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Studs and Duds: Week 13

Mon Dec 5 8:53am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Hurts finds the end zone four times


It was another interesting week in fantasy land. There were a few more big performances than usual, leading to some higher fantasy scores. But on the flip side, we had a few players get hurt early games, leading to some really low scores for some fantasy teams. There is nothing worse than an injury early in a game. Hopefully, you weren’t one of those teams that suffered because of that in Week 13. 

Bills 24, Patriots 10

Fantasy Stud: Stefon Diggs. Diggs didn’t quite hit the 100-yard mark but was close. He had seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. Diggs topped 20 fantasy points for the second straight game and third time in four games. He has been as consistent as any elite receiver in the game this year. He just keeps posting big numbers on a weekly basis. 

Fantasy Dud: Jakobi Meyers. Meyers had a season low 5.2 fantasy points. He has really cooled lately, failing to reach double-digit fantasy points four straight games. He had a streak of six straight games to start his season hitting double-digit fantasy points. Meyers is trending the wrong way for fantasy teams and should be benched in most formats until he gets it going again. 

Game Notes: Rhamondre Stevenson was one of the few bright spots for the Patriots offensively. He ran 10 times for 54 yards and caught six passes for 24 yards. He has double-digit fantasy points all but the first two games of the season. 

Devin Singletary ran 13 times for 51 yards and a touchdown. He has found the end zone three of his last four games. 

Lions 40, Jaguars 14

Fantasy Stud: Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown continues to post huge weekly numbers. He had 11 receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He has scored 34.6 fantasy points, giving him 30-plus points two games. He also has 22-plus fancy points three of our games. St. Brown is having a huge season and quickly establishing himself as an elite fantasy receiver. 

Fantasy Dud: Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence cooled off in this one despite what seemed like a great matchup. He did get banged up in the game, but was able to play the entire game without much of an issue. He was 17-of-31 for 179 yards and a touchdown without a turnover. He failed to hit 20 fantasy points for the first time since Week 8. You just thought he would have a much better showing in Week 13. 

Game Notes: Travis Etienne was active and looked just fine on his foot injury. He ran 13 times for 54 yards and caught three passes fro 12 yards. His foot didn’t seem to be a problem. 

D’Andre Swift actually led the Lions in carries. He ran 14 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. He also had four receptions for 49 yards, finishing with 101 total yards. 

Steelers 19, Falcons 16

Fantasy Stud: Drake London. There was no much offense in this game, but London was one of the bright spots. He had six receptions for 95 yards. London had 11 targets, giving him double-digit targets in a game for the first time since Week 2. It was an encouraging showing from the rookie after two straight games with fewer than double-digit fantasy points. 

Fantasy Dud: George Pickens. Pickens had just a catch for two yards. This broke a streak of three straight games with double-digit fantasy points. He got just two targets in the game. This was really a surprise game from Pickens, especially if you consider his solid play the last several weeks. 

Game Notes: Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier continue to split the work at running back for the Falcons. Patterson ran 11 times for 60 yards while Allgeier had 10 carries for 52 yards. 

Najee Harris looked just fine despite dealing with an oblique injury. He had 17 carries for 86 yards and caught a pass for six yards. His injury doesn’t seem to be an issue. 

Packers 28, Bears 19

Fantasy Stud: A.J. Dillon. Dillon got to carry the load much of the game with Aaron Jones dealing with a shin injury. Dillon excelled, running 18 times for 93 yards and a touchdown. He also had three receptions for 26 yards, giving him 119 total yards. Dillon topped 20 fantasy points for the first time since Week 1. He has 17-plus fantasy points each of his last two games. 

Fantasy Dud: Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers didn’t play bad and led his team to a road win, but didn’t help fantasy teams at all with his numbers. He failed to even hit 200-passing yards and scored just once. He was 18-of-31 for 182 yards and a touchdown. Rodgers scored jus 15.5 fantasy points. He has more than 20 fantasy points just two games all season. 

