Dallas Cowboys WR Amari Cooper
Start: TE David Njoku at Texans
Sit: TE Austin Hooper vs. Ravens
David Njoku may not have the best matchup this week against the Texans, but the Browns tight end is becoming a must-start. Njoku had five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals. The Browns tight end has seen an uptick in production since Baker Mayfield took over at quarterback earlier this season.
After the Browns victory over the Bengals, Mayfield spoke about why the Cleveland offense is starting to click.
"Good calls and good execution," Mayfield said per UPI.com. "My offensive line and our guys were making plays. They're protecting. I'm getting the ball out quickly, getting it into our playmakers' hands, and they're doing the rest...We're taking shots when they're there, and we're able to play aggressive. Against a team like that, you want to start fast. They're a team that starts fast, so we needed to do that. We were emphasizing that all week, but yeah, a lot of that can be attributed to Freddie. Everything seemed to be working, but that's the way we want it here in Cleveland."
While the Browns overall offense should take a hit against the Texans, Njoku appears to be one of the more consistent fantasy options on the team. You can still feel comfortable starting Njoku in your fantasy lineup against the Texans.
The Falcons Offense Faces a Difficult Ravens Defense
Just when the Falcons offense was starting to click, it appears the unit is stuck in reverse. Austin Hooper has had his fair share of good games this season, but the Falcons tight end has become hard to consistently depend on. Over the last two weeks, Hooper has had nine receptions for just 58 yards.
Hooper spent time this offseason working with Matt Ryan, and it appeared the work was paying off earlier this season. Atlanta has been decimated by injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but that does not explain why things have become stagnant on offense.
The Ravens are allowing the second-fewest passing yards in the league at 203 per game. The team has had its struggles down the stretch, but it has not been because of the defense. Ravens safety Eric Weddle noted back in October that defense has been the foundation of the franchise for many years.
"The game has changed over the years, but good players, good coaching and sound defense can always make things tough on offense," Weddle told ESPN. "Baltimore is known for defense. It shouldn’t be that surprising that we play that well on defense."
With the Ravens defense coming to Atlanta, there are better options than Hooper this week at tight end.
Start: RB Austin Ekeler at Steelers
Sit: RB Mark Ingram at Cowboys
Melvin Gordon suffered an MCL injury which opens up the door for both Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson to potentially be fantasy relevant. Gordon is going to miss at least a couple weeks as he recovers.
Ekeler is the slight preference in the Chargers backfield, especially in PPR leagues since he has already been involved in the passing game. Ekeler had five carries for 35 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. Ekeler was even better in the passing game with 10 receptions for 68 yards.
After the Chargers win over the Cardinals, Philip Rivers expressed his confidence in Ekeler.
"We're all going to have to pick up the load a little bit," Rivers told ESPN. "Thank God we have a guy like Ekeler behind him that we have a lot of confidence in, both in the run and the pass."
As for Ekeler, it sounds like he is up for the challenge.
"I prepare every week like I'm going to be starting," Ekeler explained to ESPN. "If I'm getting more reps, then that's what it is. I have to pick up the slack for Melvin. Those are big shoes to fill. Melvin and I are different running backs. He's a beast, so I have to step up my game."
Ekeler gets a difficult matchup this week against the Steelers, who are top 10 defense against both the run and pass. Ekeler's versatility still makes him a start this week despite facing a less than ideal fantasy matchup.
Mark Ingram Faces a Difficult Cowboys Defense in Week 13
After rushing for more than 100 yards in two straight games, Mark Ingram came back down to reality with 52 rushing yards. The difficult thing with Ingram is fantasy owners do not know when the Saints are going to utilize him. This week, the Saints face a Cowboys defense that gives up the third-fewest amount of rushing yards at 93.6 per game.
This indicates Alvin Kamara could get more of a workload thanks to his versatility in the passing game. Saints head coach Sean Payton discussed why the Cowboys defense has been so difficult to have success against this season.
“They’re playing extremely well," Payton said per the Saints website. "They run extremely well. Their front gets after the quarterback. I think that their back end is really good relative to their scheme and what they’re doing. I think they’re well-coached and I think that they’re playing with real good passion. It’s one of the better defenses we’ve seen on film.”
Look for Kamara to stay on the field more than he has the last few weeks as the Saints try to compete against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
"It all starts with the offensive line, but for them to open up a hole like that on the first play of the game, it sparks the whole team," Kamara told The Advocate. "I'm just trying to do what the play is designed to do. Still, I'm glad I could pop that one out, and it gave me some confidence."
