Fantasy football projections, Week 12: Rams-Saints featuring Kenny Britt, Drew Brees, Brandin Cooks, more

The Week 12 matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints features a team with a defensive-minded strategy against an opponent with an offensive-minded approach. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.

Fantasy owners of wide receiver Kenny Britt have to be a little bit worried about his fantasy value heading into Week 12. That’s because rookie quarterback Jared Goff threw for 134 yards and no touchdowns in his debut. With a veteran quarterback under center, Britt could get 134 yards on his own any given week. Less than a month from the fantasy playoffs, it’s hard to gauge any Rams player’s fantasy value. The good news is the New Orleans Saints are sure to pull ahead early in Week 12. Goff will have no choice but to attempt a ton of passes just to keep the game respectable. That scenario will benefit Britt. Week 12 may be the last time this season he surpasses his fantasy projections.

The same can’t necessarily be said about running back Todd Gurley. The sophomore rusher has had a tough year. It’s obviously not all his fault but fantasy owners can’t be blamed for viewing it as all the same at this point in the season. But again there’s some good news for fantasy owners this week. The Saints rush defense is leaky. Add to that the fact Gurley did manage his second rushing touchdown of the season last week against the Miami Dolphins and he still provides owners with a glimmer of hope moving forward. Averaging just 3.2 yards per carry this season, it’s hard to trust Gurley. On the bright side, New Orleans is currently giving up over 102 yards per game to running backs. No one in Los Angeles should really be counted on to surpass projections moving forward, but this week might be the exception to the rule.

Quarterback Drew Brees currently leads all of the NFL in completion percentage, touchdown passes, and passing yards. It’s been another banner year for one of the most reliable fantasy quarterbacks of the present day. Even in a game where he struggles, like last week against the Carolina Panthers, Brees still puts up plenty of numbers thanks to lots of pass attempts. In Week 12, he’ll be up against a Rams secondary unit that has allowed fewer than 200 passing yards in four of the last six games. Look for Brees to buck that trend and surpass his projections this Sunday.

Teammate and wide receiver Brandin Cooks is certainly hoping Brees does just that. The pass catcher was held in check in Carolina last week. While he did catch seven passes, he managed to put together just 42 yards. That’s 6 yards per catch. If Cooks were a running back that would be a fantastic average. Unfortunately he is not. The Rams do have a top 10 secondary unit so expecting Cooks to be a top fantasy receiver in Week 12 is probably being overly positive. That said, if he gets seven catches against Los Angeles, you can but he’ll be closer to 100 yards rather than 42. Cooks will beat his projections this Sunday.