Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 13

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Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 13

I am a little late to the party with my Week 13 Sleepers– had some personal things yesterday — but nevertheless, with the fantasy football playoffs rapidly approaching, I am here to help guide you to another championship.

Here are the other NFL news, rumors, and injuries that could affect your fantasy football lineups for Week 13.

• Eagles TE Zach Ertz (ankle) will play in Week 13
• Bears WR Darnell Mooney (ankle) is questionable for Week 13
• Dolphins RB Myles Gaskin (knee) has a shot to play in week 13
• Seahawks RBs Chris Carson (foot) and Carlos Hyde (toe) will both play in Week 13
• Patriots QB Cam Newton (abdomen) is questionable for Week 13
• Titans WR Adam Humphries (concussion) will play in Week 13
• Titans TE Jonnu Smith is ruled out for Week 13
• Titans WR A.J. Brown (hip) will play in Week 13
• Ravens activated J.K. Dobbins from the reserve/COVID list
• Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy (ankle) is questionable for Week 13
• Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay (knee) is questionable for Week 13
• Falcons RB Todd Gurley (knee) is questionable for Week 13
• Falcons WR Julio Jones (hamstring) is listed as questionable to play Week 13
• Lions WR Kenny Golladay (hip) won’t play in Week 13
• Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (left thumb) is questionable to play Week 13
• Dolphins placed RB Matt Breida on the reserve/COVID-19 list
• Raiders RB Josh Jacobs (ankle) won’t play in Week 13

The following is a recap of the players from my Fantasy Football Sleepers article last week, you can read that here.

Fantasy Sleepers Week 12: Full-Disclosure

Player	Position	PPR Rank	PPR Points
Taysom Hill	QB	QB11	18.5
Daniel Jones (injured)	QB	QB23	10.4
Wayne Gallman	RB	RB9	18.1
James White	RB	RB15	14.7
Zack Moss	RB	RB29	8.8
Cole Beasley	WR	WR45	9.3
Michael Pittman	WR	WR75	4.8
Nelson Agholor	WR	WR40	10.4
Robert Tonyan	TE	TE2	17.7
Will Dissly	TE	TE??	N/A

QB Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 13

Jared Goff

ESPN Start-Percentage: 18.2

This will be one of Jared Goff’s pop weeks. While we have seen more bad than good this season out of Goff (from a fantasy football POV), the matchup is here with the Cardinals. We all know normally, Goff exploits favorable matchups. Although the Cardinals’ defense has played well at times this season, they are still allowing the 14th most fantasy points to QBs (19.3).

The Cardinals are also a familiar foe to Goff, which also bodes well for his Week 13 outlook. Goff has faced-off versus the Cardinals seven times in his career. Outside of his first game back in 2017 in which he flopped, Goff has strung up six straight games with 19 fantasy points versus the Cardinals, five of which, in the 20s. In his past two meetings with Arizona, however, Goff has played his best football.

Goff has thrown for 319+ yards and 2+ touchdowns versus the Cardinals in his 2019 matchups against them. In his past seven games overall, Goff has only managed two games with 20+ fantasy points. One facing the Buccaneers in Week 11, the other against Washington in Week 5. He hung 25+ on both of them. Consequentially, he’s shown up in two of his toughest matchups in 2020, accumulating 300+ yards and 2+ TDs in those games.

Mitchell Trubisky

ESPN Start-Percentage: 3.8

Last week on the FF Faceoff Podcast, I talked-up Mitchell Trubisky in his first start since the first half of the year and coming off a shoulder injury. Trubisky did not disappoint. He finished as the QB9 with 18.9 fantasy points on a 272-yard, three passing TD night against Green Bay. It was the second time Trubisky ended a given week as a QB1. The first, back in the season opener against the Lions, in a game he threw for 242 yards and three scores. Yes, the same passing line as last week. Go figure. He gets his Week 1 opponent, the Lions, against on Sunday.

The Lions’ defense is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points (20.7) to enemy QBs. In six career games facing the Lions, Trubisky has put up 18+ points in all of them. In his past five, he’s gone over 20, including one game with just over 37. In that six-game span, he’s managed three games with 300+ passing yards while throwing for at least three passing TDs against them in each of their past four meetings.

