RADIO
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What a wild and woolly football season it has been so far. Tom Brady looked like he was done after Week 4, but he has since led the Patriots to the top of the heap in the AFC.
The Saints, who had not lost a game at home since December 2012, have now lost three straight at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Tampa Bay Bucs are simultaneously two games out of first place in their division and just one game out from being bad enough to having the number one overall pick in next year’s draft.
It’s a wonder we fantasy players can figure out whom to put in our starting lineups in any given week! There’s no need to fear, though, because I am here to try to make some sense out of all this madness! I realize that most leagues have seen their trade deadlines come and go, but it's okay if you're unable to make any trades, because there's still a bit of value left on the waiver wire.
I’ve identified another four fantasy football players who can help your team from this day forward. As usual, I’ve also chosen two players who should be jettisoned from your team before they wreck your fantasy season and any remaining chance that you have at making your league’s playoffs. Good luck in Week 13! Reach out to me on Twitter @joegallina. Let me know what you think about this article or hit me up with any lineup questions you may have.
Week 13 Fantasy Football Buys
Stedman Bailey, WR, St. Louis Rams
Owned in 2% of Fleaflicker leagues
With a 7-89-1 line, Stedman Bailey let the Rams know that they could lean on him and that he can work in tandem with tight end Jared Cook to help alleviate the season-ending loss of their top receiver Brian Quick. Both Cook and Bailey led the Rams with nine targets each this past week. Bailey provides Rams QB Shaun Hill with a sure-handed receiver who is one of the team’s best route runners and a fighter who struggles to gain additional yardage after the catch.
He has been described as a physical athlete who plays bigger than his 5'10'' 193-lb. frame. Admittedly, he isn't going to be a receiver that you'll start every week, but with your goal of creating a deep bench as you head into your fantasy league’s playoff run, you might be able to catch a bit of magic by rostering the Rams WR1.
Charles Johnson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Owned in 2% of Fleaflicker leagues
In the spirit of padding your fantasy bench, you cannot ignore the stellar past couple of weeks that Vikings WR Charles Johnson has had. Johnson took advantage of injuries to fellow wide receivers Greg Jennings and Jarius Wright in Week 11 and caught six passes for 87 yards. He followed that up with a 3-52-1 performance in Week 12 against the Packers. Knee and hamstring injuries and an ACL tear hampered Johnson early in his career, but with 18 targets in the past two weeks, he has emerged as QB Teddy Bridgewater’s go-to guy.
Johnson's value is improved by the relationship he's had with Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner from their time with the Browns in 2013. With the disappearance of Cordarrelle Patterson from the Viking offense, Charles Johnson should continue to put his size and speed to good use, providing Bridgewater and Turner with a solid option at wide receiver.
Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams
Owned in 58% of Fleaflicker leagues
Even though the Rams won’t come out and say it, Tre Mason is their primary back. With at least 14 carries in five of the last six weeks, adding him to your roster gives you depth at a position that has been besieged by injuries. Zac Stacy is but a distant memory in St. Louis, and Benny Cunningham is still in the mix but only gets a few carries per game. In reality, it was only a matter of time before the Rams gave most of their backfield work to their 2014 first-round pick, and with 4.1 YPC this season, he has done a decent job overall.
If you are able to roster Mason, you may just use him as insurance, but with some favorable matchups against the Raiders, Redskins and Giants in the upcoming weeks, you might consider giving him a spot start if one of the other backs on your fantasy squad is up against a tough defense. Those are the kinds of moves that make fantasy champions.
Dan Herron, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Owned in 14% of Fleaflicker leagues
I gave Trent Richardson the benefit of the doubt last week and recommended him as a good start against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He scored a touchdown, but was outplayed by Dan “Boom” Herron by a mile. Let’s face it: Richardson is what he is, and that is an uninspiring back who over the long term will gain just about 3.5 yards per carry. He’ll catch the occasional ball out of the backfield and score a TD every once in a while, but that’s about it. For the most part, Richardson is a FLEX play or someone to plug into your lineup when your regular back is on a bye.
Herron got the start over Richardson last week (Richardson said it was because he was recovering from the flu, sure it was...); he rushed for over 5.0 YPC and added five catches for 31 yards. Herron will most likely get the start again this week, and with favorable upcoming matchups against the Redskins, Browns and Texans, he should continue to post some impressive stats. Richardson will also get his fair share of work out of the backfield and will trudge his way through the end of the fantasy football season. If Herron is available in your league, grab him quick.
Week 13 Fantasy Football Sells
Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers
Owned in 95% of Fleaflicker leagues
I hate to recommend that you sell Antonio Gates. I know there isn't enough talent at the tight end position this season, and I know Gates has put up some impressive overall numbers, but “experts” predicted it was only a matter of time before old man Gates started playing… well, like an old man, and they were right. After opening up the season with nine touchdowns in his first seven games, Gates has really cooled off of late. This past week, he caught both of his targets, but managed just 14 yards.
Perhaps Gates’s downturn stems from a possible injury to QB Philip Rivers? Antonio let the cat of the bag and had to backtrack when he revealed that Rivers was suffering from what he called a “severe” rib injury for the past three or four weeks. Coincidentally, Gates’s play has really taken a turn for the worse during that same period. The Chargers next four games, which are in the heart of fantasy football playoff season, are against the tough Ravens, Patriots, Broncos and 49ers defenses, so it doesn't look like things are going to get any easier for Gates or Rivers any time soon.
Steven Jackson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Owned in 79% of Fleaflicker leagues
With so few reliable fantasy running backs to choose, from it pains me to tell you to sell one, but Steven Jackson is too much of a wild card for you to risk playing him at this point of your fantasy football season. Last week against the Browns run-friendly defense, Jackson managed just 2.6 yards per carry; the week before that, he rushed for just 2.4 yards per carry against the Panthers. The next couple of weeks, Jackson matches up against a very good Cardinal defense before traveling across the country to play on the frozen tundra in Green Bay.
Not too appealing, right? He hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game all season, and there is no reason to think that he'll reach the century mark in any of the upcoming weeks. Drop him and scan the waiver wire for a player who you would actually consider starting during your push for fantasy football supremacy.
