What You Need to Know From Week 13

Our Sigmund Bloom covers each team's most important fantasy takeaways from each game.

Sigmund Bloom's What You Need to Know From Week 13 Sigmund Bloom Published 12/03/2024

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CHI @ DET

  • Caleb Williams was quiet in the first half but led a comeback effort in the second half that would have at least sent the game to overtime if it weren't for a clock management snafu that eventually got head coach Matt Eberflus fired. The Bears offense could get a second “ding dong the witch is dead” bump, and Williams should be considered a fantasy QB1 going forward.
  • Roschon Johnson left with a concussion. D'Andre Swift could have a higher floor and ceiling against the 49ers if Johnson can't clear protocol with three extra days to do it.
  • Keenan Allen scored twice, and DJ Moore got 16 targets. Both are safe plays. Rome Odunze is getting downfield looks, but they aren't on target. He's a what-the-heck flex. 
  • Cole Kmet faded into the target background and looks more like a desperation play than a viable streamer in Week 14.
  • The Lions offense was held to a more average performance for the second straight week. Only Sam LaPorta, who caught both touchdowns, had a ceiling week, but none of the other key pieces were busts. Keep your Lions in your lineup against the Packers on Thursday, but lower expectations.

NYG @ DAL

  • Drew Lock was a disaster as a passer but surprisingly productive as a runner. Consider starting the Saints D/ST in Week 14, no matter who is at quarterback for the Giants.
  • Malik Nabers is the only viable play in the Giants passing game. Theo Johnson was having a good game, but the rookie may be lost for the season due to a foot injury.
  • Tyrone Tracy Jr. scored and was the clear lead back again after a Week 12 red zone fumble cast some doubt on that status. He's a good RB2 play against the Saints defense that let Kyren Williams loose in Week 13.
  • CeeDee Lamb left with a shoulder injury aggravation and had many uncharacteristic drops before exiting. He is expected to play against the Bengals in a great matchup on Monday night, but his weekly floor is lower going forward.
  • Rico Dowdle had a great game as the clear lead back and should be in lineups as at least a flex going forward.
  • None of the secondary passing game targets were good plays because the Cowboys played from ahead, but against the woeful Bengals defense, all of Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, and whoever starts at tight end could be streamers in a week with six teams on bye. Cooper Rush is also streamable if you have to get your bye coverage from the waiver wire.

MIA @ GB

  • Tua Tagovailoa put up good numbers in the cold but mostly in garbage time. He'll be a streaming consideration against a Jets defense still playing with pride.
  • Raheem Mostert moved back ahead of Jaylen Wright in the running back pecking order. If your league is deep enough to roster a Dolphins backup, Mostert is back to being the preferred option.
  • Jaylen Waddle came back to earth after his Week 12 outburst but wasn't a lineup liability. He's a WR3/Flex against the Jets
  • The Dolphins pass offense runs through Jonnu Smith. His last three weeks have been the best three-week run by a tight end this season.
  • Jordan Love was highly efficient in another low-volume passing game, producing a decent fantasy game. He's got a high ceiling against the Lions in a game that should ask him to pass more.
  • Josh Jacobs didn't seem too worn down from his huge Week 12 workload. He's still an RB1 going forward.
  • With Romeo Doubs out, Jayden Reed scored twice, but no other wide receiver was a good play. If Doubs is out Thursday, Reed is a must-play, and Christian Watson is an upside flex play.
  • Tucker Kraft tied season highs in catches and yards. He's a fantasy TE1 against the Lions.

LV @ KC

  • Aidan O'Connell all but brought the Raiders back from down 13 points in the second half on the road. He should support the value of Brock Bowers (who was a week-winner in a dominant performance) and Jakobi Meyers going forward and has 2QB/Superflex value.
  • Sincere McCormick looked very good splitting the work with Ameer Abdullah and could get a chance to be the lead back. He should be picked up across formats and is worth most of your remaining waiver budget.
  • Patrick Mahomes II had a good, not great, game in a fantasy-friendly matchup. None of the main passing game pieces (Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins, Travis Kelce) had floor or ceiling games. Mahomes and his targets will likely remain viable but unexciting options against the Chargers.
  • Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt split snaps almost equally, with Samaje Perine also on the field for a quarter of the snaps. This backfield could shift in Pacheco's direction as he gets healthier, but this also could be a situation that doesn't give us a reliable option for the rest of the season.
  • Noah Gray didn't score, but he got a season-high six targets. He's a good pickup for bye coverage or if you just lost Dallas Goedert.

