Fantasy Football Week 13: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
Fantasy managers are entering the final week of byes for the 2020 NFL season, with the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers off in Week 13. This means that, injuries aside, this should be the last week in which managers don't have a full range of options available.
Regardless of which teams are playing, finding sleepers on the waiver wire or deep in daily fantasy sports (DFS) games is critical when searching for value.
Everyone knows that players like Patrick Mahomes, Dalvin Cook and Davante Adams are typically going to deliver, but when a player like Jarvis Landry (8 receptions, 143 yards, 1 TD in Week 12) or Ito Smith (75 scrimmage yards, four catches, 1 TD) makes a surprise appearance on fantasy leaderboards, somebody out there is getting a fantasy steal.
There's a good chance you're looking for just such a value with the fantasy postseason approaching in larger season-long leagues. Here, we'll dive into some potential waiver-wire and sleeper options for Week 13.
All the selections below are available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. All picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Quarterbacks
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins
This pick hinges entirely on the Miami Dolphins naming Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rookie Tua Tagovailoa doesn't offer quite as much value—Fitzpatrick has much better command of the offense at this point—and he could return from his thumb injury.
According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins will decide on a starter on Sunday.
If Fitzpatrick gets the start, though, he should be a tremendous fantasy value. The Bengals have given up the 14th-most points to opposing quarterbacks this season and have surrendered 22 touchdown passes. Given Miami's lackluster rushing attack (30th in yards), the Dolphins could lean more heavily on its quarterback than most teams have against Cincinnati.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns
Is it difficult to trust Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in fantasy? Given Cleveland's desire to lean on the run, it certainly is. However, Mayfield hasn't thrown an interception in the last month and has a juicy matchup with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Tennessee ranks 17th against the run and 28th against the pass, meaning the Browns should look to utilize Mayfield and the passing game a bit more in this matchup. Mayfield's rekindled chemistry with Jarvis Landry could also be a factor in this game.
The Titans have surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. If Mayfield can continue playing efficiently, he should be a solid DFS sleeper in Week 13.
Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers hasn't exactly been a consistent fantasy star in 2020, but he's been serviceable more often than not. He has 583 passing yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions over his last two games and an enticing matchup with the Houston Texans upcoming.
The Texans rank 23rd against the pass and have surrendered the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Potentially bumping Rivers' value is the fact the Texans seem to have finally found a formula on offense. They racked up 41 points against the Detroit Lions in Week 12, and this game could carry legitimate shootout potential.
Running Backs
Joshua Kelley, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
When Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler prepared to return in Week 12, he wasn't sure just how productive he could be.
"I want to say I'm going to go out and kill it, but that's not how it works," Ekeler said, per ESPN's Shelley Smith.
Ekeler did indeed shine—he amassed 11 receptions and 129 scrimmage yards—and his triumphant return clouds the picture for L.A.'s other running backs. However, with Justin Jackson still injured and Kalen Ballage limited in practice, Joshua Kelley could be a sneaky-good play in Week 13.
Kelley had 35 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in Week 12 and will face a New England Patriots defense that has surrendered the 16th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.
Frank Gore, RB, New York Jets
Kelley's presence on this list should be a clear indication that finding a quality running back on the waiver wire isn't easy this late in the season. Playing the matchups can be critical, and New York Jets running back Frank Gore has a tremendous one upcoming.
With La'Mical Perine (ankle) injured, Gore is likely to see the bulk of the backfield work at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. Gore has had at least 15 carries in each of his last two games and finished Week 12 with three receptions and 86 scrimmage yards.
The Raiders have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.
Devontae Booker, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
We've saved (potentially) the best for last, as there's a good chance that Devontae Booker gets the start for the Raiders against New York. Josh Jacobs suffered an ankle injury last week against the Atlanta Falcons and has missed practice leading up to the Jets tilt.
This isn't exactly a spectacular matchup for Booker, as the Jets have surrendered the 17th most fantasy points to opposing backs and rank 11th in rushing yards allowed.
However, when Booker has seen a sizeable workload, he has generally produced. He has had seven or more carries three different times this season and has amassed at least 60 rushing yards in each of those games.
Wide Receivers
Dez Bryant, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Dez Bryant's Week 13 production could hinge on who the Baltimore Ravens are able to get back from the reserve/COVID-19 list before Tuesday. If starting quarterback Lamar Jackson is able to play, Bryant could have a solid outing against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.
While Bryant hasn't been particularly productive since being called up from the Ravens' practice squad—he has four catches for 28 yards—he has had opportunities. He has played over 50 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the past two weeks and has been targeted seven times in that span.
Henry Ruggs III, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
While Bryant's value could depend on who's at quarterback for the Ravens, Henry Ruggs III's value hinges on whether the Raiders are able to get him involved in the offense. Ruggs posted his second-best receiving stat line of the season—three catches for 56 yards—in Week 12 and has a tremendous matchup against the Jets.
New York has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts in 2020.
Ruggs is a boom-or-bust receiver who has busted more often than not this season. However, the potential absence of Jacobs in the backfield and a juicy matchup against the listless Jets could lead to his booming for the second time this year.
Back in Week 5, Ruggs had two receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears
Given the poor play at quarterback for the Chicago Bears, it's been difficult to trust any Bears receiver not named Allen Robinson II. However, rookie Darnell Mooney has shown flashes of greatness and has eight games with at least three receptions on the season.
In a favorable matchup with the Detroit Lions, Mooney could have one of his best games of the year. The Lions rank 26th in passing yards allowed and have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.
With Robinson being the clear-cut top option in Chicago, he should draw plenty of attention from Detroit's secondary. Even if the Lions defense gets the fabled interim-coach boost, Mooney should see his fair share of one-on-one opportunities.
Tight Ends
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Football Team
Finding a starting tight end on the wire this late in the week can be difficult, but Washington Football Team's Logan Thomas is still available in more than half of Yahoo leagues. He has a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers—who have given up the fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends—but Thomas should have a rock-solid workload on tap.
Thomas has been targeted 20 times over his last four games and is coming off a four-catch, one-touchdown outing against Dallas.
Given the matchup, Thomas is best considered a deep sleeper, but for managers seeking high PPR floor, he's likely the best option available.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys
As is the case with Thomas, Dallas' Dalton Schultz is more valuable for his projected role than his matchup—though the Ravens rank a fairly mediocre 15th in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends.
While Schultz hasn't racked up huge yardage numbers, he has been targeted 26 times and has 19 receptions in his last four games.
In terms of a PPR baseline, Schultz should be a solid play against Baltimore, even if he doesn't light up the stat sheet in terms of yardage.
Jordan Reed, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Reed isn't George Kittle, and he's not going to have the same amount of production for the San Francisco 49ers. However, the 49ers have been trying to get him involved in the passing game, and Reed has seven receptions on 12 targets in his last two games.
Reed also has the best matchup of any of these sleeper tight ends, as the Buffalo Bills have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to the position in 2020.
While the PPR floor for Reed isn't high—he has had two or fewer receptions in two of the last three games—there's a lot of upside here. He should be viewed as a boom-or-bust play who could boom against a Bills defense that has struggled to contain tight ends this season.
Fantasy points allowed from FantasyPros. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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