NFL fans and fantasy managers are looking for the same thing every Sunday: hope. The idea that today can be better than yesterday, and tomorrow can be better than today.

Anthony Richardson gave us hope in Sunday’s upset of the Jets. He also gave us some fantasy points.

Richardson accounted for three scores in the 28-27 win, two on the ground and one through the air. Both touchdown runs were physical specials with a lower shoulder, and the touchdown pass to Josh Downs was a hit. Richardson had occasional accuracy issues, but overall his 20-for-30-day passing represented a big step forward. And he made chunk-play connections with all three of his primary wideouts, Downs (5-84-1), Alec Pierce (3-74-0) and Michael Pittman Jr. (5-46-0).

Richardson had improved – but not perfect – in avoiding negative play. He had two fumbles, one of which he lost. He was not intercepted. He took two bags with him. This all represents progress from his previous game. His 20 completions were good for 272 yards, and although he had only 32 yards on the ground, both touchdown rushes were emphatic punctuation marks — and the second decided the game. When the smoke cleared, Richardson had 28.08 fantasy points, the QB4 when this story went live.

If Richardson’s passing can maintain this level, Downs, Pittman and Pierce will fit back into our fantasy lineups. They get enough separation in the field. Shane Steichen planned them all open at times against the Jets. This could be another fun offense.

Detroit will be a challenge next week; we focus mostly on the formidable Lions offense, but the defense is playing very well too. The Patriots follow in Week 13, and then Indianapolis has one of those pesky bye weeks in December. The schedule maker is not your friend. Still, with six teams bye in Week 12, Richardson is worth an addition and is available in 53% of leagues.

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Taysom, king of the hill in week 11

One of the rare quarterbacks to beat Richardson in fantasy this week was Taysom Hill. Wait, you used him at tight end? Have you used Hill at all: he has started in only 27% of Yahoo leagues. He remains one of fantasy’s most enigmatic players.

Hill only had two solid fantasy games on his resume in Week 11. Blame it on injuries, timing and the previous head coach. Failure, like success, has many parents. But the Saints released Hill against Cleveland and the result was a fantasy bonanza for the ages: 138 rushing yards and three touchdowns, along with eight catches for 50 yards. Hill being Hill, he also threw a pick and lost a fumble. Throw it all in the blender and you get 38.52 fantasy points, ready to serve.

It’s impossible to know where the Hill story is going. He is truly a unicorn, a knuckleball player in a fastball world. After all, he is 34 years old. New Orleans has a Week 12 bye. Alvin Kamara (20 touches, 89 total yards) is still the signature player of this offense.

But no one denies Hill’s value as a power runner and versatile offensive piece. When most teams unveil some sort of wildcat or hybrid package, there isn’t much of a pass threat. Hill can theoretically do anything when the ball is in his hands. The Browns certainly didn’t know how to defend him.

We’re kind of mentioning Hill’s QB suitability as a lark, but he’s certainly worth considering as a tight end given the shallowness of that position. And it’s not like the Saints are chock full of downfield options. After Hill’s ten goals on Sunday, no one had more than four. Marquez Valdez-Scantling shocked the world again (2-87-1), but it’s hard to take advantage of one long touchdown per week. No other New Orleans wideout reached 20 yards.

I expect we’ll have our share of Hill discussions in the last quarter of the year.

Lions remain a juggernaut

If only every offense was as simple as the lions. Detroit essentially played a perfect game against the hapless Jaguars. Detroit’s first seven drives all went for touchdowns, the first time we’ve seen that trick since the 2007 Patriots.

And because Detroit’s usage tree is particularly narrow, the touchdowns tended to land where fantasy managers wanted them to. David Montgomery and Amon-Ra St. Brown scored twice (Brown also had 11-161 on 11 goals). Jahmyr Gibbs had a spike and 123 total yards. Jameson Williams parried a long touchdown into a 4-124-1 hit. Jared Goff (412 yards, four touchdowns) had just five incompletions and didn’t make a single negative play.

Goff faces the Colts next week, a favorable matchup for fantasy purposes. Then the schedule becomes a lot more difficult. The last five opponents on the fantasy roster (Bears, Packers, Bills, Bears, 49ers) are all stingy when it comes to allowing QB fantasy points. While we recognize that offenses determine outcomes more than defenses in the modern NFL, we must be cautious in ranking Goff & Co. in the future.

That said, the Lions still have plenty of upside: a loaded offensive line, a smart offensive coordinator, four straight indoor games, a skill talent that threatens the entire field (including Sam LaPorta when healthy). It is very likely that the road to the NFC Championship will pass through Detroit. And players like Montgomery, Gibbs, St. Brown, Williams – they’re basically starting themselves. Grab a comfy chair and watch them go.

Speed ​​lap

• Fantasy managers have been frustrated with the Jets offense all year long (Aaron Rodgers plays like a quarterback who doesn’t want to get hit), but it’s even more shocking to see New York’s defense lay a giant egg. This unit is being pushed to the ground by everyone, and CB Sauce Gardner hasn’t had a good season either.

• Sean Payton stayed true to the hot-hand motif and Javonte Williams came out strong against Atlanta. Audric Estimé remains interesting, but he will not get the first chance in the future. Bo Nix remains a revelation; he has punched four top 10 tickets in his last seven games. He’s currently listed as the QB3 this week, and it was all with his arm – he only ran for five yards.

• Time for a menu change for the other New Jersey team. Tommy DeVito is the new starter, starting in week 12. Despite all of DeVito’s limitations, we dare to make him worse than Daniel Jones. I won’t make any major changes in my expectations of Malik Nabers.

• The Chiefs were back in a rotating mood with their wide receiverswith JuJu Smith-Schuster back. That’s not the role DeAndre Hopkins filled as a target.

• You can argue that Michael Pittman Jr. is actually the third-best receiver on his own team.

• We say this every week: If Kirk Cousins ​​doesn’t play against the Buccaneers, you can’t trust him. His other weekly grades: QB28, QB8, QB23, QB26, QB23, QB22, QB16, QB19, QB25. And after the Week 12 bye, the Falcons draw the Chargers and Vikings, tough matchups.

• It’s crazy how the Steelers and Ravens keep playing the same game. Here are their last eight meetings: 19-14, 20-19, 16-13, 16-14, 16-13, 17-10, 17-10 and 18-16 Sunday. Remarkably, the Steelers have now won eight of nine in the series. Mike Tomlin has to be the best coach to never win Coach of the Year.

• Jauan Jennings isn’t just a fantasy starter, he’s the best wideout the Niners have right now. He defeats Deebo Samuel Sr. every week. The Seahawks actually defended Jennings quite well and he still hovered at that 10-91-1 line. Brock Purdy isn’t afraid to throw the ball to Jennings in the tightest of windows.

• Jayden Reed got the touchdown, Christian Watson got the yards. But it will always be an uphill sledding for the Green Bay receivers because Matt LeFleur likes to rotate them and no one ever has a tough target. If you’re a Packers receiver, two realities are unavoidable: they want you to hold your tail, and they expect you to share. It’s not just a government-owned team, it’s an outside cooperative.

• The Dolphins don’t know how to unlock their receivers at this point. De’Von Achane? Sometimes. But Jonnu Smith keeps coming home, something that was impossible to predict in August. I tried to snag Smith Sunday morning as a $0 Guillotine replacement (George Kittle manager), but one of my rivals went for full price. As a result, I have to sweat it out on Monday – never ideal.