Each week during the 2022 NFL season, Field Yates will help fantasy football managers by providing the precise intel needed on the most important, fantasy-relevant storylines. Field's Rolodex is vast; he'll dial up whomever he needs. This is the Field Pass.
In a normal week at Field Pass HQ, we lead the column with a singular topic, doing our best to microanalyze the important details surrounding said topic.
However, Sunday of Week 13 was a different Sunday than usual, as a string of injuries became the story of the day. Jimmy Garoppolo is out for at least the rest of the regular season for the 49ers, while Lamar Jackson is expected to miss time for the Ravens. Trevor Lawrence is in pain after an ankle injury that thankfully didn't cost him any game action on Sunday, but nonetheless had us holding our breath for a moment.
So, we're starting today with a look at the most notable injuries and a fantasy spin tied to them.
Lamar Jackson
While it hasn't been a dominant season for Jackson, he still ranks sixth among all quarterbacks in fantasy points scored this season (43% of those came in Weeks 1-3) and is remains a player we've been ranking inside our top 10 at the position. Replacement quarterback options have been extremely tough to find this season, so here are a few names to consider:
• Tyler Huntley: Jackson's backup is not as mobile, but he did register 41 rushing yards and a touchdown in relief duty in Week 13. In five meaningful appearances last season, he rushed 44 times for 284 yards (6.5 yards/carry) and two touchdowns. That upside and solid passing efficiency (in three of his past six games of consequence, he's completed more than 70% of his passes) make Huntley the best option to replace Jackson for a multiweek occasion.
• Jared Goff: For those looking for a streaming option, Goff piques my interest in Week 14. A tasty matchup against the Vikings awaits. Goff has thrown 17 touchdowns in his seven home games and averages a robust 19.7 fantasy points per game in indoor contests this season. A much tougher matchup with the Jets awaits in Week 15.
• Mac Jones: The Patriots' offense has largely been a mess lately, but Week 14 is a potentially cushy spot for those willing to roll the dice. The Cardinals have allowed 24 passing touchdowns this season, tied with the Chiefs and Steelers for most in the NFL. On Thanksgiving, Jones turned a matchup with the Vikings into a season-best effort with 382 passing yards and two touchdowns.
As far as the pass-catchers go in Baltimore, the adjustment to Huntley doesn't have a major fantasy impact in my book. There was only one worth starting as it were -- tight end Mark Andrews -- and that will not change at all. Andrews feasted last season with Huntley under center with 32 catches for 435 yards and three touchdowns in the final four games.
Jimmy Garoppolo
While Garoppolo wasn't on the starting radar in fantasy, some will ask whether Brock Purdy can keep the offense afloat in his absence. The early returns suggest yes, as Purdy looked as good as anyone could have hoped in Week 13 for the Niners: He completed 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Christian McCaffrey (eight), Deebo Samuel (six) and Brandon Aiyuk (five) all posted at least five catches in Week 13 and the offense largely looked similar in terms of efficiency as it did with Garoppolo. Because of their deep and talented group of pass-catchers, there is already a baked-in expectation that someone is bound to have a quieter game each week among the pass-catchers, so George Kittle's two-catch effort isn't entirely alarming.
The 49ers face a tough Tampa Bay defense in Week 14 and, for the rest of the season, I suspect this offense will be slightly inferior to what it was with Garoppolo under center. But for fantasy purposes, the needle hasn't moved much for me as it pertains to the pass-catchers.
Kenneth Walker III
The Seahawks' star rookie has an ankle strain and is uncertain for Week 14, as the Seahawks found themselves in a sticky situation last Sunday. Travis Homer (knee/illness) was inactive, Tony Jones Jr. (head) left the game early and DeeJay Dallas (ankle) was ruled doubtful to return before re-entering the game out of necessity.
Should Walker play Sunday, the status quo prevails. If not, I suspect a committee approach from Seattle. And given the uncertain health of every back on the 53-man roster, I can't even offer an estimation of how that committee approach would look. Put differently: If Walker sits, I'd do my best to avoid this backfield.
Backfield notes around the league
Miami Dolphins: Just when we believed we had the Dolphins' backfield sized up ... we realized we did not. Jeff Wilson Jr. went from apparent starter to just 37% of the offensive snaps in Week 13, while Raheem Mostert played 61% of the snaps and held the edge in rushes (7-1) and rushing yards (30-0). The Dolphins have an important matchup on their hands against the Chargers in Week 14, but with the flip-flopping nature of the backfield, it's hard to state one back has much more value than the other. With six teams on a bye and facing the league's worst on a yards-per-carry basis, I have Mostert as RB22 and Wilson as RB23.
