Fantasy Football: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jimmy Graham In Week 13 Studs, Duds
With 13 NFL weekends nearly in the books, one thing has become clear: There are the haves, and there are the have-nots.
Why are we pointing out this obvious fact? Because when the haves play the have-nots, the result often is a blowout. Which means lots of fantasy points for you.
No more was this on display than in Week 13, as two of the NFL’s worst teams — the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans — provided their opponents with fantasy gifts fit for a king.
In his return to the starting quarterback role, Ryan Fitzpatrick (!) threw all over Tennessee’s defense and fed a healthy diet to DeAndre Hopkins in a blowout win over the Titans. In St. Louis, meanwhile, Rams running back Tre Mason had a field day against the woeful Raiders, while Oakland’s anemic offense helped the Rams’ defense rack up some whopping fantasy numbers.
Not every player reaps the benefits in these types of games, as the underachieving Trent Richardson couldn’t get his act together in the Indianapolis Colts’ 49-point offensive explosion against the Washington Redskins.
But for the most part, Week 13 showed that the NFL’s worst teams are gifts that keep on giving.
STUDS
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Quarterback, Houston Texans: The NFL’s top fantasy performer in Week 13? Ryan Fitzpatrick, of course. Apparently the Harvard grad didn’t like being benched, as he torched the Titans for 358 passing yards and six touchdowns. Smart man.
Tre Mason, Running Back, St. Louis Rams: Mason had a golden opportunity for big numbers Sunday, and he made the most of it. The rookie ripped off an 89-yard touchdown run and finished the day with 117 rushing yards and two scores on just 14 carries.
DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver, Texans: Some had to benefit from Fitzpatrick’s monster day. Hopkins was the QB’s top target, hauling in nine catches for a career-high 238 yards and two touchdowns. Hope you started him.
Coby Fleener, Tight End, Indianapolis Colts: Fleener’s fantasy owners are enjoying the absence of Dwayne Allen. The tight end hauled in two long touchdown catches and could have had a third if it wasn’t for a dropped pass.
St. Louis Rams defense: It’s hard to get a defense on this list, but the Rams might have won a few fantasy matchups by putting up an absurd 32 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues, the highest total of any defense this season.
DUDS
Josh McCown, Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: McCown has been a valuable addition for fantasy owners short on QBs, but he didn’t deliver the goods Sunday, mustering just 190 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception in a loss to the Bengals.
Andre Ellington, Running Back, Arizona Cardinals: Ellington’s awesome matchup against the Falcons was wasted in the second quarter after he left the game with a hip injury and didn’t return. Keep a close eye on his status next week.
Trent Richardson, Running Back, Colts: Richardson just isn’t an effective NFL back these days. He managed just 12 yards on eight carries, while Dan Herron rushed for 88 yards and a score on the same number of touches. Advantage: Herron.
Sammy Watkins, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills: Watkins had been a fantasy disappointment for three straight weeks. After totaling just 11 receiving yards on just three catches against the Browns, make that four.
Jimmy Graham, Tight End, New Orleans Saints: A week after snagging two touchdown catches, Graham wasn’t even targeted once against the Steelers. Pittsburgh clearly game-planned around eliminating the athletic tight end, and it worked.
Have a fantasy/NFL question for Darren? Send it to him via Twitter at @darren_hartwell
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
