Here we are folks, Week 13. This is where the men are separated from the boys. Those who will be competing for the Shiva, or whatever your league prize is, and those who will be sadly finding a new hobby on Sundays. You could be playing for a bye week or your playoff life, or perhaps not sweating at all because everything is wrapped up already. Or perhaps all three, as I am this week in different leagues. Either way, you want to end the regular season strong and enter the playoffs on a high note.
Oh, and before I get into my weekly writeup, I have a cautionary tale for those thinking about throwing a game to get better seeding: don’t do it. There was a season in a fantasy baseball league of mine where each playoff spot had been clinched, but the final week would determine seeding. I looked ahead at the playoff week lineups, and realized one potential opponent had significantly more two-start pitchers, so I left a lot of valuable points on the bench in that last week to get a lower seed and face what I thought was a better matchup. Turns out that rotations got moved around and the opponent I thought would be easier ended up being the high scorer that week and crushing me. The team I avoided? They were the low scorer. Fantasy is a fickle beast and you don’t want the fantasy gods to smite you. Do not throw a game on purpose!
Enough with the baseball onto the football writeup! (But if you lose this week and are bounced Fantrax has great fantasy baseball articles out!)
- First, it wouldn’t be late season fantasy football without a ton of injuries making everything murky. As we get more news this week these rankings will be updated. With so many big names sitting out of practice to start the week, there is sure to be plenty of news that will impact these.
- Andy Dalton was placed on IR this week with a thumb injury, which means Jeff Driskel is thrust into the starting spot. In limited time this season his top target was CJ Uzomah with 10. Next up was Auden Tate with seven, and Tyler Boyd and John Ross with five a piece. With A.J. Green likely returning this week expect him to take over as the top target, with Body and Uzomah seeing five-plus targets a week. I am interested on keeping an eye on Driskel’s tendencies and if there is a connection with Tate.
- Cody Kessler is taking over for Blake Bortles, who is not hurt, just not very good. In limited action this season his top target is Donte Moncrief with six. DJ Chark and Yeldon each have five, and Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook have one. I don’t expect much to change for the Jags receivers. I think Moncrief and Westbrook are the best options and are WR4’s, while Cole is a boom-or-bust WR5.
- Leonard Fournette is suspended for not wanting any smoke with Shaq Lawson. I think we will see Carlos Hyde handle early down duties and goal-line work. I think Yeldon will be mixed in on early downs and on all passing scenarios. Yeldon is my prefered play in PPR, and it is worth noting that he caught Kessler’s only TD pass this season. However, because I like Hyde’s chances of scoring more, I will go with him in standard.
- Eric Ebron is easily a Top 5 tight end the rest of the season. Ebron has already proven to be the Colts go-to option, with his 11 receiving touchdowns– the same amount he had in four seasons with the Lions. But with Doyle out he can go back to being productive outside of the red zone. In games with Doyle, Ebron averaged 18.5 routes per game, 3.7 targets, 3 receptions and 38 yards. In games without Doyle, Ebron has averaged 36 routers, 10 targets, 5.2 catches and 56 yards. Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz are the tight ends I would use over Ebron. That’s it.
- Austin Ekeler is a rock-solid RB2 this week. But he was likely already owned. But Justin Jackson is a solid streaming option this week. He had seven carries to Ekeler’s five last week. I think he will be mixed in to help keep Ekeler fresh. Jackson provides a nice streaming option off the waiver wire.
As always make sure to listen to Wide Right Fantasy Football with myself and Matt Modica! You can follow me on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio.
Also check out our Week 13 Sleepers: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends
Ready to amp up your Fantasy Football game even more? Check out The Fantasy Black Book Show, where Joe Pisapia, Scott Bogman, and The Welsh bring the goods every week.
Fantrax is one of the fastest growing fantasy sites of 2018. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.