Orleans Darkwa proving that volume yields fantasy points highlights this week’s NFL Week That Was.

Orleans Darkwa:  Orleans Darkwa is fast becoming a steady if unspectacular fantasy asset – precisely the type of asset that sneaks under the radar until you realize that he is on a lot of title winning fantasy football teams.  Sunday, Darkwa got 22 touches and turned them into 90 total yards, 2 receptions and a TD.  In PPR scoring that is a solid 17 points.  Will Darkwa be an RB1 most weeks?  No.  Will he be a solid RB2/Flex play?  Yes.  He is averaging 18 touches per week over the last three weeks and that volume should continue throughout the remainder of the season.

Brandin Cooks:  Brandin Cooks had himself a Mexican holiday Sunday afternoon hauling in 6 passes for 149 yards and a TD on 9 targets.  That is 20 targets in the last two weeks since the Pats came off a bye.  More important than the numbers is the eye test.  Watching this game, you saw that Brady really trusts Cooks, Brady really wants to throw the deep ball and that Cooks can simply outrun almost any defensive back.  Many a fantasy team and DFS weekly winner will have Brandin Cooks on their roster. 

Alex Collins:  Alex Collins touched the ball 24 times Sunday.  His 71 total yards were not awe-inspiring but when add in a TD and 4 catches, you have a nice 17-point day.  There will be a lot of Danny Woodhead hype but given that he carried the ball exactly one time, do you really fear him stealing that many touches from Collins?  Didn’t think so.  Buck Allen and Terrance West may be fantasy irrelevant but Woodhead will make Collins fantasy undervalued.  Buy!  [Oh, do not forget he gets the Browns and the Colts in the critical fantasy weeks 15 and 16. Tasty!]

Corey Coleman:  Corey Coleman had nice comeback registering 6 catches for 80 yards on 11 targets Sunday.  Yes, he seems to be injury prone.  Yes, the Browns are just plain bad.  However, Coleman is a big-time talent who can be had inexpensively and could be a huge add down the stretch.  [For those who need convincing, consider this – Coleman runs a 4.4 40 yard dash and has some serious ability to jump.  Just sayin’]

Sammy Watkins:  Last week we wrote: “Sammy Watkins has become completely TD dependent.  Fortunately, he found the end zone Sunday despite being targeted only 3 times (finishing 2-41 with a TD).  Unless you play in a completely TD-dependent league, then Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are likely to be the more valuable Rams pass catchers as you prepare for the fantasy playoffs.  Actually, when you think about it, Watkins and Hilton have a lot in common – high ceilings but quicksand floors.  In 7 of the Rams 9 games this year, Watkins has 3 or fewer receptions.  Indeed, he has been targeted more than 5 times in a game exactly once all year.  Yes, the TDs are nice.  Yes, he is talented.  But no, you cannot count on him week in and week out.  You cannot.”  Shame on you if you did not listen.  You should not have been surprised that Watkins was targeted only four times and posted a weak 3 catches for 36 yards.  Warn him about the splinters and set him on the pine.

Adam Thielen:  Last week we wrote: “Adam Thielen has officially been knighted a fantasy stud.  The Vikes’ WR hauled in 8 passes for 166 yards and a TD on 12 targets (as many targets as Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph combined).  Over his last four games, Thielen has average almost 12 targets per game and has at least 8 targets in all but one game.  He is on fire, his QB trusts him and absent injury, he is sure to surpass his 967 receiving yards from a year ago.  He is lock and load every single week and is fast becoming an WR1 in all PPR formats.  If anyone still thinks he is just a possession receiver, well, you know what to do.”  Well, there is now no one left who has a computer or who can read a boxscore that will trade Thielen. Sunday, the Vikes WR posted a studly 6-130 and a TD on 9 targets. Plug, play, repeat, and ride the wave into the fantasy playoffs.

Final Note:  Can I just say that watching Shane Vereen throw a drive killing pick did not surprise me because the Giants have been so inept.  That the Chiefs decided to copy that tomfoolery and have Kelce do the same thing just boggles the mind.  Chiefs lost because they deserved to lose.  Period.  [Rant over, you can now go on with your day].

Seriously, let me take this opportunity to wish all of our readers, all of listeners on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio and all loyal members of #FANation a healthy and happy Thanksgiving holiday (and a Cowboys win of course!)