There was plenty of drama in Week 13, including the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs hitting new lows, and the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks hitting new highs. However, as is the case every week in the NFL, a few teams and players under-performed and left a sour taste in the mouth of their fantasy owners. These players all did that in Week 13. Here are the biggest fantasy busts from Week 13.
Quarterback – Matt Ryan
173 Passing Yards, 1 Rushing Yards 0 TDs
After having the Falcons flying high for a few weeks, Matt Ryan (and basically the entire Falcons offense) fizzled against the Minnesota Vikings. Ryan did what he could against the Vikings, which resulted in a sub-200 yard passing game for the second time in three weeks (after having topped 200 yards for 64 straight games). If Ryan could have thrown a touchdown or picked up some rushing yards, he could have salvaged his fantasy day. However, the Falcons were shut out of the end zone (settling for only three field goals) in their 14-9 loss and Ryan finished Week 13 as a fantasy bust.
Running Back – Duke Johnson Jr.
2 Rushing Yards, 2 Receptions, 10 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs, only seven attempts
Although he is not amongst the top running backs in name recognition, Duke Johnson Jr. has had a fine fantasy season. However, Week 13 did not go well for Johnson. Johnson matched his second-highest total for carries in Week 13 (seven), yet averaged less than 0.3 yards per carry. He did not do enough in the passing game to offset his poor performance, catching just two passes (tying for a season-low) for only ten yards (second lowest of the season). Johnson had caught between four and six passes the previous five games, and he should be a flex start next week against Green Bay.
Wide Receiver – Julio Jones
2 Reception, 24 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
After an absolutely monstrous game in Week 12, Julio Jones came crashing down to earth in Week 13, finishing the day with his lowest yardage total since September 2016. It was also only the third time since 2012 Jones did not 25 yards receiving. The Vikings simply outclassed the Falcons on Sunday. Of course, Julio Jones remains a must-start every week of the season and should do much better during the fantasy playoffs.
Tight End– Vernon Davis
0 Receptions, 0 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
After finding consistency and reliably over the last month of the season, Vernon Davis dropped a goose egg on Thursday night against Dallas. He failed to catch a single pass while seeing only one target go in his direction. That’s hard to believe as first of all, Jordan Reed was out. Secondly, the Cowboys pass defense has been a mess over the last month. Thirdly, the Redskins were playing from behind quite a bit.
Davis’ two worst fantasy games have come against the Cowboys (earlier in the year he caught two passes for 20 yards). Maybe he just cannot do much against their “vaunted” defense. Keep an eye on Reed’s status for next week before you consider starting Davis again.
Defense – Kansas City Chiefs
38 Points Allowed, 488 Yards Allowed, 0 Sacks, 0 Turnovers
In a game that quickly turned into a shootout, the New York Jets easily over-matched the Kansas City Chiefs defense. The Chiefs entered the +35-point realm and could not generate a single sack or turnover to save themselves from finishing with negative points. The Chiefs defense has been bad all season, but Week 13 was the tipping point from bad to worst of the entire week. It looks like they’ve quit on the season – especially top cornerback Marcus Peters, who could be suspended – so target them with offensive players the rest of the way.
Kicker – Kai Forbath
2 PATs, 0 FGs
The Minnesota-Atlanta game turned into a defensive battle with only 23 points total. The Vikings, unlike the Falcons, were able to get into the end zone (scoring two touchdowns). Forbath did not get an opportunity outside of the two PATs, to just any points on the board for Minnesota. In a game expected to see more points and the fact it was played indoors, makes the two-point performance by Forbath one of the most disappointing of Week 13.
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