Fantasy Football Week 13: Award Roundup for Busts and MVPs

Each week is defined by peerless and prolific performances, as the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton continued to shine this past Sunday, keeping his real team undefeated and his fantasy investors satiated with another elite box score.

Did a certain star save your season with a big game? Or were you sunk by injury and underwhelming production? The spectrum of outcomes each week offers insights into the wins and losses we endure and the season still ahead.

Please join us in discussing the biggest performances and busts from Week 13. As always, feel free to share your picks for fantasy MVPs and busts at each position.

Fantasy QB MVP: Super Cam Newton Does It Again

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The Carolina Panthers' undefeated season continued Sunday in the Superdome as the New Orleans Saints ceded 380 total yards and five scores to Cam Newton, and the superstar signal-caller earned MVP honors among fantasy quarterbacks with the highest score of Week 13 in ESPN leagues.

Marcus Mariota offers some real hope to fantasy investors and the Tennessee Titans, as his prolific rushing results in Week 13 suggest this playmaking dynamo could emerge as a statistical superstar soon.

The Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson leads all quarterbacks in fantasy points per game over the past four weeks, with a positive correction in scoring rate coming at an ideal time of the fantasy campaign.

Both Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars produced awesome fantasy outings in Week 13 that would have netted them MVP honors save for the brilliant performances of Newton, Mariota and Wilson this week.

The Buffalo Bills' Tyrod Taylor was again efficient and effective, while Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed 390 yards for the New York Jets in Week 13.

Fantasy QB Bust: Chicago's Jay Cutler Held Scoreless at Home

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The Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler had steadily earned more attention from fantasy investors, peaking with increased interest and a top-10 ranking among signal-callers entering Week 13 as the Bears hosted the fallible San Francisco 49ers. The results, however, weren't ideal, as Cutler was held without a score—unless we count the pick-six he threw early in the game.

The Chargers' Philip Rivers only has one "L" in his name, but that's more than the number of touchdowns he compiled in Week 13 as the offensive erosion in San Diego continues.

Did the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan let you down again? He's now 28th in fantasy points per game among NFL quarterbacks in ESPN leagues.

Fantasy Football's Top Tailback for Week 13: Baltimore's Buck Allen Goes Big

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Apparently the Buck doesn't stop here, as Baltimore Ravens rookie Javorius "Buck" Allen tallied 170 total yards and a gaudy 12 receptions in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. We find Allen atop the fantasy leaderboard in both standard and points-per-reception formats in ESPN leagues, thus earning him top honors as the fantasy MVP among backs for Week 13.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally saw T.J. Yeldon thrive in the passing phase, as his 79 yards in the air buoyed a rich box score. Meanwhile, James White served a reception-heavy role for the New England Patriots.

Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears once again reminded the marketplace that he's en route to free agency this March. Imagine him behind that Dallas Cowboys line.

David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals earned tons of touches in Week 13 and responded with big results. Investors in Johnson and Allen down the stretch can bank on awesome receiving work to build big days.

Running Back Bust of the Week: Adrian Peterson Stalls vs. Seattle

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The picture above captures Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson's Week 13 perfectly, as he was regularly stuffed at the line and found little room to run versus a Seattle Seahawks front that successfully sold out to stop him, leaving Peterson as the biggest bust during a troubling week at the position.

Peterson expressed palpable frustration over his limited workload in the loss, according to ESPN.com's Ben Goessling. "As one of the leaders on the team, seeing how the running game has been all season, you definitely want to be able to go out and establish the run and let things feed off of that," Peterson said. "To finish with eight carries, it's tough. I feel like we're able to sit back, evaluate some things again and get back to what we do."

Game script and game flow simply weren't in Peterson's favor in Week 13, but we continue to trust him as a high-usage asset.

The Philadelphia Eagles' DeMarco Murray was demoted, however temporarily, as Darren Sproles earned the start in New England, limiting Murray to just eight totes and 24 yards and his second game without a catch for Philadelphia this season.

It's become clearer with each inefficient week that Murray isn't ideal for the team's space and pace scheme, as offensive tackle Jason Peters told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer in comparing him to the Eagles' other running backs: "You ain't really got to stay on your block as long. Murray—he's a pound running back, so he'll stretch it out longer and try to hit up there late."

