Fantasy Football: 1 Player to watch from each team for every Week 13 game
I’ll be honest, I almost forgot there were games this weekend. The holiday sped up most of my process for digging into Thursday’s games. And, of course, my focus was on Thursday night with Joe Burrow’s return to action. Again, after spending the day with the family eating brisket (yes, brisket, not turkey), I almost thought the week was over. But we’ve got more action! Plus, we’re knocking on the door of the fantasy football playoffs. So, to get everyone’s mind back on football after the big meal, I’ve got a couple of players from each game to track for Week 13.Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia EaglesI can understand a rotation in terms of which receiver from the Bears’ passing game will be fantasy viable. Caleb Williams is still learning HC Ben Johnson’s offense. There’s plenty of pass-catching talent available. But the backfield split is a bridge too far. D’Andre Swift reclaimed the job after missing Week 9, reducing Kyle Monangai’s share of the touches to a third. But the latter was back up to 55% last Sunday. Despite their overall toughness, if there’s one place to attack the Eagles, it’s on the ground. But without knowing who’ll get the majority share, nobody on Chicago’s roster is worth starting.AdvertisementI’m starting to believe in A.J. Brown again. Jalen Hurts throwing him the ball more often isn’t the only reason. His routes don’t have him isolated to the perimeter all the time. Brown has been running more intermediate crossers and slants, getting the ball in his hand to use his frame for more yards. And with the Bears missing multiple defenders in the middle of their defense, Brown is the ideal receiver to take advantage of the mismatch.San Francisco 49ers @ Cleveland BrownsIf we think of HC Kyle Shanahan’s offense as efficient with receivers having yards of separation, it must take time to learn. There’s a timing and rhythm to the passing game, which is why I’m not worried about Ricky Pearsall (yet). The second-year WR has been back for two games and hasn’t scored over four PPR points in either. He’s run a route on over 85% of Brock Purdy’s dropbacks each week. But his target rate has been below 15%. On the plus side, his workload and air yards have slightly increased. Facing the Browns won’t make his situation any easier, but with more time to practice, Pearsall may start to make a difference for the 49ers.AdvertisementI’m not going to take anything away from Shedeur Sanders. All I’ll say is that I want to see more. Sure, he threw for 209 yards and secured the win over the Raiders. But 118 of those yards came on two plays. And one of those was on a pass behind the line of scrimmage. Sanders doesn’t offer much with his legs, so the offense relies on his shoulder. However, with all of the injuries to the 49ers defense, Sanders should be able to keep the Browns on the move on Sunday.Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee TitansSome guys don’t need to practice a lot to get on the same page with their QB. Take Brenton Strange, for example. We’ve debated all season about how Brian Thomas Jr. should stick to out-breaking routes. And it took weeks for Travis Hunter to get into a rhythm on crossing routes. Strange came off IR, got 18% of Trevor Lawrence’s attempts thrown his way and caught all of them. And with the secondary being the Titans’ defensive weakness, Strange should be in line for another TE1 day.We’re not starting him on Sunday, but Cam Ward took a step forward against the Seahawks. Even without two starting receivers, Ward was using Gunnar Helm and Chimere Dike to keep the offense on schedule. And when the structure broke down, Ward used his legs. Four of his six carries resulted in a first down or a score. And against the Jaguars’ pass rush, Ward should be on the move again in Week 13.AdvertisementNew Orleans Saints @ Miami DolphinsIt’s Devin Neal’s time. Alvin Kamara’s MCL injury will, at best, limit his time on the field. We got a sneak peek at the rookie in Week 11. He was able to shed tackles and grind out productive gains in short-yardage situations. But fantasy managers should pay attention to his receiving skills. Neal earned an 18% target share, boosting his scrimmage yard total, which makes him a worthy stash in PPR leagues. Let’s just hope his ankle injury isn’t serious.I’ll be honest. I didn’t think Jaylen Waddle could live up to the expectations. It’s not to say he’s injury-prone or lacks talent. However, we’re in new territory. He’s been the WR1 for Miami for two months now. And he’s finished in the top 24 in four of those games. His