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Fantasy Fallout: Week 13
Fantasy-Centric Analysis of Every Week 13 Game
One Week Season
December 02, 2024
By: Billy Gabelman (StatATL) and Mike Johnson (Mjohnson86)
Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday.
We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Saquon Barkley right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams.
Bears at Lions
For the third week in a row, a different WR saw double-digit targets to lead the Bears trio in targets. This week it was DJ Moore, turning 16 targets into 97 yards and a TD. Keenan Allen converted his eight targets into 73 yards and two TDs as the Bears stormed back in the second half only to have poor clock management cost them a chance at OT. All three Chicago wideouts (including rookie Rome Odunze) remain weekly starters for most fantasy teams.
Caleb Williams struggled in the first half but roared back to throw for 256 yards and three TDs against a stout Detroit defense. The Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus after this loss, so a situation to monitor as interim offensive coordinator, Thomas Brown, was promoted to interim HC.
Sam LaPorta had two TDs in the Lions 23-20 win, but he only totaled six receiving yards on six targets. LaPorta has yet to see more than six targets in a game and remains a volatile starter at TE.
The Lions leaned heavily on RB David Montgomery, who out-touched Jahmyr Gibbs 24 to 11. Gibbs had a costly fumble at the end of the first half, but he should bounce back next week as the Lions face the Packers.
Giants at Cowboys
Rico Dowdle rushed for over 100 yards for the first time all season, and his 22 rush attempts were also a season high. Dallas leaned on the run game en route to a 27-20 victory on Thursday afternoon.
CeeDee Lamb suffered a shoulder injury and did not return in the second half. A situation to monitor. Brandon Cooks, who returned from IR, would be the biggest benefactor if Lamb were to miss time.
With Jake Ferguson missing the game, TE Luke Schoonmaker produced his third straight solid outing. He has seen 20 targets the past three weeks and is a viable weekly streamer for teams needing TE depth as long as Ferguson is sidelined.
Drew Lock started for the Giants and focused almost exclusively on Malik Nabers, who converted 13 targets into eight catches and 69 yards. Lock rushed for 57 yards and a TD and is a streaming option next week as the Giants host the Saints.
Dolphins at Packers
Miami continued its recent history of struggling in cold weather, losing to Green Bay, 30-17, in a game that never got above 30 degrees at Lambeau field.
Jordan Love only attempted 28 passes but threw for 274 yards, with both his touchdowns going to Jayden Reed.
Josh Jacobs once again dominated the backfield, turning 23 touches into 117 total yards and a TD. He remains the engine that drives the Packers’ offense most weeks.
Jonnu Smith saw 11 targets in back-to-back weeks, producing his fourth game of 20+ fantasy points in his past seven games. His second-half usage has him as a borderline league winner at the position the second half of the season.
Raiders at Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes threw for 300 yards as the Chiefs won, 19-17, to improve to 11-1 on the season. Travis Kelce was his primary target and has now seen 12 or more targets in four of the past six games.
Isiah Pacheco returned from IR and split the backfilled work evenly with Kareem Hunt, but neither was able to get much going. Expect Pacheco’s workload to increase as the season goes on.
Brock Bowers exploded for 140 yards and a TD, his second time in the past three weeks eclipsing 125 yards with a TD. He remains the overall TE1 on the season despite poor QB play.
Jakobi Meyers saw 11 targets and converted them into 97 yards. He’s seen double-digit targets in three of his past four games and should remain a starter for most fantasy teams as the Raiders find themselves in trailing game scripts more often than not.
Colts at Patriots
Anthony Richardson struggled with his accuracy once again, only completing 50% of his passes (12 of 24), but he did enough to lead the Colts to a 25-24 victory on the road.
Jonathan Taylor once again dominated the backfield, turning 26 touches into 103 total yards and a receiving TD. He remains a weekly starter for a team with a favorable remaining schedule.
Drake Maye threw for 238 yards and a TD and added 59 yards on the ground in one of his more efficient performances of the year (24 of 30 passing). His rushing upside makes him a viable starter for weaker QB fantasy teams.
Hunter Henry saw nine targets and led the team for the third straight week, converting those opportunities into seven catches for 75 yards. He should remain locked into your lineups at a thin TE position.
Texans at Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence returned from his shoulder injury but took an obvious dirty hit and suffered a concussion. He did not return. The Jaguars wouldn’t seem to have much incentive to rush Lawrence back from this hit, but a situation to monitor as all Jags pieces take a step back with backup QB Mac Jones under center.
C.J. Stroud struggled a bit against one of the league’s worst defenses, but he did enough to propel the Texans to a 23-20 victory.
Nico Collins was the primary focus for Stroud, turning 11 targets into 119 yards.
Travis Etienne out-touched Tank Bigsby by a 16-8 margin and is the preferred option in the Jacksonville backfield, but both are likely best left on your bench.
Chargers at Falcons
The Chargers’ offense looked much less effective without J.K. Dobbins, but Kirk Cousins threw four INTs, including a pick-6, as the Chargers defeated the Falcons, 17-13.
Bijan Robinson continued to see the workload you hoped for if you selected him in the first round, converting 32 touches into 135 total yards and a TD.
Rookie Ladd McConkey saw a season/career-high 12 targets and eclipsed 100 receiving yards (117) for the third time in his past six games. He left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury and his status should be monitored.
