Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 13 boom or bust
Fantasy Football – Wide Receiver
Boom: Allen Robinson, CHI @ DET
While Chicago’s offense as a whole has been achingly underwhelming, Robinson is one player that’s been a consistent factor all season. Currently fantasy’s overall WR17 on the year, the 26-year-old has scored 14.6 or more fantasy points in over half of his games. Last week, he hung a 6/131/1 line on the Giants, one which would have been much larger if not for a 60-yard reception that was called back.
On Thanksgiving Day, Robinson draws a matchup with the sputtering Lions, a defense that’s yielded 37.5 FPPG to wideouts on the season (bottom-10 in the league). A shadow date with Darius Slay isn’t as concerning as it once was, and Robinson should again take full advantage of his WR1-like usage. Bears’ QB Mitchell Trubisky has a history of success against Detroit, giving Robinson an even better outlook.
Boom: Terry McLaurin, WSH @ CAR
“Scary Terry” has come back down to Earth after a red-hot start to his rookie campaign. The Ohio State product posted top-15 WR numbers in Weeks 1-7, but has since had just one game over 10 fantasy points. However, he finally got back over that threshold last week against the Lions, securing five passes for 72 yards. His 12 targets in this contest was also a season-high.
The Panthers’ secondary has been in shambles, quickly becoming a spot for owners to attack as they’ve surrendered the fifth-most FPPG (39.7) to the wide receiver position in 2019. As Dwayne Haskins makes his way around the rookie learning curve, McLaurin’s numbers should continue to rise as a result. The former Buckeye teammates have already built a noticeable rapport, something that should only grow against Carolina.
Honorable Mention: Robert Woods (LAR @ ARI), Dede Westbrook (JAX vs. TB)
Bust: Kenny Golladay, DET vs. CHI
On the other side of the ball in this NFC North Turkey Day showdown is Golladay, who’s missed starting quarterback Matthew Stafford more than anyone. He’s fallen behind teammate Marvin Jones Jr. in the pecking order with Jeff Driskel at the helm, seeing just nine combined targets in his past two games compared to Jones’ 16. To make matters worse, Driskel is questionable for Thursday’s game after sustaining a hamstring injury last week.
If the Lions are forced to roll out 24-year-old UDFA David Blough (yeah — who?) at quarterback, you can kiss any Detroit pass-catcher’s value goodbye. That’s especially the case against Chicago’s defense, one that’s limited wideouts to just 28.8 FPPG (fifth-fewest in the NFL). The only way you should be starting Golladay is if you’ve got no other option.
Bust: Will Fuller V, HOU vs. NE
Last week against the Colts, Fuller returned to the field in emphatic fashion, reeling-in seven passes for 140 yards. Although he missed four games due to a hamstring injury, he and Deshaun Watson didn’t miss a beat, connecting on several deep balls while making it look easy. His 140 yards were also the most surrendered by Indianapolis all season to a wide receiver.
While Fuller looked great, it’s hard to envision an encore performance against the vaunted Patriots’ defense. They rank in the top-three in nearly every defensive category through 12 weeks and have suppressed visiting wideouts to a league-best 24.9 FPPG. Fuller’s big-play ability makes him a boom candidate on any given week, but it’s foolish to bet against New England’s turnover-happy D this year.
Dishonorable Mention: Emmanuel Sanders (SF @ BAL), Courtland Sutton (DEN vs. LAC)
Sleeper: Chris Conley, JAX vs. TB
The Buccaneers are a dream matchup for receivers, surrendering the most fantasy points in the league at 47.3 per game. There’s more than enough room for multiple Jags’ WRs to make noise in this one, and Conley comes into this game drawing at least seven targets in each of his last five games.