In fantasy football, nothing's worse than a player going out and being a liability in your lineup. There's not a whole lot you can do when a superstar underperforms, but it's infuriating when one of your fringe starters is one of the reasons you lost a matchup. Fantasy managers should look to avoid these disappointments at all costs.
Last week, we gave you names like Deebo Samuel, Najee Harris, Dallas Goedert, and Tank Dell as players to consider benching. If you started any of these four, chances are that you were left wishing you had made a different decision. Thankfully, Week 13 is a clean slate with new matchups to analyze. It may be a new week, but the goal remains the same - avoid the lineup landmines.
We'll be using a roundtable style article for our Week 13 fantasy football busts. Three of our fantasy football analysts will be taking a look at the slate and covering one player who they will be shying away from at each position. Fantasy managers could be in line for a frustrating Sunday afternoon if they choose to start any of these players.
WEEK 13 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Fantasy QB Busts Week 13
Michael O'Hara: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals — Of all the fantasy QB1 options, none has been more inconsistent than Kyler Murray. He has four games with more than 22 fantasy points, but he also has four games with 12 or fewer points. This could be a week where we see Murray hit his floor rather than his ceiling. The Vikings' defense has caused fits for opposing quarterbacks thanks to their 36.1 percent pressure rate. Minnesota is holding opposing quarterbacks to 16.6 fantasy points per game, and we could see Murray come in below this number if Brian Flores forces him to make a few poor decisions and cause a turnover or two.
Ed Williams: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions — The Lions have been red-hot, steamrolling past everyone. Some thought the Colts could be a trap game last week, but Detroit had no issues in dispatching of them. But now they host Chicago on Thanksgiving on a short week. The Bears have had some issues this year, but the defense continues to thrive against the pass. In addition to giving up the 2nd-fewest points to wide receivers, they also lead the league in how few points they give up to QBs. It might seem like going out on a limb to call the 3rd-favorite for NFL MVP based on the odds a bust, but that is the case here in Week 13. Proceed with caution if you want to play Goff.
Vinnie Iyer: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers — Love will lean a lot on the run at home vs. the Dolphins whose pass defense can give him or his more limited receivers some problems, while it remains the Josh Jacobs show.
WEEK 13 FANTASY FOOTBALL WAIVER WIRE ADVICE
Full Waiver Wire List | FAAB Recommendations
Fantasy RB Busts Week 13
O'Hara: James Conner, Arizona Cardinals — A matchup with the Vikings spells trouble for both members of the Arizona backfield. James Conner will take on a front seven that has allowed the 3rd-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. The Vikings also rank 1st in rushing yards allowed per game and 2nd in yards per carry. Minnesota has not allowed a running back to hit double-digit fantasy points since Week 8, and it will require an impressive performance from Conner to break that streak. The most likely outcome seems to be a day of tough sledding for the Arizona offense as a whole.
Williams: Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jags are coming off a bye, but before that break, the team was in shambles. It was widely assumed that Doug Pederson would have been fired during the bye week, but that never came to pass, and he's still at the helm. Now they face the Texans who give up the 6th-fewest points to running backs. Etienne also typically has to share carries with Tank Bigsby and D'Ernest Johnson, so this is not a recipe for success.
Iyer: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers — The Browns were tough on him up front in Week 12, and that can continue against the beefed up Bengals, who are much-improved vs. the run rom earlier in the season when battling key injuries up front.
Fantasy WR Busts Week 13
O'Hara: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers — Deebo Samuel was on this list last week, and we're going right back to him in Week 13. Throughout his career, Samuel has been known for generating explosive plays after the catch. If there's one thing the Buffalo defense has been known for this season, it's limiting those sorts of plays. They utilize two high safety looks at the highest rate in the league in an effort to keep everything in front of them. The Bills have also been very effective at wrapping up after the catch; their 5.12 YAC per reception is the 6th-best mark in the NFL. Against a defense that limits the big play, Samuel is a bust candidate amid his recent struggles.
Williams: Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions — Williams is a boom-or-bust player, and going up against the Bears on a short week seems much closer to a bust scenario. Chicago gives up the 2nd-fewest points to wide receivers, and since we already have Jared Goff as a bust, this correlates. Amon-Ra St. Brown may have more success as he runs more routes out of the slot, but Chicago is very stingy on the outside.
Iyer: Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns — Jeudy has been rejuvenated as a key target for Jameis Winston, but expect his revenge game to be more revenge lame against Denver's nasty cover cornerbacks, inside and out. This feels like an ugly, low-scoring game in the elements, except with Jeudy not repeating what he did vs. the Steelers.
Fantasy TE Busts Week 13
O'Hara: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons — Kyle Pitts' role within the Atlanta offense has been unpredictable throughout the year; his weekly target share has ranged from 4.2 to 25 percent. Given his inconsistent usage, it's hard to rely on Pitts to begin with. Against a stout Chargers defense, he's best left on the bench. Los Angeles has the No. 11 pass defense in the NFL, and they have been especially effective at shutting down tight ends. Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and Travis Kelce are the only tight ends to hit 50 yards against this defense. This trio makes up some of fantasy's elite tight ends, but Kelce was the only one to score more than 12 PPR points against the Chargers. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see Pitts held in the single digits.
Williams: Dalton Kincaid/Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills — The Bills are coming off a bye, but we still don't know if Dalton Kincaid will be ready to go as he's been dealing with a knee injury. Either way, whoever is starting at TE for the Bills, should be left out of fantasy lineups. Kincaid has been a big disappointment all season as Buffalo just isn't giving him enough volume to be a valuable fantasy asset this year. On top of that, while the 49ers have struggled in some areas on defense, they're giving up the 6th-fewest points to the tight end position. You should be able to find better alternatives.
Iyer: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens — Isaiah Likely has resurfaced as a factor, and the wide receivers are more involved. The Eagles have been very good in coverage in the middle vs. tight ends, so you can afford to sit him if you have a favorable depth play.
Fantasy Defense Busts Week 13
O'Hara: Pittsburgh Steelers — The Pittsburgh defense has been an every-week starter this year, but fantasy managers should have second thoughts this week. The Bengals have scored at least 27 points in three straight games and hold the No. 6 scoring offense in the NFL. The Cincinnati offense will likely be pulling out all the stops in a must-win divisional matchup.
Williams: San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers have a reputation for being a great defense, but that hasn't always been the case the last couple of years, and this year in particular, there seem to be more cracks in the foundation than usual. With a well-rested Bills team up next, this unit should not be in starting lineups.
Iyer: Chicago Bears — They struggled more than expected vs. the Vikings' passing offense overall, and you'll want to park them on the road in the division against the mightier, less-giving Lions.
