ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 15: Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel (4) carries the ball during the week 6 NFL game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Washington Commanders on October 15, 2023 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)
Sometimes it’s hard to identify a top play, and sometimes it’s easy. Playing Tua in Week 13 may be one of the easiest decisions that can be made in fantasy football. Washington lets up the second-most passing yards and 28 passing TDs to opposing QBs. Moreover, they let up the third-highest YPA (yards per attempt). Tua is going to take huge shots downfield all game long. The only thing that can derail his day is if Miami takes him out of the game in the fourth quarter with a 20+ point lead.
This should be one of the best games of the week with two coaches who know how to get creative with their play calling. Purdy doesn’t attempt that many passes in general, but it’s hard to run on the Eagles so I expect that his pass attempts will go up. Philadelphia has allowed 23 passing TDs and the fourth-most passing yards to opposing quarterbacks. This seems like a winning position for a Kyle Shanahan-led offense that has multiple ways to beat you.
If you want to get some of the more expensive plays on the slate into your lineup, one of the best ways to do that is with a cheap QB. Pickett was unleashed in Week 12 and now gets to play Arizona's secondary, which has been generous to every QB it faces. If Pickett can score 20 fantasy points, he might just help you take down a tournament.
As of right now, there is a good chance that Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Michael Thomas will miss the game vs. Detroit. A.T. Perry might be a good rookie receiver with upside, but Kamara will be the main cog in the Saints' machine. Detroit plays outstanding run defense, which should mean that Kamara will do his greatest damage catching passes out of the backfield. This could be another of those weeks where he catches 10 passes for 80 yards to go along with all his potential rushing and TD equity.
If you heard shouting last week, it was me screaming at my television, wondering why Rachaad White wasn’t given the football at the one-yard line on multiple occasions. Tampa could not find the end zone, and I’m hoping they learned their lesson. Carolina has allowed the most rushing TDs as well as the third-most receptions to opposing RBs. Carolina also has a solid pass rush, so I expect that White will be in for all three downs to help block, which should leave him open for some catches out of the backfield.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Jonathan Taylor was undergoing thumb surgery and is going to miss at least two games. Moss performed exceptionally well as the starter when Taylor was out earlier in the season, and I see nothing that leads me to believe that he won’t pick up where he left off. Opportunity equals fantasy points and fantasy points equals championships. Even with Tennessee’s defense playing well, Moss should be a lock for 20 fantasy points.
When Tyreek Hill said that he wanted to get 2,000 receiving yards before the season started, I had serious doubts. But after 12 weeks, he is on pace to accomplish this amazing goal. His last few games are very challenging, so he is going to need to get about 300 yards in the next two weeks to have a shot at 2,000. In come the Washington Commanders with arguably the most wretched pass defense in the NFL. Washington allows 9.89 yards per target and has let up a whopping 18 receiving TDs. I like Hill to get close to 200 receiving yards this week, and I believe he is the best play on the slate.
We just watched Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis have their way with the Eagles secondary. With Kevin Byard covering George Kittle, Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk should be able to put up similar numbers. Philadelphia has let up the third-most receiving yards to opposing WRs, plus the second-most TDs. Samuel’s last receiving TD came in Week 3 against the Giants. It feels like positive TD regression is coming, and I love his chances to score in what should be a wide-open game.
We’ve seen a lot of different combinations take down tournaments this season, but the tried-and-true method is to game stack. Washington/Miami is going to be one of the more popular games on the slate. Pairing Tua with one (or two) of his receivers makes a ton of sense. To get the most out of this matchup, try to find a bring-back to get correlation and maximize your point total. Samuel just caught nine passes for 100 yards in Week 12. If he can do that again at his price in a game stack, he might help you win some big money.
With all the injuries that the Saints have this week, they are going to need to get creative on offense. There is no player on the slate who can do that better than Hill. One of Detroit’s strengths is its run defense, so I don’t envision Kamara ramming into their line by the goal line. Hill will be called upon to run some, throw some, and even catch some to help the Saints win. To win a DFS tournament, you want to find a TE who has 20-point upside. Hill might be the only TE on the slate who has that this week.
Denver has let up the second-most catches to opposing tight ends, along with six TDs. Tight ends have averaged 8.70 YPT (yards per target) against them too. Schultz has been dealing with a sore hamstring in practice this week, but if he plays, he’s a lock to play well.
I have been picking on the Rams linebackers all season. They have been extremely generous to opposing tight ends, letting up the second-most TDs as well as 8.72 YPT. Joe Flacco may be pushing 45, but he should be a more reliable passer than Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Njoku dropped a sure TD in the end zone last game; hopefully, he catches it this week.
