Fantasy Football Week 13 features some brutal Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em decisions thanks to a whopping six teams on bye. Additionally, RB fantasy production has been very volatile in 2023.
Mix in a slew of RB injuries, and you’ve got the recipe for some very difficult Week 13 Fantasy Start Sit Lineup decisions.
Three RBs I’ve been getting asked about a ton (@RotoStreetWolf) are De’Von Achane, Breece Hall, and Devin Singletary. Thankfully, I have pretty strong leanings on all three in my Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings.
Lets dive into the Week 13 Fantasy Outlooks for all three RBs.
De’Von Achane Week 13 Fantasy Outlook
Achane has been a bit maddening in 2023 fantasy, if only because of how unbelievably good he’s been when fully active and healthy.
Across his three full games, Achane averaged 154 yards from scrimmage and over 32 PPR FPs per game. For context, that’s over 7 FPPG more than Fantasy God Christian McCaffrey.
In those contests, Achane finished with 51 (!), 27, and 24 PPR FPs, good for RB1, RB5, and RB4 finishes. Yes, a Top-5 RB in every full game played.
While Achane only needs one play, his usage was also consistent. Via FantasyLife’s Utilization Hub, Achane averaged 52% of the snaps, 46% of the rushes, and 51% of the routes alongside a 10% target share.
Those first two marks were also higher than Raheem Mostert.
This type of upside makes Achane nearly impossible to bench, in my opinion.
Yet, despite the sky-high ceiling, we can’t ignore Achane’s terrifying floor. He’s missed five of the last six games with a knee injury, and the one game he played, Achane aggravated the injury on his first touch.
The risk of Achane getting dinged and leaving early is frightening. I can understand if you choose not to stomach it.
However, Achane has been practicing for two full weeks now. Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned Achane could have played against the Jets last week, and likely even returned in the game he got hurt, but they had little incentive to force him until he was truly 100%.
Thus, I don’t expect Achane to be limited in his workload. Perhaps he’ll see a few less touches than Weeks 3-5 given Jeff Wilson‘s re-emergence, but 8-12 touches feels like a very realistic floor.
Thus, Achane’s week-winning ceiling is more than enough for me to still go All-In for Week 13. This is especially true when you factor in the matchup vs. the Washington Commanders.
The Dolphins have an absurd implied team total of 29 points, which I believe they will smash. Additionally, since trading away Montez Sweat and Chase Young, the Commanders have become a Top-3 matchup in fantasy points allowed for RBs.
Rhamondre Stevenson (21 Half PPR FPs) and Saquon Barkley (28 FPs) both posted season-highs against them. The Seahawks and Cowboys RBs both posted over 30 combined FPs as a backfield, too.
I have Achane at RB19 (+11 ECR) in my Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings. Already claiming two of the top-three ball-carrier speeds in 2023, expect Achane to make a few monster splashes back on this list:
De’Von Achane Week 13 Projection: 13 touches (3 rec), 110 yards, 1 TD
Verdict: Start De’Von Achane with confidence in Week 13
Breece Hall Week 13 Fantasy Outlook
Breece Hall is an elite talent and among the most exciting Dynasty Fantasy RB prospects in the game. Yet, in redraft, and especially Week 13 Fantasy Football, I am far less enthused for Hall’s fantasy prospects.
Indeed, Hall caught fire for a fair stretch of 2023, ripping off 27, 18, and 18 Half-PPR FPs in Weeks 5-8 (Week 7 Bye). He finished as the RB3, RB5, and RB8 in that span. Most importantly, Hall looked capable of overcoming the awful QB and Line play that most RBs would crumble alongside.
Unfortunately, the past four weeks have not been promising. Hall has posted 8, 9, 16, and 8 Half-PPR FPs — just one double-digit performance in his last four. He’s been the RB27, RB30, RB13, and RB30 on these numbers
Moreover, in his last six games, Hall has averaged barely 30 rushing yards. He hasn’t topped 50 yards a single time in that span. PFF grades the Jets’ line as THE worst in the league, especially run-blocking.
And then we come to… Tim Boyle:
Since Scott’s tweet, that NFL ratio is now 4 TDs to 11 INTs. PUTRID.
If there’s any saving grace, it may be Hall’s receiving usage. Boyle hurled 9 looks Hall’s way, which he snared for 7 receptions and 24 yards. Hall has averaged six targets, five receptions, and 43.5 receiving yards per game across his last six, which could bail him out, especially in full PPR leagues.
Still, the matchup is not kind. The Falcons have given up the second-fewest points to RBs, including no rushing TDs. Atlanta has also been limiting to big plays from RBs, which Hall has required to yield value (19th in explosive run rate).
Between the lack of recent production, the difficult matchup, and his horrendous surroundings, I sit Hall wherever I can afford to do so. Hall is my RB24 (-8 ECR) in my Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings.
Breece Hall’s Week 13 Projection: 16 touches (5 rec), 58 YFS
Verdict: Sit Hall unless you have no other options.
Devin Singletary Week 13 Fantasy Outlook
The amount of Week 13 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em questions I’ve gotten on Devin Singletary astounds me.
Across his last three games, Singletary is the RB3 in fantasy, behind only Christian McCaffrey and Jahmyr Gibbs. He’s posted 23, 19, and 10 FPs for RB3, RB4, and RB20 finishes in that span.
That latter performance may be the reason for the questions. In Week 12, Singletary posted just 6 carries for 18 yards. He did see a serious uptick in receiving volume, however, posting season highs in targets (7), receptions (6), and receiving yards (54).
Still, Dameon Pierce returned to the lineup in Week 12. He was his usual ineffective self, posting five carries for a measly 14 yards. Even so, just one less carry than Singletary has to be concerning… right?
I don’t think so. At least, not when you look at the underlying usage. Via FantasyLife’s Utilization Hub:
Singletary saw a whopping 81% of the snaps, compared to just 19% for Pierce. This was the fourth-straight week Singeltary topped 75%+ snapshare.
Perhaps Pierce’s minimal field-time was because he was returning from injury. Still, it’s equally, if not more, plausible that this is Singletary’s gig now. He’s been the far more effective runner and receiver, and gives this offense an added dimension.
Plus, the matchup could not be juicier. The Broncos have allowed the most FPs to opposing backfields on the season (27.28 Half-PPR), surrendering a league-worst 133.4 rush yards per game. Sure, Denver has improved overall in recent weeks, but they still have gotten gashed on the ground.
Given the banged up passing game weapons and run-funnel matchup, Houston and Bobbly Slowik are likely to hammer the run game. If Singeltary maintains his dominant 70% snapshare, which I expect, he should see 15-20+ touches in a prime spot.
Devin Singletary Week 13 Projection: 20 touches (4 rec), 100 yards, 1 TD
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