Fantasy Football Week 13: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position

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With only a few games left in the fantasy football season, managers will find it difficult to pluck sleepers out of the free-agent pool.

Coaches may begin to reduce rotations to keep their top contributors on the field amid a playoff push. As a result, fewer unheralded fantasy gems have a chance to produce a standout performance. 

In Week 13, we're going to highlight a pair of quarterbacks who haven't recently posted juicy fantasy stat lines, but their plus matchups make them intriguing pickup options.

While most managers with Dalvin Cook flock to running back Alexander Mattison as an injury replacement, take a deeper shot at a pair of tailbacks who could take advantage of expanded roles.

Lastly, two Las Vegas Raiders have boom potential in a matchup against one of the league's most generous pass defenses. 

Let's take a look at eight sleeper options available in 60 percent or fewer of Yahoo leagues.

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DK DFS Price: $5,500

Over the past two weeks, Tua Tagovailoa has done enough to whet your fantasy football appetite. He's thrown for 503 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while completing approximately 84 percent of his passes.

Tagovailoa's high completion rate and budding rapport with wideout Jaylen Waddle, who racked up a career-high 137 receiving yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, could lead to top-10 fantasy numbers among quarterbacks.

Tagovailoa hasn't shown any lingering effects from a finger injury that relegated him to emergency backup duty for Weeks 9 and 10. Now that he's established a rhythm with his top wide receiver, the second-year quarterback could up the volume on his passing-yard totals.

The Miami Dolphins field a pass-heavy offense that ranks seventh in attempts, and they're facing a New York Giants pass defense that's allowed 261-plus yards in three of the past four contests. Managers should give Tagovailoa a look while he has a hot hand.

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DK DFS Price: $5,300

Tyrod Taylor threw for two touchdowns, an interception and tacked on 30 rushing yards last week against the New York Jets. That's the first time since the season opener that he recorded multiple scores through the air in a single game.

Taylor will have a chance to build some momentum against the Indianapolis Colts, who are tied for seventh with the Houston Texans in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. On top of that, the Colts have surrendered the second-most passing touchdowns (26) leaguewide. 

Over the past two weeks, Taylor ranks seventh among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring with 35.40 points. He's not going to throw for a ton of yards, but the Texans signal-caller should be able to move the ball against a vulnerable pass defense and pose a threat to score on the ground. He's scrambled for three rushing touchdowns this season.

Because of his matchup and dual-threat capability, Taylor has streamer appeal for Week 13.

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DK DFS Price: $5,300

In recent outings, Matt Breida has provided an offensive spark out of the backfield. He's racked up at least 50 scrimmage yards in each of the past three games with three total touchdowns during that stretch. 

Last week, the Buffalo Bills listed running back Zack Moss as a healthy scratch, which indicates Breida may have moved into the No. 2 spot behind Devin Singletary on the depth chart. 

While Singletary continues to start, Breida should get enough touches as the complementary ball-carrier and receiver in the short passing game. He could make a solid fantasy impact against the New England Patriots, who field the 20th-ranked run defense and allowed the Tennessee Titans to rush for 270 yards in Week 12.

The Patriots rank third in passing yards allowed, so expect their defense to clamp down on quarterback Josh Allen and his pass-catchers, forcing the Bills to lean on the ground attack. Singletary and Breida could have big Monday night performances if New England doesn't allow Buffalo to air it out over the top.

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DK DFS Price: $4,500

The New York Jets had a new lead ball-carrier in Tevin Coleman last week while Michael Carter nursed a high ankle sprain on injured reserve.

In the Jets' previous outing, Coleman logged a team-leading 16 carries for 67 yards. As backup running backs, Austin Walter recorded nine rush attempts for 38 yards with a touchdown, and Ty Johnson finished with six carries for 42 yards. 

Coleman will likely hold on to the featured role because of his ties to offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. They worked together for two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers while the latter served as the passing-game coordinator. 

Coleman's workload makes him a decent sleeper option against the Philadelphia Eagles' 16th-ranked run defense that's ceded 12 touchdowns in as many games. 

The Eagles rank 20th in red-zone defense. Coleman should have a chance to break the goal line for a score if the Jets move the ball inside Philadelphia's 20-yard line.

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DK DFS Price: $4,200

DeSean Jackson helped spark the Las Vegas Raiders' aerial attack with a big game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, hauling in three of his four targets for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Tight end Darren Waller could miss time with a knee injury, so Jackson may see a slight bump in his target volume Sunday. Regardless, he's a big-play receiver who just needs a handful of targets to post gaudy fantasy numbers. The speedy wideout is averaging 30.1 yards per catch for the 2021 term.

Twice this season, Jackson has racked up 102-plus receiving yards and a touchdown with just three catches.

Jackson has seen a steady increase in his offensive snap count since signing with the Raiders in early November, which illustrates the growth of his role.

For Week 13, managers can plug Jackson into the WR3 or flex spot when he faces the Washington Football Team, which gives up the most fantasy points to wide receivers. 

Jackson is dealing with a calf injury, but he doesn't see it as a major issue.

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DK DFS Price: $3,400

The Detroit Lions claimed Josh Reynolds a few days before their Week 10 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After sitting out that game and finishing the following contest without a catch, he made his presence felt on Thanksgiving against the Chicago Bears.

Reynolds hauled in three passes for a team-leading 70 receiving yards. He tied with running back Jamaal Williams for the most targets (five) among the Lions' pass-catchers. 

Quarterback Jared Goff and Reynolds started to rekindle some chemistry they had while playing for the Los Angeles Rams between 2017 and 2020. 

Goff doesn't have a go-to wide receiver to complement tight end T.J. Hockenson, so Reynolds could slide into a prominent role in the aerial attack. Furthermore, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, pass-catching running back D'Andre Swift could miss time because of a sprained shoulder.

In Week 13, Reynolds will face the Minnesota Vikings, which allow the second-most fantasy points to wideouts. He's a decent WR3 or flex option.

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DK DFS Price: $2,700 

The Las Vegas Raiders will likely face the Washington Football Team without their best offensive playmaker in tight end Darren Waller.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Waller strained an IT band in his knee during the team's Thanksgiving matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said the star tight end is "week-to-week" with the injury. 

Even if Waller plays Sunday, he'll likely handle a limited workload, which would give a bump to Foster Moreau's role in the passing game.

When Waller sat out Week 7 because of an ankle injury, Moreau had his best performance of the season, hauling six passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. 

With Moreau in line for an expanded role, he'll face a defense that's allowed the most passing touchdowns (26) and the third-most yards through the air. Managers can plug him into their lineups with some confidence if Waller doesn't suit up or goes into the game at less than 100 percent.

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DK DFS Price: $3,200

Managers will have slim pickings at tight end among viable streamer options, though a touchdown-dependent player at the position in a potential high-scoring game might pay fantasy dividends.

C.J. Uzomah recorded five touchdown receptions between Weeks 4 and 7. He could start another scoring flurry in a Week 13 contest with the Los Angeles Chargers, who have allowed an average of 30.7 points per game over the past three weeks. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals field the sixth-ranked scoring offense.

Furthermore, the Chargers allow the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends. Though Uzomah lists fourth among Bengals' pass-catchers in targets (34), he has an enticing matchup that puts him on the sleeper radar.

Fantasy scoring and points allowed provided by FantasyPros.

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Maurice Moton is an NFL and fantasy football columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.