HOU @ JAX

  • C.J. Stroud was effective throwing to Nico Collins. But Stroud couldn't get a deep ball to Tank Dell on time, so he and Dell underperformed against a game Jaguars defense. Collins is the only reliable play in this passing game going into the bye.
  • Dalton Schultz had his best game of the year. He goes into the bye nursing a shoulder injury. Chigoziem Okonkwo faces the Jaguars in Week 14, which continues to be a plus matchup for tight ends.
  • Trevor Lawrence left with a concussion on a late hit that touched off a bench-clearing brawl. Mac Jones was actually good in the second half and almost brought the Jaguars back from down 17 in the fourth quarter. Jones has some promise as bye coverage or a 2QB/Superflex option against the morose Titans.
  • Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby split snaps nearly 50-50; both were nonfactors for fantasy. There's nothing to chase here.
  • Brian Thomas Jr. came through with a handful of big catches and a score, but an even bigger game was there for him. He's heating up at the right time.
  • Parker Washington had a breakout game with Jones and is worth a pickup in typical leagues, with the Jaguars facing a weak remaining schedule of two games against the Titans, sandwiching matchups with the Jets and Raiders.

IND @ NE

  • Anthony Richardson made enough plays as a runner and passer to put together a good fantasy performance. He also led a game-winning drive that included three fourth-down conversions, including the touchdown pass to Alec Pierce. Richardson also ran in the game-winning two-point conversion. His stock is going up while he rests during the bye.
  • Michael Pittman Jr wasn't a strong play with Josh Downs out, but he did draw a long pass interference and should have a higher ceiling after resting his aching back during the bye. The Colts have a favorable schedule against the pass after that (DEN TEN NYG).
  • Adonai Mitchell was a bust in place of Downs and probably isn't worth carrying through the bye.
  • Drake Maye continues to play well for a rookie, but a goal-line interception on a Hunter Henry drop and a touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne nullified by an illegal shift limited his fantasy ceiling. Maye got free for a 41-yard run and now presents enough upside to carry through the bye if the waiver wire is thin at quarterback.
  • Rhamondre Stevenson had a touchdown wiped off the board by a holding penalty and ended up with an average day. Antonio Gibson scored and was effective as a change of pace. Stevenson should be at least a good flex play after the bye.
  • Hunter Henry was a solid PPR play for the sixth time in the last seven weeks, and Austin Hooper has caught touchdowns in each of the last two weeks. Henry is worth carrying through the bye, and Hooper will be there on the wire if you need a desperation play after the bye.

LAC @ ATL

  • Justin Herbert was miserable as the Falcons pass rush finally came alive. With the exception of targets to Ladd McConkey, the Chargers pass offense went nowhere. McConkey left the game with a knee injury. Even if he's active against the Chiefs, you can't trust Herbert in Week 14.
  • Hassan Haskins fumbled his first carry, making this a two-man backfield, but it still couldn't create any fantasy value. Gus Edwards and Kimani Vidal aren't essential holds.
  • Will Dissly was kept off of the stat sheet and can be taken off the list of viable streaming options.
  • Kirk Cousins had one of the worst games by any quarterback this year, opening the door to speculation that Michael Penix Jr. could take over if things don't change against the Vikings. Cousins threw a terrible pick-six and a terrible end-zone interception among his four picks and was the reason the Falcons lost.
  • Bijan Robinson had 32 touches and should be the focal point of the offense going forward. After Minnesota, Atlanta gets Las Vegas, the Giants, and Washington. Robinson could be building momentum in the fantasy playoffs.
  • Darnell Mooney was quiet but at least didn't miss a game after suffering a hamstring injury going into the bye. He's just a what-the-heck flex while Cousins is in this slump.
  • Kyle Pitts didn't catch a pass and wasn't even the leader in snaps at tight end. He's ice cold and we're back to wondering if it's better to just drop him, although a change to Penix would be a potential kickstart to his value.
  • Drake London got a season-high 16 targets and should be fine even while Cousins is struggling.
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SEA @ NYJ