Game Notes: Christian Watson had another big game, catching three passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. He also ran in a score on a 46-yard rush. Watson has 21-plus fantasy points four straight games. 

Justin Fields didn’t look too limited with his shoulder injury. It didn’t seem to be an issue. He was 20-of-25 for 254 yards with two interceptions. He led the team in rushing, running six times for 71 yards and a touchdown. 

Eagles 35, Titans 10

Fantasy Stud: Jalen Hurts. Hurts had one of his monster performances, finding the end zone four times. He was 29-of-39 for 380 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. He also ran five times for 12 yards and another score. Hurts had 38.2 fantasy points, giving him 30-plus points two straight. He has 29 total scores to just three interceptions on the season. 

Fantasy Dud: Derrick Henry. Henry had an awful game, running 11 times for just 30 yards. He also had two catches for eight yards. Henry scored a season low 5.8 fantasy points. This is his fourth game with fewer than double-digit fantasia points this year, though. He has been a little more up and down for his standards. 

Game Notes: Treylon Burks didn’t last long, getting knocked from the game because of a possible concussion. The only positive is he scored a touchdown on the play, catching a 25-yard touchdown pass. 

A.J. Brown had his third 100-yard game of the season. He had eight receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets. He has scores two straight and five of seven games. 

Ravens 10, Browns 9

Fantasy Stud: Greg Dulcich. There was not much offense in this game, but Dulchich was one of the few bright spots. He had six receptions for 85 yards, leading the Broncos both in receptions and receiving yards. Dulcich has been inconsistent his rookie season, but shown some flashes of good things. He has some promise going forward. 

Fantasy Dud: Russell Wilson. It probably shouldn’t have some as a surprise to see Wilson struggle again, based on his season. But you had some hope for him in this favorable matchup. Well, he had his issues again, throwing for 189 yards without a score. Wilson had just 11.6 fantasy points. He has fewer than 14 fantasy points three straight games. 

Game Notes: Lamar Jackson was knocked out of the game early because of a knee injury. He was unable to return, going 3-of-4 for 11 yards. Tyler Huntley played in relief and was 27-of-32 for 187 yards with an interception. Huntley had the game-winning score on a run late in the game. He had 10 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. 

Jerry Jeudy returned from his ankle injury and had four receptions for 65 yards on four targets. He has three straight games with double-digit fantasy points. 

Browns 27, Texans 14

Fantasy Stud: Browns defense/special teams. The Browns defense had one of the best fantasy games of all time, scoring three touchdowns. The Browns had a punt return for a score, a fumble recover for a touchdown, and an interception return for the last score. Cleveland also had two interceptions and two rumble recoveries. The Browns sores 26 fantasy points in the game, putting up numbers of a No. 1 fantasy quarterback. 

Fantasy Dud: Deshaun Watson. Watson showed plenty of rust in his first start in a long time. He was 12-of-22 for 131 yards with an interception. He failed to score a touchdown and didn’t even hit 150-passing yards. Watson proved he might take a few weeks to round into past form. 

Game Notes: Nico Collins found the end zone for the second tim this season. He has three receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown. He has double-digit fantasy points three of four games. 

Dameon Pierce rebounded after a few down weeks. He had 18 carries for 73 yards and three receptions for 22 yards. Pierce had 15 carries for just 16 yards his previous two games. 

Vikings 27, Jets 22

Fantasy Stud: Garrett Wilson. Wilson is quickly emerging as an elite receiver. He had eight receptions for 162 yards. This was his third 100-yard game of the season. He has 20-plus fantasy points two straight and 17-plus yards four of five. Wilson is on his way to a huge rookie season despite a little bit of a slow start. 

Fantasy Dud: Kirk Cousins. Cousins was not much of a help to fantasy teams this week. He was 21-of-35 for 173 yards and a touchdown without a turnover. He has fewer than 14 fantasy points two of three games. Cousins has been a little more erratic this year for his fantasy owners despite playing in one of the better offenses in football. 

Game Notes: Zonovan Knight led the way at running back for the Jets with Michael Carter out. He played well, rushing 15 times for 90 yards. He also had five receptions for 28 yards, giving him 118 total yards. 

Justin Jefferson didn’t gain many yards but still got his catches and scored another touchdown. He had seven receptions for 45 yards and a score. 

Commanders 20, Giants 20

Fantasy Stud: Terry McLaurin. McLaurin had eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. This was his fourth 100-yard game of the season. It was a much better showing after being held below double-digit fantasy points two straight. McLaurin has 100-yard games three of his last six games. 

Fantasy Dud: Antonio Gibson. Gibson is still getting his touches but taking a bit of a backseat to Brian Robinson his past two games. He failed to reach eight fantasy points, rushing nine times for 39 yards. And he had two catches for 20 yards. He had three straight games with double-digit rush attempts before these last two. This could be a trend going forward for Gibson with Robinson running well. 

Game Notes: Daniel Bellinger returned from his eye injury and was a big part of the offense. He had five receptions for 24 yards. It was his first game since Week 7. It tied a season high in receptions for Bellinger. 

Brian Robinson continues to get better almost every week. He had 21 carries for 96 yards and two catches for 15 yards. He has more than 100 total yards each of his last two games. 

Seahawks 27, Rams 23

Fantasy Stud: Geno Smith. Smith just keeps getting it done as the starter for the Seahawks. He had a big game, finishing 28-of-39 for 367 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. Smith had 28.7 fantasy points, his highest total since Week 4. He has eight games total scoring more than 20 fantasy points. He continues to have one of the most surprising fantasy seasons. 

Fantasy Dud: Kyren Williams. Williams dominated much of the snaps last week for the Rams, leading some fantasy teams to play him this week in a favorable matchup. Well, that didn’t happen in Week 13. Williams ran three times for just nine yards and didn’t catch a pass. Cam Akers had 17 carries compared to three for Williams.

Game Notes: Kenneth Walker suffered an ankle injury and was unable to finish the game. He left pretty early in the first half, rushing three times for 36 yards. DeeJay Dallas carried much of the load after that, running 10 times for 37 yards.

Cam Akers had his best fantasy game of the season, scoring 19 points. He had 17 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. He got most of the work at running back for the Rams this week. 

49ers 33, Dolphins 17

Fantasy Stud: Tyreek Hill. Hill just keeps posting huge numbers on a weekly basis. He had nine receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. Hill has an amazing 140-plus yards three of five games. He has topped 140 yards six times this season. A move to Miami has been a good one for Hill and his fantasy value. He hasn’t missed a beat with his new team. 

Fantasy Dud: Jaylen Waddle. Waddle played in this one but was in and out of the game because of a couple various leg injuries. He had just a catch for nine yards. It was a huge disappointment for fantasy owners, seeing Waddle have his worst game of the season. He was even targeted five times in the game, but the 49ers defense didn’t give him any room when he was on the field. His injuries are something to watch going forward as well. 

Game Notes: Raheem Mostert returned to the lineup and had seven carries for 30 yards. Jeff Wilson had  just a carry for three yards. Both backs didn’t have much room to run, but Mostert was on the field more. 

Christian McCaffrey did not seem bothered by his knee injury. He got a big workload, rushing 17 times for 66 yards. He also had eight receptions for 80 yards, leading his team in rushing yards, receptions and receiving yards. 

Bengals 27, Chiefs 24

Fantasy Stud: Joe Burrow. Burrow had a fantastic game in a great win against the Chiefs. He was 25-of-31 for 286 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. He also ran 11 times for 46 yards and a touchdown, giving him three total scores. Burrow topped 30 fantasy points, doing that two of his last three games. He has 20-plus fantasy points all but two games this season.

Fantasy Dud: Travis Kelce. Kelce was really quiet for his standards, failing to hit double-digit fantasy points for the first time all year. He had four receptions for 56 yards on six targets. He will be just fine going forward, but this game showed he might be human after all!

