X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 13

Fantasy football risers and fallers heading into Week 13 of the NFL season. Jason looks at recent changes in fantasy values including lineup starts and sits.

Whether due to their own play, the play of others, or injuries, players' stock increases and decreases on a weekly basis. Perhaps more than any other, the NFL is a league that experiences ups and downs at a rapid pace. With only 16 games, there’s little room for error and seemingly endless opportunities for improvement. The same goes for fantasy football; managing rosters effectively is key to winning that championship.

Throughout the season, players get hot and see an increased role while others struggle and fight to stay relevant. Experienced fantasy players know this happens every year. In this weekly column, we’ll showcase those who have taken important steps forward and those who have taken steps back.

These are the key risers and fallers heading into Week 13 of the NFL season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Week 13 Fantasy Football Risers

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins

After an undeserved benching following a 24-0 shellacking of the Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick returned to the Dolphins' starting lineup to beat down the Jets once more. Tua Tagovailoa's thumb injury is poised to cost him multiple games and if Fitzpatrick keeps winning, I find it hard to believe the Dolphins will go back to Tua. As for production, Fitzpatrick was right back to his old self. Excluding Week 1, Fitzpatrick scored at least 18 fantasy points in every start he's made this season. He was a QB1 in Week 12 and he will be a QB1 for as long as he remains the starter.

Tight Ends! (Finally)

For the first time all season, I'm going to say some nice things about tight ends. 11 of them broke double digit fantasy points this week and only Tyler Eifert was truly fantasy irrelevant. Evan Engram, T.J. Hockenson, Kyle Rudolph, Travis Kelce, Hunter Henry, and Hayden Hurst all saw at least eight targets and the top seven tight ends caught at least five passes.

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

For a couple weeks now, Deebo Samuel was expected to return after the 49ers' bye. That happened and not only did Samuel return to being the team's WR1, he absolutely smashed. Samuel caught 11 of 13 targets for 133 yards against what is supposed to be a good pass defense. The 49ers do not have a tough opponent remaining on the schedule. If Samuel can remain healthy, he has the potential be a league winner in the playoffs.

Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys

It feels like Amari Cooper was largely written off after Andy Dalton went down. He had one miserable game with Ben DiNucci under center. Other than that, Cooper has been rock solid. He's not the WR1 he was with Dak Prescott, but with Dalton back the past two weeks, Cooper has lines of 6-81 and 6-112-1. The Cowboys' rest of season schedule will see them needing to throw against unimposing pass defenses. Only the Ravens in Week 13 pose a potential problem, but given all their injuries and Covid players, that could end up being the easiest of them all. Cooper should be locked into lineups as a high WR2 the rest of the way.

Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

I considered putting Kenyan Drake here last week, but he was just so inefficient that I hesitated. I guess I shouldn't have because, as we know, volume is king in fantasy football, especially at the running back position. Drake has completely vanquished Chase Edmonds to the backup role, commanding 22 carries and four targets last week. Drake is still inefficient, but that doesn't matter when you can fall into the end zone and touch the ball over 20 times. Kyler Murray always keeps the offense humming so it looks like those that stuck with Drake are going to be rewarded, but I'd recommend avoiding watching and just looking at the end results.

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

After a two month stint on IR, Austin Ekeler returned last week and not only looked fully healthy, but was immediately thrust back into the feature back role. Ekeler was given a whopping 30 opportunities (14 carries, 16 targets) in the Chargers' first two score loss of the season. Not much more needs to be said. The Chargers have a favorable rest of season schedule and Ekeler is a locked in RB1.

 

Week 13 Fantasy Football Fallers

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

We know Jared Goff comes with both a low floor and a high ceiling. The problem with ever using Goff in fantasy is not just the extreme volatility, it's the unpredictable nature of it. Goff went into Tampa Bay and eviscerated the Bucs' previously formidable pass defense. Then, at home against a depleted 49ers' secondary, Goff fell flat, barely mustering up five fantasy points. Impressively, Goff completed exactly 19 passes for exactly 198 yards in both of his dismal outings against the 49ers. Next week's game at Arizona projects to be a shootout and Weeks 15 and 16 look extremely promising against the Jets and Seahawks, but Goff has proven he cannot be trusted.

Will Fuller, Houston Texans

Misplaced trust in a doctor apparently resulted in Will Fuller mistakenly taking a banned substance in violation of NFL policy. Fuller is done for the season. He can be dropped in all redraft leagues.

Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

I love watching Aaron Jones run. He's a fantastic player. Unfortunately, the Packers do not agree. Sure, you can argue the score contributed to Jones' 54% snap share on Sunday night, but you'd be wrong. Jones has hit the 60% snap threshold just three times all season. In an overtime thriller against the Colts two weeks ago, Jones played 50% of the snaps. As if that isn't bad enough, the Packers simply do not run at the goal line. Conventional wisdom suggests NFL teams would be wise to throw to get to the goal line and then run to get in. Jones has been running effectively into the red zone and then Rodgers throws for the scores. Jones has just one touchdown in his past four games. He's still an RB1 from the perspective of there not being 12 running backs better than him, but he's topped his 17.6 fantasy points from Week 1 just once all season and finished higher than RB12 just twice, and not since Week 4. Jones is an every week top 12 play that you can be certain won't give you top 12 production.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Andy Dalton played fine on Thanksgiving. The reason Ezekiel Elliott did not produce is because Ezekiel Elliott is not good at football. I am sure he will be able to produce with Dak Prescott back next year, but Zeke is not the same player he was from 2016-2019. He looks noticeably less explosive and while I will never advocate for benching a running back simply due to a fumble, I certainly support benching a running back permanently if he hits a certain number of fumbles in a season. I think five is a fair number. Elliott has fumbled six times this season. Tony Pollard is the better player. It's not close. As a Cowboys fan, I've been calling for the team to cut Elliott since before they extended him. I stand by that. Fantasy managers cannot cut Zeke, but he's by no means anywhere near a must start.

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

I am doubling down on Alvin Kamara. Last week, I said, "I caution everyone against overreacting to one game, but it's entirely possible that Kamara is a touchdown or bust RB2 the rest of the season. I wouldn't say that's likely, but with Hill, I don't see many 5+ reception games in Kamara's future." After two weeks of Taysom Hill starting, I'm ready to declare Kamara a touchdown or bust RB2 the rest of the season. With Hill, Kamara has one reception for negative two yards across two games. It seems unthinkable that you have the depth to bench Kamara, but if by some miracle you have incredible running back depth, yes, you should consider benching Alvin Kamara.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF