Fantasy football: 5 sleepers to start, 5 starters to sit in Week 13

Fantasy football Week 13 starts, sits, sleepers.

It’s crunch time in fantasy football.

A little scouting and you can avoid a crucial late-season loss or do just enough to cross the finish line with a win this week. We’ve got you covered with a quick scouting report to help you out.

Here are five sleepers to start and five starters you’ve got to sit in fantasy football Week 13:

Starts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones. Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

QB Nick Foles

Since returning to the starting lineup, Nick Foles hasn’t won. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been productive. He’s completing 68 percent of his passes this season and has two scores and a pick in two games since returning, including a 296-yard outing. In Week 13, he’s facing the Buccaneers, the second-worst pass defense in the NFL, who’ve also allowed 26 passing scores. Because of their poor secondary, the Bucs have gotten into some shootouts this year, too. Bodes well for Foles and his decent weapons he has to work with.

RB Ronald Jones

Speaking of the Jaguars, you might want to go with Ronald Jones instead of a guy like Jameis Winston in this matchup. Jones is fresh off a productive 4.3 yards per carry (51 yards) and touchdown outing against the Falcons last week, who’ve had their fair share of defensive struggles this year. In the Jags, Jones is facing the No. 29 overall run defense, which also allows a league-worst 5.4 yards per carry and has surrendered 15 rushing scores.

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7 fantasy football wavier wire claims to make ahead of Week 13

Fantasy football wavier wire claims ahead of Week 13 of the NFL season.

Need a fresh face for your fantasy football roster this week?

It’s never too late for a few extra points to add to your win column.

QB Sam Darnold

Another week, another 34 points, another addition of Sam Darnold on the waiver wire player to pick up list. Folks still aren’t pick up on Darnold, but he’s now a huge add and immediately start with the Bengals en route. It’s easy to envision the Jets and Darnold not putting up 34 point for the fourth-straight game, that’s because they have a look at surpassing that, easily. In those three games, he has seven touchdowns, one interception and 838 passing yards. He should stay out of the tabloids, though.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 18.9%

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7 waiver wire pickups in fantasy football for Week 13

Waiver wire pickups for Week 13.

Week 12 in the NFL brought a lot of teams that were flying high down to reality. With many talented players on a bye week, it provided lineup issues and possibly even last second waiver wire adds.

Some leagues have playoffs starting this week while others will begin over the next few weeks. Even so, the waiver wire will be important with handcuffs and injuries at the most important positions.

With trade deadlines having passed, here are the top waiver-wire pickups for Week 13:

RB Rashaad Penny — 29.1% rostered (ESPN)

Penny finally had his breakout career game on Sunday against Philadelphia as he finished with 14 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks have shown to give a lot of attention to the run in recent weeks but with Chris Carson still having issues holding on to the ball, Penny will be a more focused piece of this offense.

We aren’t at the point where the former first-round pick will be taking over the backfield, but head coach Pete Carroll hinted that more of a timeshare could be on the way in Seattle.

With a Monday night matchup against Minnesota on the horizon, look for Seattle to use Penny and other offensive pieces as they try to keep pace with San Francisco in the division race.

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3 Steelers Who Need To Step Up In Week 12

Three Steelers that can give the Steelers offense a boost.

With the Steelers defense shaking out to be one of the best in the NFL, the offense will need to increase it’s production if the Steelers are going to grab an AFC wildcard spot. This week the offense will be down two pro bowlers as JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner will sit out against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. Here are three Steelers that need to step up and help Mason Rudolph put points on the board this week in Cincinnati:

WR James Washington

It’s well known that Washington and Rudolph were teammates at Oklahoma State University so the lack of a connection between the two has been somewhat surprising in 2019. Washington seems to be on the verge of a breakout performance every week, but a landmark performance hasn’t been in the cards for the second-year wideout. Washington led the team in targets, receptions and yards two weeks ago against the Los Angeles Rams. He also scored the Steelers lone offensive touchdown. But a lost fumble late in that game seemed to stymie Washington’s growth and confidence.

Last week against the Browns he only had three receptions for a team-high 49 receiving yards on five targets. Washington has good game speed and while he isn’t the biggest receiver, he has a knack for making big plays downfield. Look for him to bounce back against a Bengals defense that is 24^thin passing yards surrendered.

