NFL Fantasy Roundup: Jaguars Weapons Thrive, Buccaneers Fall Apart
Week 12 of the NFL season brought opposite performances from both Florida teams in action. The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off another nail-biting victory, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers forgot to get on the plane heading to LA.
Yes, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield injured his shoulder heading into halftime, but there is no excuse for what happened prior to the failed Hail Mary attempt.
Here is who thrived and fell short on fantasy football rosters Sunday:
Winners
Jaguars Running Back Travis Etienne Jr.
Etienne stays hot heading into the second half of the season. He tallied 20.6 fantasy points in the Jags win against the Arizona Cardinals. The total is his highest of the year, and came from various facets of his game.
Etienne is a solid fantasy running back, particularly when he finds the end zone. The Clemson product has four touchdowns in the previous three games. Etienne has seen a steady flow of touches on the ground in the last four contests.
He has averaged 18.01 points across that stretch and cemented himself as the No. 11 fantasy running back.
Etienne’s 15-yard touchdown reception was just his second score through the air this year. He reeled in two passes for 15 yards following the TD.
The Jags head to Tennessee next week to take on the Titans who have the No. 26 run defense. Fantasy owners should continue to start Etienne and let him ride his hot streak against a poor defensive front.
Jaguars Wide Receiver Parker Washington
If anyone is taking advantage of the lack of wide receivers in Jacksonville, it’s Washington. With the absence of wideouts Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, the Jags’ third-year man has excelled.
Washington has stepped up when his name is called under the unideal circumstances. He added 18.1 fantasy points in the win on five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The Penn State alum saw his highest point total since Week 13 of last season when he scored 24.3 points. Washington has earned the trust of quarterback Trevor Lawrence across recent weeks, and it is paying off for fantasy owners.
He has averaged seven targets over the last five contests and has scored more than 17 points in three.
Outside of the Week 11 rushing palooza against the Chargers, Washington has been involved in the Jags’ game plan.
Jaguars Wide Receiver Jakobi Meyers
Another Jacksonville wideout that has taken off in recent weeks is Meyers. The newest addition to the squad totaled 15 points against the Cardinals.
Meyers hauled in four passes on six targets for 50 yards and a score — his first as a Jaguar.
The former Raider has scored 35.5 fantasy points since being acquired by coach Liam Coen’s group. His Week 12 total is his highest since the Raiders’ season opener in New England.
Both Meyers and Washington have taken the reins of the Jaguars’ offense. Despite Lawrence posting a mediocre performance, the wideouts have been productive.
Similar to Etienne, look out for the wide receiver duo to thrive next week against Tennessee. Seattle Seahawks route runner Jaxson Smith-Njigba posted 167 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Titans on Sunday.
Jaguars Tight End Brenton Strange
Strange, Washington’s college teammate, tallied similar numbers in the team’s overtime victory. The tight end added 14.3 fantasy points on five receptions and 93 yards.
Strange was on injured reserve for a hip injury sustained in Week 5. His first game back after missing five contests brought a career high in receiving yards and a season high in fantasy points.
Jags tight ends Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt were holding down the fort while Strange was out for the extended period. Although, the latter showed out like he never left.
Losers
The Buccaneers Offense
While it’s not entirely fair to dismantle the Bucs’ poor offensive performance, it must be touched on.
Mayfield left Sunday Night Football after aggravating a shoulder ailment on a Hail Mary attempt as time expired in the first half. Although, he merely surpassed 40 passing yards when he was available.
The signal caller totaled 3.54 fantasy points prior to the injury with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Mayfield will undergo an MRI on his non-throwing shoulder to evaluate the severity.
The veteran was not the only underwhelming performer on primetime.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka added 6.2 points in the loss. He caught three passes on eight targets for 32 yards. The Bucs also welcomed back wideout Chris Godwin Jr.
As he is slowly being added back into the mix, he reeled in two passes for nine yards.
Rachaad White and Sean Tucker also disappointed fantasy owners from the backfield. Tucker, who posted career-high numbers last week, finished with 5.6 points on 42 rushing yards.
Similarly, White saw just seven carries and 38 yards for 5.2 fantasy points.
Tampa Bay, now on a three-game skid, may be seeing more of backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater as the season rolls on. The veteran threw for 62 yards and was sacked twice in the second half.
Category: NFL
