Monday, December 23, 2024

Fantasy Football

Week 13 Blitz Pickup

Welcome to the Week 13 Blitz Pickup, where we review the most interesting facts, figures and notes from every NFL game each week. Just like a running back hitting a crucial chip on a blitzing linebacker, we’re going to make sure nothing gets by, all so you can make the plays you need to reach fantasy football paydirt. It’s down, it’s dirty. It’s the Week 13 Blitz Pickup!

Note: All point totals and rankings are PPR unless otherwise noted.

Week 13 Blitz Pickup: Thursday Night

The well-dressed Patriots couldn’t contain the Bills, who ended Week 13 atop both the division and conference standings.

Bills 24 at Patriots 10

James Cook took just one fewer snap than Devin Singletary. It was Cook’s highest usage of the season as he saw 20 opportunities to 15 for Singletary… Cook led the Bills in rushing and redzone usage, although Singletary scored a touchdown… Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis each scored in the same game for the fourth time this season, but the first time since Week 5… Diggs is fourth in target share in the league among wideouts… Over the past three games, Isaiah McKenzie has led Davis in receiving yards and has tied him with 11 reception, despite Davis seeing three more targets… Dawson Knox was catchless on one target in the game…

Among the top 30 fantasy quarterbacks, only Kenny Pickett (QB27) has thrown fewer touchdowns than Mac Jones (QB29)… Rhamondre Stevenson took all but one backfield snap in the contest… Stevenson is RB8 overall and is 11th in rush share, despite only starting four games to Damien Harris‘s eight… Stevenson has seen at least five targets in seven straight games… Leading receiver Jakobi Meyers suffered a concussion that has him ruled out for Week 14… Hunter Henry has just one redzone reception on the season, but has seen a redzone target in consecutive games…

Week 13 Blitz Pickup: Sunday Early Games

The Lions flexed their offensive muscle against Jacksonville, much to the delight of fantasy managers.

Jaguars 14 at Lions 40

Trevor Lawrence has not thrown an interception since Week 7… Lawrence’s passer rating this season is 92.77, almost 30 percent higher than his rookie season rating… Following a stretch of three games with over 100 yards rushing and at least one touchdown, Travis Etienne has now failed to record either of those in three straight games… Jacksonville cut Darrell HendersonChristian Kirk has already set a career high in touchdown catches for the season and is averaging 15.5 fantasy points per game, also a career-best mark… Evan Engram had two catches on two redzone targets, including his first touchdown since Week 8… Engram had five total receptions on seven total targets…

Jared Goff threw two touchdowns without an interception for the second straight game and cleared 300 yards passing for the third time this season… Jamaal Williams rushed 11 times, his second-fewest on the season, but did score his league-leading 14th touchdown. Williams, however, was out-touched by D’Andre Swift and has not seen a target since Week 8… Amon-Ra St. Brown set a career high with 11 receptions on 12 targets… St. Brown is 13th in target share among wideouts despite missing a game and parts of two others… Jameson Williams saw one target in his pro debut after recovering from a knee injury…

Packers 28 at Bears 19

Aaron Rodgers is the overall QB17, but is just 25th in fantasy points per game… AJ Dillon had a season-high 18 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown. Dillon added 26 yards on three receptions… Aaron Jones was limited by an injury but finished the game and managed to catch all five of his targets… Christian Watson had a touchdown receiving and rushing and has eight total in the last four weeks. Over that span, he trails only Amon-Ra St. Brown in wideout fantasy points (99.6-99.2)… Allen Lazard led the team in receiving, but has not scored since Week 9… Romeo Doubs is expected back after Green Bay’s bye week… No Packer tight end has scored a touchdown since Marcedes Lewis in Week 5… Green Bay is on the bye in Week 14…

Justin Fields failed to throw a touchdown for the first time since Week 4 and threw two interceptions for the first time since Week 3… Fields had his seventh rushing touchdown over the last six games, and his eighth overall (second among quarterbacks)… David Montgomery is 32nd in the league in rush share, and is just RB23 overall… Equanimeous St. Brown‘s 85 yards receiving were his most since Week 16 of 2018 with Green Bay… Chase Claypool caught five of six targets, his most since joining the Bears at the trade deadline… After scoring in three straight games, Cole Kmet has failed to score in three straight. His six catches and seven targets were both season highs, however… Chicago is also on the bye in Week 14…