In this telling statement it becomes clearer why Murray hasn't been a fit and could continue to frustrate investors going forward. Go ahead and add Ryan Mathews if he was dropped in your league during a recent stretch of inactive games due to a lingering concussion injury.

We also find the New York Jets' Chris Ivory and the Denver Broncos' C.J. Anderson producing lackluster lines in Week 13.

Did a certain ball-carrier fell your fantasy hopes this week? 

Wonderful Wideout: Jacksonville Jaguars' Allen Robinson Ascends

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The Jacksonville Jaguars landed a No. 1 receiver in Penn State's Allen Robinson, as the second-year pass-catcher has produced an amazing sophomore season, one embodied by his massive Week 13 numbers that earn him MVP honors among NFL wideouts this week.

With three scores in the contest, Robinson is now tied with Julio Jones for fifth in fantasy points per game at the position. For those chasing championships, a Week 16 meeting with the generous New Orleans Saints secondary could make Robinson the most coveted commodity that weekend.

Mike DiRocco of ESPN's NFL Nation offers some evidence Robinson could become the top wideout in team history given such a rare combination of vertical and 50/50 ball skills. Given such awesome tape and results, it's a reasonable pitch.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown was once again amazing in prime time.

Meanwhile, the boom-or-bust Ted Ginn of the Carolina Panthers enjoyed a rich rapport with Cam Newton in New Orleans. The battle of New York held in North Jersey saw both Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall feast on fantasy points.

Doug Baldwin has somehow emerged as a top fantasy receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, something investors surely enjoy as he was floating on waiver wires as recently as last week.

Big games from the Kansas City Chiefs' Jeremy Maclin and the Cincinnati Bengals' A.J. Green were welcome outcomes, as both thrived via big plays.

Which wideout led you to imaginary glory this week?

Denver Broncos' Emmanuel Sanders Tops the Bust List at Receiver in Week 13

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Emmanuel Sanders enjoyed an awesome Week 12 outing as the Denver Broncos passing game seemed capable of supporting his target-heavy production pattern. This week, however, fantasy investors were left with just one fantasy point in ESPN standard leagues, netting him bust honors at the position.

The Oakland Raiders' rare rookie Amari Cooper posted another lackluster box score for fantasy purposes, while the Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald was only helpful in PPR formats thanks to eight receptions as he totaled just 55 yards.

Top Tight End of Week 13: Richard Rodgers' Hail Mary Haul Nets MVP Honors

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The Green Bay Packers' amazing last-second win in Detroit this past Thursday saw Richard Rodgers haul in a Hail Mary toss to secure the rare victory. Given such a big play and the awesome fantasy results it earned his investors, Rodgers is the MVP at the position this week.

The Tennessee Titans' Delanie Walker is sixth in fantasy points per game among tight ends in ESPN leagues and continued to shine Sunday. With such a rich rapport in place with Marcus Mariota, a fun finish to the campaign is quite possible.

Greg Olsen is the steadiest hand among fantasy tight ends this season, with the Carolina Panthers product producing yet another healthy box score. The New England Patriots' Scott Chandler, meanwhile, is a worthwhile red-zone weapon as long as Rob Gronkowski is sidelined.

As for the busts at the position, we find Martellus Bennett approaching the waiver wire, with the Chicago Bears' mercurial target netting just 14 yards in Week 13. The Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce proved disappointing as well with a fumble and only two catches for the week.

Eagles D/ST Surprises with a Surge in New England

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The maligned Philadelphia Eagles defense had afforded opponents 90 points over the past two games entering Week 13, but we witnessed them produce big plays over and over Sunday in New England en route to MVP honors among D/STs. Going forward, however, it could prove difficult to trust this a fantasy group dependent on big plays. 

The Houston Texans D/ST can be considered the biggest bust among fantasy defenses, as they produced negative fantasy points in Orchard Park. The key might have been a sound strategic scheme bent on curbing J.J. Watt's production. Watt shared some revealing info to reporters, according to this piece from Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com:

"

I face double-teams, triple-teams every single week, so it's nothing new. They didn't throw the ball a whole lot and did a great job running the ball. They had a good scheme coming in. Their right guard and right tackle are out. They're not just going to leave you go on those guys. I think they did a good job on that.

"

With the New England Patriots heading to Houston this week, fading this defense appears prudent for Week 14.