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Joe Nicely breaks down five players that had overdue breakout fantasy performances. Will AJ Dillon, Cam Akers, D'Andre Swift, Keenan Allen continue to be studs?
We all know the players...the ones we drafted high, emptied our FAAB bankrolls for, or tried to buy low on; only to watch them consistently underperform week after week.
When players that our guts and the stats tell us should perform well, continually fail to do so, it is undoubtedly one of the most nauseating feelings in all of fantasy football. Fortunately for some fantasy managers, Week 13 was a slate when a handful of those players finally had breakout performances.
In this article, we'll dive into five players that put forth the type of outings we've been waiting for in Week 13 and determine if their output is sustainable down the stretch.
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D'Andre Swift
2022 Average Fantasy Points Per Game (Standard Scoring) - 10.8
Week 13 Fantasy Points - 17.1
Swift's performance in Week 13 was a nice reminder that the talent is there. Unfortunately, the volume always isn't. The dynamic back has been perpetually banged up in 2022, which has led Dan Campbell and this Lions coaching staff to severely limit his workload. Campbell and company loosened the reins in Week 13, as Swift led the Detroit backfield in snap share (51%), rushing attempts (14), and targets (6).
The dynamic University of Georgia product converted the increased opportunities into 111 total yards and a score against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It marked just the second time since Week 2 that he played more snaps than backfield mate Jamaal Williams and must be viewed as a positive sign going forward. As always, Swift's production and volume will come down to his ability to stay healthy down the stretch.
AJ Dillon
2022 Average Fantasy Points Per Game (Standard Scoring) - 7.4
Week 13 Fantasy Points - 17.9
Many fantasy managers had high hopes for AJ Dillon after a 2021 campaign in which he logged 1,116 total yards and seven TDs. Instead, Dillon has settled in behind fellow Packers running back Aaron Jones for the majority of the year. The third-year RB has averaged a 49% snap share in 2022, compared to Jones' 62% mark.
With Jones battling a shin injury in Week 13, Dillon was the clear lead back against Chicago. He posted season highs in both carries (18) and rushing yards (93) which led to his best fantasy output of the year to this point. Dillon has now posted rock-solid outings in back-to-back weeks, although fantasy managers should temper their expectations, as Green Bay's Week 14 bye should give Jones ample time to rest and recover from his shin issue.
Barring an injury setback with Jones, this backfield will likely remain a timeshare for the duration of the season, which will continue to limit Dillon's fantasy upside.
Cam Akers
2022 Average Fantasy Points Per Game (Standard Scoring) - 5.1
Week 13 Fantasy Points - 18.0
A roller-coaster season continued for Cam Akers and his fantasy backers in Week 13, as the much-maligned Rams running back recorded his best outing of 2022. Akers logged season highs in carries (17), fantasy points (18.0), and TDs (two) against the Seattle Seahawks.
While the final fantasy line looks good on paper – and was a welcome surprise for GMs that were forced to start Akers last week – the underlying metrics aren't exactly swoon-worthy. Akers averaged just 3.5 yards per carry while running behind a severely-depleted L.A. offensive line and he remained a zero in the passing game, logging just a single target. With the Rams sporting an abysmal 3-9 record, each game on the schedule means a little less with every passing week.
L.A. looks prepared to shutdown offensive stars like Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, and simply throw in the towel on the season. The bright side for Akers fantasy managers? There's a chance that they will continue letting a player that the organization likely cares little about at this point, bang into the back of this horrific O-line for the remainder of the year. The downside? The team might want to see what they have in rookie RB Kyren Williams before the season ends.
Michael Gallup
2022 Average Fantasy Points Per Game (Standard Scoring) - 5.3
Week 13 Fantasy Points - 14.3
Those that drafted Michael Gallup knew that he would need to work his way back from a torn ACL, but they didn't think it would take this long. The Cowboys wide receiver did indeed miss the first three games of 2022 as he rehabbed from surgery, but Gallup has struggled to make much of an impact since officially returning to action in Week 4.
Despite possessing a clear path to the WR2 role – and the volume that comes with it – in this high-powered Dallas passing attack, the talented 26-year-old had failed to record more than 50 yards receiving in a single game prior to breaking through that benchmark against the Giants on Thanksgiving Day.
Gallup found the end zone twice vs the Colts in Week 13, scoring his first TD since Week 4 of the season. He's now posted 12 catches for 124 yards and two scores across Dallas' last three games. Finally trending in the right direction, Gallup draws some enticing matchups down the stretch. He'll face Houston, Jacksonville, and Tennessee's soft secondary units over the last month of the season.
Keenan Allen
2022 Average Fantasy Points Per Game (Standard Scoring) - 8.2
Week 13 Fantasy Points - 14.8
Keenan Allen isn't your traditional underachiever. The consensus WR1 has been besieged with injury issues throughout the year and has only suited up in five of L.A.'s 12 games in 2022. Injuries or not, Allen has still underperformed for those fantasy managers that have – perhaps impatiently – held him throughout the year in hopes that he would help their squads.
Those that have invested in Allen for the long haul might finally be getting rewarded, as the veteran's health appears to be trending in the right direction just in time for the fantasy playoffs. The 30-year-old recorded his best outing of the year in Week 13, as a season-high 14 targets led to six catches for 88 yards and a TD. Both the catches and receiving yards marked season highs, while the score was his first of 2022. It's been a rocky road for Allen's managers, but with Miami, Tennessee, Indianapolis, and the L.A. Rams left on the schedule, there just might be a pot of gold awaiting at the end of the rainbow.
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