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7 fantasy football waiver wire claims to make ahead of Week 12

7 fantasy football waiver wire claims to make heading into Week 12 of the NFL season.

Need a fresh face for your fantasy football roster this week?

It’s never too late for a few extra points to add to your win column.

Here are eight waiver wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 11:

Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi. Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

RB Bo Scarbrough

The round and round cycle that is the Lions running back situation since Kerryon Johnson’s injury has now landed on Bo Scarbrough. For those paying attention, we’ve went from Ty Johnson to JD McKissic and now Scarbrough. Last week against the Cowboys, Scarbrough came out of no where to muster up 14 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. McKissic did still feature as a pass catcher, though.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 0.3%

RB Jay Ajayi

Jay Ajayi signed with the Eagles prior to Week 11 against the Patriots, but he didn’t play behind Miles Sanders and Boston Scott. It might be a case of him needing to warm up to the offensive scheme, but he’s certainly at least a better option than Scott with Jordan Howard still expecting to miss some time. He’s at least worth stashing for a playoff run later on.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 10.%

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Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb named a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist

Oklahoma’s star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb was named to the Biletnikoff Award semifinalist list alongside 11 others from across the country.

CeeDee Lamb looks to follow in the steps of Dede Westbrook.

Oklahoma’s star wide receiver was named to the Biletnikoff Award semifinalist list alongside 11 others from across the country.

If Lamb were to win the award, he would be just the second Sooner to do so. Since the award has been founded, only Dede Westbrook has been awarded the honor for his 2016 season. Westbrook also finished in the top four in Heisman voting, taking the trip to New York City with Baker Mayfield.

Lamb would make the eighth Big 12 winner, following Westbrook, Oklahoma State’s James Washington (2017), and Justin Blackmon (2010-11), Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree (2007-08) and Baylor’s Corey Coleman (2015).

Notable names who made the semifinal list include last years winner, Jerry Jeudy, from Alabama, his teammate DeVonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson of LSU and Omar Bayless from Arkansas State.

Lamb, so far on the season has 44 receptions for 983 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Oklahoma plays TCU this Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on FOX.

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Fantasy football sleepers for Week 11

Quarterbacks Derek Carr and Sam Darnold highlight this week’s list of fantasy football sleepers.

Week 11 could be a difficult one at quarterback for fantasy football owners. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Seattle’s Russell Wilson, two of the best, are in their bye weeks.

That means you could be scrambling for a quarterback. In this week’s edition of fantasy football sleepers, we offer Oakland’s Derek Carr and New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold as suggestions to start. Also, some free advice: don’t be tempted and start Washington’s Dwayne Haskins. Yes, interim coach Bill Callahan named him the starter for the rest of the season, but Haskins is raw and won’t put up a lot of fantasy points.

Here are nine fantasy football sleepers for Week 11:

9. Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets

Darnold had a solid game, throwing 230 yards and a touchdown in last week’s victory against the Giants. He’s got a favorable matchup this week against the Redskins. In fact, matchups with the Raiders, Bengals and Dolphins follow that. Darnold could be more than a one-week starter.

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7 waiver wire pickups in fantasy football for Week 11

Target these players on the waiver wire in Week 11.

This NFL season has been more unpredictable than any year I can remember. Constant injuries to big-name players and then even injuries to their backups have provided little room for consistency. When it comes to fantasy football, this has been the dagger for most people who thought they drafted the perfect team.

It goes to show that fantasy football is a gamble. You never really know what a player is going to do week to week and we all know projected points mean less and less each week. However it is Week 11 and for those of you who have not quit your leagues altogether, it may not be too late.

With Green Bay, Tennessee, New York (Giants) and Seattle all on a bye, here are your waiver wire pickups for Week 11 to help you make that playoff push:

WR James Washington — 18.3% rostered (ESPN)

With the revolving door of quarterbacks in Pittsburgh this season, James Washington has not had the breakout sophomore season everyone predicted. On Sunday against the rams, however, the Oklahoma State product connection finally flourished between Washington and quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Washington finished the day with six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. As the Steelers keep winning games and having success throwing the ball, look for Washington to be included more and more in this young offense. The Steelers travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Thursday night.

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