Team of the Week
QB: Brock Purdy, SF
The spectacular season for Purdy continued in a 42-19 win over the Eagles, as he distributed the ball to his playmakers to put up 29.46 fantasy points on just 19 completions—throwing for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Since the bye week, Purdy has scored 23.84+ fantasy points in three-of-four games.
RB: Alvin Kamara, NO
Detroit was a tough matchup yesterday, but Kamara was fully expected to be featured for New Orleans, and that’s what happened with 20 touches for 109 yards and two touchdowns on his way to a season-high 25.9 fantasy points. Overall, the combination of consistency and ceiling have returned for Kamara in 2023, and he’s in a great spot next week with the Panthers coming to town.
RB: Derrick Henry, TEN
Entering the concussion protocol unfortunately ended Henry’s day early, but his December—the month when he usually takes over—got off to a tremendous start by rushing 21 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns (along with an 18-yard reception). King Henry at least has an extra day to clear the protocol ahead of next Monday night’s matchup against the Dolphins.
WR: DK Metcalf, SEA
Metcalf started off Week 13 with a bang by scoring on a 73-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter on Thursday night, and he showed his immense upside by finishing with a 6/134/3 line against Dallas. The monster wideout has now gone for at least 94 yards in three of his past four appearances, so he’s heating up at the perfect time.
WR: Deebo Samuel, SF
Samuel was one of the San Francisco players that has had plenty to say since the team’s playoff loss to the Eagles, but he backed up his talk by scoring three times in the blowout win. The 33.8-point performance came on just three carries and four targets.
TE: Sam LaPorta, DET
LaPorta is having a historic rookie campaign for a tight end, and yesterday was his being outing yet by catching all nine of his targets for 140 yards and a score to finish as the clear TE1 for Week 13. The impressive second-rounder is now up to a 64/679/6 line on the year with five games to go.
FLEX: Tyreek Hill, MIA
Hill torching Washington felt like an absolute lock, and he did just that by catching five-of-seven targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns—which were both 60+ yards. There won’t be a better option at wide receiver in the final week of the fantasy regular season when Hill takes on Tennessee.
D/ST: Colts
While the Indy defense didn’t have their best showing on Sunday, they did record six sacks; but it was the special teams with a blocked punt for a touchdown that boosted them to 17.0 fantasy points and keyed an overtime win to improve to 7-5.
K: Brandon Aubrey, DAL
Aubrey remained perfect on his field goals by hitting all four attempts against the Seahawks, and his steadiness has made him the top fantasy kicking option of the season. The rookie will be an elite option next week for a huge clash against the Eagles.
Surprise of the Week: Geno Smith
The talent of Seattle doesn’t make Smith’s performance last Thursday night a huge surprise, but it did sort of come out of nowhere considering the recent struggles for the passing attack—and the veteran threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns (plus one interception) while also rushing for a score. Geno will now look to stay hot next week versus the Niners, and the playoff schedule sets up nicely for him.
Disappointment of the Week: Tank Dell
Not only did Dell not record a catch in a crucial week for many fantasy owners, but he also suffered a broken leg to end his standout rookie campaign. And adding insult to injury for those still in good shape for a playoff spot, Dell would’ve had home-run matchups against the Titans in Week 15 and Week 17 that he won’t get to take advantage of.
Rookie of the Week: De’Von Achane
Sam LaPorta could have been chosen here, but Achane—excluding a brief appearance in Week 11—was able to get back on the field for the first time since Week 5, and he didn’t disappoint with 20 touches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Most encouraging is Achane’s workload leaving little doubt about his RB1 potential down the stretch.
Week 13 MVP: DK Metcalf
The 34.4 fantasy points for Metcalf this week were easily a season-high, and talk about Seattle focusing on finding ways to get him going came to fruition last Thursday night. Next up, Metcalf will get a rematch against the Niners in Week 14, and then he’s set up for at least a couple of explosions over the final four games (v PHI, @ TEN, v PIT, @ ARI).