And down the stretch we come! Turkeys are eaten, leftovers are gone, fantasy playoffs are in sight. Week 12 had some mighty fine results. Here are those who earned Game Balls this week.

QB
Robert Griffin, III, WAS, 311 passing yards, 4 TDs, 29 rushing yards – RG3 is now officially a fantasy stud. After his Thanksgiving performance, he solidified his stature. He was already there, but now he’s producing so consistently you can’t bench him. He’s on pace for over 900 rushing yards too.

Matthew Stafford, DET, 441 passing yards, 2 TDs – Stafford and the Lions have discovered their passing ways, much like they did last year. It could be too little too late for many of his owners who suffered through early season disappointment. Stafford has 1,300 passing yards in the month of November. Needle is pointing up for Stafford and his owners.

RB
Arian Foster, HOU, 102 yards, 2 TDs, 5 catches, 15 yards – Pre-draft debate about who was number one overall has been silenced. It’s Foster, and it’s not even close. Foster is a relentless fantasy player, racking up double digit points every week. Foster already has 12 TDs on the season, so do the math here in Week 12.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, CIN, 129 rushing yards, 1 TD – It’s now back-to-back game balls for BJGE and back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances for the Bengals RB. He’s paying nice dividends for his owners who had previously benched or released him. Now he’s showing his fantasy value when you need it most.

WR
Dez Bryant, DAL, 8 catches, 145 yards, 2 TDs – Bryant always had potential as a WR1, and was likely drafted as such. Now he’s starting to show that he’s more than just hype. Tony Romo and the Cowboys are starting to throw the ball a lot and Bryant now seems to be Romo’s preferred target.

Julio Jones, ATL, 6 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD – Believe it or not there was talk of fantasy owners benching Jones over concerns about a nagging injury. But Jones showed again this week why he is a must-start every week, regardless of situation or matchup. He’s just too explosive and too talented.

TE
Charles Clay, MIA, 6 catches, 84 yards, 1 TD – The Dolphins tight end was one of the top fantasy scorers of the week and is owned in .1% of all leagues. Is this a fluke or a trend? Probably closer to a fluke, but after this performance, he still earned his game ball.

Dustin Keller, NYJ, 5 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD – I’ve been a Keller fan for a while. He’s the best scoring option on the Jets offense. That doesn’t say much, I realize, but Keller has been underutilized most the year, and has battled injuries. Now finally healthy, Keller may be a nice play for fantasy owners down the stretch.

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Vernon Davis, SF, Goose eggs – Davis got ZERO fantasy points. None. Zilch. Goose eggs. And it was Davis who was supposedly the benefactor of having Colin Kaepernick under center. Yet, he was invisible again. This isn’t the first time it’s happened for Davis, who lacks consistency to be counted on regularly. In one league, I made the great choice to start Cecil Shorts over Davis in a flex. Boy am I glad I did. Nevertheless, Davis has earned this game used sock award for his lack of performance this week.

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Fantasy owners keep waiting for the aging Tony Gonzalez to start a drastic decline, but the veteran continues to produce. Gonzo caught 80 balls for 875 yards and seven TD’s a year ago, his best season as a Falcon, and remained a top-five fantasy option. The 36-year old has missed just two games 15 NFL seasons and has averaged 83.5 receptions for 921.3 yards and 6.5 TD’s since turning thirty. While the age factor remains a risk, the future Hall of Famer should provide great value for owners that don’t go after the young, big-name tight ends in the early rounds.

SCHEDULE
The Falcons strength of schedule is very favorable as their opponents finished 125-131 a year ago, putting them in a tie with the 49ers for the seventh easiest schedule in the league. Interestingly, the Falcons don’t play consecutive games at home or on the road the entire season. For the second straight year the Falcons were given four national TV appearances, giving owners plenty of chance to watch their players. Going against weak NFC South defenses help the Falcons. They rank as the No. 1 schedule for fantasy QB’s and RB’s and eight for WR’s based off last year’s points allowed.

