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Week 13 was a wild one filled with huge performances from stars, and injuries to them as well. You either came out of this week smiling ear to ear, or cursing the fantasy gods for bad injury luck.
With this crazy week, there were some unexpected performances from some players that haven’t been heard from for most of the season. Unfortunately, there weren’t many of those out-of-nowhere scoring days, but there was a decent amount from players that have been dormant for a while.
With many performances from players that many forgot had fantasy value earlier in the year, this could be an interesting week for waiver wires with just a week to go before the fantasy playoffs. With the fantasy regular season nearing a close, here are some unexpected performances from Week 13.
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Fantasy Football Risers - Surprise Performances
A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers
After having a ton of offseason hype and plenty of disappointing performances up to this point in the year, A.J. Dillon finally came through in Week 13. The Packers went run-heavy in their 28-19 win over the Chicago Bears with Dillon leading the charge.
The third-year back led Green Bay in usage out of the backfield with 18 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown along with three receptions for 26 yards. That stat line resulted in 19.4 Half-PPR fantasy points on the day.
.@ajdillon7 takes it 21 yards for the score!#GBvsCHI | #ProBowlVote | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/h9klaftrha
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 4, 2022
Dillon played a big role in this game due to what seemed like a nagging shin injury that fellow running back Aaron Jones was dealing with. Jones was in and out of the game in Week 13, which allowed Dillon to build up steam and eventually close out the Bears. There haven’t been any conclusive reports on Jones’ status, but it’s something to monitor throughout the week.
The Packers have a bye in Week 14, but if Jones’ injury ends up being more severe than people would hope, a massive fantasy role would open up for Dillon in this Green Bay offense.
Cleveland Browns D/ST
It’s rare for a team defense to warrant recognition for their fantasy performance, but this was one of the best performances seen in recent memory. This game between the Browns and the Houston Texans was swarming with narratives for obvious reasons. However, those were muddled mostly because of the dominant outing from a Cleveland defense that has struggled for most of the season.
In a weird game against the Texans, the Browns D/ST came to play with four forced turnovers, two returned for touchdowns, and one punt return touchdown. That insane defensive scoring performance resulted in 31 fantasy points on the day.
.@T_Fields1 takes his first-career INT to the end zone!
📺: #CLEvsHOU on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/FaHQAGHBDq— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 4, 2022
The Browns were regarded as one of the best defensive plays this week, as the Texans are an offense that fantasy managers looking for a defensive streaming option have consistently targeted. However, this was a ridiculous showing that blew expectations out of the water.
While this was a strong showing, this speaks more to how inept the Houston offense is rather than how great the Cleveland defense is. The Browns are still one of the weaker defenses in the league, and they should continue to be seen that way. With an upcoming matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns D/ST should be back on waiver wires in Week 14.
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
Week 13 was the week for running backs that have disappointed all season. In addition to A.J. Dillon, Cam Akers came out of the woodwork to have his most productive performance of the season. In a game where there wasn’t much expected of the Los Angeles offense, Akers stepped in to give the Rams a surprising boost.
Against the Seattle Seahawks, Akers had 17 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns along with a single reception for no yards. That performance resulted in 18.5 Half-PPR fantasy points, the fifth-highest score from a running back on the week.
Second TD of the day for @thereal_cam3! 💪
🔄 #ProBowlVote | 📺 @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/H8BV4DjSl6
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 4, 2022
With the Rams recently cutting Darrell Henderson, this backfield appears to belong to Akers and rookie Kyren Williams. That would suggest some solid usage for Akers moving forward; however, they’re probably not going to find a running back matchup better than the Seahawks. Coming into this week, Seattle was allowing the most fantasy points to running backs over the last four weeks.
So, while this should be a step in the right direction for Akers, he appears to be a matchup-based play. Lucky for him, the Las Vegas Raiders are on the Rams' schedule for Week 14. With the Raiders also having one of the worst run defenses in the league, the 23-year-old could be in for a repeat performance.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
Alec Pierce had a solid start to the season that offered some hope for a potential rookie breakout. Unfortunately, the Indianapolis Colts have completely fallen apart as a team, which has pretty much annihilated the fantasy potential for the wide receiver. However, he decided to show out in one of the toughest fantasy matchups for wide receivers.
Against the Dallas Cowboys, Alec Pierce caught four-of-eight targets for 86 yards and a touchdown. That stat line resulted in 16.6 Half-PPR fantasy points and the WR14 finish before Sunday Night Football.
Alec Pierce +6. #ProBowlVote
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/9EMfQgPBIT
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 5, 2022
While this was a nice performance for Pierce, it is probably not the norm with how bad Matt Ryan has been this season. At best, he’s a boom-bust play due to his big play ability. It’s looking like we’ll have to wait until next year for more consistent output from the wideout.
Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
After weeks of disappointing play since returning from injury, Jahan Dotson finally had a solid performance in Week 13. After his four-week absence due to an injury suffered in Week 5, Dotson returned to the field in Week 10 but had only seen three total touches in the past three weeks. That may have been due to Dotson gelling with Carson Wentz and not having much time with Taylor Heinicke. But now, the two appear to have built some chemistry.
Against the New York Giants, Dotson caught five-of-nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. His efforts resulted in 13.9 Half-PPR fantasy points, which ranked as the WR18 on the week.
WHAT A PLAY BY ONE
📺 #WASvsNYG FOX pic.twitter.com/7d7mP072CC
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 4, 2022
Maybe this is the start of some increased usage for Dotson, as he clearly has the talent to put up solid numbers. If the Washington offense decides to move toward a more pass-heavy approach, he could be an interesting waiver add if available.
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