Which under-the-radar players might be able to give your fantasy team a lift? Which chalky players might not be as safe as they seem? Our featured analysts name some potential sleepers and underachievers along with start/sit advice for Week 13.
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Fantasy Football Week 13 Start/Sit Advice
Q. Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros flex rankings is a good sleeper start and why do you think he has upside this week?
D’Ernest Johnson (RB – JAC)
“Finding a sleeper this week is tough with six teams on bye. My sleeper outside of the top 100 flex rankings is D’Ernest Johnson. If you are in a pinch, Johnson could be a viable play. Johnson has seen an increase in snaps and opportunities three weeks in a row. Last week, his season-high of 39% of snaps and eight touches resulted in an RB37 finish. Johnson has totaled 28,38, and 42 receiving yards in the last three weeks. He has earned more opportunities and could be a double-digit scorer in points per reception formats this week.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
Greg Dortch (WR – ARI)
“I really like Greg Dortch this week, especially in full PPR leagues, assuming Michael Wilson remains out. Dortch seems to produce whenever he gets a chance and now has two straight top 36 WR performances. Over the last two weeks, he’s seen 17 targets and caught 9 of them for 103 yards and a score. He seems to have overtaken Rondale Moore in the target pecking order as he has only had four targets over the last two weeks combined. This week, Dortch gets a solid matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have allowed the 13th most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Dortch currently sits as the WR66 in ECR rankings as of this writing, and I expect him to finish much better than that this week.”
– Robert Norton (Last Word On Sports)
“With six teams on a bye in Week 13, Greg Dortch is an appealing option if Michael Wilson misses his third consecutive game. The veteran wide receiver had one reception over the first nine weeks. However, he has nine receptions on 17 targets for 103 receiving yards and one touchdown over the past two games, scoring 10.2 or more half-point PPR fantasy points in both matchups. This week, Dortch faces a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has surrendered the 10th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season. If Wilson doesn’t play on Sunday, Dortch is a startable flex option.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Greg Dortch has emerged as Kyler Murray‘s favorite target the last few weeks! Last week he only mustered 27 yards but was saved by a late touchdown. Luckily for him, targets are the predictor of success for wide receivers, and he has been targeted 8 and 9 times over the last 2 weeks! With those targets, he is bound to turn them into PPR gold as well as turn a few into touchdowns for teams needing wins in the stretch run of the fantasy season.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
“DeVon Achane looks to make his triumphant return to the Dolphins lineup in Week 12. After missing the better part of the last five games, he comes back to a matchup with the Washington Commanders, who currently rank as the 11th-best matchup for running backs and are allowing 20.3 fantasy points per game to the position. Achane is going to come back into the lineup with a boom. Look for him to find his way back into the endzone immediately and total 150 all-purpose yards.”
– Aaron St Denis (The League Winners)
“De’Von Achane sits just outside the top 100 FLEX options at the moment, and if he is cleared, that number should jump significantly. Achane’s upside is as high as anyone while the floor is only existent if he re-injures his knee. Achane was an excellent RB prospect in college and has flashed nothing but brilliance on his limited touches this season. If he is active in Week 13, he should be in lineups. ”
– Kev Mahserejian (RotoBaller)
“If Miami Mike decides to activate De’Von Achane this week, make sure and do the same and get him back in your fantasy lineups. The Commanders are a great matchup for opposing runners, and Achane has shown the ability to make explosive plays and produce even on limited touches. This game has the highest O/U of the week at 50.0 and could have some good back-and-forth. If Achane doesn’t play, don’t hesitate to use Jeff Wilson in his place. Wilson is coming off a 14-touch performance vs the Jets on Black Friday that netted 10.3 PPR fantasy points.”
