Stars of Week 12

QB:      Philip Rivers: 27-39, 392 yards, 3 TDs

RB:      Jamaal Charles: 14 carries, 115 yards, 2 TDs

WR:     Josh Gordon: 14 catches, 237 yards, 1 TD

TE:      Jimmy Graham: 5 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD

Kudos to Philip Rivers for posting incredible numbers against the tough Kansas City Chiefs defense. While Charles’ team came out on the losing end against the Chargers, the star RB did his part to help the Chiefs’ offense. Josh Gordon went all “Megatron” on the Steelers, but the efforts did not lead to a Browns’ victory. Gordon has forced his way into WR1 discussion. Finally, Graham did what he usually does, carving up the opposing team’s defense for 100 yards and a TD. No real surprises for this week’s honor roll. 

Week 12 Takeaways – A Closer Look 

Each week we’ll take a closer look at a handful of performances and sort out what such performances mean going forward.

- Josh McCown: 36-47, 352 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT                                          

Analysis: Josh McCown qualifies as a journeyman QB, as he has played for four teams now, primarily as a backup QB in each stop. Looking at McCown’s performance this season filling in for Jay Cutler, one should conclude that he’s been quite solid. For fantasy teams which lack a sure-fire weekly QB starter, feel free to plug in McCown as your starter in weeks where he has favorable matchups (such as next week against the Vikings). McCown has produced when in the lineup, so it’s time for fantasy owners to take notice if you haven’t already.

- Benjamin Cunningham: 13 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: Cunningham, not Zac Stacy, led the Rams in rushing this week against the Bears. Any reason to be concerned about Stacy? None. The Rams went up big early, and the backups found their way into the game. Stacy remains the lead back, and Cunningham’s performance is not likely to be repeated. What we did learn from this game though, is that Cunningham would be the handcuff option for those in very deep leagues.

- Steven Jackson: 16 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: Jackson, along with most of his Falcons’ teammates, has had an unforgettable season. Injuries have been the primary cause of the lost season, but at least for Jackson, age has also been a factor. Jackson scored his first TD of the season against the Saints. Does this mildly encouraging performance point to better things to come? Not likely, as the Falcons are a disaster all the way around. If you have Jackson, he should be considered on the border of low-end RB2/flex, with injury downside a distinct possibility. Not much upside here.

- Tiquan Underwood: 3 catches, 108 yards, 2 TDs

Analysis: Underwood has had a non-descript NFL career up to this point, but he certainly had himself a game against the Lions. Was Underwood's performance this past Sunday a sign of things to come? The vote here is no.  In the past 6 games, Underwood has been targeted anywhere from 1 to 5 times, which points to his role in the Tampa offense as that of a lower rung option. Also, the Lions' pass defense leaves something to be desired. Tip your cap to Underwood for his performance on Sunday, but don't expect repeat performances to occur.

- Kendall Wright: 6 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: The second year pro out of Baylor has stepped up his game in his sophomore season. Wright has put together a string of solid games, including Sunday's performance at Oakland. Further proof that Wright's rise in production is for real, he has been targeted 45 times in the past five games. While Wright's TD on Sunday was only his second of the season, expect that number to increase for the remainder of the season. Remember that TDs are somewhat fluky, so the strong peripheral numbers with respect to yards and targets suggest increased production should follow. Perhaps not quite at the WR2 mark, Wright makes for no worse than a solid WR3/flex, and the arrow trends up.

- Ladarius Green: 3 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: Buried behind Antonio Gates in San Diego is an intriguing tight end prospect in Ladarius Green. While still far too early to anoint Green as the next emerging star TE, it should be noted that Green has put together two straight 80+ yard performances, in each case flashing big time skills. Green's biggest hindrance may be opportunity, but with two TE sets increasing in the NFL, the Chargers appear to be working to make Green a larger part of the offense. Green remains a speculative prospect at this point, but for teams in deeper leagues, if you need a TE, why not give Green a look? All managers should keep Green on their radar for future scouting purposes.

