2013 Fantasy Football: Week 13 All Fantasy Team
2013 Fantasy Football: Week 13 All Fantasy Team
During the late game on Thursday night between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin “accidently” stepped on to the field while Jacoby Jones was returning a punt. While Tomlin was able to get off the field before making contact with any of the players, some pundits have alleged that Tomlin essentially led Jones to take a path more towards the middle of the field instead of the traditional sideline route. This would of course lead to Jones getting tackled instead of getting a return touchdown.
I saw a replay of the event filmed from the Baltimore Ravens end zone with Jones running away from the camera. I watched it a few times, but have not seen any indicators that Tomlin intentionally got in the way of Jones. I believe his explanation, which is that he was watching the return on the jumbo-tron, lost his bearings, realized where he was and tried to get out of the way.
Regardless of if you or I believe Tomlin, the NFL saw fit to fine the Steelers coach $100,000 and is also considering forcing the Steelers to forfeit either a single or multiple draft picks in 2014. The fine is somewhat consistent with a prior ruling on a similar issue from the 2010 season when Sal Alosi, then with the New York Jets physically tripped Nolan Carroll. The only difference is that the league fined the Jets in that situation instead of assessing the fine to Alosi. While I agree with the fine based on the precedent, I do think that the loss of draft picks would be excessive, again based on precedent.
Either way, there were also some games in week 13 that saw the coaches stay out of the way, where some players played big, and helped their fantasy football owners out. Of course, like every week there were some busts, like Pierre Garcon being held to just over three fantasy points, or Drew Brees being held to under nine. There were also some surprises, like Zach Miller posting 86 yards and a touchdown against a New Orleans Saints team that has been good against tight ends this season. I provide for you the week 13 All Fantasy Team for the week’s top performers.
Quarterback: Peyton Manning
What more is there to say about Peyton Manning this season? He is playing at a level never before seen. He had more touchdowns in the first game of the season than the Jacksonville Jaguars had going into week 13. He is on pace to break just about every passing record in league history. Manning continued his torrid pace against a slumping, but still very good Kansas City Chiefs defense, completing 22 of 35 passes for 403 yards and five touchdowns.
Wide Receiver 1: Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon has been the best receiver in football over the last two weeks. In week 13 he did something that has never been done in league history, had two consecutive receiving games of over 200 yards. Gordon finished with 15 targets, 10 catches, 261 yards and two touchdowns.
Wide Receiver 2: Eric Decker
When I asked one of my friends on Monday how his fantasy football team did, he informed me that he left Eric Decker on the bench. Ouch. I’ve said it all season, you have to start all of your Denver Broncos pass catchers every week. Their ceilings are too high to ride pine, the only question among them is which will have the biggest day. This week Decker was the man, getting 12 targets, eight catches for 174 yards and a whopping four touchdowns. Decker was second in fantasy scoring only to Manning on the week.
Running Back 1: Ben Tate
Someone must have forgot to tell Ben Tate that the Houston Texans season is over. Tate played his best game of the season, tearing off 22 carries for 102 yards. I’m sure most fantasy owners would be satisfied anytime their running back hits the century mark, but Tate wasn’t done there. He would also add three touchdowns. It’s not very often that Tate has more touchdowns in a game than Tom Brady, but that’s what happened this week.
Running Back 2: DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray also had a touchdown hat trick this week, finding pay dirt three times on Thanksgiving. Murray did less damage on the ground than Tate did, as Murray only rushed for 63 yards, but added five catches for 39 more yards.
Tight End: Zach Ertz
This was a tough call for me this week as Zach Ertz was neck and neck with Rob Gronkowski. I decided to give the nod to Ertz for doing more with less. While Gronkowski did end up with six catches for 127 yards and a score, he needed 12 targets to get there. Meanwhile, Ertz, needed only six targets to get five catches, 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Kicker: Adam Vinatieri
When your kicker is your highest scorer of the week, your team might be in trouble. Adam Vinatieri scored more fantasy points than Donald Brown and Andrew Luck, but the Indianapolis Colts held on to beat the Tennessee Titans 22-14. Vinatieri was clutch and hit some long field goals, connecting from 45, 47, 48 and 49 yards, along with making his only point after attempt. If the Colts offense continues to struggle, Vinatieri could be a sneaky play the rest of the season.
Defense/Special Teams: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions ended their streak of nine consecutive losses on Thanksgiving by putting the hurt on the Green Bay Packers. The Lions feasted on Matt Flynn, getting seven sacks on the Packers quarterback, including one that led to a safety. They also held Green Bay to only 10 points, while grabbing an interception and two fumble recoveries. With as explosive as their offense can be, if the Lions defense heats up, the NFC could be in for some surprises.
As always, I welcome your comments. If you think I’m wrong, I’m willing to listen. Just back it up with some facts and solid evidence. Thanks for reading and good luck this season.
