X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 13 - Russell Wilson, Tyler Allgeier, Juwan Johnson, Jayden Reed, more

Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Michael Florio's fantasy football sneaky starts, pivot plays, and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 13 of the NFL season. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers this upcoming week.

The byes are back. Wasn’t last week so nice -- where all you had to worry about was injuries? This week is a killer not just with six teams on bye, but with the high-quality fantasy options that the teams give us. You will not be able to use your Bills, Bears, Giants, Ravens, Raiders, and Vikings players. 

The QB position is the one that is being hit the hardest, but the depth of all fantasy managers will be tested this week. That is the silver lining that so many managers will be without their full starting lineup this week. But rejoice, after this week the Cardinals and Commanders are the only teams left on bye. 

My advice this time of year is always the same. If you can add your RB handcuffs, you should. The Jonathan Taylor manager sure wishes they had Zack Moss. You may have to wait a week because of the byes, but no later than next week should you be adding your handcuff. Now, onto helping you survive the bye weeks! 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Quarterback Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Jordan Love has multiple passing touchdowns in three straight and scored 20 or more in his last two. He also can add valuable points with his legs having run for over 20 yards in four of his last seven -- three times going over 30. A reminder that 10 rushing yards equates to 25 passing in fantasy land. He is putting up better numbers as a passer and will have to throw to try and keep up with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The matchup is tough, but he is a strong streaming option this week. 

Russell Wilson has topped 16 fantasy points in three of his last four games. And do not look now, but he is running more. The 11 carries, 34 yards, and a touchdown last week were awesome, but it's not like it came out of nowhere. Since Week 5, Russell Wilson has run for over 20 yards in all but one game. He has 30 or more in five games. This week, he faces the Texans, who have allowed the fourth-most passing yards since Week 8. The Broncos must move the ball to keep up with C.J. Stroud and their offense. Plus, he has a great schedule moving forward so he is more than just a one-week rental. 

Baker Mayfield brings a safe floor as far as streaming options go. He was disappointing last week, but that was just his fourth time this season with fewer than 16 fantasy points. He has also thrown multiple passing touchdowns in four of his last five games. The Panthers are not a matchup to avoid. The ceiling may not be much higher than 16 fantasy points, but he is a floor play worth streaming. 

Derek Carr is another streaming option as he has topped 300 passing yards in four of his last six games. The Lions have allowed a lot of production to QBs as of late with every QB facing them since their bye topping 21 fantasy points. The Saints will need to put up points to try and keep up with the Lions' offense. Carr is a pivot option for those in need of a bye-week replacement. 

 

Running Back Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Jeff Wilson Jr. returned last week after being a healthy scratch the week prior and played a third of the snaps, touching the ball 14 times. He turned that into 10.3 fantasy points. You have to monitor De'Von Achane’s status but if he is out, Wilson is very much in play as the Dolphins always feature two backs. He has a good matchup this week against the Commanders, who have allowed 4.8 yards per carry to backs since Week 8. He is a safe floor streaming option with an upside in one of the league's top offenses. 

Tyler Allgeier is always a threat to get more work than anticipated, especially when it comes to work near the goal line. He has a favorable matchup against the Jets, who have allowed the third-most rushing yards to backs since Week 8. But this should be a game where the Falcons run it a ton. Not only because the Jets have struggled against it, but because of how elite their secondary is. New York struggles to score points -- I doubt the Falcons want to give their secondary a chance to flip the game. They will run, run, and run some more, which means Allgeier is in play this week. 

Rico Dowdle has 10-plus touches in two of his last three games. He also has a touchdown in two games in that span. The floor is low as the weekly snap count still sits below 30 percent, but there has been more usage as of late for Dowdle. The hope here is he could have a breakaway run or score a touchdown. Perhaps he could see a lot of work in mop-up duty. The matchup has Dowdle in play as an upside streaming option for those in a pinch. The Seahawks have allowed the second-most rushing yards, most rushing touchdowns, and 5.3 yards per carry to backs since Week 8. 

Michael Carter is purely a deep-league option. Carter split snaps evenly with James Conner last week (25 each). Carter carried the ball four times to Conner’s six but he did run more routes. He finished with four catches on four targets for 15 yards. Again, the production was low but the usage is what matters. Carter is playing this week and seems to have a role that is enough to make him a streaming option in 14-team leagues or deeper. 

 

Wide Receiver Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Demario Douglas has nine targets in each of his last two games. He has seven or more in four straight. That sort of volume is enough to have him in play in a week like this with so many teams on bye. He has scored 10 or more fantasy points in his last three games -- which again is reliable in a week like this. Not only has he seen consistent volume but he has a fantastic matchup against the Chargers, who have allowed the third-most fantasy PPG to receivers. 

Jayden Reed has scored 15 or more in three straight as he continues to be used as Wisconsin’s version of Deebo Samuel. He has just one game with under 11 fantasy points since Week 7. Not only has he been productive, but the way he is used -- as a runner and on short catch and run targets -- is so much safer than all the downfield work his teammate Christian Watson sees. Reed brings a safe floor and upside as the Packers likely have to try to keep up with the Chiefs. 

Joshua Palmer could return this week, and if so, he is immediately back in play in fantasy football. The Chargers offense has been searching for a second WR to step up and Palmer had been a consistent source of volume before getting hurt. The Patriots secondary has struggled against the pass as of late as well. The floor may not be super safe, but he is certainly in play this week. 

Michael Wilson or Greg Dortch are deeper options this week. Dortch has topped eight targets in two straight. He could lose playing time if Wilson can suit up. He is my preferred option of the two if he can play. However, he did not practice on Wednesday and the Cards could opt to hold him out until after their Week 14 bye. That would make Dortch a volume start. 

A.T. Perry is in play if Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed do not suit up this week. Perry is a big-bodied receiver who would likely be the Saints' top red zone option along with Juwan Johnson. He also could see more downfield targets just out of necessity if the two field stretchers are out for the Saints. 

 

Tight End Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Pat Freiermuth put up a career-high 120 yards in his first game with Matt Canada no longer calling the plays. But it wasn’t just the production, a team-high 11 targets is amazing for any tight end. While the Cards have been tough against tight ends this year, they are not a matchup to avoid -- not after the usage he saw last week. The Muth is a great streaming option and could quickly work his way back into must-start tight end status as long as he can maintain a consistent volume.  

Juwan Johnson ran a team-high 33 routes last week and caught four of seven targets for 45 yards. Only Olave had more targets than Johnson. With the Saints pass catchers extremely banged up, it could mean added volume going his way. I prefer Johnson over Perry this week because the bar for fantasy success is so much lower for a tight end than a receiver. 

Cade Otton has proven to be a safe floor option, scoring more than eight fantasy points in all but one game since Week 10. The upside is that he can catch a touchdown, but if he doesn’t, being able to rely on a safe eight points is better than some managers will be able to do at the tight end position this week. 

Tyler Conklin is an option for you deep league players. He saw five targets last week, catching four of them for 33 yards. Now, he gets the Falcons, who have allowed the fifth-most yards to tight ends this season. Look, I would not be excited about having to trust Tim Boyle either, but in deep leagues, beggars cannot be choosers.

Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF