Fantasy Football Week 13: Biggest Takeaways from Sunday

If you have played fantasy football long enough, you know this to be true: It doesn't always make sense. It is the reason we have this love-hate relationship with it.

Week 13 was the finale of the fantasy regular season in standard leagues. We looked to Jimmy Graham and got nothing...to Tre Mason and LeSean McCoy and got stars. Not everything goes according to plan.

We even got some surprises out of Ryan Fitzpatrick, DeAndre Hopkins and Colt McCoy, in addition to a burgeoning threat (um: headache?) in Johnny Manziel. Bleacher Report chronicles all this and more in its top 10 takeaways from the weekend's action.

Tre Mason Has Arrived as a Fantasy Monster Right on Time

It only took us 13 weeks, but B/R's Week 13 Predictions completely nailed its "Biggest Breakout Star." We might not be able to immediately anoint Mason a member of the fantasy elite, but he is absolutely capable of joining that select group with a few more performances like Sunday's.

It was merely the Oakland Raiders, so we will allow Mason some time to show this kind of dominance over a longer stretch. The important news is no one is going to deny him snaps, carries or must-have fantasy starter status.

Mason erupted for a career-high 117 yards rushing, 47 receiving yards on three catches and a combined three touchdowns, also a career high. He had just one career touchdown coming in. He might have single-handedly lifted his fantasy owners to the postseason.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner reported Mason himself was coming out with bold breakout predictions before the game, talking about a big day for himself and the team before putting up 50-plus points.

"That's not the first time he’s said it, so," head coach Jeff Fisher joked to Wagoner. "He’s very confident. He loves to play."

His fantasy owners love him now too. He has put talk of Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham to rest.

Mason is not only a grinding runner in the St. Louis Rams' run-heavy system. He is a breakaway back, too, going 89 yards for a touchdown run in the second quarter. He had already had a 35-yard touchdown catch-and-run.

"Before that long run, I told Shaun (Hill) I might break this one," Mason told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "It happened twice, so I don't know what was up with me.

... I was just feeling good today. They told me I was 'miked' up, so I had to give them a good show."

He did, and now none of his fantasy owners would dare sit him down the stretch. Next up is a top 10 run defense in the Washington Redskins, but Mason has already survived a gauntlet of tough matchups this season. Keep this burgeoning rookie megastar active in all leagues.

Ryan Fitzpatrick? Um, No One Saw That Coming

The Houston Texans were forced to make a change back to veteran game-managing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. DeAndre Hopkins' fantasy owners are thankful they did.

Fitzpatrick threw for a season-high 358 yards and a career-high six touchdowns. Unless you are a Texans fan or a Fitzpatrick owner—don't lie (he's owned in 4.4 percent of ESPN.com leagues)—you likely need to hear that latter number again. Six TDs!

No, seriously, it was Fitzpatrick that did that. He has Hopkins, mostly, to thank.

The second-year wideout broke scores from 58 and 34 yards and had another 54-yard catch-and-run to set up an Andre Johnson four-yard touchdown. All told, Hopkins finished with nine catches (on nine targets) for a career-high 238 yards receiving, good for the second-most in a game in franchise history, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported.

Head coach Bill O'Brien told McClain:

"

He's a dynamic receiver, (and) he wants the ball. He gets better every time we go out there. He works extremely hard every day. He's one of the top receivers in the league. I was really happy for him because he's earned a day like that.

"

The important thing from a fantasy perspective is Hopkins' owners can trust their receiver's production with a veteran like Fitzpatrick apparently.

Plus, the Texans face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and Jags (again) in the final four games of the season. That might be the most favorable schedule around for a fantasy wideout. All three teams are in the bottom nine in pass defense.

Hopkins is a no-brainer must-start in all leagues going forward.

Colt McCoy Adds Some Real Juice to Washington Redskins Attack

The Washington Redskins probably shouldn't have ever gone away from quarterback Colt McCoy. The Redskins couldn't keep up with Andrew Luck at the Indianapolis Colts, but at least McCoy gave the struggling passing offense a fighting chance in garbage time.

McCoy threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, which is more scores than Robert Griffin III has had all season.

You cannot trust McCoy in fantasy crunch time in standard, one-quarterback formats, but he does give DeSean Jackson (five catches for 84 yards and a TD), Jordan Reed (9-123), Roy Helu (4-61-1) and maybe even Pierre Garçon (3-9) some fantasy value down the stretch.

Head coach Jay Gruden, a vocal RG3 detractor, likes what McCoy gives his team in the downfield passing game:

"

Colt competed and he did a nice job out there. All our [performances] in the first half were not good on any level. But he came back and gave us a chance. He's a tough guy. Players play hard for him.

"

Jackson and Reed are viable starts in Week 14 against a St. Louis Rams secondary that ranks one tick better than the bottom-10 pass defenses. Garçon will be someone to watch off waivers. His fantasy owners have to be sick of him by now, but McCoy might give him a chance to sneak up and help down the stretch too.

RB C.J. Anderson Proves to Be Everything Denver Broncos Need

The Denver Broncos seemingly have had misfortune at the running back position with Montee Ball (groin) and Ronnie Hillman (foot) out. Instead, C.J. Anderson has stepped forward to be a fantasy revelation.

Anderson ground out an important victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, rushing 32 times for 168 yards and adding two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown. It was an important AFC West victory for the Denver Broncos and a statement that Anderson is capable of carrying the load for head coach John Fox, who is still a defensive-minded guy and loves to run the football...despite having Peyton Manning on his side.

The Chiefs defense was fairly solid too. 

"C.J. is like a lizard," the Broncos' DeMarcus Ware told Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post. "He slithers."

Anderson has even slithered his way into the discussion of being the Broncos' go-to back down the stretch, no matter the status of Ball and Hillman. There isn't a matchup we wouldn't start Anderson in right now, even if the Buffalo Bills in Week 14 boast the league's seventh-best run defense.

Read-Option Quarterbacks Have Seen Better Days

Remember the long-lost days of wishing we had Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton in fantasy football? Yeah, us either.

Those days are seemingly too long behind us to truly remember at this point. None of that once-fearsome foursome is playing like a fantasy starter right now, while Colt McCoy, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Shaun Hill and even Blake Bortles outscored all of them in fantasy this week, per CBSSports.com.

RG3 has been a disaster and is benched. Kaepernick posted a mere fantasy point. Wilson is stuck without a viable cast of wide receivers and Newton is far less than 100 percent of his once-dominant self. 

The Carolina Panthers failed to score a red-zone touchdown and couldn't post 21 points for the ninth time this season, as Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer reported. Newton told Jones:

"

We just have to keep fighting, keep chipping along. No one said this road would be easy. No one said once we get in the red zone, we're going to score. But we have the guys who can get the job done, and I think the worry now is trying to get our swagger back, so to speak.

"

The read-option quarterback fad and swagger is long gone for fantasy owners. All four of the above quarterbacks are shaky options down the stretch in crunch time...for myriad reasons. You are better off picking a statue passer with a better supporting cast at this point.

LeSean McCoy Has Saved His Best for Last

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

We laugh at those that sold low on LeSean McCoy. Look at him now.

The preseason consensus No. 1 pick, per FantasyPros.com, has come alive in fantasy crunch time, scoring three touchdowns in the past four games and going off for a season-high 159 yards on Thanksgiving Day. He even made 2014 fantasy MVP candidate DeMarco Murray look like a turkey.

"Obviously, I wanted to out-rush him," McCoy told CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank. "It's a pride thing."

Fantasy owners that gave up on McCoy for any number of reasons need to swallow some pride and salvage self-respect now.

After a slow start due to some offensive line shuffling, the Philadelphia Eagles are moving up the NFL's rushing charts at No. 6. McCoy might be giving up some snaps and receptions to scatback Darren Sproles, but no one can stop him when he gets rolling like this.

Not even McCoy's Week 14 opponent—the Seattle Seahawks. Philly plays them at home too. We will give him a projection of 100 yards rushing for each of the three fantasy playoff weeks against the Seahawks, Cowboys (again) and then at Washington.

It Looks Like It Is Time for Johnny Football with the Cleveland Browns

Speaking of shaky quarterbacks and mobile ones, the Cleveland Browns look like they have to turn away from struggling veteran Brian Hoyer to go with mercurial rookie Johnny Manziel. Johnny Football came on for Hoyer and might have shown enough to get a start in Week 14 versus the Indianapolis Colts, as head coach Mike Pettine told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio (via ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler):

"

The door is definitely open for a change at the quarterback position. It's not like we're just going to go back to Brian (Hoyer). This has been a cumulative thing where discussions about a change at quarterback have been more and more lively. We'll evaluate both quarterbacks and have a decision soon.