The Bears has scored over 25 points in a game three times this season. Trubisky was the starting quarterback in all three of those games.

RB Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 13

Devontae Booker

ESPN Start-Percentage: 41.8

Devontae Booker is a prime opportunity and matchup play this week. Josh Jacobs is ruled out with an ankle injury, opening the door for Booker to see an expanded role. Normally, Booker does not see a ton of opportunity. However, he’s seen an uptick in the past month. While in his past two games, Booker was more or less a non-factor in fantasy, he did flash, back in Weeks 10 and 11. In those two outings, Booker recorded 12+ PPR points. His first two outings this season in the double-digits. Booker finished as a top 10 running back in those weeks, topping out as the RB8 in Week 11. Booker accumulated at least 68 yards and a touchdown on eight touches in both of those games.

Now, Booker will likely operate as the featured back in a terrific matchup with the Jets. The Jets’ defense is yielding the 15th most FPPG (18.4) to RBs. No, they are not a top 10 matchup but they are the jets and can be exploited at any given time, especially by a team that runs the ball effectively like the Raiders. While the Jets have given up 10+ PPR points to their opponent’s top-scoring back in 9-of-11 games this season, they have held enemy backs in the single-digits two times in their past four games (Le’Veon Bell, DeAndre Washington). I love Booker’s floor this week. He will get you 10 at the least.

James White

ESPN Start-Percentage: 21.6

I was in on James White last week too, and he finished as RB15 with 14.7 PPR points. White is normally the safe-floored PPR back, but in his plus outing last week, he caught his lone target for a one-yard loss. He did, however, get five carries for 18 yards and two touchdowns. White was used as the short-yardage back last week, a role that could continue. It was a similar role Rex Burkhead was in before suffering his season-ending knee injury. Both White and Burkhead have similar skill sets only I would say White is the better receiver.

White also finished as the RB15 (14.3) in Week 11 too — consecutive weeks as an RB2 for the first time this season. Only he did it with his usual stat line. In Week 11, White caught 6-of-9 targets for 64 yards, adding another 19 rushing yards on five carries. While Damien Harris and Sony Michel, who went touch-less last week, will command early-down work, White will be employed everywhere else. White has a terrific floor this week against the Chargers. Los Angeles’ defense is allowing the 13th most FPPG (18.8) to RBs. Look for White to finish with 10+ PPR points for the third time in as many games in Week 13.

J.K. Dobbins

ESPN Start-Percentage: 17.6

The last time J.K. Dobbins was on the field, it looked like he was beginning to take a strangle-hold on the Baltimore backfield. With all three of Dobbins, Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards all healthy, Dobbins dominated ouches and yards for the first time all season. Normally, they all get right around the same workload while eating into each other’s fantasy upside. Usually, the one who scores was the one that returns the best value — and it wasn’t much.

However, back in Week 11, before Dobbins and Edwards were placed on the COVID list, forcing them to miss last Wednesday’s loss to the Steelers, Dobbins finished as the RB8 with 16.5 PPR points. He saw a season-high 17 touches and went for 85 total yards and his first TD since the season opener. Meanwhile, Ingram and Edwards combined for eight yards on six carries without a target.

If the Ravens believe Dobbins is that missing spark to their ground game — he also excels as a receiver — we could see the upside rookie command this backfield in a terrific Sunday matchup with the Cowboys. The Cowboys’ defense is allowing the fifth most FPPG (21.6) to RBs. They have allowed right different backs to accumulate 10+ PPR points against them, five of which, going for 19+.

WR Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 13

Deebo Samuel

ESPN Start-Percentage: 32.9 

Deebo Samuel has an awfully low start percentage considering how well he played last week in his first game coming off an injury. And while Brandon Aiyuk is expected to play on Sunday, Samuel should still be busy. Samuel caught 11-of-13 targets for 133 yards and finished as the WR7 (24.3) in Week 12 against the Rams, a tough matchup.

