (the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers were off in Week 12). Is there someone on one of those teams’ rosters that you need to replace with possibly one of the Ravens or Saints? Here are a few suggestions, although the pickings are somewhat slim at this stage of the season.
1. Kamar Aiken, Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens (Owned in 0.0 Percent of ESPN leagues)
The journeyman performer has managed to catch 13 passes for 138 yards and a score this season. If you’re in a pinch for a wide receiver tonight, he could be worth the pickup…maybe.
2. Crockett Gillmore, Tight End, Baltimore Ravens (Owned in 0.2 Percent of ESPN leagues)
Veteran Owen Daniels has been Joe Flacco’s tight end of choice with Dennis Pitta down. Could Gillmore get some added opportunities Monday night against the Saints’ 3-4 defense?
3. Nick Toon, Wide Receiver, Running Back, New Orleans Saints (Owned in 0.0 Percent of ESPN leagues)
He has zero receptions this season and has played in only two games. But with Brandin Cooks injured, is it possible the former fourth-round pick could see the field and a few passes his way? It’s probably a long shot.
Injury Report
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The Ravens appear to be a lot healthier than the Saints entering this contest. Here we will focus on some of the key players and their injured status. You can find the complete list for both teams courtesy of NFL.com.
Baltimore Ravens | ||
Player | Status | |
Michael Campanaro | WR | Out |
Marshal Yanda | G | Probable |
This is a fairly healthy team heading into this contest. Of course, not listed here is standout cornerback Jimmy Smith, out for the season.
New Orleans Saints | ||
Player | Status | |
Khiry Robinson | RB | Out |
Robert Meachem | WR | Questionable |
Mark Ingram | RB | Probable |
Travaris Cadet | RB | Probable |
Pierre Thomas | RB | Probable |
Zach Strief | T | Probable |
Curtis Lofton | LB | Probable |
Keenan Lewis | CB | Probable |
As you can see, all four of the Saints running backs are on the injury report, with Robinson out for the game. While Ingram is expected to go here, both Thomas and Cadet were limited in practice on Saturday. And Meachem could be a game-time scratch.
Sit or Start
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There are plenty of standouts on both John Harbaugh’s and Sean Payton’s rosters. Is there a key player that you are not sure whether to insert into your lineup for Monday night?
RB Lorenzo Taliaferro (Ravens)
The Saints entered the week tied for 19th in the league in rushing defense. We could not only see Justin Forsett but Bernard Pierce and Taliaferro as well. But it's not enough for the rookie runner to warrant a start.
Verdict: Sit
RB Pierre Thomas (Saints)
He’s one of the league’s more unsung performers and can make things happen on his own when it comes to the passing game. If he plays, he’s worth the nod even though we’re not predicting him to reach the end zone.
Verdict: Start
WR Kenny Stills (Saints)
Much more was expected from the second-year wideout this season, but Stills has not delivered to date. With rookie Brandin Cooks down, it remains to be seen if this will be a breakout night for the former Oklahoma Sooner.
Verdict: Sit/Start
Some statistical support provided by Pro-Football-Reference, NFL.com and ESPN.com. Depth chart info provided by Ourlads.
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