Fantasy Football: Dynasty Recap Week 13 2021 - A New RB1?

Recapping the NFL games over the weekend for dynasty fantasy football teams. What all happened and how can you push for the fantasy football playoffs?

Casey Birch | Dec 7, 2021

Fantasy Football: Dynasty Recap Week 13

Recapping the NFL games over the weekend for dynasty fantasy football teams. What all happened and how can you push for the fantasy football playoffs?

The countdown begins. It's t-minus two weeks until playoffs begin for most dynasty fantasy football leagues. Trade deadlines are looming or may have already passed. Managers are scrambling to fill holes from injuries and add depth where possible. Waiver wires are reminiscent of a tumbleweed sweeping across the desolate streets of a ghost town. Actual NFL happenings may be the only rival to the chaos surrounding the fantasy football season. Regardless, now is the time for competitive and rebuilding teams alike to buckle down and make final, in-season preparations.

The Philly Conundrum

Last week's discussion centered on the risk of rostering Jalen Hurts as a dynasty fantasy football quarterback. That potential risk was suddenly realized as the Philadelphia Eagles took on the New York Jets this week. With Hurts sidelined due to an ankle injury, Gardner Minshew was tasked with stepping into the starting role. It was the first start for Minshew since being traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars at the beginning of the season. In this lone cameo appearance, Minshew dominated the competition. He completed 20 of 25 pass attempts for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Above all, he consistently moved the offense and avoided the turnovers that plagued Hurts the previous week. The burning question remains, "who is going to be the starter going forward?" That also assumes that Hurts is healthy after a bye in week fourteen. If so, can an organization that needs to win games for a playoff bid afford to bench a quarterback that had an 80% completion rate and rejuvenated a struggling offense? It'll be a tough call for coach Nick Sirianni no matter what. From a dynasty fantasy football perspective, the fallout will be immense. The situation immediately establishes a chaotic market value for Hurts and Minshew. Playoff-bound managers rostering Hurts will need to find a new starter on short notice, assuming they lack depth at the quarterback position. Rebuilding managers may be willing to trade for Hurts but would likely only offer a fraction of what he was going for in deals last week. On the flip side, Minshew managers might consider selling high on this performance. Given the potential upside of Minshew being the starter, it's probably best to hold tight and see if he can retain the role for the rest of the season.

Dynasty RB1?

Until this week, Denver Broncos rookie running back Javonte Williams had been lurking just below the surface of fantasy football greatness. The first twelve weeks of the season confirmed to anyone watching that Williams is a phenomenal talent, but the opportunity wasn't there. He had been splitting snaps with Melvin Gordon all season, but Williams finally earned a chance to shine with Gordon out due to injury. He did not disappoint whatsoever. On the day, Williams took 23 carries for 102 rushing yards and corralled six catches for 76 yards and a receiving touchdown. Social media has since run rampant with William's valuation. It's even possible that most fantasy football managers now view Williams as a top-five dynasty fantasy football running back. While that could be reasonable, the rapid change in value will make Williams almost untradeable. Managers rostering Willaims will hold out for a king's ransom, and rightly so. Managers trying to trade for Williams will have to significantly overpay to have a chance of prizing him away, whether from a competing or rebuilding team.

The Band-Aid Bunch

While this week wasn't strewn with a multitude of high-profile injuries, a few will significantly impact dynasty fantasy football rosters competing for a championship. Adam Thielen suffered a high ankle sprain early in the game against the Detroit Lions and was swiftly ruled out. Given that most high ankle sprains require multiple weeks of rest and rehabilitation before a player can return, Thielen may not impact fantasy football rosters for the rest of the season. Competing dynasty fantasy football managers could look for a cheap, short-term replacement or added depth in the form of players like DeVante Parker, A.J. Green, or Hunter Renfrow. The next significant injury occurred when Miles Sanders tweaked his ankle towards the end of the game against the New York Jets. The injured ankle is the same one that bothered Sanders earlier this season, and while the Eagles are on bye in week 14, the injury could carry over into the fantasy football playoffs. Runningback potential replacements include Jamaal Williams, Alexander Mattison, and James Conner. While not starters on most competitive rosters, the final injuries to discuss happened to Logan Thomas and Kenyan Drake. Thomas injured his knee in the game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and it's thought that he tore his ACL and MCL. Drake suffered a severe ankle injury that has since been identified as a fracture. Sadly, both injuries are season-ending. That said, this will revive the value of backup tight end Ricky Seals-Jones for the fantasy football playoffs and could result in Peyton Barber earning some additional touches in the Raider's backfield.