Week 13 Recap

This is the first time that I can ever remember that the high point man for the week at the running back position had neither a rushing nor receiving touchdown… In Week 13, Tarik Cohen was just that man, and while he didn’t get into the end zone himself, he racked up fantasy points in a variety of different ways. He managed just 30 rushing yards on eight carries, however he added a whopping 12 receptions on 14 targets for 156 yards. To put a cherry on top of his day, he also threw a one-yard touchdown pass on the Bears version of the “Philly Special” -- a score of trickery that tied the game for Chicago as the clock expired in regulation. The Bears would go on to lose the game to the Giants in overtime, however Cohen managed to rack up a league-high 34.6 fantasy points in the process; an impressive number for such a pint-sized back.

Along with Cohen were two other backs -- Todd Gurley and Christian McCaffrey -- who eclipsed the 30-point barrier in Week 13. Both backs managed to rush for over 100 yards, while Gurley added two rushing touchdowns and McCaffrey added nine catches for 55 yards and a score.

In a surprising turn of events, Week 13 only had four other backs with more than 20 fantasy points. Three of the four names weren’t too out of the ordinary -- Phillip Lindsay , Ezekiel Elliott , and James Conner -- however, where in the hell did Chase Edmonds come from?

Somehow, on only seven touches, Edmonds managed 20.6 fantasy points. His stat line is even weirder, as the numbers would indicate that he racked up most of the points on a long run or two (five carries for 53 yards) however, really his production came from two critical red zone vulture opportunities. He scored from six and eight yards out, taking surefire production away from David Johnson owners. Thus is the NFL, I suppose. It should go without saying that Edmunds is a must handcuff option going forward, if you didn’t already have him rostered of course.

Another out-of-nowhere fantasy star was Jeff Wilson Jr. of the San Francisco 49ers. In the sudden absence of Matt Breida , Wilson was tabbed as the next man up. On Sunday, he delivered 15 rushes for 61 yards and eight receptions for 73 yards. In total, that was 19.4 fantasy points – the eighth best performance from a running back in Week 13 – in a surprising understudy appearance. With Matt Breida ruled out for next week too, Wilson becomes a must add in all formats and a free space in most DFS contests.

Further down the list and you will see that we also had some disappointments in Week 13 at the running back position. Obviously, there was Kareem Hunt and his ever-unfolding saga of violence. The Chiefs understandably cut ties with him and plugged Spencer Ware into the starting lineup. While Ware received 15 touches, he managed to only turn it into 12 fantasy points at home against a bad Raiders team. On the bright side, he did get into the end zone at least. Also there was Joe Mixon , who ran the ball effectively (12 carries for 82 yards), failed to get into the end zone or do anything significant as a receiver out of the backfield. His day ended with just 11.5 fantasy points. Lastly, there was Tevin Coleman , and while not much was expected of him against Baltimore’s top-ranked defense, I need to know what has happened to the Atlanta run game! It wasn’t too long ago that both he and Devonta Freeman made up the most feared backfield duo in the game. Freeman goes down for the season and the team understandably takes a step back in running the football, I get that, but what I can’t understand is how it has gotten to the point that Coleman had just 2.1 fantasy points this past week. Since his huge game against the Redskins over a month ago, Coleman has managed just 34.2 fantasy points in his last four games combined. That’s less than Christian McCaffrey had last Sunday! Big changes may be in the works for the Atlanta coaching staff come season’s end…  

Who I Like in DFS This Week

After my nearly perfect DFS picks in Week 12, I knew it was going to be hard to top. And while I didn’t exactly match the masterpiece from the Thanksgiving slate, Week 13 wasn’t too shabby either. Of the nine backs I selected, you got 700 rushing yards. That’s nearly 80 yards per back on average. One of the backs went over 30 points, two of them over 28, and three finished within the top-five at the position for the week. All nine finished with over 10 PPR points, making even the cheapest of the bunch at least worth a flex flyer play.

Hoping to continue this hot streak into the winter months, I now give you my Week 14 DFS picks...

Locks of the Week

Christian McCaffrey @ CLE ($9,300)

According to Pro Football Focus, the Browns have the second worst rush defense in the league and boast the worst tackling unit in the NFL. McCaffrey, while the most expensive back on the slate, is the hottest running back in the league right now, posting back-to-back performances of at least 34 points on DraftKings. Don’t love the road game, but he’s still a lock this week.

