Fantasy Football Week 12: Biggest Takeaways from Sunday

Quarterbacks score the most fantasy points. Running backs are still the most pivotal players in lineups every week. But wide receivers continue to capture—and expand—our imaginations.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s Sunday-night performance and circus catch will be talked about for days and weeks, if not years. The rookie wide receiver class keeps helping fantasy owners win games. And Josh Gordon returned as if he had never been gone.

Bleacher Report recaps the action from Sunday with its top 10 takeaways from Week 12. The fantasy postseason approaches, if it hasn't already begun in your league, so you don't want to miss the details and latest developments as we prepare for the stretch run to the championship.

Odell Beckham Jr. Is an Athletic Marvel

It was a legendary 2014 NFL draft class for wide receivers. It has been an equally impressive rookie season for most of them.

Odell Beckham Jr. took it to another level with an awe-inspiring touchdown catch that punctuated his monster night for the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys. Fantasy owners care about the 10 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns, but those who saw his three-fingered, hand-behind-his-head, no-look touchdown catch...after getting fouled...had to be just as jacked up as Beckham's Giants were Sunday night.

He bent for it...like Beckham.

It was even better than described. Giants safety Antrel Rolle was in awe, but not shock.

"It was the best catch I've ever seen, but I can't say it surprised me," Rolle told reporters after the game. "Nothing surprises me with that guy anymore. For us, it's a wow moment. For him, it's another day in the park."

Beckham Jr. is the real deal, and it would take an injury to get him out of any fantasy lineups going forward. Through seven games, Beckham has reeled in 41 catches for 609 yards and five touchdowns. That is a 16-game season's pace of 94-1,392-11.

He might even be better than that. He has gone 31-503-2 in the past four games alone, which would be a 124-2,012-8 pace.

What's most important is Beckham's schedule during fantasy crunch is one of the weakest. The Giants face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles down the stretch. There isn't an elite secondary in that bunch.

Denver Broncos Running Game Is Just Fine with C.J. Anderson, Thank You

The Denver Broncos have a great offense, anyone can agree, even if their offensive line gets some criticism from time to time. You cannot look past their efforts in getting C.J. Anderson up to 167 yards rushing and a touchdown Sunday against a pretty capable defense in the Miami Dolphins, though.

Montee Ball (groin) has gone down twice with a nagging groin injury. Ronnie Hillman (foot) is out for an extended time, too. Anderson has stepped forward to be perhaps even more impressive for fantasy owners than either of them. We have to take notice after three consecutive big performances.

Anderson, a second-year undrafted free agent, has dealt with being overlooked for his entire NFL career. After the Broncos' 39-36 win over Miami, he told Andrew Mason of the Broncos' official website:

"

It was 32 teams, 254 picks, and 22 running backs in my draft class. That motivates me every day. ... I have a lot of confidence in myself, and I play at a high level, and I expect big things, no matter where I went—first round, fifth round, seventh round, undrafted. You've got to give it to the big boys up front, but I've got a lot of confidence in myself to make it happen.

"

We won't be overlooking Anderson now, especially if Ball and Hillman remain out. Over the next two weeks, the Broncos face two of the stingiest run defenses in fantasy at the Kansas City Chiefs (just two rushing touchdowns allowed) and against the Buffalo Bills (just five). Rushing or receiving, we have to expect Anderson and the Broncos run-blocking unit to get the job done for us, though.

Josh Gordon...Enough Said

Some individuals doubted the potential impact of Josh Gordon as he returned from a 10-game suspension in Week 12, especially after ESPN's Adam Schefter suggested Sunday morning he'd be limited to 20-30 plays in his first game back (something his coach refuted; see below).

Even my editors at B/R wanted to me alter Saturday's Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action slide on Gordon to acknowledge the opinions of fellow fantasy analysts that were Gordon detractors, including Number Fire's JJ Zachariason and CBSSports.com's David Richard, who wrote "I'd be surprised to see him contribute in a huge way."

Those select few won't be making a sound Monday morning, however. We probably shouldn't brag, either: Gordon is an undeniable force.

The 10-game suspension didn't generate much rust for Gordon. If it did, his fantasy owners will be streaking to a championship this December.

Gordon reeled in eight passes for 120 yards, leaving his critics to merely mention he did not get in the end zone. What a flimsy argument for a receiver who was targeted on 16 of Brian Hoyer's 40 passes, a whopping 40 percent, as Fox Sports Ohio's Zac Jackson noted.

