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

Week 13 Outliers Analysis - We Must Overreact!

cam akers fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Week 13 was pretty random as far as quarterbacks went, with Derek Carr, Baker Mayfield, Ryan Tannehill, Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff finishing in the top-six. Patrick Mahomes only scored 19.32 fantasy points but his day could have been much bigger had Tyreek Hill's touchdown been properly called by the officials and counted. Darren Waller had one of the best performances by a tight end in NFL history in Week 13, gaining 200 yards and scoring twice. Travis Kelce, Mike Gesicki, Dan Arnold and T.J. Hockenson rounded out the top-five at tight end.

Corey Davis continued his breakout campaign in Week 13 as the Titans found themselves down by 35 points to the Browns and needed to throw in an attempt to battle back. Davante Adams and Justin Jefferson were some of the best performers this week, but other than that there were some very unfamiliar names inside the top-15, including Marvin Jones, Keke Coutee, Rashard Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

David Montgomery took advantage of a great matchup against a depleted Lions Defense in Week 13 and finished as the No. 1 running back in fantasy football. Aaron Jones had a quiet day until he popped off a 70-yard touchdown run which landed him inside the top-five and Alvin Kamara finally had a decent game with Taysom Hill at quarterback, finishing with 17.7 fantasy points, proving once again why you shouldn't bench your studs. Now that Week 13 is behind us, let's take a look at some of these unexpected performances and evaluate whether these guys will continue to produce moving forward.

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

 

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

Week 13 Stats: 28-of-47 passing, 381 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 2 carries, 5 yards, 1 TD

The Raiders trailed the Jets for most of the game and as a result, Derek Carr threw the ball a season-high 47 times. Carr had both an ideal matchup and game-script working in his favor this week which led to a monster game.

Bottom Line: This was the second time Carr had more than 40 pass attempts this season and it was just his third 300-yard passing day. Carr is certainly capable of taking advantage of a good matchup, but he's hard to trust. If Josh Jacobs continues to miss time it could lead to the Raiders leaning more on Carr and the passing game.

 

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Week 13 Stats: 25-of-33 passing, 334 yards, 4 TD, 4 carries, 5 yards, 1 target, 1 catch, 6 yards

Baker Mayfield threw the ball 33 times in Week 13, which was just the fourth time all season that he's attempted 30-or-more passes. The Titans Defense was no match for the Browns offense and Mayfield simply carved it up, with the biggest play coming on a 75-yard touchdown to Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Bottom Line: Mayfield doesn't put the ball in the air enough to be relevant for fantasy purposes on a consistent basis. The Browns play against the Ravens in Week 14 who Mayfield struggled against in Week 1, which means the Oklahoma product isn't likely to repeat this performance next week.

 

Keke Coutee, Houston Texans

Week 13 Stats: 9 targets, 8 catches, 141 yards

Randall Cobb landed on injured-reserve ahead of Week 12 and it looks like Keke Coutee has firmly taken over his role, playing a season-high 78.7% of the Texans offensive snaps in Week 13. DeForest Buckner returned to the lineup for the Colts this week and as a result the Texans had a difficult time running the ball which led to 38 pass attempts by Deshaun Watson.

Bottom Line: The Texans play the Bears in Week 14 who are fairly tough against wide receivers on the perimeter. Coutee may be viable again next week as he will likely have the best matchup in the Texans passing game against Buster Skrine who can be beaten.

 

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Week 13 Stats: 11 targets, 8 catches, 110 yards, 1 TD

T.Y. Hilton has scored in each of the Colts last two games but he's still only had three games in 2020 with nine-or-more targets. Week 13 was the first time Hilton saw more than six targets since October 11th. Hilton looked good out there and it looks like he's finally developing some chemistry with Philip Rivers which is good, but he's still going to be hard to trust unless the matchup is right.

Bottom Line: The Colts play against the Raiders in Week 14 who have struggled against the pass so he's a viable option if you need him.

 

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns

Week 13 Stats: 3 targets, 2 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD

Donovan Peoples-Jones played 56.9% of the Browns offensive snaps in Week 13 which was the first time he played more than half of the snaps since Week 7 against the Bengals. The rookie out of Michigan did almost all of his damage on one play where he got completely behind the Titans coverage for a 75-yard touchdown.

Bottom Line: Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins played their normal compliment of snaps which leads me to believe that Peoples-Jones may have seen more playing time against the Titans due to the game plan rather than promotion. Peoples-Jones is a player you want to roster in dynasty leagues, but he doesn't play enough on a consistent basis and the Browns simply don't throw the ball enough for him to be counted on in re-draft leagues.

