Fantasy Football: Week 12 Leftovers

So, how many matchups changed based on the performances last night? We saw Brees, Rodgers, Jennings, Lance Moore, and Pierre Thomas all put together outings that could have altered games for fantasy owners. It's why you have to enjoy Monday matchups when so many stars are involved. Gives you vested interest to watch.

With Week 12 in the books, let's recap.

Fantasy Up

1. Michael Turner - I'm pretty sure that even when it's obvious, we need to acknowledge a guy that does that kind of damage on the ground. It's in the rule book. Turner did his thing better than anyone else in fantasy football this past week, and his owners thank him for it.
2. Terrell Owens - Cracked the 200-yard mark in his return to relevance. Tony Romo was desperately needed to make this offense run, and you can't underscore the importance of having a deep threat like Williams on the other side to help as well.
3. Tony Gonzalez- As Tyler Thigpen has grown in his role as quarterback, he's involved Gonzalez that much more in the offense itself. You can't beat what he's bringing to the table as a tight end this season.
4. Isaac Bruce- I'm becoming a fan of the way Shaun Hill is running the offense, and Isaac Bruce is a direct beneficiary. The veteran receiver had 125 yards and a score against a weaker secondary. Good matchup play going forward.
5. Anthony Gonzalez - With Manning getting healthy, the No. 3 receiver is getting more targets. Manning has always liked using that slot receiver, and Gonzalez will be valuable the rest of the way.

Fantasy Down

1. Brady Quinn - Got pulled, and this is the future quarterback. The Browns aren't going anywhere, so they need to just stick with the kid. You don't learn anything while getting yanked around like this.
2. Jamal Lewis - Hardly a factor again. The Browns were playing from behind, but Jerome Harrison continues to steal some of his carries. Beware this situation.
3. LenDale White/Chris Johnson - They've faced two tough run defenses and haven't been able to do anything. The Bears held them down, and this week it was the Jets. It's worth paying attention to.
4. Ronnie Brown - The Dolphins are still running the Wildcat, but Brown isn't the centerpiece from the perspective of the package. His carries and yards have gone down almost weekly.
5. Donovan McNabb - First, the tie. Now, the benching. This week? Even against the Cardinals I'm skeptical at best.

You Shouldn't Trust the Performance of...

...Darren McFadden. Yes, he scored two short touchdowns, but McFadden was far from the featured back. He put up a total of 38 rushing yards compared to the 107 that Justin Fargas had.

McFadden is certainly going to be featured moving forward, but I just don't see the value this season. He's missed too many games and been non-factors in several others. If I have to dance with the Oakland running game, I'm sticking with Fargas right now.

The Raiders have a nice matchup for that this week against Kansas City, something to keep in mind.

I'm Most Concerned About...

...Santana Moss. From Week 10 through Week 12, Moss has combined for 101 yards on nine catches and no touchdowns. Moss was believed to be a prime receiver this season because of the development of Jason Campbell and the new offense under Jim Zorn.

We just aren't seeing it, at all. I'm not saying to cut your losses, but I'm certainly saying not to look at him as even a legit number two wide receiver unless the matchup dictates that. Against a tough pass defense in the Giants this week, I'm holding him back if I have better options.

Workin' the Wire

• Matt Cassel - Still just 72 percent owned in standard Yahoo! leagues. He's a top-five quarterback the rest of the way, and owners need to see him as such. Get him on your team now if you still can.
• Lance Moore - Is only 74 percent owned, and he continues to put up big numbers in the absence of Reggie Bush. I think he gets another week of this type of performance before we start to see anything change in the offense. He gets open very effectively, and that helps him with Brees.
• Peyton Hillis- He's only been picked up by 37 percent of leagues, but was the feature back in Denver this past week. Just don't think we're going to see Tatum Bell taking away too many of these carries, especially with how effective Hillis has been.
• Joe Flacco- Flacco is 25 percent owned, but has five touchdowns and 532 passing yards since Week 10. He's not a starter in shallow leagues, but two-quarterback leagues and deep league owners should be taking note of these performances.
• Pierre Thomas - We still don't know the status of Reggie Bush for this coming week, but there is talk he won't be available. Thomas was the feature guy with Deuce still dealing with injury. Look for him to get the same treatment this week as well. He has a nose for the end zone.
• The Usual Suspects- Leon Washington, Mark Bradley, and Tyler Thigpen. I don't know how many more times we need to go over these guys...

We'll start our breakdown of games tomorrow, given the short week. No post on Thursday, but we'll finish the rest of the games up on Friday.