CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens began last night’s game on the bench, a coach’s decision after “some things were missed,” Brian Schottenheimer said in his news conference. It was all up from there, as the duo combined for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and Dallas beat the Raiders 33-16. Full takeaways here.
Inside: How the Cowboys (4-5-1) managed an emotional first game without Marshawn Kneeland, plus which rookie receiver might be this year’s Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jake Ciely’s waiver adds. Week 12 Power Rankings are here, too. Let’s roll.
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Navigating a tragedy
Last night’s kickoff came just 11 days after the Cowboys lost Kneeland, the 24-year-old defensive end.
My colleague Michael Silver wrote an excellent story on how the Cowboys honored Kneeland with passionate, purposeful play. He spoke to players and staff in Vegas, who shared the impact of their loss.
💬 Jadeveon Clowney: “It’s a hard feeling when you look over there and don’t see your teammate anymore … It kind of crushed everybody … He was a guy who came to work and worked hard every day, ran to the ball and did everything the right way. So, I think guys won’t take this for granted. You never know when it’s gonna be your last game.”
💬 Dak Prescott: “You’re tired. You’re a little upset. Well, there’s a brother that we had here that can’t be tired, that can’t do that. So, you’ve got to carry that; you’ve got to take his energy and push it with you.”
💬 Brian Schottenheimer: “Marshawn … played so hard. Tonight, they honored him. Our defense was just different. That’s the most f— focused they’ve been all season. I think that’s why I was so emotional.”
It’s natural to root for a group fighting through adversity. Michael’s story is worth your time, and our Jon Machota further details how Schottenheimer led after the shocking tragedy.
As for the game, recently acquired Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was dominant, if you were wondering. Over to Jake, who begins our Week 12 fantasy prep with waiver adds.
All In with Jake Ciely: Week 12 waivers
What a brutal week of injuries. We’ve got some obvious waiver adds, though we still don’t know the extent of injuries to players like running backs Josh Jacobs and Jaylen Warren. Since upside matters, we’ll assume that Jacobs, Warren and Panthers receiver Xavier Legette miss Week 12 (not guaranteed).
Here’s how I’d rank six replacement options for Week 12 waivers.
1. RB Sean Tucker, TB. Without Bucky Irving, Tucker is an RB2. Even if Irving returns, Tucker can still be an RB3.
2. RB Kenneth Gainwell, PIT. Jaylen Warren said he’s OK, but if he’s out, Gainwell would be an RB2. If Warren plays, Gainwell is an RB3/4 where needed.
3. RB Emanuel Wilson, GB. Would lead the way as an RB2 if Josh Jacobs is unable to go.
4. WR Andrei Iosivas, CIN. A short-term play with Ja’Marr Chase suspended one game. The Patriots haven’t shut down many wideouts with or without corner Christian Gonzalez.
5. WR Darnell Mooney, ATL. Even with Drake London out, Mooney is no more than a WR4, given his own struggles.
6. WR Jalen Coker, CAR. If, and only if, Xavier Legette is out, Coker would have a clear path to the No. 2 role and WR4/5 value.
My full Week 12 waiver column has plenty more options. Back to Jacob.
Breakout rookie receivers
It’s late in the fantasy season, but there’s one lottery ticket left that could win your league: a second-half breakout rookie receiver.
This is the best option for those of us limited by trade deadlines and sparse waiver wires. It’s an annual tradition, with players like Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown dominating the second halves of their rookie seasons. Remember:
In 2022, rookie Christian Watson averaged 17.2 PPR points per game from Weeks 10 to 17 as a second-half league winner. (He averaged 4.4 points from Weeks 1 to 9.)
In 2023, rookies Rashee Rice and Jayden Reed went from strong bench options to league winners, each averaging 17-plus points per game from Weeks 11 to 18.
In 2024, rookie Brian Thomas went from a strong starter (13.3) to the league’s third-highest scoring receiver (21.5) from Weeks 11 to 18.
These breakouts aren’t limited to highly drafted rookies, either. In 2024, Buccaneers third-round pick Jalen McMillan went from averaging 4.5 points through the first 13 weeks to a league-winning 19.8 points per game during the fantasy playoffs.
Who might be this year’s equivalent? Here are four options to choose from, in order of my preference.
No. 1: Bears WR Luther Burden III. Chicago’s early second-round pick leads all rookies in yards per route run (2.42), besting Emeka Egbuka (2.11) and Tetairoa McMillan (2.02). He’s only run 103 routes, but that’s likely to change as Burden finally won Ben Johnson’s slot role.
No. 2: Broncos WR Pat Bryant. Since Week 9, only three rookie receivers have run more routes than Bryant’s 72, and he converted a career-high six targets into five receptions and 82 yards on Sunday.
Bryant’s run-blocking keeps him on the field, and a post-bye bump could be coming. Bryant fits nicely as Sean Payton’s power slot, and Payton compared him with former Saints All-Pro Michael Thomas. I can see shades:
No. 3: Texans WR Jayden Higgins. His snap share and routes run trend up, but production is yet to follow — though it’s also moving in the right direction. The 6-foot-4 Higgins has seven end zone targets this season and 14 total targets in his past two games. A breakout week feels inevitable.
No. 4: Titans WR Elic Ayomanor. Calvin Ridley’s season-ending injury means more targets for Ayomanor, who ranks fourth among rookie receivers with 12 targets since Week 9. He sees 19 percent of the Titans’ targets, behind only McMillan and Egbuka among rookie receivers. Converting those targets into fantasy points has proven difficult, however.
Extra Points
📊 Where they stand. Wins propelled the Bills, Broncos and Bears up our Week 12 Power Rankings, but were not enough to overtake the Eagles, Rams and Colts as our top teams.
📈 Bo Nix? Bo Picks? The Broncos sophomore quarterback is a conundrum, which Jeff Howe explores in his latest QB stock report.
🏈 New starter in N.Y. The Jets are starting Tyrod Taylor against the Ravens this week. “We got to get a lot better in the passing game,” said coach Aaron Glenn. This can only help, frankly.
👀 Backup time? Aaron Rodgers fractured his left wrist on Sunday, but it won’t require surgery. His status is uncertain for Pittsburgh’s Week 12 game in Chicago.
▶️ Yesterday’s most-clicked: Mike Sando’s Pick Six column, which evaluates whether Sam Darnold might sink Seattle.
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