Dominate your fantasy football leagues in Week 13 with these keys to victory.
Best RB Spot of the Week: Bucky Irving vs. CAR
It’s the second week in a row that Irving has claimed the crown for the top spot of the week. Last week he faced the Giants allowing the most rushing yards per game. New York also ranks in the top five in explosive plays allowed to running backs. Irving made the most of this matchup, converting 18 touches into 151 yards and a touchdown. He was also tackled twice at the 1-yard line and saw Sean Tucker screech both subsequent goal-line carriers.
Irving now enters an even better matchup. He’s up against the Panthers who are allowing the most rushing yards per game and the second-most rushing touchdowns this season. The Bucs rookie is emerging at the right time and was a clear focal point of their offense during the bye week.
Irving and the Bucs come into this game as six-point favorites. Expect even more turnovers if the Bucs can play with a lead, just like we saw against the Giants in Week 12.
Sketchy RB Spot of the Week: James Conner vs. MIN
Conner is coming off one of his worst games of the season. In Week 12, Conner turned seven carries into just eight rushing yards. He was able to save the day by catching five passes for 41 yards. It was a bummer, but overall Conner has been great this season. He is averaging 5.2 yards per touch and ranks first in broken tackles this year according to Player Profiler. He’s seen a strong role, averaging more than 18 opportunities per game, and Conner ranks eighth in the red zone this season. Those are the cheat code accents that lead to great fantasy days.
Conner profiles as a league-winning running back due to his strong fantasy playoff schedule. But that strong schedule doesn’t include this week’s sketchy spot. According to PFF, Conner will face the Vikings’ No. 1-ranked defense. Minnesota is allowing the fewest rushing yards per game and the second-fewest rushing touchdowns this year. It’s hard to pass up Conner because of his strong role, but if you have better options, consider them.
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Must-start of the week: Brian Thomas Jr. vs. LOVE
Thomas returns from his bye week to face the Texans. Houston is fresh off a game in which Will Levis was able to complete 75% of his passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. In this game, the Titans had four different pass catchers totaling at least 11 fantasy points. Calvin Ridley led the way with five catches for 93 yards. This is a solid spot for Thomas as he returns from his bye.
The last time we saw Thomas, he totaled 82 yards on five catches against the Lions in Week 11. This was his best matchup with Mac Jones at QB and it was encouraging to see Thomas being used more in the short to intermediate areas of the field. . This type of usage is a better fit for Jones, who is not known to consistently make downfield throws.
There’s a chance we get Trevor Lawrence back this week; that would certainly make Thomas a must-start. But if Lawrence can’t go, I’ve seen enough in Week 11 to feel confident starting Thomas against the Texans, especially as the Jaguars end their bye week with an extra week to prepare for this game. Jaguars WR Gabe Davis also suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 11, which could put Thomas in line for some additional targets.
Sleeper of the Week: Elijah Moore vs. DEN
Moore could be a sneaky pick this week if you’re struggling to find a solid FLEX option. The last time we saw Moore was on Thursday Night Football in Week 12 – the crazy weather game against Pittsburgh. Given the circumstances, it was difficult for both passing games to find success, and this affected Moore’s fantasy day as he converted five targets into just three catches for 21 yards.
It was definitely not a good day, but the context of the bad weather allows us to look past this poor performance. Before this match, Moore averaged 9.7 goals per game with Jameis Winston under centre. This is a great usage, and it could get even better in Week 13 as WR Cedric Tillman is in the concussion protocol. If Tillman is out or limited, we could see Jerry Jeudy playing more on the outside for the Browns in Week 13.
This is important because the Browns face the Broncos this week. If Jeudy had to play more on the outside, he would likely line up against standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II. This could put Moore in an advantageous position working outside the closing stages against Denver. Moore is currently available in over 80% of Yahoo leagues and he’s worth picking up if you’re desperate at FLEX this week.
The fantasy playoffs are just a few weeks away and now is the perfect time to start preparing. One way to find success is to stockpile quality running backs. These are guys with good offenses who would likely take over a lot of the offense in their team’s backfield if the starter in front of them went down.
One of the top running back stocks right now is Trey Benson (24% on the list).
Benson is the Cardinals’ third-round rookie out of Florida State. He is best known for his elite combination of size, strength and speed. In 2022, Benson broke the college football broken tackle record previously held by guys like David Montgomery and Kenneth Walker III. This success with broken tackles has continued in the NFL, where Benson ranks in the top 12 of all backs with a 26% broken tackle rate. He has only earned 58 touches this season, but he has looked good in this limited amount, averaging five yards per touch. If James Conner were to miss time, Benson would likely take over Conner’s role in Arizona’s offense. Conner is 29 years old and has missed an average of four games per season in his NFL career.
What makes Benson an even better stock is the Cardinals’ fantasy playoff schedule. Arizona will face the Patriots, Panthers and Rams in the fantasy postseason. The Patriots rank 25th in run defense according to PFF, the Panthers are currently allowing the most rushing yards per game and the Rams gave up 124 yards and a touchdown to James Conner as early as Week 2 this season.
Benson is a priority stock as the fantasy playoffs approach.