 

Chad Hansen, Houston Texans

Week 13 Stats: 7 targets, 5 catches, 101 yards

Chad Hansen played 96.7% of the Texans offensive snaps in Week 13 compared to 78.7% for Keke Coutee. It appears that Chad Hansen played the snaps vacated by Will Fuller, not Isaiah Coulter.

Bottom Line: Even if Chad Hansen plays a large percentage of the Texans snaps in Week 14, he has a difficult matchup against the Bears secondary which has given up the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers on the season.

 

Ty Johnson, N.Y. Jets

Week 13 Stats: 22 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD, 2 targets, 2 catches, 13 yards

Frank Gore was forced from the game in Week 13 with a concussion which gave an opportunity to Ty Johnson who stepped in and played 62.9% of the Jets offensive snaps. The second-year running back out of Maryland ran well and looked fresh but the Raiders aren't very good against the run, so things set up well for him to have success.

Bottom Line: If Frank Gore misses Week 14, Johnson will likely get the start against a Seahawks Defense that's extremely stingy against the run. Even if Johnson gets the start, the matchup isn't great so it will be difficult for him to get it done.

 

Cam Akers, L.A. Rams

Week 13 Stats: 21 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD, 1 target, 1 catch, 22 yards

Darrell Henderson was injured and missed part of the Rams Week 13 matchup against the Cardinals. As a result Cam Akers played a season-high 62.7% of the Rams offensive snaps. This was the first time in Akers played more than 32% of the snaps and he likely did enough to unseat Darrell Henderson as the lead-ball carrier for the Rams.

Bottom Line: You should feel comfortable using Cam Akers in your starting lineups from this moment forward. Akers did pop up on the injury report on Monday, so monitor that situation.

 

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears

Week 13 Stats: 7 targets, 5 catches, 37 yards, 1 TD

Cole Kmet played 78.3% of the Bears offensive snaps in Week 13 and he's actually played at least 70% since Week 10. Since Week 10, Jimmy Graham has only played 50% of the Bears offensive snaps one time.

Bottom Line: There has been a changing of the guard in Chicago, and moving forward Cole Kmet is the Bears tight end you want on your fantasy roster.



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

NASCAR2 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecked at Las Vegas, but Showed Promising Speed
Alex Bowman2 hours ago

Recovered From Loose Wheel to Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric2 hours ago

Won Stage 1, but Loose Wheel Foiled Victory Bid
William Byron2 hours ago

Lost Las Vegas Race on Strategy, but Still Expanded Points Lead
Ryan Preece2 hours ago

Earned Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish at Las Vegas
Mookie Betts7 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins7 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase7 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski7 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun7 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon7 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray8 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić8 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post8 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry8 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.9 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White9 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey9 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.9 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant10 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith10 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton10 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin10 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins10 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez10 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner10 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma10 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam11 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard11 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh11 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis11 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins11 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold11 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews11 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin12 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson12 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad13 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil13 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich13 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech13 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman13 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter13 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish13 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt13 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.14 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar14 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada14 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons14 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons15 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers15 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams16 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo16 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke16 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee16 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler16 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano16 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland16 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis16 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías16 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera17 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets18 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders18 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush18 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens20 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks21 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.21 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell22 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson22 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney22 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain22 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher22 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield23 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott23 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin23 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov23 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron23 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick23 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli23 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin23 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin23 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar23 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR23 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski23 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones24 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez24 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar24 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano1 day ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox2 days ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Matthew Golden - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 5 Rookies

Last year’s wide receiver class was one of the best in recent history, totaling three top-10 picks and seven prospects coming off the board in the first round. Many have called this year’s class a massive downgrade compared to last year’s unit. Yet, the 2025 wide receiver draft class has several impressive prospects. There might […]


Brenton Strange - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire, TE Streamers, NFL DFS

Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency in Fantasy Football

NFL Free Agency has been quite the frenzy. At RotoBaller, we track it all for you right here! It might not always feel like it, but there have been a ton of impactful moves. And with every move comes a fantasy football impact, right? This article takes a look at some of the top winners […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Breakouts: Running Back Sleepers For 2025

The running back position is in constant flux in Dynasty fantasy football, as depth charts are constantly shuffled around, teams often decide to move on from productive players and replace them with cheaper or younger options, and players have their first good seasons in their careers. We're mostly concerned with that last point -- RBs […]


Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]