Fantasy Football 2017: Saints vs. Rams easily best of Week 12

It took long enough, but a top five teams has emerged in the NFL. Your Fantasy Football 2017 Game of the Week (GOTW) is a slam dunk in Week 12. Saints versus Rams.o question.

Each week during the NFL season, certain games stand out. These are not necessarily the games with the most on the line or with the most impact on the standings. Instead, they hold the most star power and fantasy football implications.

These are the games every fan needs to watch, from the die hard to the guy pressured into joining a fantasy league with work associates. This is the fantasy football 2017 game of the week for NFL Week 12.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate Fantasy Football 2017 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Fantasy Football 2017 Week 12

Both New Orleans-Washington and Atlanta-Seattle ended up being great games to wrap Week 11. Seems we nailed it. We also seem to have a legitimate top five teams in football taking shape in the Saints, Eagles, Vikings, Patriots, and Steelers. It sure took long enough. On to Fantasy Football 2017 Week 12 action!

Game of the Week

Todd Salem: One of those top teams plays on Thanksgiving day. Another plays in the clear top fantasy game of the week. That would be the New Orleans Saints yet again, facing off against perhaps the sixth-best team in football and the squad looking to crack that top five: the Los Angeles Rams.

New Orleans and Los Angeles are two of the best teams in football record-wise. They also have top three point differentials and, most importantly for us, a slew of fantasy football 2017 behemoths. The charge is led by Drew Brees, who put together a resurgent effort in the comeback win over Washington. The Saints have arguably the best rushing offense in the league to boot. They have the most rushing touchdowns, are tied for first with a 4.8 yards per carry average, and are third in overall ground yards. The fantasy defense has slowed down quite a bit from a few weeks ago, but that was to be expected.

On the other side of the ball, Los Angeles is looking to rebound from its struggle against Minnesota. The Rams are fourth overall in total offense (with N.O. being first). Only three teams in the entire NFL average at least 30 points per game. The Rams are Saints are both in that group as well.

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Robert Woods has become the leader on a team full of receiving weapons. Every fantasy owner has probably owned Woods for at least a week, but those who hung onto him have been rewarded in a major way. LA also has perhaps the best special teams in the NFL thanks to Legatron and company. Those aren’t huge fantasy considerations, but they play a part in the overall picture. The Rams let us down somewhat in Week 11, but hopefully Week 12 is a bounce-back.

Dan Salem: We may finally know the top five teams in the league, but September was way more fun in terms of great fantasy football matchups. Multiple teams that now stink were dominating on offense during the early parts of the 2017 season. Can they pull some old magic out of their hats in NFL Week 12? Since New Orleans versus Los Angeles is an incredible matchup and easily our Game of the Week, lets throw hope in the air and pray that it can fly.

Once upon a time the Buffalo Bills versus the Kansas City Chiefs would have ended this debate before it began. Kansas City was the shoe-in pick for Fantasy Football 2017 game of the week throughout September and most of October. Buffalo was on fire then as well, running the ball at will and crushing teams with their defense. Plus, Tyrod Taylor was still a starting quarterback and putting up great fantasy numbers. Those were the days.

Travis Kelce is still a great fantasy option each week, but Kareem Hunt has cooled off and Alex Smith is playing much more like Alex Smith is known to play, good but not great. Doesn’t it feel like the Chiefs will suddenly blow the doors off an opponent on offense any week now? Since the Bills have been hemorrhaging points lately, this is a perfect opportunity for Kansas City to explode offensively and in fantasy.

Buffalo must pull its weight for this to be a great fantasy football game, but we’re hoping and wishing, remember? The Bills will start Taylor at quarterback again, meaning he’s in prove-it mode and looking to put this team back on track for the playoffs. Kelvin Benjamin‘s injury is likely serious, but the Bills were doing well without him. Take a real flier on this game, because the magic was once there for both teams.

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One other game has real sleeper potential in fantasy football. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus Atlanta Falcons is a totally underrated game in week 12. The Bucs, led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, have won two straight and are running the ball very well. Mike Evans is still a weapon and Fitzpatrick himself has found some old magic of his own. Add in Atlanta’s potent offense which has found its stride, and I love this game on paper. The Buccaneers could crap the bed, but at least Atlanta and Matt Ryan are a sure thing for excitement. Among many weak options, this is a great game.