Instead of smashing starts, many fantasy teams had smashed hearts last week. With Sean Tucker finishing as the RB1 and Lamar Jackson finishing with less than three fantasy points, it was one of those upside-down weeks for fantasy.
With that said, our smash starts were anything but smashes last week. We selected: Jaylen Waddle (WR40), Josh Jacobs (injured), DeVonta Smith (WR94), Bijan Robinson (RB4) and Aaron Jones (RB26). After a bad Week 11 showing, we’re going to dig in and try to smash our picks for this week. With that said, here are your five Week 12 smash starts.
Fantasy Football Smash Starts: Week 12
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
Tee Higgins is primed for a big game against the Patriots this week. The NFL has placed Ja’Marr Chase in a timeout for his childish actions last week, leaving Higgins as the team’s primary offensive weapon. On the season, the Patriots have been elite at stopping the run and decent against receivers. However, let’s not forget what happened and why when they faced Drake London.
In Week 9, London caught nine out of 14 targets for 118 yards and three scores against the Patriots. All of these catches had one thing in common: The Patriots didn’t have a player who could compete with London physically. Guess what? Higgins is the same height and nearly the same weight as London. Of course, the Falcons moving London around to create favourable matchups is something we can hope the Bengals will also do with Higgins.
The cherry on top is that Joe Burrow has been practicing in full this week. Whether Burrow is back or Joe Flacco remains under center, Higgins should find his way into WR1 territory this week.
Jacoby Brissett (QB – ARI)
There is no way around it: Jacoby Brissett has been incredible for fantasy in Kyler Murray‘s absence. Not only is he now the NFL record holder for most completions in a game, but he also hasn’t finished outside of the top 12 in weekly scoring at the position. Brissett has been the definition of consistency with two passing touchdowns and over 250 yards in every game.
The Cardinals have quickly turned into a farm for fantasy points. Not only does Trey McBride have the eighth-most fantasy points across all positions since Brissett took over, but we also saw Michael Wilson record 185 yards last week.
This week, the Cardinals face a Jaguars team coming off a big win against the Chargers. On the season, the Jaguars are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Last week, their pass rush was able to disrupt Justin Herbert and their injured line. We have already seen Brissett have QB1 weeks against the Packers and Seahawks, giving me the confidence to have him as a smash start. Whether this game is competitive or not, Brissett is guaranteed to throw the rock around the yard this Sunday.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
This has been one incredible season for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He leads the league in receiving yards by over 140 yards. He also has the third-most receptions and the second-most targets.
After a tough loss to the Rams last week, a date with the bottom-feeding Titans is a perfect get-right spot. With all the criticism following his four interceptions last week, Sam Darnold will be looking for vengeance, and Smith-Njigba will be the one to benefit. On the season, Smith-Njigba has 55 more targets than any other Seattle receiver (not including Rashid Shaheed). Regardless of whether this game gets out of hand early, Smith-Njigba will be heavily involved in what should be an easy win for the Seahawks.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET) & David Montgomery (RB – DET)
The Eagles’ defense did a great job of dominating the entire Lions’ offense outside of Jahmyr Gibbs. The only bright spot for one of the league’s most potent offenses was the veteran back. Watching Gibbs slip through a defense and burn defenders is a thing of beauty. Thankfully, the entire team has a perfect get-right matchup this week, which also means David Montgomery is in play.
The Giants can not stop the run. On the season, the Giants are allowing 150 rushing yards per game to opponents. For fantasy, they are allowing the third-most fantasy points to the running back position, which includes a league high in yards per carry (5.7). Despite having electric receiving options, we know Dan Campbell and this team want to play hard-nosed, rushing football. With Campbell now calling plays, we may see the Lions only run the ball and still win this game. I’m joking, but I expect both these backs will finish in the top 20 this week, and either one could have a multi-touchdown day.
Davante Adams (WR – LAR)
Whoever made the NFL schedule for this week must play fantasy football. Having the Buccaneers play the Rams on Sunday night and the 49ers versus the Panthers on Monday night is primed for fantasy football drama. However, let’s focus on the Rams and my final smash start this week.
You could make the case for the Rams being the best team in the NFL right now. With an elite pass rush and run defense, to go alongside the NFL passing touchdown leader, it is tough for any team to try and stop. This week, the Bucs have their work cut out for them as they just allowed Josh Allen to score six touchdowns on them.
All season, Davante Adams has led the league in red-zone targets. With 24 red-zone targets on the season, Adams has planted his flag as the best touchdown receiver in the league. We have seen seasons like this from Mike Evans and Jimmy Graham in the past. However, Adams has not only been a killer in the red zone, but we have seen Matthew Stafford look his way on key third downs and chunk gains. Get your popcorn ready for a Baker Mayfield–Matthew Stafford slugfest. If this game has half the fireworks we expect, Adams could be in for a massive fantasy day.
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