  • Geno Smith was under pressure and continues to operate in suboptimal conditions for fantasy value creation, but he led a game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown drive to keep the Seahawks in the division lead. He'll face the Cardinals next week in a matchup that was a defensive stalemate two weeks ago. 
  • Ken Walker III never got free and had a floor game with Zach Charbonnet getting the running back touchdown. He's probably still in your lineup as at least a flex against Arizona with six teams on bye.
  • The Jets scored a kickoff return touchdown and recovered two Laviska Shenault Jr. fumbles on kickoff returns but still lost. Aaron Rodgers threw a 91-yard pick-six to Leonard Williams, and Rodgers' performance left the Jets having to confirm that he'll start against the Dolphins in Week 14.
  • Davante Adams scored but dropped a long fourth-down pass that could have changed the complexion of the game. He's a WR3/Flex. Garrett Wilson should remain in lineups despite a disappointing game. He got free in the end zone, and Rodgers just missed him.
  • Breece Hall was in on a little over 60% of the snaps as he plays through a knee injury. He didn't seem to be too limited by the injury and hopefully will get in a full practice this week to give us confidence to play him after Isaiah Davis vultured a touchdown and Braelon Allen had seven touches in the loss to the Seahawks.

TEN @ WAS

  • Will Levis didn't do much until this game was out of hand. He remains a desperation play in 2QB/Superflex but does get the Bengals in Week 15.
  • Levis is effective throwing to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who scored twice in this one and has earned a flex start. He might even be the better option to play in this passing game over Calvin Ridley, who has cooled off.
  • Tony Pollard had a fumble, but he still got almost all of the backfield touches, even though Tyjae Spears was back. Pollard is a flex play against the Jaguars.
  • Jayden Daniels looked like the quarterback who captivated the NFL and fantasy audience in the first half of the year and rang up points on the sleepwalking Titans defense. He's set for a big finish after the bye.
  • Brian Robinson Jr was back after leaving early in Week 12 due to an ankle injury and immediately busted a 40-yard run for a score, showing good speed. He's a solid RB2 play in the fantasy playoffs.
  • Terry McLaurin got two easy scores, and Zach Ertz also scored for the third straight week. The Commanders passing should support their values with Daniels rounding back into form.

PIT @ CIN

  • Russell Wilson was outstanding, going over 400 yards, but the Bengals pass defense was atrocious. Wilson is a streaming option against the Browns in Week 14. Cooper Rush, Will Levis, Jameis Winston, and Bo Nix face the Bengals over the next four weeks.
  • Najee Harris was effective as a receiver and scored as a runner, posting his best fantasy result of the season. He's heating up at the right time.
  • Calvin Austin III scored but left with a concussion. With Wilson playing well, Austin could have flex value when he returns.
  • Pat Freiermuth had his best fantasy showing of the season and is back in play as a streamer against the Browns in Week 14.
  • Joe Burrow did everything he could. But the Steelers defense exploited issues on the line, and it wasn't enough. He was still excellent for fantasy and this will be a robust passing game down the stretch.
  • Mike Gesicki caught all five of his targets and is in consideration against the Cowboys if you need a waiver wire desperation play.

ARI @ MIN

  • Marvin Harrison Jr. got off to a slow start but ended up having a good game and delivering on the report that he would be a focal point of the passing game. Keep him in against the Seahawks.
  • Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense moved the ball with regularity but ended up settling for six field goal attempts so it was a mediocre fantasy day that should have been better. Murray isn't a slam dunk play against the Seahawks defense that just shut him and this offense down.
  • Trey McBride had his second straight 12-catch game,
  • Sam Darnold was uneven, but he was good enough when it counted, as the Vikings needed a touchdown drive to win. His fantasy output was acceptable enough to keep him in play as a QB1 option against the Falcons.
  • Aaron Jones fumbled twice on his first four touches but ended up scoring the game-winning touchdown on a reception and should stay in lineups against Atlanta despite this fumble issue not going away.
  • Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson underwhelmed in fantasy after a strong Week 12. Neither is an automatic Week 14 play against the Falcons.