route running has been on full display, emphasizing why he’s earned more than 25% of Tua Tagovailoa’s targets in over half of those contests. And against the Saints’ secondary, Waddle should continue to show out for the Dolphins and fantasy managers.AdvertisementArizona Cardinals @ Tampa Bay BuccaneersSo now the rubber meets the road. You could make the case that Michael Wilson exploded onto the fantasy scene because of Marvin Harrison Jr.’s absence. Never mind that Wilson accrued more yards in a single game and has been more efficient than the former Buckeye over a two-game stretch. But now, both should be on the field. Either can win on timing routes to the perimeter. So who wins out will be the thing everyone is watching for on Sunday.The good news is that Chris Godwin was able to get through his first game back without a setback. Godwin ran 42% of the routes and had a couple of attempts thrown his way. But his slot usage conflicts with how Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard tend to operate. There’s a level of redundancy to the pass-catchers. Plus, with Baker Mayfield ailing, the Bucs offense becomes even more confusing to analyze.AdvertisementAtlanta Falcons @ New York JetsSo, last week was a slight improvement for Darnell Mooney. Kirk Cousins was at least willing to launch a ball or two downfield to him. Even better, Mooney came down with one in the end zone. But there was no role change with Drake London out. The Falcons’ WR2 averaged 23.3 air yards per target. And while a deep threat against the Jets sounds appealing, that volatility makes Mooney a boom-bust receiver for Sunday.I’m intrigued by the new receivers on the Jets’ roster. John Metchie III’s story prior to landing in New York kept real and fantasy fans hoping he’d find his way. And Adonai Mitchell’s explosive talent was never in question; it was more about limiting the bonehead plays. Metchie taking 27% of Tyrod Taylor’s targets in Week 12 was the story. But Mitchell picked up at least one explosive to add some interest to the passing game. So now, against the Falcons’ coverage, in deeper leagues, either would be interesting bench stashes as we head into the playoffs.AdvertisementLos Angeles Rams @ Carolina PanthersBlake Corum has been hovering around 40% of the carries for the last month. And the last time we saw him challenge Kyren Williams for the lead was in the Rams’ blowout win over the Jaguars. Something similar occurred against the Saints. As the Rams are heavy favorites, the game environment sets up for more snaps and touches for Corum, making him viable if you’re desperate.Every time I think I understand the Panthers offense, Bryce Young changes things. He cratered against the Saints, but then dropped 448 yards on the Falcons. He was able to deal with pressure and throw strikes to multiple pass-catchers. However, presented with a similar environment against the 49ers’ injury-riddled defense, it was like Week 11 never happened. So, with the Rams coming to town, it’d be fair to lower expectations for Young and his primary receiver, Tetairoa McMillan.AdvertisementHouston Texans @ Indianapolis ColtsDon’t look now, but one of the Texans’ rookie receivers is doing stuff. Jayden Higgins has seen routes, targets and air yards on the rise since Week 10. Now, of course, the progress has all come with Davis Mills under center. Regardless of whether it happens on Sunday or next week, C.J. Stroud will be starting again soon. However, for now, Higgins’ continued integration into the passing game should be worth monitoring by fantasy managers.Let me lay out a realistic plan from a couple of weeks ago. HC Shane Steichen sat down with Daniel Jones after their narrow win over the Falcons, and they developed a game plan focused on short passes. And it almost worked! The tradeoff for a lack of aggression was the eradication of Jones’ turnovers. But the byproduct was Alec Pierce losing his fantasy value. And with the Texans’ pass rush on deck for Jones, Pierce may be in line for a similar result in Week 13.AdvertisementMinnesota Vikings @ Seattle SeahawksI don’t want to start Justin Jefferson. There’s no stat you could show me to change my mind. I don’t care that his target rate has been 30% or greater in five straight games. He had over 50% of the team’s air yards? Neat. No thanks. All I’ve seen is throws going over his head or zipped past him 39% of the time. And the prospect of yet another inexperienced passer under for the Vikings doesn’t increase my confidence. I get “start your stars,” but a star receiver should require at least a competent QB.So, I understood the Seahawks’ trade for