Week 13 delivered everything: Thanksgiving grinders, wild finishes, and a Sunday night overtime game. Here’s who showed up and who face-planted in this week’s Studs and Duds.
Stud: A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown looks like he is finally back in peak form, even if the rest of the Eagles are falling apart around him. Brown hauled in 10 of 12 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns, giving him back-to-back 100 yard games and 35.2 fantasy points. He won outside, he won over the middle, and he looked every bit like Hurts’ top option again. That is the good news. The bad news is that the Eagles have now dropped two straight and the fan base is furious. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is taking the heat and apparently someone even egged his house, which is completely ridiculous and over the line.
Dud: Lamar Jackson
It looked like the Thanksgiving turkey hit Lamar early. He threw for 246 yards, his second highest total this season, but everything else was a mess. No touchdowns, one interception, two fumbles, and only 27 rushing yards added up to a brutal 6.54 fantasy points. Since returning from the hamstring injury, Jackson has thrown one touchdown and turned the ball over four times across four games. The AFC North is suddenly wide open again, and with Joe Burrow back, the Bengals might sneak up and steal the division.
Stud: Seahawks D/ST
If you want to talk about a “Welcome to the League” moment, the Seahawks gave rookie QB Max Brosmer a harsh one. Seattle pitched a shutout with four interceptions, four sacks, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown, good for 28 fantasy points. Brosmer’s QBR would have literally been higher if he had just spiked the ball every snap. Unfortunately for Seattle, the schedule gets ugly with the Colts, Rams, 49ers, and surprisingly solid Panthers up next.
Dud: Travis Etienne
Looking at the scoreboard, you’d think Jacksonville rolled offensively, but that was certainly not the case for Travis Etienne. He finished with 12 carries for 28 yards and one catch for 13 yards, good for just 5.1 fantasy points. His longest run was six yards and Trevor Lawrence nearly out-rushed him on three attempts. The biggest concern is the usage, because Jacksonville turned to rookie Bhayshul Tuten in the red zone and he punched in a short touchdown. Etienne is still the RB1, but two matchups with the Colts during fantasy playoff season are a real worry.
Stud: Patrick Mahomes
The Chiefs dropped another one and their playoff streak is in real danger, but Mahomes was not the problem. He threw for 261 yards, added 30 on the ground, and tossed four touchdowns for 29.44 fantasy points. The Mahomes to Rashee Rice connection was cooking again, with Rice nearing 100 yards and scoring twice. The issue is that Mahomes had slumped in the three weeks before this game. If Kansas City wants any chance at a postseason push, he has to stay in this gear.
Dud: Michael Pittman Jr.
Houston’s defense smothered Pittman, holding him to one catch for 13 yards on four targets. He has posted just 59 yards on seven catches with no touchdowns across the last three weeks. He is still Indy’s top option, but Alec Pierce is making a push. Pierce has topped 70 yards in four of his last six games and made a ridiculous Moss-style jump ball touchdown last week. The Colts have dropped two straight and the Jaguars are back in control of the AFC South. Hopefully Daniel Jones can keep gutting it out through the leg injury and get Indy back on track.
Reporter note: Alec Pierce is my first cousin.
Emergency Room
Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert had successful surgery Tuesday on the broken finger in his left hand and is planning to play Monday night. He broke it in the first half against the Raiders but finished the game. Herbert said he is treating it as if he is playing, and early reports suggest he will. If he cannot go, expect the Chargers to lean on the run game with stud rookie Omarion Hampton back and Kimani Vidal coming off a strong performance.
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