In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Knockaround:
It’s tough out there right now if you are fighting for a playoff spot.
Not only is this one of the weaker waiver wire weeks in recent memory, but there are six teams on bye, as well.
We’ll be without the services of high-powered offenses like the Bills and Bengals, as well as Bijan Robinson and Breece Hall.
Fortunately, reinforcements are here in the form of two fantasy superstars who are expected to make their return from injury …
Mike Evans is back. The last time we saw Evans was in Week 7 when he ripped up his hamstring while scoring TD vs. the Ravens. But our long, national nightmare is finally over. He was back at practice yesterday and is expected to play vs. the Giants this week. He’s going to be highly motivated to keep his 1,000-yard streak going. Fire him up where you can.
Isiah Pacheco set to return. In addition to Evans, we also got good news on Pacheco. He returned to practice yesterday and now gets a juicy matchup vs. Carolina. That said, it’s worth proceeding with a little caution here depending on your options. Andy Reid is already hinting at a split with Kareem Hunt, who has been very good in his absence.
Don’t fall for it, Peter. This is where I’d normally write a blurb about Jonathon Brooks potentially returning, but we’ve entered “fool me twice, shame on me” territory with this one. We’ll save the real Brooks update for Sunday AM …
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Stat of the Day: Hunting For A Sleeper TE
- Watercooler: Rest-of-Season Rankings Updates
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Hunting For A Sleeper TE
- By Matt LaMarca
STAT: Only Travis Kelce has more air yards than Hunter Henry among tight ends
The Tight End position has been a bit of a dumpster fire this season. There have been some unexpected contributors—guys like Brock Bowers, Cade Otton, and Jonnu Smith—but there have been an equal number of busts. Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, and Mark Andrews were all selected in the top half of fantasy drafts this offseason, but none of them can be reliably trusted at this point.
Henry hasn’t put together a ton of jaw-dropping performances, but his steady production has been welcomed in fantasy lineups. He’s finished as a top-nine scorer at the position in four of his past six games despite scoring just one touchdown over that time frame.
Touchdowns are how tight ends do the majority of their damage for fantasy purposes, but Henry is getting involved in the downfield passing attack. He’s second at the position in air yards for the season, and he owns a 20% target share and 21% air yards share since Drake Maye took over at quarterback.
The best part is that Henry could see some positive scoring regression moving forward. He’s credited with 4.5 expected receiving touchdowns per PFF, which is the fourth-best mark among tight ends. With a bit more scoring luck moving forward, he could easily be a top-six option at the position down the stretch.
Where Do Our Rankers Have Henry For Week 12?
RELATED CONTENT
- John Laghezza and Gene Clemons team up to tackle the most pressing start/sit dilemmas for Week 12.
- Buy, Sell, or Hold? The feast is over in Cleveland.
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds:
Rest-of-Season rankings update. Waz has you covered.
👀 Will the Italian Stallion bring out the best in Malik Nabers? Smash matchups, TE streamers, and more.
🤣 Adam Schefter broke a story from where?! That’s dedication.
🤔 Looking to sell in your dynasty league? Let Matthew Berry help.
📈 The Anthony Richardson bounce back. Cool piece here.
📣 Drew Lock weighs in on Tommy DeVito. Awkward.
⚔️ Week 12 kicks off with a big divisional matchup … projections for Steelers/Browns.
💰️ The best prop bets for tonight’s game. We’ve got you covered.