The Cleveland Browns were feeding Gordon the ball, even to the point of force-feeding him. Brian Hoyer threw two interceptions on balls targeted for Gordon in the game's final five minutes, The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reported.

Head coach Mike Pettine refuted a report the Browns were going to limit Gordon in his return, telling Cabot:

"

That was never in our minds. It was going to be, 'Let's see how he is, nobody knows Josh better than Josh, and we all know what a special and unique athlete he is. It was obvious to us during the week at practice that he had stayed in shape and, from a cardio standpoint, he was in excellent shape, and he got better throughout the week with us.

"

So, it is all academic going forward for Gordon in fantasy lineups. Start him and watch him dominate, no matter what you think of Hoyer and the Browns.

Alarm Goes Off for LeGarrette Blount and He Answers; Good Night, Jonas Gray

Jonas Gray was a revelation after his 201-yard, four-touchdown performance last Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts. Now, he is a cautionary tale.

Gray was active, but he didn't see the field Sunday, having to watch returning New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount rush for 78 yards and two touchdowns. The running game wasn't big in the Pats' plans against the Lions run defense that is No. 1 in the NFL.

It didn't stop Blount from asserting himself as the Pats' go-to back in power-running situations. Blount ran out the clock and punctuated a 34-9 Pats rout of the Lions...with Gray and his disappointed fantasy owners merely left to watch in quiet despair.

Blount wasn't assuming he would be the instant feature back after walking off the field on the Pittsburgh Steelers because of a lack of use, he told reporters after the game.

"

I was prepared for anything. I came in and they told me just be prepared for whatever we use you for, so I made sure I was ready. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't assume anything. Like I said, they told me to come in here and just be ready for whatever role they put me in, and I just came here prepared to do whatever they wanted me to do.

"

The Steelers' trash is now the Pats' and fantasy's treasure. Blount should be headed for must-start status in crunch time, particularly in Week 13 with the Green Bay Packers' 30th-ranked run defense on tap.

Robert Griffin III Is the Worst Quarterback in the NFL, Not an Exaggeration

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We predicted a first-quarter benching in Robert Griffin III's future. The fantasy owners of DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are lamenting the fact that it never came.

RG3 is long from being an emerging, young, star quarterback. In fact, he might be the worst starting quarterback in the NFL right now.

He was in fantasy terms Sunday, finishing with a CBSSports.com-worst three fantasy points. Most of fantasy's starters had a single throw worth more points than that. RG3 completed the fewest passes, attempted the fewest and had the fewest passing yards. But, hey, he didn't throw an interception!

That might be the only reason he wasn't benched. He should be more than benched in fantasy; he should be outright released.

Jackson and Garcon owners certainly hope a benching will come. The two were limited to two (Jackson for 39 yards) and three (Garçon for 34) catches, well below the fantasy replacement level. RG3 just cannot get the ball downfield in head coach Jay Gruden's offense.

Frankly, Gruden didn't trust Griffin to do so anyway. Gruden told reporters after the game:

"

[Griffin] made strides, but there's a lot of other things that go into the passing game. We wanted to try to get the running game going. We had positive field position and didn't want to take a lot of risk down the field, but this wasn't a good day in the passing game.

"

As far as cutting RG3 in fantasy, he might be a thorn in your side there, too. The Washington Redskins face all favorable quarterback matchups down the stretch: the Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. You might want to watch him rot on your bench than rebound for someone else, especially your fantasy postseason foe.

San Diego Chargers' Keenan Allen Finally Shows a Fantasy Starter's Pulse

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Blind faith in San Diego Chargers wideout Keenan Allen finally paid off in Week 12. Allen registered his second 100-yard game of his disappointing sophomore season and his first that included a touchdown reception.

It was a weekly thing for us to put Allen in the predicted bounce-back player column, and he would eventually come through in fantasy. It wasn't without some bad, bad moments, as Jim Alexander of the Orange County Register chronicled Sunday night.

Allen lost two fumbles, one on a muffed punt, and slipped in the end zone on a Philip Rivers pass that was returned for a touchdown, Alexander wrote. The sophomore wideout and his loyal fantasy owners and quarterback had the last laugh, though.

Allen scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"After the touchdown I gave him a high five and told him I was still mad at him," Rivers told Alexander. "We laughed about it."

Allen's fantasy owners would like the four lost fantasy points on the fumbles back, but they won't scoff at the double-digit fantasy performance. It has been a long time coming.

CBSSports.com's Scott White wrote he wouldn't activate Allen based on this performance. Good for him. We suppose White is too good for the 15th-most targeted wide receiver in fantasy, per FFToday.com. We wouldn't suggest something so outlandish.