Week 13 Rankings

Quarterbacks

1. Matthew Stafford, Lions (GB)

2. Cam Newton, Panthers (TB)

3. Peyton Manning, Broncos (at KC)

4. Tom Brady, Patriots (at HOU)

5. Drew Brees, Saints (at SEA)

6. Russell Wilson, Seahawks (NO)

7. Tony Romo, Cowboys (OAK)

8. Nick Foles, Eagles (ARI)

9. Andrew Luck, Colts (TEN)

10. Philip Rivers, Chargers (CIN)

11. Josh McCown, Bears (at MIN)

12. Robert Griffin III, Redskins (NYG)

13. Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (STL)

14. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at BAL)

15. Carson Palmer, Eagles (at PHI)

16. Alex Smith, Chiefs (DEN)

17. Andy Dalton, Bengals (at SD)

18. Matt Flynn, Packers (at DET)

19. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Titans (at IND)

20. Eli Manning, Giants (at WAS)

Running Backs

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (CHI)

2. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (NO)

3. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (DEN)

4. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (ARI)

5. Reggie Bush, Lions (GB)

6. Matt Forte, Bears (at MIN)

7. Andre Brown, Giants (at WAS)

8. Eddie Lacy, Packers (at DET)

9. Frank Gore, 49ers (STL)

10. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys (OAK)

11. Alfred Morris, Redskins (NYG)

12. Chris Johnson, Titans (at IND)

13. Rashad Jennings, Raiders (at DAL)

14. Le'Veon Bell, Steelers (at BAL)

15. Giovani Bernard, Bengals (at SD)

16. Fred Jackson, Bills (ATL)

17. Shane Vereen, Patriots (at HOU)

18. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (at KC)

19. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at CLE)

20. Danny Woodhead, Chargers (CIN)

21. Ben Tate, Texans (NE)

22. C.J. Spiller, Bills (ATL)

23. Zac Stacy, Rams (at SF)

24. Pierre Thomas, Saints (at SEA)

25. Ray Rice, Ravens (PIT)

26. Donald Brown, Colts (TEN)

27. Montee Ball, Broncos (at KC)

28. Bobby Rainey, Buccaneers (at CAR)

29. Chris Ivory, Jets (MIA)

30. Andre Ellington, Cardinals (at PHI)

Wide Receivers

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions (GB)

2. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (OAK)

3. A.J. Green, Bengals (at SD)

4. Brandon Marshall, Bears (at MIN)

5. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (at KC)

6. Josh Gordon, Browns (JAC)

7. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (ARI)

8. Jordy Nelson, Packers (at DET)

9. Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers (at CAR)

10. Antonio Brown, Steelers (at BAL)

11. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at PHI)

12. Andre Johnson, Texans (NE)

13. Victor Cruz, Giants (at WAS)

14. T.Y. Hilton, Colts (TEN)

15. Wes Welker, Broncos (at KC)

16. Pierre Garcon, Redskins (NYG)

17. Torrey Smith, Ravens (PIT)

18. Alshon Jeffery, Bears (at MIN)

19. Harry Douglas, Falcons (at BUF)

20. Keenan Allen, Chargers (CIN)

21. Jarrett Boykin, Packers (at DET)

22. Eric Decker, Broncos (at KC)

23. Riley Cooper, Eagles (ARI)

24. Kendall Wright, Titans (at IND)

25. Marques Colston, Saints (at SEA)

26. Anquan Boldin, 49ers (STL)

27. Percy Harvin, Seahawks (NO)

28. Danny Amendola, Patriots (at HOU)

29. Cecil Shorts, Jaguars (at CLE)

30. Dwayne Bowe, Cheifs (DEN)

Tight Ends

1. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (at HOU)

2. Jimmy Graham, Saints (at SEA)

3. Julius Thomas, Broncos (at KC)

4. Jason Witten, Cowboys (OAK)

5. Vernon Davis, 49ers (STL)

6. Jordan Cameron, Browns (JAC)

7. Greg Olsen, Panthers (TB)

8. Jordan Reed, Redskins (NYG)

9. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at BUF)

10. Coby Fleener, Colts (TEN)

11. Antonio Gates, Chargers (CIN)

12. Martellus Bennett, Bears (at MIN)

13. Delanie Walker, Titans (at IND)

14. John Carlson, Vikings (CHI)

15. Heath Miller, Steelers (at BAL)

Good luck in your matchups this week and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Neema Hodjat is the fantasy sports writer for RealGM.  He can be reached via email at nhodjat@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @NeemaHodjat.