Week 13 Results
Denver (at Washington) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
If you told me that Marcus Mariota was going to throw the ball 50 times, I would have expected the Broncos to sack him more than two times and force more than one turnover.
A Look Ahead: @LV GB JAX - At least we still have Geno Smith to kick around this week.
LA Rams (at Carolina) - 2 sacks
What if I told you before Week 13 that there would be a pick-six in this game? That one of the starting quarterbacks was going to turn the ball over three times. That the other quarterback was going to throw two long touchdowns on fourth downs. Certainly, you would have said Bryce Young was the one who faltered, while Matthew Stafford was the one who came through. You would have been wrong.
A Look Ahead: @ARI DET @SEA - Jacoby Brissett's freewheeling ways keep the Rams D/ST in play
Jacksonville (at Tennessee) - 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 pts allowed
The Jaguars predictably came through against the most dependable D/ST matchup of the season.
A Look Ahead: IND NYJ @DEN - Daniel Jones actually played well against Houston last week, but the Jaguars D/ST is in consideration simply to be able to have them against the Jets in Week 15.
Atlanta (at NY Jets) - 2 sacks
Welp. The Falcons' pass rush had trouble corraling Tyrod Taylor and forced no turnovers.
A Look Ahead: SEA @TB @ARI - The Falcons D/ST is a Freebird now (and this bird you can not change).
San Francisco (at Cleveland) - 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 8 pts allowed
The 49ers were able to control this game, but Shedeur Sanders was actually Brock Purdy's equal on a windy, cold day, so it was just a mild hit for fantasy.
A Look Ahead: BYE TEN @IND - Depending on your scoring system and whether you are expected to have a playoff matchup in Week 15, it might be worth it to use an extra roster spot to keep the 49ers D/ST during their bye.
Miami (vs New Orleans) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF 2 pt
Remember when Minkah Fitzpatrick would turn games for the Steelers with big plays? He had that kind of impact for the Dolphins and fantasy teams in Week 13, including a pick-two return for two points on a conversion that could have tied the game late in the fourth quarter.
A Look Ahead: @NYJ @PIT CIN - The Miami defense's good weeks have come exclusively at home, and Tyrod Taylor played well last week, so we'll likely pass here.
LA Chargers (vs Las Vegas) - 5 sacks, 1 INT
What are we going to do if the Raiders bench Geno Smith?
A Look Ahead: PHI @KC @DAL - This is not a stretch for any D/ST to be in fantasy lineups.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Carolina (vs LA Rams) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 INTs, 1 DEF TD
Derrick Brown was in on two takeaways in Carolina territory, and Mike Jackson was in on two takeaways that included a pick-six. We might have to consider playing the Panthers D/ST in the fantasy playoffs.
Buffalo (at Pittsburgh) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
The Steelers' offense looks like one of the league's most feeble units right now.
Cincinnati (at Baltimore) - 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 INT
Even more impressive than scoring over 30 points on the road in his return, Joe Burrow also made the Bengals defense into a turnover-generating force!
New England (vs NY Giants) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 ST TD
Marcus Jones is one of the best football players that you might not have heard of. With his 94-yard punt return touchdown in this game, he hit the 75-return threshold to be eligible for "all-time" records and immediately became the leader in punt return average at 14.6 yards per return. Two players from the pre-1960 era are tied for second at 12.8 yards per punt return: George McAfee and Jack Christiansen. Devin Hester's career average is 11.7, if you were wondering, good enough for #9 all time.
Week 14 Candidates
Houston, Denver, and Seattle are assumed to be rostered