Rashid Shaheed at the time. He had familiarity with OC Klint Kubiak after his time in New Orleans last season. And their first week together in Seattle was proof of concept. Shaheed earned multiple manufactured touches (e.g., screens and end arounds). However, since then, four of his last six targets have come in one game. And this has been without Tory Horton on the field. Shaheed’s explosive nature may have more real football value than fantasy. But against the Vikings, Seattle might need some extra firepower to keep the pass rush at bay.AdvertisementLas Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles ChargersWe’ve seen teams respond to a change at play-caller with an uptick in offensive performance. For the Raiders, a similar reaction should mean more work for Brock Bowers. Las Vegas’ top pass-catcher has gone from 34% to 8% of the targets in consecutive weeks. But at least his receiving aDOT has dipped down each week over his last three games, which should set him up for high-percentage throws to help keep up with the Chargers.The Chargers have had an extra week to sort through their protection issues, and how Justin Herbert and OC Greg Roman plan to mitigate the Raiders’ pass rush should interest us all. Indianapolis and Daniel Jones went the “quick release, short target” route. Herbert has a couple of receivers who could work in this area (e.g., Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey). Or he could scramble, keep the Raiders on their toes and still throw deep to Quentin Johnston. Either scenario could happen, which will affect lineup decisions for Week 13.AdvertisementBuffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh SteelersIt’s no secret: Josh Allen needs another receiver. And, no, I’m not expecting Keon Coleman to turn into the pass-game option Buffalo wanted when they drafted him. I’m looking at the rest of the roster. Josh Palmer has been working through injuries, but he only contributes on a deep shot or two when he’s active. Gabe Davis got two targets last week. He used to be on the team! As Dalton Kincaid continues to work back from his injury, I’ll be watching to see if any other pass-catcher can step up and help out Josh Allen.I miss the days when we understood the Steelers’ backfield. Jaylen Warren was in firm command of the touches. It didn’t matter that the pass game couldn’t establish a WR2 alongside DK Metcalf; we could count on Warren. But Kenneth Gainwell has played on more than 50% of the snaps in three straight weeks, along with securing more than 20% of the targets over the last two games. Sunday’s contest would be the game I’d want to start Warren, but given his latest track record, I have concerns.AdvertisementDenver Broncos @ Washington CommandersI keep defaulting to calling Courtland Sutton the WR1 for Denver. But Troy Franklin has led the team in targets. And they’re not just empty-calorie attempts. Since Week 8, Bo Nix has looked to his old teammate in obvious passing situations, on play-action concepts, and in the end zone. They’re the more fantasy-relevant touches for a WR, and facing the Commanders should elevate Franklin in the ranks.I’m not expecting Jayden Daniels to start this game. However, the rest of the passing game should be healthy. Terry McLaurin has been practicing, and the other pass-catchers have been available since the reaggravation of his quad injury. Accordingly, even if Marcus Mariota is the pilot, the on-field deployment of the pass-catchers — and how Mariota distributes the targets —should be something to watch in Week 13.AdvertisementNew York Giants @ New England PatriotsThrough all the chaos of the Giants’ season, Wan’Dale Robinson’s usage has gone under the radar. In past years, we’ve looked at New York’s slot man as a “PPR scam,” as he leveraged his short-yardage route tree into multiple targets. But his receiving aDOT is up to 9.4 air yards after playing with three different QBs. It’s fair to wonder how the offense will look when Jaxson Dart returns to the starting spot, but Robinson’s status and on-field deployment should keep him as a viable WR2.TreVeyon Henderson should be the RB1, right? By share of the touches, the rookie was the focal point of the backfield. Henderson handled 67% of the totes to go with his 13% target share. But OC Josh McDaniels put Rhamondre Stevenson and Terrell Jennings on the field once the Patriots got into scoring position. The two combined for 60% of the goal-line carries, but neither found the end zone. Due to their lack of production, let’s see if Henderon gets more opportunities and can cash in on them.
已发布: 2025-11-28 17:27:00
来源: sports.yahoo.com