Gus Edwards led the L.A. backfield but only saw six carries. Probably a backfield to avoid next week as the Chargers travel to KC to face the Chiefs.
Seahawks at Jets
Breece Hall outrushed Braelon Allen by a 60-11 margin in yards on 12 rushes (to five for Allen) but will remain a volatile weekly start as the Jets offense just isn’t very good.
Davante Adams (66 yards) and Garrett Wilson (41 yards) both saw double-digit targets but failed to produce much as the Jets once again struggled. The Jets have only topped 23 points once in the past nine games.
DK Metcalf led the Seahawks with nine targets but only produced four catches for 66 yards. Geno Smith remains near the top of the league in pass attempts per game, and Metcalf will have better days.
Titans at Commanders
Jayden Daniels threw for 206 yards and three TDs while adding another 34 yards and a TD on the ground as the Commanders crushed the Titans, 42-19.
Terry McLaurin caught two of Daniels’ three TDs to go along with 73 receiving yards. WR Noah Brown left with an injury and didn’t return. The Commanders have a bye next week, but a situation to monitor.
Brian Robinson returned after missing last week with an ankle injury and accumulated 109 yards and a TD on 17 touches.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine continued his streak of TD catches, with two on three catches. He has 20 receptions on the season, with eight of them going for TDs. This pace is unsustainable and not worth chasing.
Steelers at Bengals
Russell Wilson threw for a season high 414 yards and three TDs as the Steelers outlasted the Bengals, 44-38. The Bengals have lost four games this season where they scored 38 points, becoming the fourth team to do that in NFL history.
Calvin Austin caught a TD but left the game with a head injury and didn’t return.
Joe Burrow also had a strong day, throwing for 309 yards and three TDs.
Chase Brown saw 15 touches and continues to dominate the workload with Zack Moss out. Khalil Herbert only saw one touch all day.
Najee Harris had a strong day, rushing for 75 yards and a TD while adding 54 yards through the air on six receptions.
Cardinals at Vikings
Sam Darnold threw for 235 yards and two TDs as the Vikings squeezed out a 23-22 victory against the Cardinals. Justin Jefferson accounted for 99 of those yards on seven catches but failed to find the end zone for the sixth straight week.
RB Aaron Jones salvaged his fantasy day with a receiving TD late in the fourth quarter, but he only accounted for 28 total yards in a game during which the Vikings struggled to get much going on the ground.
Trey McBride secured all 12 targets for 96 yards. He continues to be the focal point of the Cardinals’ pass game.
Rams at Saints
New Orleans’ jack-of-all-trades tight end Taysom Hill suffered what appeared to be a catastrophic knee injury which will likely end his 2024 season. No one player can replace all of the things that he does on the field, but everyone else’s usage should go up while the offense’s efficiency will likely take a hit.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara was once again the workhorse of this offense, which should continue as the Saints are still alive in the mediocre NFC South.
Rams RB Kyren Williams played behind rookie Blake Corum to start the game in what appeared to be a disciplinary benching for last week’s fumble. Williams still went over 100 rushing yards and scored a touchdown in a good matchup and should remain in your starting lineup, but Corum should absolutely be picked up if available.
Bucs at Panthers
The Bucky Irving Breakout Tour continued, as the Bucs’ rookie RB set career highs in touches and yards, while also scoring a rushing touchdown. Snaps were still split evenly with Rachaad White, but Irving has clearly emerged as the alpha RB for this very productive offense.
Wide receiver Mike Evans dominated the receiving work with season highs in receptions and yards. Evans should be a weekly WR1 with Chris Godwin done for the season.
Panthers second-year QB Bryce Young continued his comeback with a terrific performance against the Bucs’ weak pass defense. He has become a weekly streaming option when the matchup warrants.
Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks saw his role grow in his second game of the season, with nine touches to incumbent starter Chuba Hubbard’s 12. Hubbard also lost a fumble, so Brooks could be knocking on the door of a relevant role in the near future.
Veteran WR Adam Thielen had his best game of the season as he benefited from the strong matchup and Young’s continued improvement. Thielen should be a high priority waiver add as the top receiving option on what is becoming a functional offense.
Eagles at Ravens
Philadelphia dominated in this one, with QB Jalen Hurts and RB Saquon Barkley doing most of the heavy lifting alongside a dominant defensive performance. You don’t need us to tell you to keep Hurts and Barkley in your lineups, regardless of matchup.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith sat out once again with his hamstring injury, but he was very close to playing and should be back in Week 14. Meanwhile, TE Dallas Goedert sustained a second-half injury and did not return.
Baltimore’s offense struggled against an Eagles defense that is playing at a very high level right now. Opponents facing Philadelphia should be given a big downgrade every week at this point. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will be fine and should bounce back after Baltimore’s Week 14 bye.
49ers at Bills
The big news from this one was the PCL injury suffered by 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey in the first half. His season is in jeopardy and it would be somewhat surprising if we see him again. Jordan Mason should never have been dropped, but if he was, then he is worth a max waiver bid. Rookie RB Isaac Guerendo scored a touchdown and is also worth a speculative add, as he may have earned a timeshare.
Josh Allen and James Cook dominated the production for the Bills in a snowstorm. The Bills’ passing game should have a chance to get going next week against the Rams.
Bills RB Ray Davis had a nice game fueled by the elements and the blowout. He isn’t a viable weekly starter, but should absolutely be on a roster in every league right now.