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The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 13: Last-minute moves

Kevin Cusick, Pioneer Press
·6 min read

UPDATE: 1:50 a.m. Sunday
The big news late Saturday night comes out of Cincinnati, where the Bengals will be getting at least one of their two missing offensive stars back.

ESPN reported that WR Ja’Marr Chase is expected back for today’s AFC championship rematch with Kansas City. But RB Joe Mixon is still in the concussion protocol, so his status will not be determined until right before the late-afternoon game time.

UPDATE: 8:30 p.m. Friday
The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will renew their ancient rivalry Sunday with neither of them having a shot at salvaging their season. But at least they won’t have to trot their backup quarterbacks out there at Soldier Field.

Both Aaron Rodgers (ribs) and Justin Fields (non-throwing shoulder) have been cleared to start despite their recent injuries. You can’t expect Fields to run wild like he has a few times this season, but he’s still a better starting option than the flailing A-Rodg.

In other QB news, the Rams’ sinking ship will again be piloted by someone other than Matthew Stafford, and the Jets will keep Mike White in the starting lineup when they face the Vikings in Minneapolis.

Two injured running backs now slated to return are Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris and Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne.

There are a number of notable questionables. Cincinnati WR Ja’Marr Chase might have the most optimistic outlook. But the jury is still out on Bengals RB Joe Mixon, Raiders RB Josh Jacobs and 49ers WR Deebo Samuel.

Chargers WR Mike Williams has been ruled out again, and Jets RB Michael Carter is considered doubtful.

ORIGINAL POST: 9:25 a.m. Wednesday
One-time star quarterback Deshaun Watson has spent more time huddling with lawyers than NFL offenses over the past two years. But after 24 lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, a settlement paid by his former team and an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine, the NFL has deemed him available to return as the Cleveland Browns’ starter on Sunday.

What makes this a marquee matchup for Week 13 is the fact he’ll be back in Houston, the scene of the alleged crimes, to face the Texans. And the Texans don’t have much in the way of defense.

At first glance, Watson is a tempting option for these next two weeks, the last two of the fantasy regular season. After Houston, he faces Cincinnati, and that game could be a shootout.

And a good quarterback will be harder to find, with two teams on bye this week and a full six idled in Week 14.

Since all quarterback-needy teams will be falling over themselves to claim Watson, you might have to go for Plan B. Here are some other QB options that have favorable matchups the next two weekends:

Ryan Tannehill (Titans) — Tennessee’s QB has been heating up and his next two are against an Eagles team with some defensive injuries, and a very pliable Jaguars defense. Tannehill also likes to occasionally sneak into the end zone for rushing TDs when defenses commit everything to stop Derrick Henry.

Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) — The former No. 1 pick has thrown for nearly 600 yards and five TDs over the past two weeks, and he’s facing the Lions and Titans in the next two. He has connected with Christian Kirk for seven TD passes this season and could run that total up to double digits in short order.

Jared Goff (Lions) — Detroit’s QB has cooled off after a torrid start, during which he had a pair of four-touchdown games. But his receiving corps is the healthiest it has been in a while, and neither the Jaguars nor the Vikings in the next two weeks will be a huge impediment to the improving Lions’ offense.

Geno Smith (Seahawks) — The Seattle veteran has come back down to earth after his surprising career revival. But he has the easiest matchups the next two weeks in a Rams team that has quit, and a Panthers team that should quit. Smith has a streak of five consecutive games with a pair of TD passes, and that could easily grow to seven.

Sitting stars

New Orleans RB Alvin Kamara is a mess now, and he has been banged up. So don’t expect much against Tampa Bay. … Buffalo will likely rely on the pass against New England, so RB Devin Singletary will cool off some. … Passing will also be key for the Vikings against the Jets, so RB Dalvin Cook will not break the bank. … The Washington defense will help continue the slump of Giants RB Saquon Barkley. … Receivers that will have some difficulty this week include the Colts’ Michael Pittman against Dallas, and Tennessee’s Treylon Burks vs. the Eagles. … And do we even need to remind you to leave Denver QB Russell Wilson on the bench against Baltimore, and in every other game going forward?

Matchup game

Josh Jacobs is coming off a career game with 303 all-purpose yards in Seattle but has an injured calf. Still, he’s a No. 1 RB option against the Chargers if healthy. … Philly’s offensive line is so dominant now that Miles Sanders should find more huge holes against the Titans … Cincinnati’s Samaje Perine is worth starting against the Chiefs if Joe Mixon can’t go again. … Deshaun Watson’s Browns debut will mean strong numbers for WR Amari Cooper vs. the lowly Texans. … Can Seattle WR Tyler Lockett reach paydirt for a fifth consecutive game? Yes, because he’s playing the Rams. … Tampa Bay WR Chris Godwin is currently Tom Brady’s favorite and will do well against New Orleans. … And we think Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett and WR George Pickens will follow up their Monday night win with a strong outing against the Falcons.

Injury watch

There’s a bunch, starting with the running backs. Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris went down midway through Monday night’s game and could be replaced this week by Benny Snell. … The Jets’ MIchael Carter could again be ably replaced by Zonovan Knight. … The season-ending injury to Elijah Mitchell in San Francisco creates an opening for Jordan Mason. … Two receivers are done for the year: Chicago’s Darnell Mooney and the Rams’ Allen Robinson. … The long list of questionables included four RBs (Jaguars’ Travis Etienne, Cincinnati’s Mixon, Tampa Bay’s Leonard Fournette and Miami’s Raheem Mostert), three top receivers (Cincy’s Ja’Marr Chase, Chargers’ Mike Williams and Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy), and lots of quarterbacks (Chicago’s Justin Fields, Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, Niners’ Jimmy Garoppolo and Rams’ Matthew Stafford)

The deepest sleeper

Jacksonville wide receiver Zay Jones has mostly been an afterthought in a Jaguars offense that is mostly an afterthought. But he had the biggest game of his six-year career last Sunday in their upset of Baltimore. He caught 11 passes for 145 yards, but his biggest reception came on the game-winning two-point conversion. He has averaged a little more than eight targets per game over the past eight games and is becoming a favorite of Trevor Lawrence. With eight teams facing byes in the next two weeks, Jones is one of the more attractive free-agent options that is still widely available.

The Thursday pick

Bills at Patriots (+5½): Pick: Bills by 7

Breaking News

We’ll be updating our column, based on the latest injuries and innuendo, right up until Sunday’s kickoff. Go to TwinCities.com/theloop.

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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