STUDS
It was back-to-back 100-catch campaigns for Roddy White, who led the NFL in targets for the second time in as many years. The veteran was huge down the stretch of the 2011 season, finishing with 53 receptions for 733 yards and five touchdowns over his final seven games. Julio Jones led all rookies with eight TD catches last season, including six in the final four games. Entering his sophomore campaign, Jones will need to prove he can stay healthy, but there’s no questioning his talent. Both Falcons’ wideouts have top 10 potential. White is safe bet and Jones is a high-end fantasy WR2.

DUD
The decline in age is raising concern around Michael Turner. He carried the rock for over 300 times for the third time in four year and produced double-digit touchdowns for the fourth straight season. However, Turner has now hit the dreadful age of 30 for running backs. The Falcons have already stated they will look to cut down on his carries this year in order to keep him healthy. He should still see enough goal line carries to keep up his scoring pace, but the yardage numbers will drop enough to make him a weak RB1 option for fantasy owners.

SLEEPER
For the fourth straight season Matt Ryan enjoyed statistical growth under center for the Falcons, including posting career-high marks in 2011 for passing yards (4,177) and passing touchdowns (29).  With the friendly schedule and the team transitioning to a more pass-oriented offense, expect even better numbers in 2012 for Ryan. His durability and penchant for not turning the ball over (55 turnovers in 62 career starts) make him a safe QB1 option. He may not approach top 5 numbers this season, but with his 66.34 ADP (10th overall quarterback) Ryan will come at a great price for owners looking to get a player on the upswing.

NEW ADDITION
The team dealt many of their top picks in the 2012 draft last year in a move to nab Julio Jones and made very few significant free agent moves. They did acquire veteran cornerback Asante Samuel from the Eagles in an exchange for a seventh-round draft pick.  At 31, Samuel is on the decline and was limited in a crowded Philadelphia secondary a year ago. His 39 interceptions over the past six years is the best mark in the NFL during that span and playing time won’t be a problem in Atlanta. He should provide nice late IDP value and makes the Falcons DEF/ST immediately better as well.

POSITION BATTLE
With the team planning on decreasing Turner’s touches, the battle for No. 2 on the depth chart at running back becomes one of great fantasy interest.  Jason Snelling will compete with Jacquizz Rodgers for playing time. After averaging 114.5 carries over the previous two seasons, Snelling only had 44 rushes in 2011 though he was still involved as a receiver out of the backfield. Rodgers is younger and more explosive though and is expected to be the favorite to be the change-of-pace back and the top handcuff option as he braces for his second season.

BENCH BUILDER
The Falcons have so many weapons that it is easy to overlook the talent of wide receiver Harry Douglas. He made the most of his opportunities last season, tallying 498 yards and a touchdown on 39 receptions. He could become a factor if Atlanta suffers some injury within its passing attack. Even if everyone remains healthy, Douglas’ explosiveness makes his a worthy option in the team’s passing game. Entering his fifth season, the best may still be ahead for Douglas. He’s worth stashing in deeper PPR formats as a WR5 or WR6.

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QUARTERBACKS
Tavaris Jackson (pectoral muscle) - no timetable to return
Matt Schaub (shoulder, thigh) - considered day-to-day

RUNNING BACKS
Chris Johnson (hamstring) - appear to be taken out as precaution
Ryan Mathews (calf, wrist) - bye week came at right time
LeGarrett Blount (knee) - may miss this week's game vs. NO
Joseph Addai (hamstring) - could miss 2-3 weeks
Mike Tolbert (concussion) - status unclear; bye this week

WIDE RECEIVERS
Julio Jones (hamstring) -
Donald Jones (ankle) - expected to miss 4-6 weeks
Josh Morgan (ankle) - headed to IR with broken ankle

TIGHT ENDS
Antonio Gates (foot) - DNP; expected to return to Week 7

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