– Justin Jaksa (Fantasy Follow)
DeVante Parker (WR – NE)
“I am way more in line with the ECR than normal, so I’m going to say Devante Parker, but temper your expectations. You’re basically picking on the matchup here. The Chargers give up the third most points to fantasy WRs, and with Demario Douglas dealing with a head injury, Parker could be the team’s WR1. The Patriots are a mess, especially at QB, but Parker was 3rd on the team in targets, catches, and yards last week. If he moves up the pecking order, the matchup makes him an interesting Flex option.”
– Ryan Weisse (Club Fantasy FFL)
Gerald Everett (TE – LAC)
“The Chargers are down really bad, I know. Yet this week is bye-mageddon, and with the likes of Dalton Kincaid and T.J. Hockenson out, fantasy managers could be struggling to find a solution at the dreaded tight end position. How about Gerald Everett? If this is a matchup where the Chargers do find a way to get right, Everett will have a part to play in that. Everett scored Sunday against the Ravens and will look to repeat that success this week against a Patriots team that is just praying for the year to be over. ”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE)
“The Browns #1 WR, Amari Cooper, and starting QB, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, were injured last week. At the time of this writing, it’s unknown if Coop & DTR will play. If they don’t, Cedric Tillman would move up the WR ladder to be the Browns’ top option for veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco. Former Bengals WR Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, called Tillman a future star. Of course, my readers call me (Mark Ringo) a current idiot, so there you have it, haha!”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Zay Jones (WR – JAC)
“Zay Jones was the 37th overall pick in the 2017 draft and broke out last year with 82 receptions for over 800 yards and five scores. This year, he has battled injuries and, when healthy, has shared the role opposite of Calvin Ridley. However, despite only playing four and a half games, his eight red zone targets are second on the team (Ridley leads with 12). That’s the same amount of red zone targets as both Tank Dell and Jaylen Waddle (8). Last week, he drew a defensive pass interference in the endzone and stepped out of bounds on what would have been a 40-yard completion to ice the game. His floor is low, but he could easily have a multi-touchdown game against an inexperienced Bengals secondary.”
– Ellis Johnson (RotoBaller)
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Q. Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?
Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)
“Breece Hall is currently at #21 in the flex rankings and RB13. Hall has finished inside the top 13 RBs in only three of the last four weeks. His last four finishes in .5 PPR scoring (RB27, RB29, RB13, and RB30. This is a bad offense, and it didn’t look any better with Tim Boyle. There are no scoring opportunities, they can’t sustain drives, and Hall has no room to run. They get Atlanta, who is #2 against fantasy RBs, allowing 14.3 points per game. Hall is more likely to disappoint than others in the top 40 flex rankings.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
A.J. Dillon (RB – GB)
“A.J. Dillon has long been considered one of the better RB handcuffs in fantasy football, thinking he would be a must-start RB if Aaron Jones got hurt. That certainly hasn’t been the case this season when Jones has missed time. Dillon has finished better than RB20 only once this season despite having plenty of opportunities to lead the backfield. This week, he faces a tough Kansas City Chiefs defense, and even though it seems like Jones is likely to miss this week, I wouldn’t feel good about starting Dillon.”
– Robert Norton (Last Word On Sports)
“I could not disagree with the ECR more on A.J. Dillon and I do not understand the optimism. He scored a whopping 11 PPR points in a friendly game script on Thanksgiving. He is only averaging eight fantasy points per game and is the RB34 on the season. Aaron Jones being out does not make Dillon a good play, and a date with the Chiefs will create a much less favorable game script in Week 13.”
– Ryan Weisse (Club Fantasy FFL)
D’Andre Swift (RB – PHI)
“D’Andre Swift is my bust for Week 13. This he goes up against a San Francisco 49ers defence that is ranked as the 5th worst matchup for opposing running backs, allowing only 14.9 fantasy points per game. Swift may be a very talented back, experiencing a resurgent year to save his career, but Week 13 is going to be tough running for him. Add in Jalen Hurts vulturing his touchdowns, and this is a sure-fire formula to a D’Andre Swift bust week.”
