Ten Things We Learned In Week 13 (Fantasy Football)
Week 13 is now wrapping up, and it was a brutal week for injuries, particularly at the quarterback position. So many players are banged up, but we also had a few stars who seem to be back to themselves after recovering from injuries, so we have some good news regarding this subject. We will dive into all of that and more as we look into the major storylines from Week 13 and what we learned.
1. Revenge Games Are Fun
Week 13 brought a revenge game for the Eagles’ newly acquired weapon, AJ Brown. Brown lit up the Titans’ secondary, catching 8-of-10 targets for 119 yards and two scores. Brown is currently the WR3 on the week and proved once again how fun revenge games can be for star players. Brown has significantly impacted the Eagles’ improved offense in 2022 and is well worth the cost it took to acquire him.
2. Ja’Marr Chase Is Back
The Bengals had their superstar receiver return to action this week. Ja’Marr Chase returned and played well, catching 7-of-8 targets for 97 yards. Fantasy managers should be confident that they will have their stud receiver healthy for the playoffs because, barring any re-injury, Chase looked fine. There was some talk that Chase wouldn’t even return this season, so luckily, he is back and already producing in his first game back from injury.
3. D’Andre Swift Might Finally Be Healthy
While D’Andre Swift has been playing since Week 8, he didn’t seem to be himself. That changed in Week 13, as he had 14 rushes for 62 yards and a touchdown and caught 4-of-6 targets for another 49 yards. Swift now has back-to-back games of at least six targets, and it seems he is getting a much larger workload now, as he has not had more than six rushing attempts since returning from injury in Week 8. Hopefully, this is a sign that he is indeed healthy, and fantasy managers can begin relying on him when they need him most. Swift has some good matchups coming up, and if fantasy managers who roster him were able to make the playoffs, he could be a great asset to have again.
4. Justin Fields Is Entering Must-Start Territory
Justin Fields is becoming an elite fantasy asset and is entering must-start territory. The rising star completed 20 passing attempts for 254 yards and rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown. There was an injury scare from Week 11, but he seems fine now. Fields seemingly has a high floor now due to his elite rushing ability, in which he has reached 47 rushing yards in ten consecutive games. He has a bye in Week 14 and a tough playoff schedule, so I wouldn’t blame anybody for being hesitant to rely on him, but he carries so much upside that he could still be a fantasy star in the playoffs.
5. Jameson Williams Isn’t Fully Ready
The Lions’ first-round pick, Jameson Williams, suited up for the first time this season. The Lions were careful with his workload in his debut, though, as he did not see the field very much. Williams won’t be fantasy relevant this season, with only one week before the fantasy playoffs. Also, Amon-Ra St. Brown managers should not worry about losing work to the rookie receiver. St. Brown will still be the number one option for the foreseeable future.
6. Jimmy G Will Miss The Rest Of The Season
The 49ers have lost another quarterback to a season-ending injury. Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot and was replaced by Brock Purdy. The rookie quarterback played well, throwing for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, we have to think about how the 49ers’ skill position players will perform now during the fantasy playoffs with this quarterback change. Christian McCaffrey should be fine, as he caught 8-of-10 targets for 80 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle may be riskier to play. For now, the pass-catchers for the 49ers can still be trusted, but we should lower expectations.
7. DeShaun Watson Looks Rough
The Cleveland Browns‘ new quarterback made his season debut against his old team in Week 13. DeShaun Watson completed 12-of-22 passes for 131 yards and one interception. He also added 21 yards on the ground with seven carries. It’s not surprising that Watson may struggle since he has not played football since 2020. One thing we can take away from this is he heavily targeted Amari Cooper, who had a 42.9% target share. Even if Watson continues to struggle, Amari Cooper should be a safe play with good matchups in the fantasy playoffs.
8. Lamar Jackson Could Miss Fantasy Playoffs Again
Last year, Lamar Jackson got injured in Week 14 and missed the remainder of the season. This season, Jackson got hurt in Week 13 and is in danger of a similar fate. Reports so far mention Jackson’s knee injury is likely not season-ending but that he is in danger of missing games. Jackson would be worth holding on to if he can at least make it back by Week 16, where he will have a great matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. If he were to miss time, Tyler Huntley would take his place and likely feed Mark Andrews, just like he did in Jackson’s place in 2021.
9. Nobody On The Rams Is Worth Starting Right Now
Unfortunately, we have another serious quarterback injury to talk about in this article. The defending Super Bowl champion Rams have had a tough break recently, losing key players like Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford to injury. Stafford will likely be shut down for the season, and now, just about anybody on the Rams won’t be worth starting in fantasy lineups. Cam Akers was the lone bright spot this week, with 60 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. If you must start Akers, he does have two favorable matchups coming up, but it’s risky considering his play this season and now with Stafford out with an injury.
10. Chase Claypool Isn’t Worth Starting
It’s been a while now for Claypool since being traded to the Chicago Bears. While Darnell Mooney will miss the remainder of the season with an injury, Claypool still isn’t worth starting in fantasy lineups. It may take Claypool some time to adjust to a new offensive scheme and build chemistry with Justin Fields. Targets still haven’t been going his way since the Mooney injury, making Claypool irrelevant for playoff runs for fantasy managers.