Week 13 of the 2024 fantasy football season featured big surprises. Who were the big winners and losers? Which players received A and F grades?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis, and Seth Walder provides his grades. We also asked NFL Nation reporters to answer questions about what happened in the Thursday and Sunday games.
Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Who got an A | Who got an F
Biggest injuries and what's next
Top questions from Week 13
Ranking fantasy winners of Week 13
1. Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
His wasn't merely a big-time performance -- it was a career highlight. Wilson threw for at least 400 yards and three touchdowns for only his second time (2017 Week 8). His 26.86 fantasy points were his most since Week 4 of 2022. Wilson completed numerous long passes and was a stunning 8-of-9 for 205 yards and two touchdowns on throws that traveled at least 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. It was the performance we needed to see with the fantasy playoffs approaching, after he was held beneath 14 points in each of the prior two weeks. With six teams on bye in Week 14, Wilson should be a top-10 fantasy quarterback against the Cleveland Browns. -- Cockcroft
2. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
He'd surely have preferred the win on Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs, but Bowers' 30.2 PPR fantasy points made him only the second rookie tight end in history to have multiple 30-point performances, and it gave him 197.5 points for the season, the second-most by a rookie tight end in history through 12 team games. The player ahead of him on that list? Mike Ditka (1961), who is also the other rookie tight end with multiple 30-pointers. -- Cockcroft
3. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
McLaurin posted a season-high 27.3 points in the Commanders blowout win over the Titans, and he cashed in on the targets from quarterback Jayden Daniels in scoring position. McLaurin caught all eight of his targets for 73 yards, including two touchdowns in the red zone. McLaurin has now scored 21 or more points in back-to-back games, with at least one touchdown grab in each. He'll look to keep the numbers up when the Commanders return from the bye in Week 15 against the Saints. -- Bowen
4. Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers' backfield, predictably, sliced and diced the Panthers' run defense in Week 13, but the rookie Irving was their fantasy standout. He scored a career-best 27.5 PPR fantasy points, narrowly edging last week's 27.2, giving him a third consecutive game averaging in excess of five yards per carry and the first 100-yard rushing game of his career. Irving still played a near-identical number of snaps to Rachaad White, but his 25 rushing attempts greatly exceeded White's 11, a signal that things are slowly shifting in Irving's favor. There's another dream matchup for the two ahead in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders, a matchup for which Irving could make a sneaky run at a top-10 running back fantasy point total. -- Cockcroft
5. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In his second game back after missing time with a hamstring injury, Evans dropped a season-high 25.8 points and 118 receiving yards on the Panthers defense. Evans caught eight of 12 targets in this one, including a touchdown on a low red zone fade ball throw from Baker Mayfield. With the Raiders up next in Week 14, Evans should be played as a WR1. -- Bowen
6. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Harris scored a season-high 24.9 points in the road win over the Bengals, pairing that staple run game volume with an uptick in receiving numbers. Harris totaled 16 carries in this one, rushing for 75 yards and a touchdown, while he added 54 yards receiving on six catches. With a tough upcoming slate of rushing matchups (CLE, @PHI, @BAL), Harris will remain a Flex option. -- Bowen
7. Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
Despite the transition period the Bears are going through after the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus, Williams has found some traction under new offensive coordinator -- and current interim head coach -- Thomas Brown. After a slow start in the Thanksgiving loss to Detroit, Williams finished with 256 yards passing, three touchdown throws and 39 yards rushing (26.14 points). That gives Williams two straight games with 26 or more points, multiple touchdown throws and at least 33 yards rushing. He's been much more decisive as a runner/thrower, and with six teams on a bye next week, Williams is a potential deeper league starter versus the 49ers. -- Bowen
8. Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
McConkey left Sunday's game late in the fourth quarter due to a knee injury, something that'll need monitoring through the practice week, but he was able to score 20.7 PPR fantasy points on a season-high 12 targets before exiting. It's the second straight week that he has been a focal point for Justin Herbert, with fellow Chargers wideout Quentin Johnston following up last week's fantasy doughnut with a mere 3.2-point score on Sunday. McConkey and the Chargers have a much tougher assignment in Week 14 on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has carved out enough of a role to be a WR4/flex regardless. And in plus matchups in Weeks 15 (TB) and 17 (@NE), he should be a starter. -- Cockcroft
9. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, Tennessee Titans
