Vikings' Cook, Cardinals' Hopkins among best bets to score
We’re almost to the fantasy playoffs, so it’s more important than ever that we get the most bang for our buck in our lineups. These are my best bets to find the end zone in Week 12.
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Running Back
DALVIN COOK, Vikings
Cook has scored in eight of nine games he’s played in this season, and it looks as if he’ll make it nine of 10 this week against the Panthers who’ve allowed the fourth-most TDs (10) to RBs. The 38.83% TD dependent Cook is about as close to a sure thing as you can get in fantasy football.
ANTONIO GIBSON, Washington
Gibson has developed into a scoring machine over the course of his rookie season, scoring five TDs in his past four games. The 40.61 TD dependent Gibson meets the Cowboys for the second time this season on Thanksgiving, when he’ll look to repeat his 128 yard, 1 TD game in the previous meeting. The Cowboys have allowed the fifth-most TDs to RBs this season.
TODD GURLEY, Falcons
For RBs with more than 150 touches this season, Gurley is the most TD dependent, with a 43.83% TD dependency thus far. Only Dalvin Cook has more rushing TDs than Gurley, who has nine, and Gurley faces a Raiders team this week that has given up 12 rushing TDs to RBs, the second-highest mark in the league.
ZACK MOSS, Bills
Moss has scored three TDs in the past three games. He’s the 1A to Devin Singletary’s 1B, and Moss is also the preferred goal-line back. This week Moss will go up against a Chargers team that is our fifth-best matchup for RBs and has allowed 10 TDs to them this season.
NICK CHUBB, Browns
Reasserting himself as the 1A in Cleveland over Kareen Hunt, Chubb is running well and often. He’s only played in six games, but Chubb still has the fifth-most rushing TDs (five) in the league, and he’ll look to add to that total against the Jaguars this week. Jacksonville has allowed 11 TDs to RBs this season.
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Wide Receiver
DEANDRE HOPKINS, Cardinals
Hopkins has pretty much been one on, one off in games as far as TDs go, scoring almost every other week this season. He didn’t find the end zone against Seattle last week, but he’s got almost as good a chance to score against the Patriots this week, as New England has allowed the third-most TDs (14) to WRs this far into the season.
TERRY MCLAURIN, Washington
McLaurin isn’t very TD dependent (16.97%), but he’s fourth in the league in receiving yardage, and he’s already scored against the Cowboys in their first meeting this season. The Cowboys should keep it more competitive this time, they lost 25-3 earlier, but they’ve allowed the most TDs (19) to WRs this season so McLaurin could find the end zone.
WILL FULLER, Texans
Fuller has scored in 6 of 10 games this season as Houston’s go-to receiver, and he’s a strong contender to reach the end zone this week, when the Texans face the Lions on Thanksgiving. The Lions are our 11th-best matchup this week, and they’ve allowed eight TDs to WRs this season, so the surging Deshaun Watson could find Fuller for six points at least once this Thursday.
D.J. MOORE, Panthers
Moore has usurped Robby Anderson as target leader for the Panthers as of late, he had 11 last week, and he’ll get plenty more against Minnesota in Week 12. The Vikings have given up 17 TDs to WRs this season, second most in the league, so whether it’s P.J. Walker or Teddy Bridgewater under center, Moore stands a considerable chance to score his fifth TD on the year.
MARVIN JONES, Lions
Kenny Golladay is out this week, and the 39.74% TD dependent Jones has been the Lions' best end zone target in his absence, scoring four times in the past four games. Helping his cause is the fact that Detroit is playing a Houston team that is our seventh-best matchup for WRs, allowing the third-most TDs to WRs this season.
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This column was provided to The Associated Press by RosterWatch, www.rosterwatch.com.