Rivers will have no choice but to keep going back to Allen. The San Diego Chargers have a brutally tough schedule down the stretch: Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, three of which are on the road.

The Chargers need Allen in those games. Fantasy owners do, too.

LeSean McCoy Finally Comes Through with Elite Numbers

Speaking of long-awaited touchdowns and fantasy-star rebounds, LeSean McCoy has finally proved to be worthy of that No. 1 status that was bestowed upon him in the preseason. You had to figure it was only a matter of time, as long as he stayed healthy.

McCoy was at his fantasy peak as needy owners were struggling to see his brilliance until these 130 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Better late than never.

McCoy probably shouldn't have to defend himself, but being the reigning NFL rushing leader holds him to a higher standard. This week, when asked if he was the same player as he was in 2013 when he led the league in rushing, he lashed out at reporters:

"

I don't care what's out there. I'm not going to address, am I the same player? Address that? For what? What are we sitting here talking about, am I the same player? That's for you all to figure out. Are you crazy? I'm not the same player? I'm the same player. But I'm not going to sit here and play that game. It's crazy.

"

On pace for 1,249 yards now, McCoy's only true drawback this season has been touchdowns. You could also nitpick about his lack of use in the passing game (just 23 receptions for 111 yards after going 52-539-2 last year), but that had to be expected with the addition of Darren Sproles.

McCoy hasn't slipped in Chip Kelly's eyes, the head coach told reporters after beating Tennessee:

"

I think he is an outstanding running back. And I think he has proven that for the years that he has been in this league. We've got a lot of confidence in LeSean. We will always have a lot of confidence in him as long as he is healthy.

"

Fantasy owners should stop thinking about sitting him in any given week or matchup...especially in fantasy crunch time.

Jarvis Landry Emerging Among This Legendary Rookie Receiving Class

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

It is beyond time to give Jarvis Landry some love in this aforementioned legendary rookie receivers class of 2014. Landry does not post big-yardage numbers, but he is a target machine and has four touchdowns in his past four games.

Sunday was Landry's best day in fantasy, catching seven passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. It caps a consistent run for the overlooked fantasy gem. We have to move him up the weekly list of the viable fantasy starters down the stretch.

Landry came into Sunday as the 21st fantasy wideout for the past three weeks at FFToday.com. He rises further with this performance.

He was owned in just 11.2 percent of ESPN.com leagues, so expect him to be among the most-added wide receivers in fantasy this Tuesday. He has real juice as a checkdown option for developing Ryan Tannehill, and the Miami Dolphins face the suspect New York Jets secondary twice in the final five games, including the upcoming Week 13.

Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West Are Just Fine Without Ben Tate

The Cleveland Browns let the complaining Ben Tate go this week, and most fantasy owners have no complaints about that. It has merely made both rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrence West more intriguing.

Crowell ripped off 88 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries, while West ran for 62 yards on 14 carries. It is a timeshare, but not one that should be avoided. Both backs can impact fantasy owners' push for a championship as one-half of a committee as opposed to one-third.

Crowell is the clear leader for the Browns' two-headed ground-pounding monster, despite getting three fewer touches (West also had a nine-yard reception). Left tackle Joe Thomas told reporters after the game: 

"

(Crowell) is amazing. The runs that he makes, he almost never misses a cut. He always gets his shoulders downhill...I love that guy. I love giving him the ball when he's in the backfield, because you know good things are going to happen.

"

Fantasy owners should love having him down the stretch, along with his backup, West, too. The Browns face some suspect run defenses during the fantasy postseason: the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers. All three came into this week in the bottom seven against fantasy running backs, per FFToday.com.

Oakland Raiders' Latavius Murray Can't Heal from a Concussion Fast Enough

This one wasn't a takeaway from Sunday's action, but if the Oakland Raiders were practicing after Thursday's surprising performance in defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, we would have gotten a review of Latavius Murray's condition from a concussion.

Murray scored the first two rushing touchdowns the Chiefs have allowed all season, leading the Raiders to their first victory and potentially becoming their feature back of the future. Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew are the failed backs of the past. You can cut those guys in fantasy leagues. Trusting them to win you a fantasy championship is bad for business.

Murray did fumble on the play he was concussed, so he has to overcome a potential lack of trust by head coach Tony Sparano in addition to the head injury, but Murray did tweet Friday he was "good."

Murray will wind up with 10 days to get through the concussion protocol, so fantasy owners should be able to fire him up for a Nov. 30 matchup at the St. Louis Rams.

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Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.