Christmas tree up and decorated? Check.
Lawn ornaments and window lights up? Check.
Black Friday shopping done while still digesting Thanksgiving leftovers? Check.
Ah, the holidays are here.
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Nothing screams “getting ready for the fantasy football playoffs” louder than sitting down to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie for the hundredth time while curled up in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate. With each passing year, I relate to Clark Griswold more, from decoration antics to family hijinks, stressful situations and crunch time combined into one egg nog-laden blitz.
Despite how hectic things can be at this time of year, I hope you can have a few moments of peace amidst the insanity. We all deserve a little break once in a while.
Several players helped catapult their managers into the playoffs this past weekend, while others were about as helpful as Aunt Bethany’s wrapped cat. Hopefully, you were on the right side of the equation.
Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 13
Quarterback
STUD: Josh Allen (QB – BUF)
Josh Allen‘s week began with getting engaged to actress Hailee Steinfeld, and he capped it off with a 35-10 blowout victory over San Francisco. Not too shabby. In poor conditions because of lake-effect snow, Allen pulled off a rare fantasy trifecta — scoring a passing, receiving and rushing for a touchdown all in the same game.
Inclement conditions limited Allen’s usually gaudy passing totals, but his overall performance hurled him to the top of the week’s chart. Currently, the QB3 on the season, he is averaging over 20 points per game. Allen’s string of fantastic play has led Buffalo to a 10-2 record, and the Bills have already clinched the AFC East. Allen has made a concentrated effort to cut down on turnovers this season and has just six on the year (compared to 23 in 2023). Buffalo squares off against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 before a potential Super Bowl preview in Week 15 against Detroit.
Following a strong outing against the New York Giants in Week 12, Baker Mayfield struggled mightily on the road versus Carolina. The formerly hapless Panthers have seen a resurgence lately due to improved play under center by Bryce Young and were poised to come away with an upset victory until Chase McLaughlin kicked a 51-yard field goal with the clock expiring. Tampa Bay ultimately finished victorious after recovering a costly Chuba Hubbard fumble and improved to 6-6 on the season.
Mayfield’s final numbers were pedestrian, at best, throwing for 235 yards on 21 completions, with just one touchdown pass and two interceptions. After the game, he admitted he played poorly and praised running back Bucky Irving for keeping Tampa Bay close. Mayfield hasn’t thrown multiple touchdowns in a game since Week 9. Even more concerning for his managers is that he was spotted in a walking boot on his right foot following the game after taking a cleat to his Achilles. The Buccaneers have another cakewalk matchup in Week 14 against Las Vegas. The hope is he will be healthy enough to play.
Running Back
STUD: Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
The transition in Tampa Bay’s backfield from Rachaad White to Bucky Irving is now complete after Irving out-touched White on Sunday 28 to 12. By far the more explosive and physical runner of the two, Irving has been sensational since the team started to integrate him more around Week 10. During that stretch, he has averaged nearly 6.5 yards per carry (YPC) and has been utilized as an effective check-down outlet in the passing game.
Capable of running inside and outside the tackles, Irving’s explosiveness and violet style are reminiscent of Isiah Pacheco. Tampa Bay would serve themselves well by continuing to lean heavily on their running game, even after the return of wide receiver Mike Evans. Tampa Bay squares off against a woefully inept Las Vegas Raiders squad in Week 14, a defense that ranks in the bottom five for most fantasy points allowed per week and surrendering nearly 115 rushing yards per contest. Irving should continue to be ranked as a low-end RB1 for the remainder of the season.
A negative game script and the continued ascendance of rookie Jonathon Brooks led to Chuba Hubbard finishing with just 12 touches on Sunday. He failed to record a reception for the first time since Week 7, and his rushing totals were the lowest mark since Week 1 against New Orleans. Bottled up on most of his carries during regulation, Hubbard’s costly late fumble in overtime sealed Carolina’s fate and promptly handed Tampa Bay a short field to work with en route to a victory.
Improved play under center from Bryce Young has created less of a reliance upon the running game for the Panthers. You have to imagine they will be playing from behind and throwing often next week against Philadelphia on the road. Hubbard’s 2024 totals (919 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 31 receptions 126 receiving yards, one receiving score) have him on pace for the best finish in his career. However, with Carolina constantly trailing and second-round rookie Brooks looming large, one has to wonder how many more touches per game the team is willing to hand him.
Wide Receiver
STUD: Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS)
Mike Evans narrowly edged Terry McLaurin in total points this week, but I wanted to pivot away from that game for a moment to focus elsewhere. The unquestioned top dog in the Commanders’ receiving core, McLaurin finished Sunday with eight receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns, continually torching any defensive coverage Tennessee threw his way.
McLaurin’s rapport with Jayden Daniels is evident for anyone who watches Washington games, and the coaching staff has committed to continually featuring him whenever possible down the field, with veteran tight end Zach Ertz working shorter routes to move the chains. McLaurin has already set a new career-high in touchdown receptions (nine) with four games left in the season. He will look to continue his four-year streak of surpassing 1,000 yards. Consistency, reliability and an unchallenged role as the alpha option in this offense make McLaurin a “set-it-and-forget-it” WR1.
CeeDee Lamb was in contention for this nomination in Week 13, but I pardoned him due to missing most of the second half with a lingering shoulder injury. Coming off three stellar games in a row, Cooper Kupp was projected as a top-10 option at the wideout position this past week but finished with his worst totals of the season — just three receptions for 17 yards on six targets.
Continually bottled up and shut down by the New Orleans secondary, these totals were unexpected, given the Saints’ prior struggles covering top-tier receivers this year. Before this contest, Kupp had averaged double-digit targets dating back to Week 9 against Seattle, so we’d ultimately consider this an oddity and a blip on the radar, more than something more significant and concerning. The Rams square off against Buffalo in a do-or-die game at home to keep their playoff dreams alive. We expect a rebound effort from the veteran.
Tight End
STUD: Brock Bowers (TE – LV)
Talk about a Black Friday bonanza. In a game where Las Vegas needed to abandon the running game early to stay in contention, Brock Bowers finished with a team-high 14 targets, catching 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. An all-around powerhouse capable of breaking a game open offensively while still being an above-average blocker, Bowers is now just two receptions shy of the rookie tight end record, currently held by Sam LaPorta (86) —credit to ESPN’s Eric Moody for pointing that one out.
The Raiders’ propensity to fall behind early and play the entire second half in catch-up mode has done wonders for his production. The rookie out of Georgia is currently the top point scorer at the position with just a few weeks left. In dynasty and keeper leagues, he is a valuable commodity that will see a further bump in value once Las Vegas drafts an actual quarterback in April of 2025. The sky is the limit for Bowers.
It is difficult to get too upset about George Kittle’s poor finish in Week 13 given the weather conditions in Buffalo, but he indeed fell flat on his face in a matchup where San Francisco should have looked his way more frequently. Down from the outset, the 49ers failed to match Buffalo’s intensity in the driving snow and struggled to get anything going absent their All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.
Brock Purdy appeared lost and unable to string a drive together, and San Francisco ultimately fell 35-10 in a must-win game on the road. With running back Christian McCaffrey looking at an extended absence due to a PCL injury and Deebo Samuel an afterthought, one has to imagine brighter days are ahead for Kittle playing on a team that will need to win out to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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