Winners Club: Fantasy Football and Betting Primer for NFL Sunday
As Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, there’s still plenty of football left to be played. Though a few lines are rather lopsided, it’s shaping up to be another exciting day of NFL action with teams jostling for playoff position in the back half of the schedule.
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
- Week 12 NFL Injury report
- NFL schedule and spreads
- SI Sportsbook’s Perfect 10 contest
- Against the spread NFL picks
- Fantasy football advice
- CFP picture and title odds
Who’s In, Out and Still Questionable
Injury issues are a bit more manageable than usual this week with no teams on bye. However, there are still a couple of stars set to miss Sunday’s games that could throw a wrench in your lineup, including Justin Fields, Joe Mixon and Ja’Marr Chase. Injuries continue to hamper the Rams’ disappointing season and Arizona receiver Marquise Brown is set to make his return from injured reserve.
Continue to monitor the status of players with questionable designations as kickoff approaches.
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields, Bears: QUESTIONABLE (shoulder), not expected to play
Matthew Stafford, Rams: OUT (neck)
Running backs
Joe Mixon, Bengals: OUT (concussion)
Leonard Fournette, Buccaneers: OUT (hip)
Josh Jacobs, Raiders: QUESTIONABLE (calf), expected to play
Raheem Mostert, Dolphins: DOUBTFUL (knee)
Gus Edwards, Ravens: QUESTIONABLE (hamstring, knee), expected to play
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs: INJURED RESERVE (ankle)
Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports
Wide receivers
Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals: QUESTIONABLE (hip), not expected to play
Mike Williams, Chargers: OUT (ankle)
Rondale Moore, Cardinals: OUT (groin)
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos: OUT (ankle)
Deebo Samuel, 49ers: QUESTIONABLE (hamstring), expected to play
Marquise Brown, Cardinals: ACTIVE (foot)
Allen Robinson, Rams: QUESTIONABLE (ankle), not expected to play
Devin Duvernay, Ravens: QUESTIONABLE (hamstring), expected to play
Demarcus Robinson, Ravens: QUESTIONABLE (hip), expected to play
Terrace Marshall Jr., Panthers: QUESTIONABLE (shoulder)
Kadarius Toney, Chiefs: OUT (hamstring)
Tight ends
Tyler Higbee, Rams: QUESTIONABLE (knee)
Logan Thomas, Commanders: QUESTIONABLE (rib, illness), expected to play
Kyle Pitts, Falcons: INJURED RESERVE (knee)
NFL Week 12 Game Lines
Some spreads indicate this isn’t expected to be an especially competitive Sunday. Three teams—Dolphins, Chiefs, 49ers—are giving more than 10 points to their opponents as heavy home favorites. There’s a few tight lines, though none closer than Bengals-Titans, a rematch of last season’s AFC Divisional round playoff matchup which Cincinnati won, 19-16.
The Rams and Chiefs play for the first time since their 2018 shootout and I don’t expect it to be nearly as competitive or entertaining as that game that yielded more than 100 points. Falcons-Commanders matters a lot for NFC playoff seeding as both teams currently stand just outside of the postseason picture. And the 49ers can further cement their status among the NFC’s elite and send a crushing blow to the Saints’ playoff hopes then they host New Orleans.
I’m staring down that Chargers-Cardinals line. A few of my colleagues and I picked Los Angeles to cover by less than a field goal against Arizona, which has lost time and time again at home. See our explanations for our picks as well as the rest of our writers’ Perfect 10 picks. And if you want to participate in the contest for a shot at a $10,000 prize, visit SI Sportsbook and pick 10 games against the spread. It’s that easy.
And if player props are more your speed, use the player prop tool at si.com/betting to find the best wagers to place.
1 p.m. ET (Fox): Buccaneers (-5.5) vs. Browns | Total: 42
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Bengals vs. Titans (-1.5) | Total: 43
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Texans vs. Dolphins (-12.5) | Total: 47
1 p.m. ET (Fox): Bears vs. Jets (-9.5) | Total: 38.5
1 p.m. ET (Fox): Falcons vs. Commanders (-3.5) | Total: 40.5
1 p.m. ET (Fox): Broncos (-2.5) vs. Panthers | Total: 36.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Ravens (-3.5) vs. Jaguars | Total: 43.5
4:05 p.m ET (CBS): Chargers (-2.5) vs. Cardinals | Total: 48.5
4:05 p.m. ET (CBS): Raiders vs. Seahawks (-3.5) | Total: 47.5
4:25 p.m. ET (Fox): Rams vs. Chiefs (-15.5) | Total: 41.5
4:25 p.m. ET (Fox): Saints vs. 49ers (-11.5) | Total: 43.5
8:20 p.m. ET (NBC): Packers vs. Eagles (-6.5) | Total: 45.5
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN): Steelers vs. Colts (-2.5) | Total: 39
Fantasy Football Lineup Calls
Whether the outcome of the Thanksgiving slate dug your team into a hole or you enter Sunday with a comfortable lead, you want to optimize your lineup this week and every week as fantasy playoffs approach as every roster decision matters.
We have plenty of tools in place to do just that. Consult Michael Fabiano’s famous Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em columns and apply the rest of our rankings and projections to start the best lineup possible.
Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | K & D/ST
Defense vs. Position Matchup Info
Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports
And if you’re still wavering on a decision, there are two more ways you can get your questions answered. Head over to @SINow or @SI_Fantasy at noon ET for a Twitter Spaces hosted by our expert analysts. And you can always tweet me at @SI_Fantasy or @Kkylewood for all of your start/sit dilemmas.
Conference Title Games Set After Upsets Shake CFP Race
Next week’s conference championship matchups are set and the Power Five matchups are as follows:
- ACC: Clemson vs. North Carolina
- SEC: Georgia vs. LSU
- Big Ten: Michigan vs. Purdue
- Big 12: TCU vs. Kansas State
- Pac-12: USC vs. Utah
And after upsets all over the playoff field—Clemson, Ohio State and LSU all lost on Saturday—there's extra pressure on next week’s results. It does seem as if four teams control their own destiny, though. If Georgia, Michigan, TCU and USC all win their conference, the committee will be hard-pressed to keep them out of the final four teams, especially considering the Trojans are the only one with a loss among the four.
Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK
Richard Johnson broke down what Ohio State needs to make it back to the playoff after its loss to Michigan and he released an updated version of SI’s CFB top 10.
And according to SI Sportsbook’s national title odds, there’s a clear favorite, a team firmly in second place and then everyone else:
Georgia: -175
Michigan: +275
Ohio State: +900
TCU: +900
USC: +900
In Other News
What USMNT Draw with England Means Moving Forward: The U.S. played England to a scoreless draw on Friday and now must beat Iran on Tuesday to advance to the round of 16. All four teams in Group B are still alive, but the USMNT controls its destiny.
Top-Ranked Tar Heels Upset at Phil Knight Invitational: North Carolina suffered its first loss of the season Friday night against unranked Iowa State, which served as a wakeup call for a team that has yet to perform up to its preseason billing.
Remaining Under-the-Radar MLB Free Agents: Much is made of the big-ticket free agents every offseason, but there are quite a few players available on the open market that could end up being bargains.
Thank you for reading Winners Club! Enjoy what’s left of your holiday weekend. There's no newsletter this coming Tuesday, so I'll be back in your inbox Thursday morning.
