The Dirty Dozen, Week 13 Newsletter
2024 Fantasy Football Season
Weekly Observations
I know Jameis Winston (40.98 points) may throw multiple interceptions in a game and somehow those interceptions seem to always be returned for a touchdown, but he is fun to watch play. In a losing effort, Winston threw for 497 yards and 4 touchdowns but had 3 interceptions with 2 of those returned for touchdowns. I know the Browns will not keep Jameis next year because they have the Deshaun Watson contract hanging over their heads, but I can’t help thinking how much more fun the Browns are to watch in standalone games when Jameis is behind center instead of Watson.
My 3 takeaway from Week 13:
I do not know what to make out of the Tennessee Titans receiving corps between Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (19.6 points) and Calvin Ridley (5.5 points). Westbrook-Ikhine finishes the week as WR8 with his 3rd straight double digit fantasy point output and his 5 out of 6 games with double-digit fantasy points. Westbrook-Ikhine is the definition of boom or bust as he has only had more than 3 receptions once this season and is buoyed by deep touchdowns in those 5 games with double digit fantasy points, hauling in 6 touchdowns over the past 6 weeks. Ridley is the de facto WR1 in Tennessee after the DeAndre Hopkins (11.0 points) trade to Kansas City, but even his production is shaky only having 3 double digit fantasy point games since the Hopkins trade and only one game with more than 5 receptions.
Bryce Young (25.62 points) may be playing himself into the starting role in Carolina again for 2025. Young was QB8 in Week 13 throwing for nearly 300 yards with a touchdown and added another touchdown through the ground. Young put up his second highest fantasy point total of his career in Week 13, with only his Week 16 performance in 2023 of 26.18 fantasy points being higher. On top of this, Young put up his 5th consecutive double digit fantasy point outing, this first time in his career. While he’s only averaging 17.5 fantasy points over that stretch, this average is better than his point total for the rest of the year combined.
Kickers are usually an afterthought in fantasy football, unless you have a guy that can make every kick no matter the situation. Kind of like pre-2023 Justin Tucker (7.0 points). However, 2024 Justin Tucker has been disappointing in fantasy and even more so in real football. Tucker has missed 8 field goals through Week 13, which is already the most field goals he’s missed during a season in his career and there are still 5 more weeks to go in this season. In a matchup against the Eagles that was within one-score most of the game, the 7 points (2 missed FGs and 1 missed XP) that Tucker failed to put on the board loomed large as the Ravens lost.
Best & Worst
Looking at the players that scored the most points above their projection by position in Week 13:
QB Jameis Winston, Noami Lana: 40.98 points; 25.88 points above projection
RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., Waivers: 15.4 points; 13.9 points above projection
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama Replacements: 36.0 points; 25.8 points above projection
TE Brock Bowers, My Chubb Makes U Waddle: 20.6 points; 16.9 points above projection
The disappointments of the week, guys who missed their projection by position the most in Week 13:
QB Brock Purdy, You Got a Purdy Mouth: 2.16 points; 19.94 points below projection
RB Chuba Hubbard, Forsaken Ones: 2.3 points; 14.1 points below projection
WR Cooper Kupp, Hose Alt: 3.2 points; 10.7 points below projection
TE George Kittle, My Chubb Makes U Waddle: 1.2 points; 10.2 points below projection
Injuries
Some big name injuries this week with the headliner being CMC who once again finds himself on injured reserve:
QB Trevor Lawrence - Took a scary hit on Sunday and left the game with a concussion in his first week back after missing two with a different injury. The Jaguars have not determined if Lawrence will play again this season and if not Mac Jones (24.0 points) will likely be the starter the rest of the season for the Jags.
RB Christian McCaffrey - Is expected to be placed on injured reserve for the second time this year after suffering a knee injury on Sunday. McCaffrey is expected to be out at least 6 weeks, which would mean his season is over unless the 49ers make a playoff run.
RB Jordan Mason - The man expected to take over in CMCs absence is also expected to be put on injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain on Sunday and will likely be out until Week 18. Next up on the depth chart for the 49ers is Isaac Guerendo (0.0 points).
WR Ladd McConkey - Left the game on Sunday with a knee injury, but right now it’s unclear if this is a day-to-day or week-to-week injury.
WR Rashod Bateman - Was unable to return to the game on Sunday after limping off the field in the 3rd quarter. The Ravens do not believe the injury to be a long-term one.
TE Taysom Hill - Was diagnosed with a season-ending ACL tear on Monday as well as damage to his knee.
Week 13 Power Rankings
After 7 weeks of Hose being on top of the power rankings, CB takes over the top spot after beating Hose and narrowing the division lead. The biggest mover of the week was Heaf after he put up his most points of the season to gain his second win.
Week 13 Highlights
The Thanksgiving games were full of memes between the Bears inexcusably not using their final timeout, the entire Cowboys and Giants, and the Dolphins freezing up in the cold once again:
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Week 14 Preview
Matchup of the Week
Only two weeks left before the fantasy playoffs starts and in Week 14 Tick and Noz have a battle that will help determine who gets the last two open playoff spots. With a win Noz stays right in the playoff hunt, but a loss could make the playoff teams be locked in before the last week of the fantasy season.
