amphitheater of pain | RealTime Fantasy Sports

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 13

Fri Dec 2 10:33am ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

Pierce is setup for bounce back

The Cardinals and Panthers are the only teams on a bye in Week 13. That leaves us with a bevy of options to sift through in DFS. Let’s get right to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

Quarterbacks

Justin Herbert, LAC at LV ($7,200): Last week, Herbert faced a Cardinals team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. He took advantage of the matchup, posting 274 passing yards and three touchdowns. Now he’ll face the Raiders, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to the position. When he played them in Week 1, he threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Another juicy stat line could be upcoming.

Trevor Lawrence, JAX at DET ($5,900): Lawrence had his best game of the season in an upset win over the Ravens last week. He completed 78.4 percent of his pass attempts, finishing with 321 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He’ll look to provide an encore performance against a Lions team that has allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.

Player to Avoid

Kirk Cousins, MIN vs. NYJ ($5,700): Despite disappointing play from Zach Wilson, the Jets have a winning record this season. The reason for their success has been their defense, which has limited teams to an average of 17.8 points per game. They have allowed 10 passing touchdowns this season, while recording 12 interceptions and 34 sacks. This could be a long game for Cousins.

Running Backs

Nick Chubb, CLE at HOU ($8,000): The Deshaun Watson era in Cleveland officially begins with this game. He hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2020, though, so the Browns will likely easy him back into action. They should continue to rely heavily on Chubb, who turned 26 carries into 116 yards and a touchdown last week against the Buccaneers. That marked his sixth game of the season with at least 100 rushing yards. The Texans have allowed the most rushing yards per game in the league, so Chubb carries massive upside into this matchup.

Dameon Pierce, HOU vs. CLE ($5,900): Both starting running backs in this game are appealing. It’s been tough sledding lately for Pierce, who combined for just 16 rushing yards over the last two games. However, the Browns have allowed the 10th-most rushing yards per game and 16 rushing touchdowns, so Pierce has the potential to bounce back in a big way.

Player to Avoid

Saquon Barkley, NYG vs, WAS ($8,200): A couple of factors might be impacting Barkley right now. He’s received a ton of carries, so he might be showing some signs of fatigue, especially since he has been battling a shoulder injury. Also, the Giants’ offensive line is in shambles because of injuries. That has all contributed to Barkley rushing for a total of 61 yards over the last two games. The Commanders have allowed the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game, and Barkley’s salary is among the highest for the slate, so this might be a week to fade him. Chubb has a much better matchup and a salary that is $200 cheaper.

Wide Receivers

Christian Kirk, JAX at DET ($6,300): Even with Lawrence going off against the Ravens, Kirk had a quiet game with only four receptions for 46 yards. On the bright side, he was targeted nine times. He has now been targeted at least that many times in four of the last five games. His heavy target share makes him the ideal wide receiver to stack with Lawrence for this favorable matchup.

Garrett Wilson, NYJ at MIN ($5,300): The change to Mike White at quarterback seemed to breathe life into the Jets’ offense last week. Wilson certainly benefited from the move, catching five passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Those were his first scores since Week 2. Despite all of the uncertainty at quarterback, Wilson has at least 92 receiving yards in three of the last four games. This is a great matchup for him to stay hot since the Vikings have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers.

Player to Avoid

Tyler Boyd, CIN vs. KC ($5,300): All signs are pointing to Ja’Marr Chase (hip) making his return from a four-game absence. Even when he was out, Boyd only totaled 12 receptions for 140 yards. Wilson has a much more significant role for the Jets and the same salary, which makes it difficult to justify taking a chance on Boyd.

Tight Ends

George Kittle, SF vs. MIA ($5,000): Kittle couldn’t get much going against the Saints last week, catching three of four targets for 26 yards. He’s been an inconsistent source for production, but this has the potential to be one of his better games. First, the 49ers should need to throw more in order to keep up with the Dolphins’ high-octane offense. Second, the Dolphins have allowed the second-most receptions and are tied for the third-most touchdowns allowed to opposing tight ends.

Evan Engram, JAX at DET ($3,000): The Lions have been nearly as bad as the Dolphins, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Engram comes with plenty of risk since he has just five catches for 26 yards over the last three games. However, at this cheap salary, he’s a viable option in tournament play for those who want to punt the tight end position.

Player to Avoid

Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. SEA ($3,700): On the surface, this looks like a great matchup for Higbee. The Seahawks have been destroyed by tight ends, allowing the second-most receiving yards in the league to the position. However, Higbee has been dealing with a knee injury and wasn’t targeted at all last week against the Chiefs. As long as Bryce Perkins remains the starting quarterback for the Rams, it’s difficult to have any confidence in Higbee.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 13

The Paur Report