"

This might be awful news for wide receiver Josh Gordon, who would be better off with an experienced veteran pocket passer, but it is interesting news for those clinging to hope that Manziel can impact fantasy leagues before the season is out. Manziel, despite doing just mop-up duty, outscored the likes of Tony Romo, Colin Kaepernick, Josh McCown and Hoyer this week, among others.

Manziel's scoring will come with his mobility, which he flashed on his diving 10-yard touchdown run. Look out for some serious overhyped fantasy value here.

We won't say Manziel cannot start in some leagues, especially two-quarterback formats, but his inexperience will show in an inability to get the ball downfield. The Browns better plan some short, rhythm throws to Gordon in the flat, or fantasy owners are really going to lament this development before the fantasy postseason begins in earnest next week.

Coby Fleener Can Do Damage When Dwayne Allen Is Out

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Coby Fleener might have to contend with Dwayne Allen (ankle) down the stretch, but he sure can look the part of a fantasy star when Allen is out, like he was Sunday. Fleener posted his second 100-yard receiving game in three weeks and had the first two-touchdown performance of his career.

Fleener's four catches for 127 yards and two TDs led all tight ends in fantasy scoring at CBSSports.com by double the next-closest total. His day could have been even bigger if he hadn't dropped another pass that would have been a sure touchdown, ESPN.com's Mike Wells reported.

Fleener told the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder:

"

You hear the crowd roar, it takes it up a few notches and you know you're wide open. But I think more than that, I need to just block everything out and focus on catching the ball first and running second. ... You just kick yourself in the butt, go back to the huddle and forget about it. It's something that's difficult to do. I think the best quarterbacks in the world are famous for forgetting about bad plays, and that's what you try to do.

"

Now, if fantasy could just forget Allen still exists or the in-line tight end could just stay out a bit longer for Fleener's owners. The drop will hurt, but an Allen return would hurt Fleener's status more. Fleener's three best receiving days have come with Allen banged up.

Watch the injury report for Allen's status before making Fleener your starter at tight end. You do have to pick Fleener back up if you were one of the ESPN league owners that made the third-year breakout tight end the second-most-dropped tight end in fantasy this week.

Andre Ellington Proving Unable to Withstand the Punishment

Andre Ellington's breakthrough season has been more breakdown than anything, something we suppose you have to expect from a running back who came labeled as undersized. It has been a multitude of ailments and fantasy owners have to look at the back as damaged goods.

Ellington, already dealing with chronic foot issues this season and a hip flexor most recently, added a hip pointer to the injuries that have knocked him out, according to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss.

The injuries are bad, but his lack of production and the struggles of the Arizona Cardinals offense after the loss of Carson Palmer (knee) for the season are worse. Ellington has to be put on the fantasy pine, if not out to pasture.

The Cardinals finish up with some tough defensive opponents: the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. You should not start Ellington in any of those matchups, if he is even active for them. Ellington's backups are bad options too.

Jimmy Graham...Curses!!!

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Sometimes Murphy's Law just swallows you in fantasy football. What can go wrong will.

You need a victory to make the fantasy postseason. You look to your first-round pick Jimmy Graham for inspiration.

Zero. No, really, absolute zilch.

You would have been better off with evangelist Billy Graham.

Your star tight end wasn't even injured. Drew Brees threw five touchdowns. Not only did Brees fail to complete a pass to Graham, he didn't even target him. Ouch.

Graham told Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune:

"

Usually (defenders) wait until I break. (Troy Polamalu and Will Allen) are smart players. I can tell that they're watching a lot of film and looking at tendencies and formations and splits. ... Literally they would just undercut all of my routes. We'll watch film and we'll look at ways we can expose that. That's just how it is.

"

The good news, if you are still alive in the fantasy postseason, is Graham is just fine health-wise. He remains a must-start in all fantasy leagues. Expect Graham—Jimmy, not Billy—to respond with good numbers against the Carolina Panthers in Week 14.

Follow @EricMackFantasy

Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.