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Barkowitz: Seahawks' Graham may cause trouble for Eagles

THE EAGLES have done a great job against tight ends this season. The problem this week is that Seattle's Jimmy Graham isn't your typical tight end.

THE EAGLES have done a great job against tight ends this season. The problem this week is that Seattle's Jimmy Graham isn't your typical tight end.

"They use him like a wide receiver," observed Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks, "and rightfully so."

Some of the sportswriters who follow the Seahawks say that Graham still isn't 100 percent recovered from the torn patellar tendon he suffered in Week 12 last year. Graham routinely takes maintenance days during practice week to stay fresh for Sundays. Graham this week sat out on Wednesday, but practiced full on Thursday.

"He's a big guy (6-7, 260 pounds), he can go get any ball that is thrown at him, and Russell (Wilson) likes to target him a lot," Hicks continued. "We have to be able to contain him and make him stop his feet."

The Patriots paid extra attention to Graham last week and he ended up with a very pedestrian four catches for 48 yards. Teammate Doug Baldwin, however, caught three touchdowns and rookie running back C.J. Prosise ran for 66 yards and had another 87 in receiving. Doubling Graham comes with a price.

The Eagles are second only to the Cardinals in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, according to ESPN's basic scoring system. Kyle Rudolph's 55 yards in Week 7 is the most the Eagles have allowed and the only touchdowns they've surrendered were to Jason Witten and Vernon Davis.

Two weeks ago against Buffalo, Graham scored two touchdowns on circus catches that would have made Odell Beckham proud. After a slow start, he's cracked 100 yards three times in seven games.

"He's a lot like Gronk in a sense," said Eagles coach Doug Pederson. "He's definitely a matchup nightmare there."

Gronk update

Fantasy's best tight end - and its most maddening - remained sidelined on Thursday with a chest injury. While the specifics of Rob Gronkowski's injury aren't known, what is fairly certain is that the punishing hit from Seattle's Earl Thomas is the cause.

Fantasy owners should plan on Gronkowski not being able to play at San Francisco on Sunday. Gronk was a non-factor the first month of the season as he battled a hamstring injury while Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett filled in for Tom Brady.

In those four games, Julian Edelman led the Patriots with 27 targets, followed by Martellus Bennett (20) and James White (18).

Tavern trivia

Name the five tight ends who came into Week 11 leading their team in receptions. Hints: none of the five have been mentioned in this report yet, and three play for AFC teams.

Add/drops

The five most popular and unpopular players on the CBS Sports waiver wire this week (not including kickers and defenses):

Most added:

1. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs

2. Cameron Meredith, WR, Bears

3. Vernon Davis, TE, Redskins

4. Rishard Matthews, WR, Titans

5. Kenneth Dixon, RB, Bears

Most dropped:

1. Peyton Barber, RB, Buccaneers

2. Kapri Bibbs, RB, Broncos

3. DuJuan Harris, RB, 49ers

4. Quincy Enunwa, WR, Jets

5. J.J. Nelson, WR, Cardinals

Beer man

The five tight ends who came into the week leading their teams in receptions are Travis Kelce (Kansas City), Zach Miller (Chicago), Greg Olsen (Carolina), Dennis Pitta (Baltimore), Delanie Walker (Tennessee).

Position watch

Quarterback: The Rams' Jared Goff is the 10th quarterback drafted No. 1 overall since 2003. The previous nine - Jameis Winston, Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, JaMarcus Russell, Alex Smith, Eli Manning and Carson Palmer - all lost their first career starts. Miami is just a one-point favorite against Goff and the host Rams . . . Ben Roethlisberger is a fairly predictable 20-2 in his career against Cleveland, but he's thrown just 35 touchdown passes in those 22 games. He threw for three TDs in each of the two games against the Browns last season.

Running back: The Packers are Christine Michael's fourth team in the last calendar year. If he's on your waiver wire, leave him there . . . Bears running back Jordan Howard is a low-end RB2 against a Giants defense that hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher all season, but has given up five TDs to opposing RBs in the last three weeks . . . DeMarco Murray last week became the first running back to have a 75-yard touchdown run and throw a touchdown in the same game since Pittsburgh's John Henry Johnson 66 years ago. Johnson threw his touchdown to Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne. He pulled his impressive exacta against rival Philadelphia in one of only two games the 1960 Eagles lost that season.

Wide receiver: Stefon Diggs alert! Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said his plan was to, "put (star cornerback) Patrick Peterson on him and hope that works." Diggs has 13 catches in his last two games, the first player in NFL history with as many as 13 in consecutive games . . . The MRI Larry Fitzgerald had on his knee earlier in the week seems precautionary. Fitzy practiced full on Thursday. The 33-year-old Fitzgerald has 68 receptions, second only to Antonio Brown's 69. Fitzgerald is on pace for 121 catches. Jerry Rice's career high for receptions is 122, which he set in 1995 when he was 33. Neat.