Browns 27 at Texans 14

Deshaun Watson was 12-of-22 for 131 yards in his Browns debut, his first game action since Week 17 of 2020… Watson threw an interception in the endzone and did not throw a touchdown… Kareem Hunt had his best rushing total since Week 2… Nick Chubb is second in the league in rush yards and rushing touchdowns… Chubb is seventh in rush share despite the presence of Hunt… Amari Cooper is eighth in the league in target share overall, and had nine targets in Watson’s debut… Donovan Peoples-Jones saw his third-highest yards per target on the season… David Njoku missed the game with a knee injury but will play in Week 14…

Kyle Allen has thrown a touchdown and two interceptions in both games he’s started this season… Davis Mills was re-named the starter for Week 14… After totaling 33 yards in the prior two games, Dameon Pierce had 95 total yards in the game… Pierce remains second in rush share in the league… Nico Collins tied a career high with 10 targets and scored a touchdown, but was injured and ruled out for Week 14… Brandin Cooks missed the game with injury… Brevin Jordan saw the fewest snaps of any Houston tight end, but led the Texans with four receptions and 46 yards…

Steelers 19 at Falcons 16

Kenny Pickett has gone four games without an interception, and his passer rating has risen in each of those four games… Najee Harris averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 17 carries, his most efficient performance on the season and just the third time he’s reached 5.0 in his career… Diontae Johnson is seventh in wide receiver targets, but just 14th in receptions and WR40 overall. Of the top-50 targeted wideouts, Johnson is the only one who has not scored a touchdown this season… Pat Freiermuth is TE4 overall, and ranks eighth in points per game. Freiermuth is fifth in targets among tight ends for the season…

Marcus Mariota had his lowest rushing total since Week 4… Desmond Ridder has been named the team’s starter in their next game… Tyler Allgeier out-snapped Cordarrelle Patterson, but Patterson had his best rushing total since Week 3… Patterson did not see a target in the game for just the second time all year… Drake London tied a season (and career) high with 12 targets. His 95 yards were also a season high… MyCole Pruitt has two redzone targets for two touchdowns in the past two games… The Falcons are on the bye in Week 14…

Jets 22 at Vikings 27

Mike White threw for 369 yards and two interceptions without a score, but did have his first career rushing touchdown. The Jets named him as the starter again for Week 14… In his first career action, Zonovan Knight has 221 total yards and eight receptions over the past two games as the starting running back in place of injured Michael Carter… Carter is expected back in Week 14, but the Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh said Knight would still have a role… Garrett Wilson had career highs in targets, receptions, and yards in the game, and has scored over 50 fantasy points in the past two games… Corey Davis likewise had a season high in targets and yardage… C.J. Uzomah has caught 14 of 15 targets on the season…

Kirk Cousins has averaged under 5.0 yards per attempt in two of the last three games, and three times on the season. Two of those games were losses, the third was Week 13’s win over the Jets… Dalvin Cook rates fourth in the league in rush share… Alexander Mattison scored his first touchdown since Week 8… Justin Jefferson saw double-digit targets for the eighth time in 12 games this season, and has scored in 4 of the past five games… After averaging just over six targets per game with Detroit this season, T.J. Hockenson is averaging eight per game in Minnesota and is TE3 on the season…

Commanders 20 at Giants 20 (OT)

Taylor Heinicke threw for two touchdowns for the fourth time in seven games this season and did not throw an interception for just the second time… Brian Robinson had over 100 total yards for the second straight game… Antonio Gibson out-snapped Robinson, but had just 13 opportunities to 23 for Robinson… Terry McLaurin had season highs in catches and targets… Jahan Dotson scored for the first time since Week 4… The Commanders are on the bye in Week 14…

