Fantasy Football Recap Week 13: 26 Things You Need To Know
Just how crazy was the Sunday slate of games for Week 13 fantasy football? The Seattle defense put up the highest score of the entire day. The top six scoring quarterbacks were named Bryce Young, Marcus Mariota, Trevor Lawrence, Tyrod Taylor, Jacoby Brissett, and Tyler Shough. A total of one running back or wide receiver scored more than 20 half-PPR fantasy points. And, perhaps craziest of all, Kyle Pitts caught seven passes. What is happening?!
In addition to all of that, quarterbacks are breaking bones all over the place, the Carolina Panthers beat the Los Angeles Rams, and Sunday Night Football was decided by a failed two-point conversion by Washington. After several amazing games on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, this was one of the stranger days of football we have ever seen.
Before we get to the Week 13 Monday Night Football game with the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, let’s look at the good, the bad, and the injured from a wild Week 13 in the NFL.
Stud Players
Which players put up the best performances in Week 13?
Bryce Young posted his second electric performance in two weeks by dismantling a stout Los Angeles Rams defense all afternoon. Young led the Panthers to a win by throwing for 206 yards (at a 75% completion rate) and three touchdowns, while adding 23 yards with his legs. He is still way too inconsistent to trust on a week-in, week-out basis, but every now and again, we see these glimpses of why he was drafted number one overall.
Tyrod Taylor has done about as well as anyone could expect since he took over for the miserable Justin Fields. On Sunday, Taylor led a comeback win, while throwing for 172 yards with two passing touchdowns, and also rushing for 44 yards and another score. He has given all the rest of the Jets’ skill players life in fantasy football for the rest of the season.
Bijan Robinson had 30 opportunities in his game on Sunday against the Jets as the coaching staff finally took off any of the remaining shackles and let Robinson dominate. He finished the day with 142 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards, and a touchdown to lead all running backs in scoring. The 30 opportunities were his most in a game all season.
Kimani Vidal showed on Sunday that he does not want to give up the running back job when Omarian Hampton comes back for the Los Angeles Chargers. Vidal rushed for 126 yards on 25 carries and had a massive 59-yard touchdown run that broke the game open against Las Vegas.
RJ Harvey continues to be the lead back in the absence of J.K. Dobbins. In an overtime game, Harvey touched the ball 16 times, compiling 62 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He was used as the exclusive back at the goal line and in passing situations, so he is creeping closer to the RB1 conversation for the rest of the season.
Adonai Mitchell was brought back to life by Tyrod Taylor the last two weeks. He finished Sunday as a top two scorer on the day at the wide receiver position. Mitchell had an incredible 12 targets, catching eight of them for 102 yards and a touchdown. This is a game Justin Fields never could have given Mitchell, and he now has 19 targets in his last two games.
Davante Adams only had five targets on Sunday, but he turned them into 58 yards and two touchdowns. That’s now 14 receiving touchdowns in 12 games for Adams, as he continues to be one of the most dangerous red zone weapons in the entire league.
Devaughn Vele is another out-of-nowhere receiver who signed with New Orleans and has built an immediate rapport with Tyler Shough. After seven targets last week, Vele caught all eight of his targets in Week 13 for 93 yards and a touchdown. With the Saints slinging it every week, Vele looks like a nice add for the fantasy stretch run.
Brock Bowers' managers breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday after Bowers caught two touchdowns. He has been very up and down since returning from his injured knee on November 2, but his performance against the Los Angeles Chargers proves he is still the Raiders’ most important and dangerous weapon.
Dud Players
Which players disappointed fantasy managers the most in Week 13?
Matthew Stafford threw a couple of touchdown passes against the Panthers, but was also picked off twice and lost a fumble, taking away six points from his overall score. These games are bound to happen every once in a while with a 37-year-old quarterback, and shouldn’t take away from the fact that Stafford has at least two touchdown passes in six straight games.
Travis Etienne Jr. had an easy assignment on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, but he busted with just 28 rushing yards on 12 carries, and nary a score. The Jaguars couldn’t run at all on the Titans on Sunday (Bhayshul Tuten had just 17 yards, but scored a touchdown), but the Jaguars still won easily because of how inept the Titans’ offense has become.
Justin Jefferson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba combined for four receptions and 27 yards in this offensive wasteland of a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings. Sam Darnold wasn’t asked to do much of anything because the Seattle defense dominated all day. But new Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer finished with 0.94 fantasy points after throwing four interceptions on Sunday. We didn’t think it could get much worse than J.J. McCarthy, but it did. I really think Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison belong on fantasy benches until further notice. This offense in Minnesota is terrible.
Michael Pittman Jr. was shut down by the stingy Texans’ secondary on Sunday and finished with one catch for 13 yards. Pittman had at least double-digit fantasy performances in four of his last five games entering Week 13, but his four targets marked his second-lowest output of the season.
Oronde Gadsden was held completely in check in a game where the Chargers scored 31 points, and it appears as if Gadsden’s time as a fantasy-relevant player is over. Gadsden hasn’t scored more than five fantasy points in the last three weeks, and his two targets were his lowest since October 5th.
Thud Players
Which players can we shove off our fantasy rosters after Week 13?
Sam Darnold has been under 10 fantasy points in four of his last six games. The two games where Darnold did well were against the Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders, two of the worst defenses in the NFL. Darnold’s 128 passing yards on Sunday were a season low, and it’s clear Seattle is focusing more on the defense and the running game moving forward.
Sean Tucker had two carries and zero fantasy points in a day when Bucky Irving returned to Tampa Bay’s lineup. Despite the success Tucker had while Irving was out, Rachaad White got the start, and Irving got most of the touches. Tucker can be dropped for someone else who has a higher floor of production.
Jerry Jeudy still has just one game with more than nine fantasy points this season, and it’s not gotten any better with Shedur Sanders under center. Jeudy had three receptions for 26 yards and just four targets in the loss to San Francisco on Sunday. He is completely droppable right now, considering he has one touchdown and one game over 51 yards this season.
Jonnu Smith finished the 2024 season as the overall TE4 with the Miami Dolphins. Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith is the TE38 in fantasy points per game. Smith caught one ball for six yards on Sunday and continues to be outperformed by Darnell Washington.
Bad Blood Players
Which players’ injuries are worth monitoring after Week 13?
Justin Herbert has broken bones in his left hand and will undergo surgery on Monday to begin healing the breaks. The Chargers and Herbert did not rule out the possibility of him playing in Week 14, but fantasy managers should prepare for the worst here and find potential replacements for Los Angeles' pass catchers and Herbert. Trey Lance would be the next man up.
Aaron Rodgers fractured his left wrist in last week’s game and tried to give it a go in Week 13 but was eventually forced to leave after aggravating it in the second half. Mason Rudolph entered the game, and it may be Rudolph’s team for a while if Rodgers’ wrist is so bad that it keeps him out of games.
Aaron Jones left in the second half due to a shoulder injury he suffered. He didn't return to the game. Prior to getting hurt, he rushed six times for three yards, caught all four of his targets for 22 yards, and lost a fumble. He will have his shoulder tested early this week to see if he must be out for a week or more.
Marvin Harrison Jr. came back after a two-week absence due to an appendectomy but was forced to leave the game early with a heel injury. He seemed likely to return at one point, but the coaches kept him out of the game. Harrison was having a decent return with six catches for 69 yards, so we just have to hope he isn’t forced to miss more time.
Parker Washington only caught one of his three targets for 26 yards before he had to leave with a hip injury. Washington fell awkwardly during a punt return and was forced to miss the entire second half of the game.
