We have a loaded Week 13 slate with 13 teams boasting an implied team total of at least 24 points. Expect a higher-scoring Sunday than what we have experienced over the last few weeks. The slate features most of 2022’s top fantasy stars, including each of the top seven running backs. The bevy of top options makes for many attractive pay-up options. Unfortunately, there are few obvious values on the slate so finding paths to rostering more than one or two of the elite players is challenging.
Situations to Monitor
As we get deeper into the season, late-breaking injury news and getting an accurate read on usage expectations in the key injury spots takes on massive importance. Here are some of the Week 13 spots to keep an eye on as we count down towards lineup lock on Sunday morning:
- Bengals RB - Will Joe Mixon miss another week? He remains in concussion protocol as of Saturday morning. If he misses, Samaje Perine should be one of the top plays of the slate at running back. Perine played 80% of the snaps, had 17 carries, and 7 targets in Week 12.
- Chiefs RB - How healthy is Jerick McKinnon? He is expected to play despite missing practice all week with a hamstring injury but it is fair to wonder whether he will play his typical number of snaps (47% since Week 5) or whether Isiah Pacheco will take on more work in the passing game.
- Jets RB - How much does James Robinson play spoiler? Zonovan Knight and Ty Johnson looked excellent last week after Michael Carter went down with an injury but Robinson should be active and in the mix to some extent on Sunday.
- Bears QB - Justin Fields is not listed on the injury report and has been a full practice participant but how many designed runs should we expect? If the Bears plan to protect Fields and decrease his rushing usage, his fantasy upside takes a bit hit.
- Bengals WR - JaMarr Chase seems highly likely to play but it is unclear whether or not he will be on a pitch count after missing the past month with a hip injury. Will Tee Higgins maintain the lead role for another week?
- 49ers WR/RB - Christian McCaffrey is going to play but has been managing a knee injury. Deebo Samuel is trending towards a game time decision due to a quad injury. Though the two play different positions, there is plenty of overlap in terms of roles and usage.
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