Every Monday of the NFL regular season we look at breakout performances from the weekend and analyze their potential for sustained success. We will rank these performances from 1-5 based on whether we believe they are momentary or long-term options for your fantasy teams.
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Fantasy Football Heat Index
Quarterback
Stats: 29-of-38, 414 passing yards, three passing touchdowns
Position Rank (pre-MNF): QB3 (26.86 points)
Analysis: We got a vintage Russell Wilson performance in Pittsburgh’s 44-38 shootout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13. The Steelers’ quarterback finished with 414 yards and three touchdowns against Cincinnati’s pathetic pass defense on Sunday. He scored a season-high 26.86 fantasy points and is the current QB3 on the week.
Pittsburgh’s offense has been more productive since Wilson replaced Justin Fields in the starting lineup, but it’s led to inconsistent results on the fantasy gridiron. Wilson has finished as the QB9 or better in three of his six starts this season, while he has been QB19 or worse in the other three games.
Sunday’s performance was one for the ages, though. Wilson’s 414 passing yards marked his highest single-game total since Week 8 of the 2017 season and he had three passing touchdowns for only the second time all season.
Wilson was sensational against Cincinnati but his finishing stretch of Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City looks daunting for fantasy start sit purposes.
Heat Index: 2
Running Back
Stats: 22 rushing attempts, 112 rushing yards, one rush touchdown, three receptions, 11 receiving yards
Position Rank (pre-MNF): RB5 (19.8 points)
Analysis: With roster-clogger Ezekiel Elliott finally relegated to mop-up duty, Rico Dowdle has been given the keys to the Dallas Cowboys backfield. On Thanksgiving Day, Dowdle responded with his best fantasy output of the season.
Along with a career-best 19.8 fantasy points, Dowdle set career highs in attempts (22) and rushing yards (112) against the Giants’ porous rush defense. He scored his first rushing touchdown of the season and is the current RB5 on the week.
Looking ahead, Dowdle will remain a volatile fantasy start sit Flex option in upcoming matchups against Cincinnati, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. The Cooper Rush-led offense in Dallas limits his touchdown upside, but Dowdle’s volume is growing by the week.
Heat Index: 3
Wide Receiver
Stats: Nine receptions, 117 receiving yards
Position Rank (pre-MNF): WR12 (16.2 points)
Analysis: Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey is approaching must-start territory in all fantasy football formats. The rookie wide receiver has become quarterback Justin Herbert‘s favorite target over the past month, resulting in WR18, WR22 and WR12 finishes over the past three weeks.
In Week 13, McConkey was virtually unguardable. He finished with 117 receiving yards on a season-high nine receptions against Atlanta’s secondary. He scored 16.2 points in half-PPR scoring formats and is the WR12 heading into Monday Night Football.
The day concluded on a somewhat negative note as McConkey dealt with a knee issue late in Sunday’s game. Early indications suggest it’s nothing too serious, but keep an eye on it over the next few days. If McConkey avoided major damage, he could be a fantasy league winner over the stretch run.
Heat Index: 4
Tight End
Stats: Five receptions, 61 receiving yards, one touchdown
Position Rank (pre-MNF): TE6 (14.6 points)
Analysis: Thirteen weeks into the NFL season, Texans tight end Dalton Schultz finally scored double-digit fantasy points. All it took was his first touchdown of the season and a matchup against one of the worst defenses in football.
Facing a Jacksonville defense giving up the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, Schultz matched his season-high in targets and receptions. He scored 14.6 fantasy points and is the current TE6 on the week.
Before adding Schultz to your lineups, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Schultz nearly doubled his previous season-high (8.1 points) on Sunday and needed the perfect storm of matchup and increased usage to reach starter-level production.
With upcoming matchups against Miami, Kansas City and Baltimore after Houston’s bye week, Schultz is likelier to fall back into irrelevancy than continue this trend through the fantasy playoffs.
Heat Index: 1
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