Fantasy Football Outlook: Rashee Rice, Javonte Williams, Diontae Johnson, Alvin Kamara

Every week we’ll bring you The Primer, a deep dive into every fantasy-relevant player from every NFL game of the week. You can find the full weekly Primer here. Below we dive into a few notable players ahead of this weekend’s games.

Fantasy Football Outlook

Alvin Kamara: After a brief dip in snap share, Kamara has returned to playing 64-76% of the snaps over the last two weeks while averaging 17.5 touches and 97 total yards. His tackle-breaking remains a problem. Since Week 7, among 35 qualifying backs, he ranks 33rd in missed tackles forced per attempt and yards after contact per attempt. Kamara will have to rely on volume again this week as his ally against a tough matchup. Since Week 7, the Lions have contained backs with the seventh-lowest missed tackles per attempt, the second-lowest yards after contact per attempt, and the tenth-lowest yards per carry to gap runs (since Week 7, Kamara 55.2% gap). Week 13 Positional Value: Volume-based RB2

Diontae Johnson: In the six games since his return from injury, Johnson has three games as a WR2 or higher in weekly scoring (WR23, WR20, WR6). Since Week 7, he has had a 26.9% target share, a 45.4% air-yard share, 1.84 YPRR, and a 31.6% first-read share. Since Week 8, Arizona has had the second-highest rate of two high (63.9%). Since Week 7, against two high, Johnson has a 25.6% target share, a 42.3% air-yard share, 1.74 YPRR, and a 30.8% first read share. Johnson should smash this week. The Cardinals have allowed the third-highest PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers this season. Week 13 Positional Value: WR2

Javonte Williams: Since Week 7, Williams has averaged 21.4 touches and 85.6 total yards as the RB18 in fantasy points per game. Williams has played anywhere from 49% of the snaps to 70% of the snaps (last week) weekly. Among 55 qualifying backs, Williams is sixth in explosive run rate and 18th in yards after contact per attempt. Williams will run into brick walls all day against a Houston run defense that since Week 7 has allowed the 12th-lowest explosive run rate and the fifth-lowest yards after contact per attempt while also flaunting the highest stuff rate. Williams is a volume-driven RB2. Week 13 Positional Value: RB2

Rashee Rice: Last week, Rice had a 63.2% route run rate, a 29.4% target share, a 29.4% air-yard share, 4.46 YPRR, and a 31.8% first-read share. The rookie genie is out of the bottle. After Rice’s eight receptions and 107 receiving yard explosion last week, I don’t see the team cutting his snaps again. Rice also graduated into an outside receiver role, running 66.7% of his routes on the perimeter last week. Rice is 16th among wide receivers in red zone targets this season. Since Week 7, Green Bay has allowed the 11th-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. Week 13 Positional Value: WR2