Apparently a 12.3% increase in ESPN rostership over the past week -- up to 19.9% -- wasn't nearly enough, as Westbrook-Ikhine set season bests with his 21.1 PPR fantasy points and eight targets in Week 13. He continues to capture the attention of an improving Will Levis, and an enticing rest-of-season schedule (JAX, CIN, @IND, @JAX, HOU) should only cause his roster rate to rise next week. There's a case to be made here that he could be the sleeper pickup of the 2024 fantasy playoffs. -- Cockcroft
10. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
A practically invisible player during the month of September, Andrews has since re-established himself as one of the position's best, and particularly in recent weeks. His 18.9 PPR fantasy points represented the fifth time in the past eight weeks that he has scored 15-plus, and during that time he has a fourth-best among tight ends 112.4 points. He'll head into his bye week now, but Andrews should be a TE1 for Week 15 against the New York Giants. -- Cockcroft
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 13
1. Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
His bads are baaaaad, as a four-interception, nightmarish performance on Sunday resulted in his scoring just 2.10 fantasy points, the fifth-worst individual game of his 13-year career. Two of his nine worst performances have come in his last two games, and he has totaled six interceptions, zero touchdowns and 17.26 fantasy points in his past three contests. Cousins' stinker -- one that also resulted in tight end Kyle Pitts being shut out on the fantasy score sheet -- put the Falcons in danger of losing their grasp on the NFC South lead. One might wonder whether we're close to the team seeing what they have in rookie backup Michael Penix Jr.? -- Cockcroft
2. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
The Jets' offensive woes continued to be a drain on Hall's fantasy production, though the knee injury that hampered him throughout the practice week also contributed to a lightened workload. He scored 6.0 PPR fantasy points and was a non-factor in the passing game, an unusual development after he had the position's second-most targets and catches through the season's first 11 weeks. Hall's talent props him up as a fantasy RB1 regardless, but he's among the most unpredictable in that class. -- Cockcroft
3. Gus Edwards, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
I really liked Edwards as a streaming option this week versus the Falcons with J.K. Dobbins heading to IR (knee). However, in a game where the Chargers failed to control offensive tempo, Edwards was a non-factor, logging only six carries on the day for 32 yards, while catching his only target for one yard (4.3 points). Plus, with rookie Kimani Vidal rushing for 20 yards on four carries, Edwards will remain a deeper Flex play versus the Chiefs in Week 14. -- Bowen
4. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
This was a matchup I expected Herbert to exploit against the Falcons. That's a bottom-10 unit versus quarterbacks. However, after scoring 17 or more points in five straight games, Herbert posted just 7.98 points, his lowest total of the season. The rushing numbers vanished (five carries, one yard), and he finished with only 147 yards passing. Without Dobbins on the field, the run game struggled and this Chargers offense lacked juice. Something to think about with Herbert ahead of his Week 14 matchup at Kansas City. -- Bowen
5. Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings
In the Vikings win over the Cardinals, two early fumbles from Jones (one lost), bought him a ticket to the bench. While he did return to action, catching the game-winning touchdown on a red zone target, Jones logged only eight total touches on the day, finishing with 9.8 points. Jones has now fumbled at least once in each of his last three games. That's trouble. And with Cam Akers available to carry the ball, we'll see if he starts to cut into Jones' workload with the Falcons up next in Week 14. -- Bowen
6. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Walker saw 16 carries versus the Jets, and he did catch two passes. So, the volume was there. However, did anyone see a lot of daylight against that Jets' front for Walker to get loose? I didn't. Walker averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, and he turned those two receptions into minus-3 yards. Plus, with Zach Charbonnet stealing a red zone carry that resulted in a touchdown, it simply wasn't Walker's day. He'll look to rebound next week in a divisional road matchup at Arizona. . -- Bowen
7. Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Heading into Week 13, Hubbard had logged at least 17 touches in six straight games. However, in the Panthers overtime loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday, Hubbard had only 12 rushing attempts, averaging 3.6 YPC, and he failed to record a single target in the pass game. That put Hubbard at 3.9 points for the day, his lowest output since back in Week 1. And the Eagles run defense looms in Week 14. -- Bowen
8. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
After two straight games with 20 or more points and double digit targets, Kupp was held in check versus the Saints defense in Week 13. Kupp caught just three of six targets in this one for 17 yards, finishing with a season-low 4.7 points. Kupp, and the Rams pass game, will look to bounce back in Week 15 at home versus the Bills. -- Bowen
Injury impact
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
What we know: Nineteen minutes into his first game since recovering from a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury, Lawrence was removed when he took a nasty hit from Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair while sliding on a rushing play. Lawrence was immediately put into the league's concussion protocol and ruled out for the rest of the day.
