Were back at it, with the Week 13 edition of the Model 284 Friday Fantasy Preview. If you are looking for a blend of numbers and subjectivity to help guide your lineup, then this is the right place for you.
Player Notes From Week 13
Josh Gordon: HE HAS RETURNED! THE PEOPLES CHAMPION IS BACK! At long last Josh Gordon has finally returned from suspension. He isn’t a trustworthy start this week, but get this man on your roster because if he is half the player he was before the suspension, he will light the league up again.
Week 13 Studs
Vikings RBs: After a slow start, Latavius Murray has been looking like the guy the Vikings expected him to be when they brought him in this offseason. He has scored in his last 3 games, and has had at least 15 touches in every game since Week 6. Unless you’re extremely rich at the RB position, Murray should be starting for you. On the other hand, Jerick McKinnon has had a tough few weeks with only one game of 10+ PPR points in his last 3. Even with his struggles, Jet still has a sizable role in the offense, and the Falcons have been more susceptible to pass catching backs this year. His usage in the passing game keeps him as a good flex option each week.
Philip Rivers: After Rivers lit up the Cowboys for 434 yards and 3 TDs on turkey day, you can expect him to keep rolling against the Cleveland Dumpster Fires. Rivers is still an above average QB now in his 30s. I’ve always been a fan, so its easy for me to get excited about Rivers against a defense allowing 18.1 points per game to QBs (8th most).
Davante Adams: Adams has been on a roll since Rodgers went down, and has taken over as the clear cut best fantasy option on the Packers. This week he will be playing the Buccaneers, who are giving up the most fantasy points in the NFL to WRs. This is a pretty easy pick on my part, but sometimes we need to be reminded of the obvious things.
Week 13 Duds:
T.Y. Hilton: Hilton broke his pattern last week when he put up a whopping 3.5 PPR points against the Titans. Hilton has had only 3 good games this year, and those 3 games were against Cleveland, San Francisco, and Houston. All those defenses are terrible, unlike the Colts’ Week 13 opponent, the Jaguars. The Jags have allowed 2nd fewest fantasy points above expectation to WRs. T.Y. might not be as predictable as he was a week ago, but its not hard to predict that he isn’t going to do anything big.
Jay Ajayi: We all know what Ajayi can do when he is given enough opportunity on a good offense. The problem is he spent most of the year in a terrible offense, and now that he finds himself on one of the hottest teams in the NFL, he isn’t getting the opportunity. In his 3 games as an Eagle, Ajayi has been a beast on a per carry basis, but has yet to break 10 touches in a game. With the way LeGarrette Blount (and really every other player who has touched the ball for Philly) has looked, there isn’t a reason to suspect that Ajayi will get a large touch increase anytime soon. Although the talent is there, Ajayi isn’t a start worthy player this week.
Tevin Coleman: Coleman has been solid all year, but has really hit a grove since Devonta Freeman went down. While Freeman is back this week, the other problem is the Minnesota Vikings Defense. They are allowing the least fantasy points to RBs this season, and show no signs of slowing down. They have athletic playmakers at every position that make it nearly impossible for a running back to break off big runs, or, more importantly, create mismatches in the passing game. Although he hasn’t shown much of it in recent weeks, Coleman is one of the better receiving backs in the NFL, and can hurt defenses seemingly out of nowhere. Playing a defense that has been so good against backs in the passing game really lowers his ceiling this week. Lower your expectations for Coleman this week.