Ezekiel Elliott vs. PHI ($8,600)

Elliott has also been in excellent form and has been the driving force behind the Cowboys month-long winning streak. In his last outing against the Eagles (Week 10), Zeke ran for 151 yards, scored two touchdowns, and caught six passes. The Eagles defense is allowing over 5.0 yards per carry this season and it has been even worse in the second half. Just last week they allowed a 90-yard rushing touchdown to Adrian Peterson ... Zeke should eat once again this week.

Alvin Kamara @ TB ($8,100)

I know Kamara hasn’t been in great form over the last month or so, however with this juicy matchup and discounted price, I’m back on board the Kamara train. According to Pro Football Focus, the Buccaneers are the worst in the NFL against the run, while contrarily the Saints offer a top-10 rushing offense. While many will worry that this could become a barn burner quickly due to the two offenses and defenses involved, the good thing about Kamara is that he is just as good, if not better, as a receiver than a runner. Despite his recent run, I feel that Kamara may offer the highest floor of any back on the slate.

I’m Keen on…

Aaron Jones vs. ATL ($7,200)

Atlanta boasts the fourth worst rush defense and the fifth worst tackling defense in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Now while the Packers haven’t looked like themselves – particularly in the pass game – contrarily Aaron Jones has emerged as a stabilizing force for them on the ground. Now that the guy who was forcing Jones to split the reps with Jamaal Williams has been fired, expect Jones to see an even bigger workload this week. I like the Packers at home this week against a down and out Atlanta team, as teams usually get a boost of energy after a coach has been fired midseason for some reason.

Sony Michel @ MIA ($5,900)

The last time the Patriots took on the Dolphins, they blew them out and Michel had 112 rushing yards and a touchdown. This week, the Pats will go into Miami – a place where they have struggled typically – but with a different game plan than usual. They should lean on Michel and his fresh, young legs, while DFSers will get a discount on a potentially top-five running back for the week. He should be easily affordable at just $5,900 this week.

Flex Flyers

Gus Edwards @ KC ($4,500)

The Chiefs currently have the worst rush defense in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, meanwhile ever since the Ravens have switched to Lamar Jackson , they have boasted the best rush offense in the NFL. Look, I don’t love the idea of an inexperienced offense going into KC for the week, but at just $4,500, the upside is too great. Keep in mind that Edwards is averaging 105 rushing yards per game over his last three.

Justin Jackson vs. CIN ($3,800)

While he was out-touched by Austin Ekeler last week, Jackson was by far the more productive of the two backs. This week, the Chargers get to host the Bengals – arguably the worst team in football over the last six weeks. Over the course of this season, the Bengals have allowed the most rushing yards and the second most passing yards, giving them the dead last ranked total defense in the NFL this season. With Jackson in line to see a ton of work this week, he seems like an easy plug and play at just $3,800 on DraftKings. (This is obviously only a viable play if Melvin Gordon is out).

Jeff Wilson Jr. vs. DEN ($3,800)

With injuries to basically all of the Niners backs this season, Jeff Wilson Jr. is all they have left. Last week he stepped up in the absence of Matt Breida and racked up 134 total yards. He ran the ball 15 times and caught eight balls as well. He has proven a diverse skill-set and is primed to see nearly all of the team’s backfield reps in Week 14. At just $3,800 he’s an obvious flex play.

Jaylen Samuels @ OAK ($3,700)

Now I don’t feel as confident in Samuels as I do with the other two “next-man-up” backs on this list, however he is $100 cheaper and may be in line for a big day, in a good offense, against a bad defense. It is clear that whoever plays running back for the Steelers is going to be productive (Le’Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, James Conner , etc.) however my problem this week is that I’m not confident that Samuels will get the lion’s share of the reps. My only real hangup is that Stevan Ridley could easily emerge as the go-to-guy in Week 14, giving Samuels more risk than Jeff Wilson Jr. and Justin Jackson combined. I would play Samuel only if you need to cut the $100 off your lineup or want to pivot from the other two.

Non-Main Slate Plays

Todd Gurley @ CHI ($8,800)

Gurley is the obvious play, but for good reason, as he has been the best running back in football all season long. He took on an improved Lions rush defense last week and absolutely demolished them to the tune of 132 yards and two touchdowns. I know the Rams are on the road and I know they are taking on the best defense in football, but Gurley is matchup proof.

Tarik Cohen vs. LAR ($6,400)

Cohen makes sense as a counter play, as he will have plenty of burn as a receiver out of the backfield if the Rams make this a pacey affair, as they typically do. He just put up stupid crazy receiving numbers against the Giants, which is something that I would expect the Bears to try and duplicate this week. Game flow should be similar, if not faster.