DFS: 5 Bold Predictions for Week 12

Bye weeks are officially over for the 2015 NFL season, meaning all 32 teams will be taking the field. The three Thanksgiving games between the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are all excluded from the main DFS slates.

With QB Matt Schaub gearing up for his first start Dec. 29, 2013, the Baltimore Ravens will become the 14th team this season to start at least two different quarterbacks. The New York Jets and Washington Redskins have been able to ride the coattails of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kirk Cousins, respectively, and neither is one of those 14 teams.

Here are five bold predictions for Week 12 of what has been a very unpredictable NFL season:

T.J. Yeldon will be the week's leading rusher

Yeldon has had modest success thus far this season as the Jaguars bellcow back. He has 738 total yards from scrimmage with one rushing and one receiving touchdown. Yet he's rushed for a pedestrian four yards per carry and his season high on the ground was a 115-yard performance in Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills.

In Week 12, Yeldon will be able to feast on a San Diego Chargers rush defense that ranks 26th in rush yards allowed, 31st in rush yards allowed per attempt and 31st in rushing touchdowns allowed.

Yeldon's best fantasy finish this season was as RB8 in Week 7, his lone top-10 positional finish of the season. Here is how the Chargers have allowed opposing running backs to finish this season (standard scoring):

With the Chargers having to respect the passing attack of QB Blake Bortles and WRs Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, Yeldon should have plenty of room to operate as the Jags move down the field. If he's finally given the goal-line work he deserves, he could finish as Week 12's RB1.

DeAndre Hopkins will set 2015's single-week high for receiving yards

The mark is currently held by Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown who shredded the Oakland Raiders defense for 284 yards in Week 9. Here are the top weekly receiving yard totals this season:

Enter the New Orleans pass defense. The Saints rank second last in passing yards allowed, and dead last in yards per attempt and touchdowns allowed. They're also tied for the fewest interceptions. They've been torched by QBs Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota and Eli Manning for 1,045 yards and 14 touchdowns over their past three games.

Hopkins may challenge Los Angeles Rams WR Flipper Anderson's all-time record of 336 receiving yards set in a 1989 game against the Saints (!!!). Owners will be plenty happy if he supplants Brown for 2015's top spot.

The Arizona Cardinals will beat the San Francisco 49ers by 40 points ... again

The Cardinals are on a four-game winning streak with Week 12's win over the Cincinnati Bengals being the only game decided by less than a touchdown. Their scoring differential of plus-120 for the season trails only the New England Patriots (plus-141).

QB Carson Palmer and Co. stomped the 49ers in a 47-7 win in Week 3. Palmer had an average performance by his lofty standards, throwing for 311 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. To be fair, he wasn't needed for the vast majority of the game as the Cardinals' defense took two Colin Kaepernick interceptions to the house for touchdowns.

Kaepernick has been replaced by Blaine Gabbert, who threw two interceptions against the Atlanta Falcons in his first start of the year - but he didn't turn it over once against the Seattle Seahawks in his Week 12 start.

It'll be a tougher test in San Francisco in Week 12, but the Cardinals will solidify their hold on the top spot in the NFC West.

The New England Patriots will lose

The Patriots open as three-point favorites against the Broncos in Denver. They've scored fewer than 27 points just once this season, with that coming in Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos have allowed more than 27 points just once this season.

The Patriots are winning with their offense drastically outscoring their opposition, something they won't be able to do against Denver's stout defense. The Broncos have allowed just 29 passing plays over 20 yards this season, the fifth-fewest in the league. Their three plays allowed of 40-plus yards is less than all but two teams.

Beating Tom Brady in his second career start is a tough task for QB Brock Osweiler, but the Denver defense will keep it close, allowing the offense to control the clock and stick with the run game.

There won't be a breakout RB performance

Every week this season at least one running back has broken through to post a top-five fantasy performance at the position. Here they are, with their standard scoring fantasy point total:

In Week 12 it's Ravens RB Javorius Allen with the top opportunity for a breakout performance, as he takes over the bellcow work from the injured Forsett (arm). Allen has rushed for just 3.9 yards per attempt on 64 carries this season, and he hasn't found the end zone.

Week 12 will present a return to normalcy at fantasy football's most unpredictable position.