While Samuel will get the Bills this week, a team whose defense is suspect at times, they don’t give up a ton to wide receivers. Buffalo’s defense is only surrendering the eighth-fewest FPPG (21.7) to WRs. However, they can be gashed. The Bills have allowed 16 different WRs to finish with 10+ PPR points against them. Samuel may not go-off again, but he does bring a respectable floor. If the Bills’ offense can get going in a tough matchup with the normally stingy 49ers’ defense, San Franciso will be playing catch-up, which bodes well for Samuel’s outlook.

Samuel has drawn 5+ targets in 3-of-5 games this season. In three of those outings, he finished with 5+ receptions and 65+ yards, and 12+ PPR points. All three of those games happened in each of the past three Samuel has played in.

Sterling Shepard

ESPN Start-Percentage: 25.1

Even with Colt McCoy starting at quarterback for the Giants, I am rolling with Sterling Shepard. Shepard has been the Giants’ most consistent wide receiver this season. He has finished with 10+ PPR points in 6-of-7 games this season, including in five straight. While Shepard is on a four-game scoring drought, he’s been a quality start in PPR. In all six games Shepard has finished with 10+ PPR points, Shepard has had 6+ targets, 6+ receptions, and 39+ yards. Shepard may not win you a week, but he won’t lose you one either.

Shepard will look to keep his streak of double-digit PPR point games alive in a great matchup with the Seahawks. While the Seattle defense has played better in the past three games, they still employ one of the poorest secondaries in the NFL. The Seahawks are surrendering the most FPPG (31.0) to enemy wideouts.

Corey Davis

ESPN Start-Percentage: 22.8

The Titans will be without Jonnu Smith this week. And while I do like Anthony Firkser, all Titans skill position players in fantasy could return a solid floor. While the Browns defense has looked good lately, they had a few games at home that were affected by the weather and limited the offenses. This game is being played in Tennessee. And the Browns will be down Denzel Ward, Ronnie Harrison, and Greedy Williams in the secondary. Derrick Henry will be able to get going, which will allow Ryan Tannehill to pick apart the Browns’ defense.

Davis has returned 10+ PPR points in 8-of-9 games this season. He’s also seen 5+ targets in 7-of-9, 5+ receptions in 5-of-9 and 69+ yards in 6-of-9. While Davis scored three TDs this season, he is amidst a four-game scoring drought.

TE Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 13

Anthony Firkser

ESPN Start-Percentage: 1.8 

With Jonnu Smith sidelined as he is dealing with a knee injury, Anthony Firkser is in line to start at tight end for the Titans. While Firkser does get many opportunities as Smith is one of the best young tight ends in the league, he has popped this season, showcasing a high-ceiling. Back in Week 6 against the Texans, an exploitable matchup, Firkser finished as the overall TE1 with 25.1 PPR points, hauling in 8-of-9 targets for 113 yards and a score. And that was in a game Smith was active for.

Firkser will have a terrific opportunity to go-off against in Sunday’s tilt with the Browns. Cleveland’s defense is surrendering the fifth most FPPG to TEs (10.0). The Browns’ defense has allowed 10+ PPR points to enemy Tes in 7-of-11 games this season. They are also allowing the fourth-most receptions (62) the eighth-most yards and the second-most TDs (8) to the position this season.

Kyle Rudolph

ESPN Start-Percentage: 15.6

Irv Smith Jr. is out this week with a groin injury, which means it will be another opportunity for Kyle Rudolph to operate as the lone reliable pass-catching tight end on the Vikings. Smith also did not play in Week 10 and in Week 12. In those two outings, Rudolph had two of his best games in fantasy. While they were not huge, he is at least receiving the opportunity to thrive.

Back in Week 10, Rudolph caught 4-of-5 targets for 63 yards, finishing as the TE12 with 8.3 PPR points. Yes, he finished as a TE1 that week. He also finished as a Te1 last week too. Last week, Rudolph caught 7-of-8 targets for 63 yards. That line was good for 13.8 PPR points and a TE8 return. In those two games, Rudolph saw five and eight targets respectively, his two largest target-share games of the year.

I am in on Rudolph this week facing the Jaguars, who are allowing the second-most FPPG (10.1) to opposing TEs. The Jags are surrendering a league-high nine TDs to the tight end position. Look for Rudolph to pick up his first score of the year in Week 13.