Game Notes: Joe Mixon was not cleared to play, so Samaje Perine got another start for the Bengals. He had a great game, rushing 21 times for 106 yards. He also had six receptions for 49 yards. 

Ja’Marr Chase returned from his hip injury and looked in midseason form. He had seven receptions for 97 yards, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards. 

Raiders 27, Chargers 20

 

Fantasy Stud: Davante Adams. Adams had his usual big game, catching eight passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Adams has 125-plus yards four of five games. He has 30-plus fantasy points four games. He has posted some absolutely huge numbers at times this year. Adams continues to make a run at top fantasy receiver in the game. 

Fantasy Dud: DeAndre Carter. The Chargers threw the ball a lot once again, but Carter wasn’t in the mix for the first time in several weeks. He had just a catch for 14 yards. Carter had double-digit fantasy points three of four games before this dud. He still has upside in this offense but is capable of the stinker with so many options to compete with for targets. 

Game Notes: Josh Jacobs was a game-time decision because of a calf injury but played and was fantastic once again. He ran 26 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. Jacobs has hit the 100-yard rushing mark three straight games. 

Keenan Allen had a season high six receptions on 14 targets. He had 88 yards and a score, giving him 20.8 fantasy points. Allen has 13-plus points three straight games since returning from his hamstring injury. 

Cowboys 54, Colts 19

Fantasy Stud: Tony Pollard. Pollard scored multiple touchdowns for the second time this season. He remains red hot, scoring 24.6 fantasy points. He had 12 carries for 91 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two receptions for 15 yards, giving him 106 total yards.   Pollard has 20-plus fantasy points four of five games. He has become a legit RB1 at this point of the season. 

Fantasy Dud: Dalton Schultz. Schultz did next to nothing in a game the Cowboys put up 54 points. It was a disappointing showing for the tight end, especially if you consider his play of late. He had at least 13 fantasy points three of four games before this one. Schultz remains a solid fantasy starter, but is not quite the sure thing every week. 

Game Notes: Matt Ryan had a game to forget, turning the ball over four times. You have to wonder if the Colts will go in another direction in Week 14. Ryan was 21-of-37 for 233 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. He also lost a fumble. 

Dak Prescott had multiple touchdowns for the fifth straight game. He was 20-of-30 for 170 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. 

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Jared Goff May 13 5:00pm ET
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Trey Hendrickson May 13 4:50pm ET
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Ross Dwelley May 13 4:30pm ET
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Parker Hesse May 13 3:10pm ET
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Ja'Tavion Sanders May 12 12:00pm ET
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Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders said his goal in the NFL is to be as good as former All-Pro Greg Olsen. Sanders, a converted receiver at Texas, averaged 49.5 catches a year with the Longhorns with an average of 648 yards and 3.5 touchdowns. His role with the Panthers is not clear yet, but head coach Dave Canales said on Saturday that Sanders will play both the "F" and the "Y" roles, dependent on pass plays versus 12 personnel. "He's a guy, you can move around a little bit more, maybe play him in the slot a little bit," Canales said, adding, "we look for those versatile type of tight ends." The 21-year-old was taken with the 101st overall pick in the fourth round this year but could immediately become the team's best pass-catching tight end over both Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas. Still, fantasy managers in single-year leagues in 2024 should temper expectations for Sanders in Carolina's offense.

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Drake Maye May 12 11:20am ET
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New England Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo said that rookie quarterback Drake May, who was taken third overall in last month's NFL draft, "has a lot to work on." Saturday's practice featured a heavy emphasis on footwork fundamentals, with Maye spending the first few periods of practice taking snaps directly under center instead of the shotgun, which he mostly used the last two years at North Carolina. "The guy can sling it, man," said wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, the second-round pick from the University of Washington. "He's very confident. He's a leader, very vocal; he's setting the tone in practice, trying to get guys moving around and operating at a high level." Maye is expected to compete with veteran Jacoby Brissett for starting duties in 2024. The Patriots aren't going to rush Maye's development, so he's more of a dynasty/keeper asset in fantasy this year than a redraft one.