Daniel Jones is fourth in quarterback rushing attempts and fifth in quarterback rushing yards on the season. He has already set career highs in attempts, yards, and touchdowns… Saquon Barkley scored his eighth touchdown in 13 games this season, but injured his neck and is questionable for Week 14… Barkley is fifth in rush share this season… Isaiah Hodgins scored his first career touchdown and had the best game of his career. Hodgins was second to Darius Slayton in snaps and receiving among the Giants’ wideouts… Daniel Bellinger caught all five of his targets in his return from facial fractures…

Titans 10 at Eagles 35

Ryan Tannehill has thrown just four interceptions on the season and had his best rushing game of the season with 34 yards in Week 13… In his last four games, Derrick Henry is averaging fewer than 2.8 yards per carry… Henry has just one touchdown in that same timeframe… Treylon Burks caught his only target for a 25 yard touchdown, but suffered a concussion and has been ruled out for Week 14… Chigoziem Okonkwo has seen five targets in each of the last two games and had career highs with four receptions and 68 yards in Week 13…

Jalen Hurts (QB1) had perhaps the best passing game of his career in Week 13 and threw for three touchdowns without an interception… It’s the sixth time he’s had multiple touchdowns and no interceptions this season. He had five such games combined in the first two years of his career… Hurts has rushed for a touchdown in three of the past four games… Miles Sanders had his lowest total yardage of the season, but scored his ninth touchdown after not scoring last season… A.J. Brown burned his former team with two touchdowns on eight catches… Brown is sixth in target share… Quez Watkins saw a season-high six targets… Dallas Goedert could return in Week 15…

Broncos 9 at Ravens 10

Denver has scored 10 or fewer points five times this season… Denver’s season high is 23 points in a Week 4 loss to Las Vegas. 14 teams are averaging more than 23 points a game… Russell Wilson did not throw a touchdown for the fourth time this season. He has thrown more than one touchdown just once this year… Mike Boone returned from the injured list and saw six carries and one target… Jerry Jeudy played for the first time since Week 10, but the Broncos lost Courtland Sutton for Week 14 to a hamstring injury… Greg Dulcich has not scored since Week 6, but led the Broncos in targets, receptions, and yards in Week 13…

Lamar Jackson suffered a knee injury that may keep him out for three weeks or more… Tyler Huntley will start while Jackson is out… Kenyan Drake led the Ravens’ backfield in snaps and usage… J.K. Dobbins is expected to return in Week 14… Demarcus Robinson led the team in targets… Mark Andrews led the team in receiving yardage… Andrews leads the Ravens and all tight ends in target share…

Week 13 Blitz Pickup: Sunday Late Games

Despite this individual effort, it was the Bengals who soared on Sunday.

Chiefs 24 at Bengals 27

Patrick Mahomes put up his lowest passing totals of the season and was held under 300 yards for the first time since Week 5… Mahomes continues to lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns… Jerick McKinnon led the Chiefs’ backfield in snaps, but Isiah Pacheco led the team in usage and has scored in consecutive games… Travis Kelce was held under 10 fantasy points for the first time this season…

Joe Burrow completed over 80 percent of his passes for the second time this season… Burrow rushed for his career-best fifth touchdown of the season… With Joe Mixon out, Samaje Perine had his first 100 yard game since 2017… Ja’Marr Chase played for the first time since Week 7 and led the team in receiving… Hayden Hurst (TE11) injured his calf and is out for Week 14…

Seahawks 27 at Rams 23

Geno Smith threw three touchdowns. It was his 10th game this season with multiple touchdowns… Kenneth Walker III was injured and is questionable for Week 14… Tyler Lockett had season highs in receptions, targets, and yards… Lockett and D.K. Metcalf each scored in the same game for the fourth time this season… Noah Fant led the Seahawks’ tight ends in snaps, receptions, targets, and yards, and scored his second touchdown on the year…

John Wolford started his second game of the season but threw two interceptions without a touchdown… Cam Akers had his first career two-touchdown game… Kyren Williams played just 18 snaps and had just four opportunities in the game… Tutu Atwell led the Rams’ wideouts in targets and added four rush attempts… Tyler Higbee (TE12) is the only player in the top-30 fantasy scoring tight ends without a touchdown this season…

