Wild Card Fantasy Football Recap December 12 Games: Nico Collins, Derrick Henry, C.J. Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Derek Stingley Jr. and More

The NFL playoffs got underway on Saturday, December 12, with the Houston Texans topping the Los Angeles Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens prevailing over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Let’s recap the games, highlighting the top players for the winning teams in an effort to point out the top fantasy players for upcoming playoff games. We’ll cover both offensive and defensive players, along with kickers.

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Texans’ Offensive Leaders

Houston won 32-12, overcoming an early 6-0 deficit. The Texans racked up 429 total yards of offense to overcome three turnovers of their own.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud was 22-of-33 passing for 282 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He added 42 rushing yards on six carries to deliver a solid final line.

Running back Joe Mixon had 106 rushing yards and a score on 25 carries, while catching one of his two targets for 13 yards. His lone blemish was a lost fumble.

Wide receiver Nico Collins had 122 receiving yards and a score on seven catches and eight targets. 

No other wideout or tight end had over 35 receiving yards. John Metchie had eight targets, but just four grabs for 28 yards, and he lost a fumble. 

Tight end Cade Stover had four catches for 28 yards across four targets. Fellow TE Dalton Schultz had 23 yards on two grabs and four catches. Wideout Robert Woods caught two of his four passes for 22 yards, while wide receiver Diontae Johnson had a 12-yard catch on his lone target. Wideout Xavier Hutchinson had a 34-yard grab on his lone target.

It was the familiar trio of Stroud, Mixon and Collins who led the way again. Stroud’s performance was a pleasant surprise, while Mixon and Collins continued to deliver.

Collins should remain a good/great fantasy option regardless of who the Texans face in the next round. Mixon will at least be an average fantasy option, and could put up decent numbers going forward if the Texans can just keep games close. Stroud was a below-average fantasy option coming into the week, but after this performance, has a bit brighter outlook for the next round.

None of the other offensive players in Houston can be trusted all that much. Metchie’s eight targets are the only really notable stat from the game, but he (and the rest of the other Texans) aren’t going to be great fantasy options as the playoffs move on and the competition gets tougher.

Houston kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn made all six of his kicks on the night - three field goals and three extra points. His field goals were from 30, 27 and 41 yards.

Houston’s Top Defenders

Houston’s defense allowed 261 yards of offense. They picked off Justin Herbert four times and also sacked him four times.

Eric Murray had seven combined tackles and also picked off a pass - he returned the interception 38 yards for a score. Obviously the pick-six isn’t something that’s likely to be repeated, but the team-high seven tackles is something to possibly take advantage of moving forward.

Derek Stingley Jr. had four tackles, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and two interceptions - he returned the interceptions 70 combined yards. He’s a riskier fantasy play because of his low-tackle total.

Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To'oto'o both had six combined tackles for the Texans. Kamari Lassiter had the team’s other pick, along with two combined tackles. 

Will Anderson had 1.5 sacks among his three tackles - he finished with three quarterback hits. Mario Edwards had 1.5 sacks among his two tackles and had two QB hits. Denico Autry had a sack for his lone tackle, while also blocking an extra point (that Houston returned for two points).

Baltimores’ Offensive Leaders

Baltimore earned a 28-14 win after jumping out to a 21-0 lead by halftime. The Ravens had 464 total yards of offense, no turnovers and just three penalties committed.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was 16-of-21 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 81 rushing yards on 15 carries.

Running back Derrick Henry rumbled for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. He was not targeted in the passing game.

Backup RB Justice Hill had 12 rushing yards on six carries and an additional 13 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches and targets.

With Zay Flowers out with a knee injury, it was tight end Isaiah Likely that led the Ravens with 53 receiving yards. He got there on three catches and four targets.

Fellow tight end Mark Andrews had 27 yards on two grabs and three targets, along with two rushes for five yards.

Wide receiver Rashod Bateman was a trendy fantasy pick with Flowers out. He saved a 24-yard performance by catching a touchdown across two receptions and targets.

Wideout Nelson Agholor had a 25-yard catch on his lone target. Receiver Tylan Wallace caught a 21-yard pass across his two targets, while Anthony Miller had 12 yards on three grabs and targets.

It was the Henry and Jackson show offensively for Baltimore, and that should remain the case for as long as the Ravens are in the playoffs. Both players will have good/great fantasy outlooks regardless of the team’s next defensive matchup.

The return of Flowers could change the layout of the passing game. Flowers would be the top option at receiver, while Andrews and Likely remain above-average fantasy tight end options.

If Flowers remains out, Andrews and Likely will probably be more involved. Bateman would be the top fantasy wideout option, but a pretty risky one.

Agholor, Wallace and Miller are all just longshot lottery ticket fantasy plays.

Hill would get a little added boost if Flowers remains out next round. He’s the Ravens’ receiving back, and could have a big game if Baltimore is ever trailing early on and the team abandons Henry (which it's done at times this season).

Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker only attempted four kicks on Saturday, all extra points. He made each one.

Ravens’ Top Defenders

Baltimore’s defense held Pittsburgh to 280 total yards of offense. The Ravens didn’t have a takeaway, but did have four sacks.

Ar'Darius Washington was the Ravens top tackler with seven combined tackles. It was the third-most tackles he’s had for the season and most over the past five weeks. He’s on the field pretty much every snap, so despite some lower-tackle showings, Washington is a pretty good fantasy option.

Nnamdi Madubuike had two sacks among his four combined tackles. He also knocked down a pass. Madubuike has been on a bit of a hot streak, with 3.5 sacks over the past four games now, and that makes him an intriguing IDP option.

Odafe Oweh and Michael Pierce each had a sack on Saturday. Oweh had two combined tackles and three quarterback hits, while Pierce had one tackle and QB hit.