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Bo Nix May 12 11:20am ET
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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said he liked what he saw from rookie quarterback Bo Nix during practices at the team's rookie minicamp over the weekend. "He had two or three down the field throws [Saturday]," Payton said. "It's almost like watching a good golfer when you watch his game ... there's a patience to how he plays, the ball comes out." The Broncos took Nix 12th overall, which many thought was a massive reach, and hope he will become their next franchise signal-caller. With only Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson to compete with, Nix has a clear path to the starting job right away in his first season in the NFL, but the Broncos aren't getting ahead of themselves. "We'll figure it out, we'll figure it out ... We'll have a rotation and we'll go from there," Payton said when asked how the team's QB competition will unfold in the weeks ahead.

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Tommy Sweeney May 12 11:10am ET
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Free-agent tight end Tommy Sweeney signed an undisclosed deal with the Chicago Bears on Sunday after a tryout at their rookie minicamp, according to a source. Sweeney was with the New York Giants most of last year but sat out after he collapsed and had a "medical event" on the practice field. The 28-year-old was originally drafted in the seventh round (228th overall) by the Buffalo Bills in 2019 out of Boston College. All three of his NFL seasons came with Buffalo, and Sweeney has caught a total of 18 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown on 26 targets in just 24 games played (four starts). Sweeney will be competing for a roster spot in training camp this summer among a tight end group in Chicago that already includes Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, Stephen Carlson and rookie Brenden Bates.

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Ezekiel Elliott May 12 9:53am ET
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Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the team will use a running back by committee approach this season, unlike the feature back approach used during RB Ezekiel Elliott's first tour of duty with the team. McCarthy said that he has not seen any drop off in the way Elliott moves but thinks it wouldn't be fair to give him a workload similar to what he saw in the early seasons of his career.

Fantasy Spin: Elliott had the least productive season of his career with New England in 2023, with career lows in carries (184), rushing yards (642), touchdowns (three) and yards per carry (3.5). Although he is expected to have a larger role in the Dallas offense in 2024, his days as an RB1 fantasy option are likely over. Elliott is most likely to see the field in short-yardage and goal line situations, making him worthy of consideration as an RB3 in many fantasy leagues. RBs Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn are behind Elliott on the Cowboys' depth chart but their fantasy value remains uncertain, as it remains to be seen how many offensive snaps they will see in a typical game.

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Bud Dupree May 11 9:20pm ET
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Free-agent linebacker Bud Dupree has reportedly signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Dupree met with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons in addition to the Chargers. The 31-year-old has played with both the Steelers and Falcons during his career so it appears Dupree was looking for a new home. The veteran linebacker still has something left in the tank. He recorded 6.5 sacks last season with Atlanta. Those 6.5 sacks were the most for Dupree since the 2020 season. His addition should be a solid boost for this defensive unit heading into next season.

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Phillip Dorsett May 11 9:00pm ET
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The Denver Broncos have released wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. The veteran wideout was already a longshot to make the roster. The 31-year-old joined the Broncos last season and failed to make a catch during his two appearances. Dorsett has bounced around quite a bit throughout his time in the league. Dorsett is viewed more as a depth option than an actual impact player on a roster. He could sign elsewhere before the season starts, but his chances of having fantasy value are low.

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Albert Wilson May 11 8:40pm ET
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Free-agent wide receiver Albert Wilson has decided to retire from professional football after seven seasons. Wilson joined the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2014 season. He spent four seasons with the Chiefs, and Wilson achieved a career-high 554 receiving yards during his final season with the team. After that, Wilson joined the Miami Dolphins for the next three seasons. He was fairly lackluster during his time with the Dolphins. He bounced around with the Raiders and Vikings but hasn't seen the field since the 2021 season. Wilson will finish his career with 218 receptions, 2,499 yards, and 12 touchdowns.

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