Fantasy Football: Week 13 Leftovers

For some leagues, the regular season ended last night. For others, one more week remains. In either case, what happened during this past week still has an impact on what owners do heading down the stretch and into the playoffs. Even if you clinched a spot, there are still things to play for. Let's run it all down. 

Fantasy Up

1. DeAngelo Williams - His four touchdown day did more for his status on the team than it did for his fantasy relevance. Owners should not be as concerned with Stewart stealing carries going forward. Williams is the man.
2. Donovan McNabb - It kills me to have this guy on such a yo-yo. The fact remains that he was stellar on Thanksgiving against the Cardinals. He gets the Giants this week, a team that he was able to put up good numbers against his first time out.
3. Steve Slaton- I don't think you hear many people clamoring for Reggie Bush in Houston right now. Slaton continues to build on a fantastic rookie season and is vaulting himself into RB2 status for next season as well. His 100-yard game and two touchdowns were the driving force behind the Monday win.
4. Mark Clayton - I remember drafting this guy as a late-round pick three years ago, hoping he would put it together. I was just a few years early. I'm buying this one.
5. Bernard Berrian - The Vikings are going to be dared to throw the football, because teams are going to try to stop Peterson on the ground by bringing up an extra guy. His 99-yard touchdown catch was all he needed to contribute for a very solid day. He added to it, but that one play was perfect.

Fantasy Down

1. Philip Rivers - After his hot start, the former No. 1 rated quarterback has fallen off the map. The Falcons' pass defense is in the lower third of the league, yet Rivers couldn't take advantage of the situation.
2. Frank Gore - He runs very well against very poor defenses. Considering that the 49ers are constantly playing from behind, Gore's touches are reduced. Not a great situation heading in to the playoffs, but the running back does get a couple division games.
3. Clinton Portis- He's hurt, no doubt about that here. Portis was expected to put a pounding on the Giants, but was never able to really get going. His neck injury could push him to the sidelines this week.
4. Matt Cassel - Maybe it was the defenses he was facing. Pittsburgh manhandled Cassel, blitzing from every angle. They have the defense to do that. Seattle isn't going to be so lucky.
5. Trent Edwards - Edwards struggled, and ended up getting hurt late in the first half. We overrated his September, and some owners are still banking on that early reputation. Cut the cord.

You Shouldn't Trust the Performance of...

...Reggie Williams. The obvious answer here is Mark Clayton. Problem is, I think he's actually got some ability. Clayton has been a sleeper in many leagues since he entered the NFL, and now we're starting to see some of that skill. Maybe the argument Clayton should have made centered around his quarterbacks being awful.

Williams, though, is a problem in the sense that the Jaguars aren't built to throw the football. Last night, the Texans tried to make them do just that, and it was effective. He had five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. I just don't think he's going to be reliable enough the rest of the way. Not with Matt Jones, and not with two top running backs.

I'm Most Concerned About...

...Tomlinson. No other way around it here. Tomlinson has been a major disappointment, and I'm starting to turn on the guy. He's far from the player that seemed to breaking records around every corner not that long ago.

When running, he seems tentative and unsure. He doesn't hit the hole hard, and has no burst when he gets to the second level of the defense. His game against Atlanta I don't think was a fluke. It may not be the norm, but it's not a fluke.

He's broken 100 yards rushing only twice this season, but has been held under 50 yards four times. For the season, he's averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. Only four times this season has he averaged more than four yards per carry. His receiving numbers aren't giving him a huge boost, as he's been stuck between 30 and 40 yards most games.

I think what we're getting is relatively close to reality.

Workin' the Wire

• Davone Bess- He had six catches for 84 yards in replacing Camarillo. Don't be surprised to see similar performances in coming weeks. The Bills are weak in the secondary, and Bess wasn't used the last time the two teams met. And, it's in a dome, not in Buffalo.
• Pierre Thomas- I think this is a safe call for one more week, especially given how Bush played in his first week back. Owners or free agent vultures could steal one more matchup before it starts to get dicey.
• Mark Clayton- As I said above, I think this kid has something. Flacco certainly seems to like him, and that's one of the few things that really matters.
• Steve Breaston - We harp on this guy every week, yet he's still available in about 45 percent of leagues. Breaston deserves to be more owned than that, and he's getting the targets to deserve the attention.
• Tashard Choice - If Barber can't go this week, Choice will be the guy in the backfield. I don't exactly know how much that counts for, but the Cowboys seem to employ similar running backs in terms of style. He's not Barber, but he's a sleeper play.
• Don't forget the usual suspects Lance Moore, Tyler Thigpen, Ted Ginn, etc.