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Week 13 has come and gone. The fantasy football playoffs are starting for some and just around the corner for others. In the coming weeks, fantasy managers will have some tough decisions to make.
In this weekly column, we'll be looking at fantasy football players whose arrows may be pointing up and players whose arrows may be pointing down based on the previous week's games.
We'll try not to overreact, but instead use relevant data to make informed decisions about certain players. Here are the key risers and fallers heading into Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season.
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Week 14 Fantasy Football Risers
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco once again dominated RB touches for the Chiefs with Jerick McKinnon out for a second straight game. He played on 70% of the snaps and had 21 touches, good for 88% of the RB touches against the Packers. In Week 12, Pacheco played on 78% of the snaps and got 87% of the RB touches. He also has nine targets in those two games. Jared Smola said it best:
Even if and when McKinnon does return, expect Pacheco to remain involved in all facets of the offense, not just running the football. Everyone loves this guy, especially Patrick Mahomes. And when Mahomes is a fan, you're going to find your way onto the football field. When he's on the field, as he has been a lot these last two weeks, he puts up fantasy points. In fact, Pacheco is currently a top-10 fantasy RB this season despite snap shares less than 50% in Weeks 1-3.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
In his first game without Frank Reich as head coach, Hubbard played 64% of the snaps and logged a career-high 25 carries. He didn't get a target, but he racked up 104 yards and two touchdowns. He did this in a game Miles Sanders played. According to Hayden Winks, he was 6th amongst running backs in usage and expected points in Week 13.
He's got a couple of tough matchups on paper coming up with the Saints and Falcons. However, that didn't stop him from producing a top-5 RB week against the Buccaneers. It appears Hubbard is going to see a lot of volume down the stretch for this Carolina Panthers team, which could help him overcome those "tough" matchups.
Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco is to Elijah Moore as Patrick Mahomes is to Travis Kelce apparently:
It happened again in Week 13. Moore saw a team-high 12 targets. He only caught four of those targets but racked up 83 yards on the day. He's seen 21 targets in his last two weeks and Amari Cooper is currently in concussion protocol. That could lead to another big week in Week 14 vs. Jacksonville if Cooper is forced to miss that game.
Elijah Moore hasn't topped 12.9 half-PPR fantasy points in any week this season, but with Flacco IN and Cooper possibly OUT, he's going to at least get a lot of looks in Week 14. He should be considered at least a flex play until further notice.
David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
After playing just 27% of the snaps in Week 12 (a game in which the Lions trailed throughout), Montgomery played 62% of the snaps in Week 13 (a game in which the Lions led throughout). With Montgomery back to full health, it's clear the Lions are going to use him more in games when they have a lead.
He churned out 56 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries this past week against the Saints. He has now scored a touchdown in all but one game this season. He's been as consistent as any running back in the league this season. Sure, his upside is capped by rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, but Montgomery's consistency shouldn't go overlooked.
In Week 14, the Lions play at Chicago, which will be the first time Montgomery faces his former team at Soldier Field. One would have to imagine he finds the end zone at least once again, at minimum. Then in Week 15 he gets the Broncos at home and in Week 16 the Vikings in Minnesota. Some nice matchups and positive game scripts down the stretch should help boost Montgomery's stock in the fantasy football playoffs.
Other Fantasy Football Risers:
Week 14 Fantasy Football Fallers
Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Scary Terry put up a very scary line in Week 13 in the worst way possible. He didn't get a single pass on a season-low three targets in the blowout loss to the Dolphins. Now, the Commanders are on bye in Week 14, which is probably best for McLaurin managers who don't have to decide whether or not to start him.
McLaurin now hasn't eclipsed 50 yards in each of his last four games. He's averaging [by far] career-lows in yards per target (6.94) and yards per catch (11.57) this season. His career averages for both are about 9.0 yards per target and 14 yards per catch. McLaurin's target share (20.8%) and target rate (19.8%) are also career lows.
It's been a rough season for the Commanders' WR1 and it won't get any easier after the bye with matchups against the Rams, Jets, and 49ers.
Devin Singletary, Houston Texans
Singletary was a workhorse in Weeks 9-12. That changed in Week 13 with Dameon Pierce another week healthy. After averaging 80% of the snaps, Singletary played just 46% of the snaps against Denver and got just nine touches, which was just 35% of the RB touches.
Singletary still got the most snaps and ran the most routes of any Texans back, but a three-way split backfield isn't good for fantasy football. Houston plays the New York Jets in Week 14, which could lead to more carries for Pierce as the "starter" in a game the Texans should cruise to victory.
Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Godwin, much like McLaurin, has struggled this season. He was battling a neck injury in Week 13 but still managed to play 84% of the snaps. He salvaged the day by scoring a 19-yard rushing touchdown after going catch-less on just three targets. Head coach Todd Bowles mentioned he was limited, but the playing time didn't show that.
Godwin now has four or fewer receptions in four of his last five games. His catch rate this season is just 62% in his first year without Tom Brady compared to 73% in 2022. Baker Mayfield has completely locked in on Mike Evans instead, who has over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns through just 12 games.
So while Evans is blowing past expectations this season, Godwin has fallen very short of his.
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Is Ekeler cooked? In Week 12, he played 80% of the snaps but churned out just 64 total yards on 16 opportunities. This past week, he played just 57% of the snaps and produced just 27 total yards on 17 opportunities. After finishing as the overall RB1 in fantasy football last season, Ekeler is barely a top-20 RB this season.
His yards per carry (ypc) is at an all-time low (3.54) and he's not getting as many targets as in previous seasons. Ekeler also has only found the end zone five times through nine games, whereas he totaled 38 touchdowns in 33 games the last two seasons. The Chargers' offensive woes could be to blame, but Ekeler has probably also lost a step after two seasons of extremely heavy usage.
Luckily for Ekeler's fantasy managers, favorable matchups against the Broncos, Raiders, and Bills loom in the fantasy football playoffs. After not scoring a touchdown in three consecutive games, he could fall into the end zone against sub-par run defenses in the coming weeks.
Other Fantasy Football Fallers:
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