What's next: Should Lawrence be unable to play in Week 14 -- and with the challenges of clearing the protocol within a seven-day period, it's more likely than not that he won't -- Mac Jones, who came on in relief on Sunday, would again take over as quarterback. -- Cockcroft
Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
What we know: He took a helmet to the knee late in the fourth quarter and was carted off the field.
What's next: Hill will undergo an examination, but it's reasonable to fear a long-term injury based on its severity. If he's unable to play in Week 14 or beyond, it will leave the Saints precariously thin in the receiver room and take away one of their best playmakers of late. Juwan Johnson would remain the top tight end and Alvin Kamara would presumably take back more of the goal-line work. -- Cockcroft
Who earned an A this weekend?
Tarheeb Still, CB, Los Angeles Chargers
Just a monster day for a fifth-round rookie who has been having a heck of a year. He picked off Kirk Cousins twice and returned one of those interceptions for a 61-yard touchdown. He also recorded a critical pass breakup against Drake London on the Chargers' penultimate defensive play in their 17-13 win over Atlanta. Still now has allowed -27 EPA as the nearest defender this season, best among all cornerbacks, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Leonard Williams, DL, Seattle Seahawks
He's a defensive lineman who recorded a 91-yard pick-six -- of course, he deserves some love! Williams hit 17.8 miles per hour on that interception return off Aaron Rodgers, the fastest top speed by a defensive lineman ballcarrier since 2022. Williams also entered the game playing really well, recording 2.0 sacks and having a 19% pass rush win rate. A huge day for another player having a great year.
Who earned an F this weekend?
Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Four interceptions will do it. Sometimes, it is that simple. These weren't flukes, either. Twice, Tarheeb Still and once, Derwin James just read the play before the ball was out. And the fourth pick was a prayer -- or maybe just a bad bet -- by Cousins floating the ball in the end zone. The picks helped Cousins finish with negative-13 EPA on the day, per NFL Next Gen Stats, in the Falcons' loss.
Jonathan Gannon, Head Coach, Arizona Cardinals
Gannon landed himself a bad grade here for a really rough game management error. With 3:23 left in the game, the Cardinals were up three points and faced a 4th-and-goal from the Vikings 4-yard line. Gannon opted for the conventional call to attempt a field goal, but in doing so he significantly increased the chances the Cardinals would lose. Going up 6 instead of 3 is worth very little: a touchdown beats you either way, and when you're up 3 you still are tied if you give up a field goal. Plus, if you go for it, you have a decent chance to score a touchdown and ice the game. If you go for it and fail, you give the opponent a worse field position than if you convert a field goal. In all, by attempting a field goal, the Cardinals reduced their win probability by eight percentage points according to ESPN's model -- a massive error.
Lingering questions from Week 13's games
Russell Wilson's 414 yards passing was the third-highest total in the NFL this season. Was this a byproduct of the matchup against the Bengals' defense or is there more to read into it as we head into the final stretch of the season?
The Steelers came into the game wary of the Bengals' run defense. To create more favorable matchups against the Bengals zone defense, the Steelers got Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren involved the pass game to create more man-to-man situations. While Wilson was credited with more than 400 passing yards, as a pass-catching corps, the Steelers picked up 270 yards after the catch. Of that, Harris and Warren combined for 122 yards.
"We knew they were going to throw the kitchen sink at us in the run game," tight end Pat Freiermuth said, "and so being able to get 'em in bigger personnel and pass the ball, it was awesome."
And though it was a match-up-specific adjustment, the screen game and quick passes are things the Steelers should consider implementing more beyond this week to keep Wilson from taking unnecessary sacks and their offense from reverting to the boom-or-bust group that struggled to consistently move the ball against the Commanders, Ravens and Browns. -- Brooke Pryor