Week 11 rankings

Quarterbacks..................Opp.

1. Ben Roethlisberger, Pit. .............at Cle.

2. Tom Brady, NE .............at SF

3. Cam Newton, Car. .............vs. NO

4. Marcus Mariota, Ten. .............at Ind.

5. Aaron Rodgers, GB .............at Was.

6. Russell Wilson, Sea. .............vs. Phi.

7. Kirk Cousins, Was. .............vs. GB

8. Drew Brees, NO .............at Car.

9. Eli Manning, NYG .............vs. Chi.

10. Dak Prescott, Dal. .............vs. Bal.

11. Matthew Stafford, Det..............vs. Jac.

12. Andrew Luck, Ind. .............vs. Ten.

Running backsOpp.

1. Ezekiel Elliott, Dal. .............vs. Bal.

2. Le'Veon Bell, Pit. .............at Cle.

3. David Johnson, Ari. .............at Min.

4. DeMarco Murray, Ten. .............at Ind.

5. Jay Ajayi, Mia. .............at LA

6. LeSean McCoy, Buf. .............at Cin.

7. Latavius Murray, Oak. .............vs. Hou.

8. LeGarrette Blount, NE .............at SF

9. Theo Riddick, Det..............vs. Jac.

10. C.J. Prosise, Sea. .............vs. Phi.

11. Spencer Ware, KC .............vs. TB

12. Lamar Miller, Hou. .............vs. Oak.

13. Mark Ingram, NO .............at Car.

14. Todd Gurley, LA .............vs. Mia.

15. Ryan Mathews, Phi. .............at Sea.

16. Frank Gore, Ind..............vs. Ten.

17. Jonathan Stewart, Car. .............vs. NO

18. Jordan Howard, Chi. .............at NYG

19. Robert Kelley, Was. .............vs. GB

20. Darren Sproles, Phi. .............at Sea.

21. Doug Martin, TB .............at KC

22. Jeremy Hill, Cin. .............vs. Buf.

23. Isaiah Crowell, Cle. .............vs. Pit.

24. Carlos Hyde, SF.............vs. NE

25. Tim Hightower, NO .............at Car.

Wide receiversOpp.

1. Antonio Brown, Pit. .............at Cle.

2. Odell Beckham, NYG .............vs. Chi.

3. A.J. Green, Cin. .............vs. Pit.

4. Amari Cooper, Oak. .............vs. Hou.

5. Mike Evans, TB .............at KC

6. T.Y. Hilton, Ind. .............vs. Ten.

7. Brandin Cooks, NO .............at Car.

8. Dez Bryant, Dal. .............vs. Bal.

9. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. .............at Min.

10. Jordy Nelson, GB .............at Was.

11. Allen Robinson, Jac. .............at Det.

12. Kelvin Benjamin, Car. .............vs. NO

13. Doug Baldwin, Sea. .............vs. Phi.

14. Stefon Diggs, Min. .............vs. Ari.

15. Rishard Matthews, Ten..............at Ind.

16. Julian Edelman, NE .............at SF

17. Davante Adams, GB .............at Was.

18. Terrelle Pryor, Cle. .............vs. Pit.

19. Golden Tate, Det. .............vs. Jac.

20. Tyreek Hill, KC .............vs. TB

21. Michael Crabtree, Oak. .............vs. Hou.

22. Randall Cobb, GB .............at Was.

23. DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. .............vs. Oak.

24. Donte Moncrief, Ind..............vs. Ten.

25. Michael Thomas, NO .............at Car.

Tight endsOpp.

1. Jordan Reed, Was. .............vs. GB

2. Martellus Bennett, NE .............at SF

3. Greg Olsen, Car. .............vs. NO

4. Jimmy Graham, Sea. .............vs. Phi.

5. Travis Kelce, KC .............vs. TB

6. Delanie Walker, Ten. .............at Ind.

7. Tyler Eifert, Cin. .............vs. Buf.

8. Kyle Rudolph, Min..............vs. Ari.

9. Jason Witten, Dal..............vs. Bal.

10. Eric Ebron, Det. .............vs. Jac.

11. C.J. Fiedorowicz, Hou..............vs. Oak.

12. Zach Miller, Chi..............at NYG

DFS Sleepers

QBs: Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott

RBs: Spencer Ware, Isaiah Crowell

WRs: Julian Edelman, Tyreek Hill

TEs: Kyle Rudolph, Zach Miller

@EdBarkowitz