Week 13 Revenge Games: 3 Players Out to Torch Their Ex-Teams
When I think about Thanksgiving, football, and revenge, one thing comes to mind. There's a song by one of my favorite bands, Widespread Panic, entitled C.Brown. At the end of the song, Charlie Brown draws a gun and shoots Lucy for pulling that football away one too many times. While I am not a violent person, you can't say she didn't have it coming.
Revenge is always on the minds of those done dirty, and not all NFL players who changed teams were necessarily wronged, but we have to assume some sort of vengeance lies within. I outlined what I found from 10 years of data in the article Revenge Games: 10 Years of Data on Fantasy Breakouts vs. Former Teams, and this weekly article dives into who’s seeking retribution each week.
Before I get into this week's revenge seekers, let’s look at how Week 12 shook out:
- Tyrod Taylor - QB17 (12.8)
- Aaron Jones - RB29 (7.2)
Sam Darnold vs. Vikings
Last year as a Viking, Sam Darnold set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, and was the overall QB9 and the QB11 in fantasy points per contest. His time in Minnesota was a one-off as he signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks in March after the team traded Geno Smith to the Raiders, and the Vikings were set with a healthy J.J. McCarthy to assume his spot under center. Darnold is currently the overall QB15 heading into this contest, and we have to think retaliation is on his mind.
Geno Smith @ Chargers
Speaking of Geno Smith, one of the five franchises he's played for in his 13-year NFL career is the Los Angeles Chargers. Smith was there for the 2018 season, carrying the clipboard for Phillip Rivers. It may not be a fiery revenge narrative, but it counts. LA is tough against the QB position, so don't expect more than low-end QB2 production from the Vegas QB on Sunday.
D'Andre Swift @ Eagles
It was a brief one-season cup of coffee for D'Andre Swift and the Eagles, but it was actually his most productive year, as he posted a 229-1049-5 rushing line, with an additional 39 receptions for 214 yards and a score through the air. Swift returns to Lincoln Financial this week for the first time since leaving for Chicago in free agency in 2024, to most likely boos because it is Philadelphia. He's had a mixed bag of a season thus far, but we can't count out the revenge factor to propel his numbers to solid fantasy RB2 territory on Friday.