Read more from Dustin here.
2013 Fantasy Football: Week 13 All Fantasy Team
During the late game on Thursday night between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin “accidently” stepped on to the field while Jacoby Jones was returning a punt. While Tomlin was able to get off the field before making contact with any of the players, some pundits have alleged that Tomlin essentially led Jones to take a path more towards the middle of the field instead of the traditional sideline route. This would of course lead to Jones getting tackled instead of getting a return touchdown.
I saw a replay of the event filmed from the Baltimore Ravens end zone with Jones running away from the camera. I watched it a few times, but have not seen any indicators that Tomlin intentionally got in the way of Jones. I believe his explanation, which is that he was watching the return on the jumbo-tron, lost his bearings, realized where he was and tried to get out of the way.
Regardless of if you or I believe Tomlin, the NFL saw fit to fine the Steelers coach $100,000 and is also considering forcing the Steelers to forfeit either a single or multiple draft picks in 2014. The fine is somewhat consistent with a prior ruling on a similar issue from the 2010 season when Sal Alosi, then with the New York Jets physically tripped Nolan Carroll. The only difference is that the league fined the Jets in that situation instead of assessing the fine to Alosi. While I agree with the fine based on the precedent, I do think that the loss of draft picks would be excessive, again based on precedent.
Either way, there were also some games in week 13 that saw the coaches stay out of the way, where some players played big, and helped their fantasy football owners out. Of course, like every week there were some busts, like Pierre Garcon being held to just over three fantasy points, or Drew Brees being held to under nine. There were also some surprises, like Zach Miller posting 86 yards and a touchdown against a New Orleans Saints team that has been good against tight ends this season. I provide for you the week 13 All Fantasy Team for the week’s top performers.
Quarterback: Peyton Manning
What more is there to say about Peyton Manning this season? He is playing at a level never before seen. He had more touchdowns in the first game of the season than the Jacksonville Jaguars had going into week 13. He is on pace to break just about every passing record in league history. Manning continued his torrid pace against a slumping, but still very good Kansas City Chiefs defense, completing 22 of 35 passes for 403 yards and five touchdowns.
Wide Receiver 1: Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon has been the best receiver in football over the last two weeks. In week 13 he did something that has never been done in league history, had two consecutive receiving games of over 200 yards. Gordon finished with 15 targets, 10 catches, 261 yards and two touchdowns.
Wide Receiver 2: Eric Decker
When I asked one of my friends on Monday how his fantasy football team did, he informed me that he left Eric Decker on the bench. Ouch. I’ve said it all season, you have to start all of your Denver Broncos pass catchers every week. Their ceilings are too high to ride pine, the only question among them is which will have the biggest day. This week Decker was the man, getting 12 targets, eight catches for 174 yards and a whopping four touchdowns. Decker was second in fantasy scoring only to Manning on the week.
Running Back 1: Ben Tate
Someone must have forgot to tell Ben Tate that the Houston Texans season is over. Tate played his best game of the season, tearing off 22 carries for 102 yards. I’m sure most fantasy owners would be satisfied anytime their running back hits the century mark, but Tate wasn’t done there. He would also add three touchdowns. It’s not very often that Tate has more touchdowns in a game than Tom Brady, but that’s what happened this week.
Running Back 2: DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray also had a touchdown hat trick this week, finding pay dirt three times on Thanksgiving. Murray did less damage on the ground than Tate did, as Murray only rushed for 63 yards, but added five catches for 39 more yards.
Tight End: Zach Ertz
This was a tough call for me this week as Zach Ertz was neck and neck with Rob Gronkowski. I decided to give the nod to Ertz for doing more with less. While Gronkowski did end up with six catches for 127 yards and a score, he needed 12 targets to get there. Meanwhile, Ertz, needed only six targets to get five catches, 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Kicker: Adam Vinatieri
When your kicker is your highest scorer of the week, your team might be in trouble. Adam Vinatieri scored more fantasy points than Donald Brown and Andrew Luck, but the Indianapolis Colts held on to beat the Tennessee Titans 22-14. Vinatieri was clutch and hit some long field goals, connecting from 45, 47, 48 and 49 yards, along with making his only point after attempt. If the Colts offense continues to struggle, Vinatieri could be a sneaky play the rest of the season.
Defense/Special Teams: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions ended their streak of nine consecutive losses on Thanksgiving by putting the hurt on the Green Bay Packers. The Lions feasted on Matt Flynn, getting seven sacks on the Packers quarterback, including one that led to a safety. They also held Green Bay to only 10 points, while grabbing an interception and two fumble recoveries. With as explosive as their offense can be, if the Lions defense heats up, the NFC could be in for some surprises.
As always, I welcome your comments. If you think I’m wrong, I’m willing to listen. Just back it up with some facts and solid evidence. Thanks for reading and good luck this season.
Read more from Dustin here.