LAR @ NO

  • Matthew Stafford and the Rams passing game had a quiet day against the Saints. Stafford isn't a good QB1 play against the Bills.
  • Cooper Kupp was shut down. It's hard to bench him in PPR, but it won't be surprising if he has another floor game vs. Buffalo.
  • Kyren Williams came alive against the Saints' poor tackling run defense and had his first good fantasy game in a month. Tyrone Tracy Jr. gets to run at the Saints defense in Week 14.
  • Taysom Hill was heavily involved until leaving with an ACL tear. His season is over. Juwan Johnson could be a good pickup with Derek Carr heavily targeting the tight end position lately. Alvin Kamara's value gets a bump with Hill's injury, but the whole offense will also suffer with the loss of the elements Hill provided.

TB @ CAR

  • Baker Mayfield was inefficient and got banged up, but led the game-tying and overtime game-winning drives. He's not an automatic play against the Raiders, and his practice reports need to be monitored.
  • Bucky Irving and Rachaad White split snaps almost equally, but Irving had 28 touches and put up a week-winning performance. White played well but is a what-the-heck flex going forward with Irving asserting himself.
  • Bryce Young had his second straight good week and added a rushing score to put him into QB1 territory on the week. He's in streamer consideration during a favorable schedule in the fantasy playoffs after a tough matchup against the Eagles this week.
  • Jonathon Brooks had a larger role, but Chuba Hubbard was still the lead back. There wasn't a good play against the tough Bucs defense, and the backfield could continue to shift closer to a 50-50 split.
  • Adam Thielen emerged as the top target and posted a big game, which could have been even bigger if a controversial non-touchdown call in the first half had gone in his favor. He's a pickup across formats.
  • Tommy Tremble had a strong game, but Ja'Tavion Sanders could return from a neck injury to take back over the receiving tight end role this week.

PHI @ BAL

  • Jalen Hurts didn't have to pass much to win with the Eagles defense playing well and holding down the vaunted Ravens offense. 
  • Dallas Goedert scored but ended up suffering a knee injury and will likely miss time. If DeVonta Smith can't return from his hamstring injury in Week 14, A.J. Brown will be the only viable target for Hurts against Carolina.
  • Lamar Jackson had a solid fantasy day thanks to a garbage time drive but was mostly rendered harmless by the Eagles defense. We have to consider them as a potential limiting factor against the Steelers and Commanders in the fantasy playoffs.
  • Rashod Bateman left with a knee injury, but it's not considered serious. He might be able to play after the bye.

SF @ BUF

  • Christian McCaffrey went down with a season-ending knee injury, and Jordan Mason went down with a season-ending ankle injury. Isaac Guerendo is the starter now and worth emptying your waiver wallet.
  • The conditions were terrible for passing, so none of the 49ers' targets were good plays, even though Brock Purdy was back. Against Chicago this week, only George Kittle is a sure play.
  • Josh Allen was terrific despite the challenging weather. He even threw a pass to Amari Cooper in the red zone and then took a lateral from Cooper which he ran in for a touchdown. This is reassuring with the Bills playing Weeks 16 and 17 at home.
  • James Cook broke a long touchdown run, and Ray Davis also came through with a strong game. Davis is one of the highest-priority backups to roster in the fantasy playoffs.
  • No Bills pass catcher was a strong play with the passing game held down by the conditions. Khalil Shakir is the only one worth considering with Keon Coleman likely making the target tree even wider against the Rams.

CLE @ DEN

  • Jameis Winston threw for almost 500 yards and five touchdown passes, but two were to the opposition. Winston faces the Steelers, Chiefs, Bengals (!), and Dolphins from here on out. He'll be a 2QB/Superflex and 1QB streaming option, especially in Week 16.
  • Winston's ways led to a career (9-235-1) game for Jerry Jeudy and a massive game for David Njoku, who caught nine balls, two for scores. Elijah Moore went over 100 yards, and Nick Chubb even caught a touchdown. We'll stick with all of these hot hands against the Steelers.
  • Bo Nix didn't match Winston, but he did set up Courtland Sutton for yet another 100-yard game and delivered a perfect pass to Marvin Mims Jr. for a 93-yard score. He goes into the bye as a high-floor QB1 with the Bengals up in Week 17.
  • Javonte Williams scored, but Jaleel McLaughlin was the lead back. You still can't trust a Broncos back in your lineup and probably shouldn't roster one unless your league is very deep.

 

Photos provided by Imagn Images

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