Dolphins 17 at 49ers 33

Tua Tagovailoa threw his first two interceptions since Week 4… Tagovailoa continues to lead the league in passer rating… Jeff Wilson saw his lowest usage since joining the Dolphins, whereas Raheem Mostert led the backfield in usage for the first time since Wilson’s arrival… Tyreek Hill is second in the league in targets and target share. Hill leads the league in receiving yardage… Jaylen Waddle is fifth in receiving yardage… Mike Gesicki was held without a catch for the second week in a row and has not had more than three receptions in a game since Week 6…

Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an injury that should keep him out for at least the duration of the regular season… In his first extended action, “Mr. Irrelevant” Brock Purdy threw the first two touchdowns of his career… Christian McCaffrey saw 10 targets, his most as a 49er… Deebo Samuel had his most opportunities since Week 1…

Chargers 20 at Raiders 27

Justin Herbert threw for 300 yards for the first time since Week 4… Austin Ekeler trails only Christian McCaffrey in target share among running backs, and leads running backs in all other receiving categories… Keenan Allen saw 14 targets and scored for the second week in a row… Joshua Palmer saw double-digit targets for the fourth time this season… Mike Williams is expected to play in Week 14… Gerald Everett had a season high in receiving yardage…

Josh Jacobs gained 100 yards rushing for the sixth time this season. He has already set a career high for rushing yards in a season… Davante Adams leads the league in targets, target share, and touchdowns… Adams had two touchdowns for the fourth time this season…

Week 13 Blitz Pickup: Sunday Night

JerryWorld was a house of horrors for the Colts on Sunday night.

Colts 19 at Cowboys 54

Matt Ryan has 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions passing this season. He also has a Colts’ record of 14 fumbles on the season… Jonathan Taylor failed to score for the first time in four games, but did reach 100 total yards for just the third time this year… Alec Pierce had a career high in receiving yards and scored for the first time since Week 6… Ashton Dulin had his first touchdown on the year… Michael Pittman, however, had season lows in catches, yards, and fantasy points… While Kylen Granson led the Colts’ tight ends in snaps, Jelani Woods was again the most effective receiver out of the group… The Colts are on the bye in Week 14…

Dak Prescott has thrown multiple touchdowns in five straight games, including three touchdowns twice… Prescott has yet to throw for 300 yards in 2022, a mark he hit five times last season… Tony Pollard led the Cowboys’ backfield in total yardage and scoring, but Ezekiel Elliott played the most snaps and scored for the fifth straight week… Michael Gallup scored twice, his first touchdowns since his season debut in Week 4… CeeDee Lamb is one of just three wideouts with over a 30 percent target share…

Week 13 Blitz Pickup: Monday Night

He may have looked nervous here, but The Goat was calm, cool, and collected when it mattered Monday.

Saints 16 at Buccaneers 17

Andy Dalton did not turn the ball over and has gone three games without an interception for just the second time since 2017… Since his phenomenal Week 8, Alvin Kamara has only broken the 10 point mark in fantasy once… Rashid Shaheed caught all four of his targets and led the Saints in receiving… Juwan Johnson missed the game with an ankle injury… The Saints are on the bye in Week 14…

Tom Brady threw the latest go-ahead touchdown of his career… Brady (QB16) has thrown the fewest interceptions of any starting quarterback in the league… Leonard Fournette led the running backs in snaps, rushes, and redzone looks, but Rachaad White scored his first career receiving touchdown… Chris Godwin saw 13 targets for the second week in a row and the third time this season…

Challenge Chase!

Ever wonder how you stack up against the experts? Now’s your chance to find out! You can utilize what you learned in the Week 13 Blitz Pickup, and use teams you’ve already drafted to take me on for weekly bragging rights with Flex Fantasy. Visit https://www.flex.fan/bellyup to sign up and challenge me, as I’ll be using lineups from my own home leagues. You can play for fun, play for money, or play for both! Look for SttChaseFFB’s teams in the Flex Fantasy Arena and sign up today. I promise I won’t rub it in (much) when I win. Got something to say? Leave a comment below, follow me on Twitter @SttChaseFFB, and catch me on the Belly Up Fantasy Live podcast Sundays and Wednesdays all season long. Slàinte!