Start: WR D.J. Moore at Bucs
Sit: WR Jarvis Landry at Texans
D.J. Moore has hit a hot streak over the last two weeks and could have had even better numbers in Week 12 if he was able to secure a couple of close calls on TD opportunities. Moore finished with eight receptions for 91 yards against the Seahawks. The Panthers wide receiver posted seven receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown against the Lions in Week 11.
Moore has an opportunity to keep putting up good numbers this week against the Bucs. Tampa Bay ranks in the bottom five in passing yards allowed at 282.3 yards per game. After the Panthers narrow loss to the Seahawks, Carolina head coach Ron Rivera noted that the team has a lot of faith in their rookie wide receiver.
"“He is right where you would hope he would be, contributing the way he has,” Rivera explained to The Charlotte Post. “He has made a lot of plays for us. He is showing he is an explosive player. He is a dynamic player, and a player like that gives us a chance to win football games. We have to take advantage of those skill sets.”
Moore's teammates admit they have stopped classifying the wide receiver as a rookie based on his play on the field.
“I don’t see him as a rookie, or Curtis as a second-year player,” Jarius Wright told The Charlotte Post. “We’re all just wide receivers, especially with me being the oldest. We’re all just players now. Those guys have been playing lights out. It’s great to see. It goes to show that our future is very bright, but unfortunately we’ve gotta live in the right now.”
Jarvis Landry Is No Longer a WR1 in Fantasy
Jarvis Landry may eventually get back to fantasy relevance, but he is not there right now. With the way he is producing, you cannot risk putting him in your lineup and have his lack of production cost you a playoff spot. Landry has not scored a touchdown in more than a month.
This week, he faces a Texans team that is top 10 in passing yards allowed. Given the less than ideal matchup, I want to wait until Baker Mayfield starts leaning on Landry once again before he finds his way back into my fantasy lineup. Rotoworld broke down what has been a difficult stretch for Landry.
"Landry was a victim of not being a part of the Browns offensive explosion in the first half and then buried by the team attempting just four passes in the second half," Rotoworld explains. "Landry has now received just 17 targets over his three games since the Browns coaching shake up, catching just 10 passes over that span for 102 yards. Landry has now posted 50 or fewer receiving yards in 6-of-8 starts by Baker Mayfield. He has to now be treated as a lower-end WR3 option moving forward."
Landry should be kept on your roster, but that does not mean you need to start him until things improve.
Start: QB Dak Prescott vs. Saints
Sit: QB Baker Mayfield at Texans
After a slow start to the season, Dak Prescott is starting to find his footing. The addition of Amari Cooper has transformed the entire Cowboys offense and turned around a less than stellar season for Prescott.
The Cowboys QB1 is coming off one of his best fantasy performances of 2018. Prescott completed more than 71 percent of his passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Prescott also added a rushing touchdown which pushed his fantasy day over the top.
Prescott will have a little extra juice this week as he takes on his childhood idol Drew Brees. Earlier this week, Prescott spoke at length about why he admired the Saints quarterback.
“Everything. Just the way he plays the game, the way he prepares,” Prescott explained to the Star-Telegram. “You look at his numbers. You look at his production in this league. He’s simply one of the best. Growing up in Louisiana and obviously watching the Saints, he’s somebody that I’ve paid attention to for a long, long time. I was fortunate to be in the Pro Bowl with him in ’16. He’s a guy I look up to and he’s a great player. He’s a pro, he’s taking care of his body, has done all the right things, especially facing adversity in the middle of his career - some people saying he wouldn’t do what he’s doing now. Just speaks to the character of that guy and who he is.”
Prescott faces a Saints team that is giving up a lot of passing yards. New Orleans gives up the third most passing yards at 285.7 per game. The Cowboys quarterback has a chance to continue his hot streak. Since the game is on Thursday night, it would normally be a short week for Prescott and the Cowboys. However, Dallas has had a full week to prepare since they played last week on Thanksgiving.
Pump the Brakes on Baker Mayfield for Week 13
There may be a temptation to put Baker Mayfield in your lineup after three straight weeks of solid play, but a matchup against the Texans defense should cause you to pause. The Texans rank in the top 10 in passing yards allowed. Houston is No. 6 in points allowed as the defense is only giving up 20.5 points per game.
If Mayfield is your only quarterback, it is okay to start him but be advised his production is likely to take a dip compared to what we have seen in recent weeks. Mayfield threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns against the Bengals.
The Browns quarterback threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns in Week 11. Perhaps the most impressive stat over the last two weeks is zero interceptions. Mayfield admits to feeling a lot more comfortable as the season progresses.
“As the experience continues, the comfortability grows,” Mayfield told ESPN. “Really nothing else to that. As I see more looks and more things, I’m going to be more comfortable. I just got to go out there and do my job.”
There are more good days ahead for Mayfield, but I would hold off starting him this week.
Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 13 Predictions