Tuesday December 23rd, 2004 Page updated at 2:22pm
FantasyFootball Grab Bag For Week 12
By: David Bachman
Fantasy Football Editor For WagerOnFootball.com

Week 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14  .15 . 16 . 17

RB Julius Jones, DAL - Jones made his return from a fractured shoulder blade this past weekend and had an immediate impact. With Eddie George a complete failure look for Jones to be the featured back for the remainder of the season

RB Nick Goings, CAR - For those of you in leagues who checked out our Sunday No Huddle this weekend and saw that Brad Hoover was deactivated short of game-time and that Nick Goings would be the primary, prompting you to pick him up and start him, I commend you. Goings exploded this Sunday for 100 plus yards and three TDs. While he likely won't be getting 3 TDs every week, Carolina has a rather soft schedule to finish the season so Goings makes a fantastic pickup.

WR Deion Branch, NE - Nobody knew what the injury to Branch was and chances are his owners may have grown impatient while waiting for his return. Check your free-agent list and if he is there make sure if pick him up. He's clearly the top receiver in New England and should continue to post good numbers as long as he is healthy.

QB Drew Henson, DAL - The Henson era is about to begin and while he probably won't be a huge success right off the bat he does make an interesting pickup provided you have the roster space. The Cowboys will be playing from behind for the remainder of the season which means more opportunities for Henson to pad his passing numbers.

RB Lamont Jordan, NYJ - While Martin appears to be OK, owners better act now to handcuff Jordan to him. Obviously not a big back, Martin is getting older and at his current pace he will receive more touches this year than ever in his career -- this screams injury. Herman Edwards is no dummy so look for him to start to use Jordan much more often to keep Martin fresh and healthy.

WR Antwaan Randle El, PIT - Burress could be out up to 2 weeks with a hamstring injury which would move Randle El in the starting lineup. Big Ben would likely throw more balls to Ward but it also means he should see more double teams from opposing defenses which should open things up for Randle El.

WR Bobby Engram, SEA - With Koren out for the next 4 games serving a suspension, Engram will see a huge boost in playing time. While Rice was the main target for Dilfer Sunday, Engram did grab a few catches and could make some noise in the upcoming weeks.

TE Mark Campbell, BUF - Here's another guy who came out of nowhere to grab 3 TDs this weekend and while I can almost guarantee that this will never happen again for Campbell, anytime a player gets this many red zone looks he deserves consideration. If you remember, Bledsoe loved his TE in New England (Ben Coates) so with Eric Moulds continuing to draw double teams and defense keying on Willis, Campbell should see some more red zone looks come his way.

No one seems to know where the next unlikely start will come from. But here are a few guys who are playing better recently, and could be worth watching in the near future.

SPOTLIGHT STARTER Jimmy Smith, WR, Jacksonville: Some of you might be considering benching Smith after he posted disappointing numbers in Week 11. Yet Smith should be fully locked into your lineup for Week 12, when the Jaguars travel to Minnesota.

The Vikings aren't nearly as explosive without Randy Moss, yet it still takes at least one big play to beat them, especially in their house. And there is no better playmaker on the Jaguars than Smith, who should have little or no trouble getting deep for more than one catch of considerable length. The Jaguars might run Fred Taylor a lot in this game, but when David Garrard needs the big play, he's going to go to Smith

MORE WEEK 12 STARTERS

Here are some more players who could figure prominently into your fantasy success in Week 12.

Michael Pittman should have another good statistical day at Carolina. Chad Johnson should find the end zone against Cleveland. Keenan McCardell could have a very big day at Kansas City. Warrick Dunn could break loose for more than one long run against New Orleans. Justin McCareins should post respectable numbers at Arizona. In the same game, you should also look for Larry Fitzgerald to score. Chris Chambers should have another good outing, as the Dolphins visit San Francisco. Ashley Lelie should continue to roll, as Denver hosts Oakland. Steven Jackson might be utilized well for his strength and goal-line prowess at Green Bay.

Kyle Boller: The Ravens are starting to let him throw downfield more often, and Boller is starting to get more results. The young QB is starting to show more confidence and a better, quicker release. Consider adding him to your roster as a backup, because he is showing definite signs of improvement.

Joey Galloway: If he can stay healthy, Galloway will become the main deep threat in a diverse passing game. With Galloway, Michael Clayton and Joe Jurevicius, the Buccaneers have a very good potential trio. Galloway has a veteran QB, Brian Griese, who can find him often with better accuracy and more consistently than some of the questionable passers Galloway has played with in the past.

Justin McCareins: He is finally starting to show signs of being the dependable target the Jets want him to be. McCareins started very slowly this season, but now he is becoming a more reliable performer for New York. When opposing defenses try to take the ball away from Santana Moss, McCareins will hurt them with timely receptions and important possession grabs.

Antonio Bryant: It's taking him some time, but Bryant is now becoming more comfortable in the Cleveland passing game. Bryant isn't afraid to make tough catches, and he often wants the ball on critical downs. Look for him to emerge as a more reliable fantasy receiver in the weeks ahead.

Doug Gabriel: The third option in the Oakland passing game usually proves to be very effective, and Gabriel is that third option right now. The Raiders will also throw the ball often as they play behind, and Gabriel has been flashing big-play ability since the preseason. He should become a more frequent fantasy contributor in the weeks ahead.

NOTES:

You can trust Torry Holt again: Not only did Holt receiver from a concussion suffered in Week 10, he looked very sharp at Buffalo. Holt is running much crisper routes than he did earlier in the year, and he is getting open more often. Holt is getting in and out of his cuts very quickly, and he's going to be a key performer for fantasy teams in the upcoming weeks. Don't bench Holt, who has scored in two of his past three games.

You can't bench Edgerrin James: Yes, the Colts throw too often inside the red zone. And yes, for a 200-yard performance, you would have liked more than one score out of James. Yet there is no denying that in terms of yardage, James has been one of the most productive RBs in fantasy football all year long. And with the Colts moving the ball nearly effortlessly these days, James should still get into scoring position often enough to make him a surefire starter every week, no matter who your alternative option might be.

Roy Williams needs to prove himself again: Williams seemed headed to Rookie of the Year honors before a recent ankle injury derailed him. Since he has returned, Williams has failed to fully display his exciting early-season form again. Williams has caught seven passes for just 116 yards in his past three games, with no TD receptions. Consider putting him on your bench until you see him start to play at or near a high level again.

Brutal:

1) CARDINALS: Shaun King huh? Did Denny Green lose a bet or does King have incriminating photos? If you understand this move please e-mail me, I would love to hear a logical explanation. I have questioned Green's sanity before on many many occasions in the past, but almost every time he proves me wrong. This one is a doozy though.

2) DOLPHINS: I saw a clip of one of A.J. Feeleys teammates slapping him on the buttocks, and Feeley reaching for the area grimacing in pain. Now he knows how Dolphins fans have been feeling since Ricky ran away to reefer land.

3) 49ers: The 49ers have only one thing more they can possibly screw up this year and that would be to win themselves out of the overall number one pick with a victory over the Dolphins this week. This is the Toilet Bowl game of the year in the NFL, and I am just hoping upon hope it ends in a very appropriate 3-3 tie. If you find yourself watching this game you may be sick beyond repair.

Week 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14  .15 . 16 . 17

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