– Aaron St Denis (The League Winners)
Joe Mixon (RB – CIN)
“Fantasy players can’t trust Joe Mixon after his poor performance in Week 12. The veteran averaged only two yards per rushing attempt and scored seven half-point PPR fantasy points in the team’s first game without Joe Burrow. Furthermore, his missed tackle forced per rushing attempt and yards after contact per attempt have dropped in three consecutive games (per Fantasy Points Data). More importantly, the Jacksonville Jaguars have held running backs to 52.1 rushing yards per game over their past seven contests, giving up more than 52 yards only twice. They also haven’t surrendered a rushing touchdown to running backs since Week 6.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“What has happened to the Cincinnati Bengals is all quite sad, but with the loss of Joe Burrow, this squad is just not what it was anymore. If I could list both Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Mixon as disappointments, I would, but since I am obligated to discuss just one, it will be Joe Mixon. The Jags have been pretty decent against running backs this year, only allowing two touchdowns total to the position, and that is what I am afraid of here. Mixon couldn’t get anything going last week against the Steelers, and Jake Browning is still here and will still be here until the end of the year. Mixon has to log five catches minimum or score to avoid disaster, and I would rather see it on my bench versus risking my playoff life with him in my lineup.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
“Poor Joe Mixon. He is as dedicated to the Cincinnati Bengals as any player, but the injury to Joe Burrow could ruin a season that could have had more promise. In week 12, he only had 10 touches (and was only saved a bit by 2 receptions for 44 yards). With defenses not fearing the passing game and honing in on the running game, Joe Mixon could have some tough sledding in the upcoming weeks!”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
“Joe Mixon is probably someone fantasy owners are going to have to turn to this week with six teams on bye. It’s a bad matchup for Mixon vs. a Jags defense giving up the second-fewest fantasy points per game to RBs while only allowing 87.4 rushing yards per contest, and just held Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce to a combined 32 rushing yards. This is one of the slowest-paced games of the week, with an unfavorable gamescript (Bengals are 8.5 point underdogs). Mixon is coming off his lowest fantasy output of the season last week, and now in an offense led by QB Jake Browning, this offense could continue to struggle.”
– Justin Jaksa (Fantasy Follow)
Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
“I’m going to play the percentages with this call. And no one can stop a star from being fantasy-relevant quite like Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith. Pat Fitzmaurice was one of the few fantasy wizards able to solve Coach Smith’s riddle (Pat successfully had Bijan scoring twice in his bold prediction call last week). In addition, the Jets defense is too tough for Mark Ringo to pick against. Instead, Ringo will take a grilled chicken sandwich, hold the Bijan mustard, along with a side of lame jokes to go, please, haha!”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Kyren Williams (RB – LAR)
“While Kyren Williams’ breakout season is not a fluke, last week’s two-touchdown, 204-yard performance is a fugazi. The Cardinals’ defense is one of the league’s worst (see: Royce Freeman rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown simultaneously), and this week, the Rams are tasked with facing the Browns’ number one ranked defense against both the pass and run. Even if Cleveland’s star EDGE Myles Garrett is limited, the Rams will struggle to create lanes for Kyren Williams to find much success.”
– Kev Mahserejian (RotoBaller)
Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS)
“Brian Robinson Jr. has been a rollercoaster this season. With two games as THE RB1 on the week and two games outside of the top 30 RBs, it’s hard to know what you are going to get. Thankfully, the two indicators are usually Antonio Gibson‘s health and strength of matchup. Without Gibson, Robinson has padded his stats in the receiving game, and in poor matchups, he typically sees 50% of snaps or fewer. This week, Gibson is healthy, and he faces a Dolphins team that has held Breece Hall and Josh Jacobs under 40 rushing yards in consecutive weeks. Currently sitting as the ECR RB16, I have a suspicion we’re walking into one of his RB30 weeks.”
– Ellis Johnson (RotoBaller)
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