The fantasy football regular season is coming to an end, and with many people fighting for seedings in both the winners and losers’ brackets of their respective leagues, there are many storylines to take note of from the week 13 games in the NFL season. From breakout performances to season ending injuries, week 13 had it all and it will greatly impact the rest of the fantasy football season.
Week 13 started with three games on Thanksgiving day. The Bears and Lions got the show started and even though the Bears ended up losing in dramatic fashion, Caleb Williams and DJ Moore overcame quiet first halves and were able to put up really good fantasy days. In the second game of the day between the Cowboys and the Giants, Rico Dowdle shined, giving owners 120+ scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Then to finish the Thanksgiving games, Jordan Love and Jayden Reed connected for two scores in the cold temperatures at Lambeau Field to win 30-17 over the Dolphins and overcome Tua Tagovailoa’s good day. Managers had very little time to think about these games, however, because the next day featured a Black Friday divisional matchup between the Raiders and the Chiefs.
The Chiefs got off to a fast start in this one but Aidan O’Connell and Brock Bowers slowly climbed the Raiders back in, only to tragically lose 19-17 after they fumbled the ball in field goal range to end the game. Bowers went off, scoring 30 fantasy points and clearly establishing himself as the number one tight end in fantasy football. Bowers owners have to be happy with the massive advantage they have in the tight end spot compared to their opponents.
Sunday of week 13 got started with seven games kicking off in the 1pm EST window. To recap, Nico Collins recorded 8 catches for 119 receiving yards in the Texans win over the Jaguars, giving managers confidence that he will be a WR1 down the stretch. Anthony Richardson had a 3 touchdown day including a game-winning drive to win by 1 over the Patriots, potentially giving managers a decent QB option with his rushing upside. Rookie Ladd McConkey had a career day for the Chargers, posting 9 catches for 117 yards while Kirk Cousins on the other side, threw 4 picks for the Falcons. The Seahawks defense helped overcome an early deficit to the Jets, with Leonard Williams returning an interception to the endzone for a pick six. The Commanders high powered offense scored 6 touchdowns against the Titans, showing fantasy managers that any part of the Washington offense is relevant for their teams. The Steelers and Bengals combined for 82 points as touchdowns were everywhere. If fantasy managers had any player in this game, chances are they were happy. Lastly, in the Cardinals vs Vikings game, Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. both had good days for Arizona, but Sam Darnold shined when it mattered most, helping the Vikings come back to win.
In the 4pm window, Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua played big roles in the Rams win over the Saints. In the Buccaneers vs Panthers game that went to overtime, Bucky Irving and Mike Evans both had over 100 yards and a touchdown. Then, in the game of the week between the Eagles and Ravens, MVP contender Saquon Barkley continued his hot streak with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown. Sunday wrapped up with the Bills dominating the 49ers on Sunday Night Football, as Josh Allen’s big day included a passing touchdown and receiving touchdown on the same play. Week 13 came to a close with a Monday Night thriller, as the Broncos were able to overcome Jameis Winston’s 497 passing yards and 4 touchdowns and Jerry Jeudy’s 235 receiving yards to win 41-32.
A big story from week 13, however, was the injuries. Although not as important as the players’ health, these injuries do impact fantasy football in a big way. Christian McCaffrey went down with a likely season ending knee injury, and his backup Jordan Mason suffered a high ankle sprain, leaving fantasy managers everywhere in the mud. Managers will be scrambling to try and grab third string Isaac Guerendo off the waiver wire this week. Additionally, with the NFL season being 13 weeks done, players are wearing down and playing through nagging injuries. Ladd McConkey and Bucky Irving are two examples of guys carrying injuries that may affect their fantasy performances. The fantasy regular season is coming to an end, and with playoffs right around the corner and punishments being handed out to the league loser soon, it is getting intense and managers need to be on their toes for whatever happens in the coming weeks.
