Malcolm Mitchell, amirite? I don't think anyone has gotten over this hard on a Hogan since Bill Goldberg went over Hulk Hogan at the Georgia Dome in 1998. What's interesting to note here, Goldberg played for the Atlanta Falcons. Which is part of the reason why WCW brought him into the fold. But what I really wanted to point out is, Goldberg played football at Georgia.
The same school as Malcolm Mitchell. Whoa.
Mitchell has recorded nine receptions for 140 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the last three games. Which obviously is much more than he had in the first seven games (seven receptions for 95 yards). So the big question is, can he keep the magic going against the Los Angeles Rams this week?
Oh my god, the team that drafted Bill Goldberg with the 302nd pick in the 1990 NFL Draft (yep, it had that many rounds back then) was … wait for it … the Los Angeles Rams. (Come on, people. I told you to wait for it. Why would you take that from me? I don't get many chances to surprise you guys anymore because you're all so savvy and you robbed that from me. Not cool. Fine. I'm going to ruin "Gilmore Girls" for you. Rory kills Lorelai. Hope you're happy.)
Should I go on here? I mean, all of these compelling reasons back with the Rams and Georgia stuff.
I do feel like Mitchell is the real deal. The Patriots really like him. Brady himself has even gushed about Mitchell when he compared his hands to Rob Gronkowski. So I anticipate Mitchell having a role with this team, even when the aforementioned Gronk returns to the fold in the coming weeks. The Patriots have found something here, they won't let go.
The only downside for this week, however, is the Rams defense ranks 20th against the run, but seventh against the pass. This seems like a LeGarrette Blount game. I'm so sorry. I know it's hard to get a new toy and not be able to use it. Kind of like how I had to wait a whole day to binge "Gilmore Girls" last weekend.
And with that, I fear I've gone to the Double-G references one too many times. Let's just get to the sleepers.
Rank's 11 Sleepers, Week 13
LATE ADD
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets
Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
I know, we've all been burned by Smith in the past. And this seems like chasing fantasy points. And really, if your league still has Colin Kaepernick available, by all means, go with him. But I like this matchup for Smith. The Falcons have been better against the pass (14th in the last month), but are still overall a solid matchup. And I would feel better about my life going with Smith over Ryan Fitzpatrick, even though Fitzy has a better matchup. But I can be an irrational human at times.
Look, there aren't a lot of great options. That's pretty much the end of my analysis. No, Dixon hasn't really lived up to the hype we've all heaped on him. But he did have more snaps than Terrance West (31 to 22) and yards (80 to 64). I always tend to lean on the running back who is the bigger threat in the passing game, too.
All right, I besmirched Fitzpatrick earlier, but that won't make me sit one of his receivers. Enunwa actually thrives when Fitzpatrick is out there. And shoot, maybe I am being too hard on Fitzpatrick. Fine, I'm going to add Fitz to the list. But you saw Enunwa make a pretty sick catch against the Patriots on Sunday. I mean seriously, that was a thing of beauty (how the refs didn't see that on the first pass, I'll never know). The Colts have the worst FPA against receivers over the last month. So if you look for that kind of thing, there you go.
Marquess Wilson, WR, Chicago Bears
He was the most-targeted receiver for the Bears, as we expected last week on "Fantasy and Friends." (Don't worry, that's not a brag. I also moved away from Cam Newton, so there you go. I'm an idiot.) The matchup this week against the 49ers is a good one. And realize, it's not like the Bears completely forgot Cameron Meredith who was also targeted nine times, just two off the pace of Wilson.
Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans
I know, he's been missing for a long time. But he's finally healthy. I don't believe the Packers secondary has been completely fixed. I don't have the gumption to actually stream Brock Lesnar this week. Holy (expletive), of course I mean Brock Osweiler. Good lord. I know I could just go back and change it without the embarrassing mix up, but I believe in transparency. But let's get down to it. The Texans should be able to move the ball through the air. I still feel like Osweiler will have some brutal throws and do Osweiler things. However, the production should be there for Fuller. I have to believe the Pack will do everything in its power to slow down DeAndre Hopkins, which should open up Fuller. Shoot, Braxton Miller would be a sneaky play in deep (I'm talking deep) leagues.
Ertz can be one of the most frustrating tight ends to predict. I feel at times that he and Enunwa are having a personal grudge match to befuddle fantasy enthusiasts. Now if you go on the FPA, this would not be a great play. But he had six targets on Monday night. He's averaged close to eight targets over the last month. When you look at the Eagles receivers, he's probably the most reliable. Though that's not saying a lot. That would be like saying, "Hey, you were the best actor in season two of "True Detective." Oh man, I don't know why I said that. I liked the second season of "True Detective" so sue me. Because that season revolved around the city of Vernon, Calif. And I'm a huge mark for that.
Be sure to watch "Fantasy and Friends" at 6 p.m. ET on NFL Network, Monday-Wednesday and Friday. (Sorry, the Thursday night game preempts us. But you can be a part of the show by going to NFL.com/fantasyandfriends. Also follow Adam Rank on Twitter @adamrank.
Follow Adam Rank on Twitter @adamrank