New York Jets: Although head coach Robert Saleh indicated prior to Week 13 that the team would lean on a committee or a hot-hand approach, undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight was one of the pleasant surprises of the week. He played 55% of the snaps (Ty Johnson played 33% and James Robinson just 11%), handling 15 of 20 running back carries, catching all five of his targets and amassing a top-15 RB finish for the week (16.8 points). If Michael Carter is out again, Knight will crack the top 20 of my RB rankings.
Detroit Lions: After D'Andre Swift saw his role dramatically reduced, he delivered a more Swift-like performance on Sunday: 14 carries, 62 yards, a TD, plus four catches for 49 yards on six targets. Of course, Jamaal Williams is expected to get more goal-line opportunities, but he hasn't seen a target in five straight games. If Swift routinely pushes for 50% of the running back carries and sees four-to-six targets a game, he's a top-20 back. He's my RB14 this week, with the expectation that he will.
Los Angeles Rams: It only took 13 weeks, but we finally saw the Cam Akers we were waiting for! OK, that is of course too little, too late, but it was encouraging -- and surprising -- to see Akers assume a dominant role in Week 13. He played 72% of the snaps (Kyren Williams played just 28%), handled 17 of 20 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns and caught the only pass among the backs. Akers gets the nod as the top Rams back in my rankings this week, checking in at RB29.
Buffalo Bills: The Bills showed in Week 13 that they can wear down a team on the ground, as rookie James Cook had a career-high 14 carries to go with six catches on six targets. White's skill set is obvious and the Bills can be an offensive wagon, but White played one fewer snap than Devin Singletary and just nine more than Nyheim Hines. Cook checks in as the highest-ranked Bills back this week for me at RB28, but I do think this is still a committee.
Looking ahead to 2023
We understand that while Week 14 is the final week of the fantasy football regular season for those who use default settings on ESPN.com, we are also aware that some are already looking ahead to next season if things did not go as planned.
So, along those lines, we've deemed it appropriate to use the concluding portion of this piece for the remaining five weeks to spend some time on 2023 topics. A million things can happen between now and then to influence these insights, but we'll give it our best shot with what we know right now.
Today's topic: six players we expect to take a leap forward next year in fantasy
Falcons WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts: I know, I know, a tough place to start. Pitts was a massive fantasy disappointment prior to his season-ending injury, while London has not reached 100 yards receiving in a game this season. I cannot stress this enough: This is not about Pitts or London! The Falcons' offense has played a certain way this season because it is limited by their quarterback options: Marcus Mariota has completed just 61.3% of his passes, a figure rivaled only by Russell Wilson and Zach Wilson, among other starting quarterbacks. My belief is that the Falcons will more aggressively pursue a quarterback far better at operating from the pocket, opening up opportunities for Pitts and London.
Bears WR Chase Claypool: Since being acquired via a trade midseason, Claypool has just 12 catches in five games with the Bears. But Chicago didn't trade a second-round pick to use Claypool as a decoy; he is expected to a long-term building block for the Bears. He has the size and speed to be an excellent perimeter receiver and score touchdowns, and Justin Fields' rise has been one of the stories of the year in the NFL. This duo has me excited about the future in Chicago.
Cowboys WR Michael Gallup: The great Stephania Bell spoke extensively this preseason about tempering expectations for players returning from a torn ACL. While players are returning to the field on schedule, returning to the same level of performance has been a more difficult path to return. Gallup has just 29 catches in nine games and is averaging a career-low 10.6 yards per catch, but I do suspect some of that can be traced to his recovery after tearing an ACL in January. And, the Cowboys have run the football well this season with Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott. Pollard is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason and Elliott's contract calls for a cap hit of nearly $17 million in 2023.
Texans WR Nico Collins: Collins has been busy lately, as he has scored in two of his past four games and emerged as the go-to wideout with Brandin Cooks banged-up and expressing his dissatisfaction with being in Houston. Not only does Cooks' future seem uncertain with the Texans, but we can reasonably expect Houston to attack the quarterback market this offseason via the draft or free agency. Collins' talent is apparent and his circumstances should improve next season.
Raiders RB Zamir White: We'll finish with a wild card. The massive factor that dictates whether White will have value is whether Josh Jacobs is still a Raider. He's headed for free agency and a payday given his incredible performance this season. If he bolts, White seems like the first candidate to step into a featured back role for the Raiders -- he has good size and speed, is a decisive runner and was generating preseason buzz. He led the Georgia Bulldogs in rushing during each of his final two seasons, sharing duties that included talented Bills rookie James Cook.