Week 13 Fantasy Football Takeaways: Bucky Irving, Parker Washington and Adam Thielen

Sunday NFL games in Week 13 delivered some fun games and big-time performances.

While there weren’t a lot of really surprising fantasy showings, there’s still a few things worth mentioning. Check back soon for an IDP article!

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Irving Powers Bucs’ Backfield Again

The Tampa Bay backfield has been a tough one to figure out this season. 

Rachaad White came into the season as the unquestioned leader of the group, with rookie Bucky Irving expected to help out here and there. White struggled early on, allowing Irving to take on a bigger role. Now it looks like Irving is the leader in the backfield.

Irving carried the ball 25 times on Sunday to help the Bucs past the Panthers in overtime. He gained 152 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground as well. Irving tacked on a few more fantasy points with 33 receiving yards on three catches and targets.

It was the first time Irving went over 14 carries in a game this season - his previous season in rushing yards was 88. Irving topped 30 receiving yards for the fourth time, and now has done it in two straight. His 28 total touches on Sunday were easily a season high, with the previous mark being just 18.

Irving got all those touches across 43 offensive snaps, which was still just 54% of the team’s total. White still got 42 offensive snaps, but wasn’t involved nearly as much, and his efficiency was not near Irving’s.

White still had an OK fantasy showing after rushing for 76 yards on 11 carries and adding in a two-yard reception on his lone catch and target. 

Make no mistake though, the Bucs’ backfield belongs to Irving now. You don’t have to worry about White stealing a bunch of snaps/touches because of Irving’s efficiency, which makes Irving a good/great starting option, at least for the time being.

White can still be a fantasy asset to some of you, but he’s a risky play in standard leagues if the defensive matchup isn’t super favorable. I wouldn’t drop White, because there are a lot of favorable matchups to possibly take advantage of.

Washington the Top Wideout in Jacksonville

It’s been a rough season for the Jaguars, and it got even worse on Sunday after a loss to the Texans, as Trevor Lawrence exited the game after a nasty hit.

The Jags’ offense might be a mess, but some early deficits have made several pass catchers on the team decent fantasy options. Parker Washington was the latest pass catcher to step up on Sunday.

Washington had 103 yards and a touchdown on six catches and a whopping 12 targets. His previous season high in targets was six - and he came into week 13 with three catches for a season high. It was the first time Washington has topped 50 yards, and also the first time he scored.

Washington played 56 offensive snaps, which was 80% of the team’s total. Only Brian Thomas Jr. (61 snaps, 87%) had higher marks for the Jaguars.

Washington has now played in at least 50% of the offensive snaps in five straight games, and is definitely trending up as a fantasy player. He isn’t likely to replicate these kinds of numbers on a weekly basis because of the inconsistencies of the Jags’ offense overall and some tougher matchups ahead, but Washington is at least an option in deeper leagues, along with being a streaming option for week 14, when several teams have byes.

Thielen Emerging Again?

Despite the loss, Carolina’s Adam Thielen had a nice fantasy showing. He caught eight of his 10 targets for 99 yards and a touchdown.

The Panthers have been searching for offensive playmakers all season, and Thielen might be that spark late in the season. He had 57 yards on three catches and four targets in his first game back from injury in week 12.

Carolina’s offense isn’t one to avoid at all costs anymore because of better play from Bryce Young. He has to throw the ball to someone, and Young and Thielen appear to have a good connection going now.

The best part about Thielen stepping up of late is that his schedule is also very favorable, so more big fantasy showings could be coming. Thielen is a pretty safe starting option in deep leagues, while also being a flex-level option in standard leagues, especially in week 14 with so many teams on byes.