Fantasy Football fool’s gold: 3 players you should believe in, 2 players you shouldn’t in Week 13

One bye-pocalypse is in the books and another looms in Week 14, which is the final week of the fantasy football regular season for most teams. With only two weeks left ahead of the playoffs for most fantasy managers, the priority for pickups at this point is either to shore up the bench for Week 14 byes and/or give themselves viable options to use in a postseason matchup.

While the waiver wire is usually pretty thin at this juncture in competitive leagues, a few noteworthy options emerged after strong Week 12 performances. Who should you trust and who will bust if you pick them up? Read on to find out in the latest addition of the fantasy football fool's gold report.

Fantasy football fool's gold: Week 13 report

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

The running game hasn't been much to write home about for Las Vegas this season as both Alexander Mattison and Zamir White have underwhelmed when given the lead role in the backfield. The Raiders were down both middling backs on Sunday and turned the backfield over to veteran Ameer Abdullah, who has been primarily a return specialist in recent years, and he turned back the clock with a solid effort in a 10-point loss to the Denver Broncos.

Abdullah led the backfield with eight carries for 28 yards, averaging 3.5 yards per rush, and also contributed five catches for another 37 yards. One of those receptions provided the lone offensive touchdown of the day for the Raiders, who have been looking for any signs of positivity on offense after seeing a pair of quarterbacks go down with long-term injuries.

It remains to be seen when White or Mattison return to the lineup but their performances have left the door open for Abdullah to claim a role going forward. While this situation is likely going to devolve into a three-headed committee, Abdullah's pass catching skills should give him a defined role that is useful for flex scenarios, especially with Week 14's six byes looming.

Verdict: Trust

Jeremy McNichols, RB, Washington Commanders

Injuries were the story of the day in Washington's backfield on Sunday as both Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler went down with injuries late in the Commanders' loss to Dallas. The next man up for Washington is Jeremy McNichols, who has already vultured four touchdowns from Robinson this season and picked up 22 yards on three carries on Sunday.

Ekeler is currently in concussion protocol while Robinson is managing an ankle injury, leaving both highly questionable for Sunday's date with the Tennessee Titans. If Washington is able to build an early lead on a bad Tennessee team they would theoretically look to run the clock in the second half, giving McNichols a ton of carries as a streaming option at running back.

The problem here is that the Titans have been stingy against the run, which could incentivize the Commanders to lean more on the passing game to move the offense. Washington's Week 14 bye also works against McNichols since this could be at best a one-game audition before the situation returns to normal, making it unwise to chase him on the wire unless you're truly desperate in Week 13.

Verdict: Bust

DeMario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots

Investing in the New England passing attack isn't for the faint of heart since the unit has been highly volatile even with Drake Maye taking over for the ineffective Jacoby Brisset uncer center. The addition of Maye to the starting lineup has at least increased the ceiling of some of the Patriots' pass catchers, including DeMario Douglas, who has established a solid PPR floor over the past few weeks.

Douglas had a good day against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12, catching five passes for 62 yards on seven targets. Maye has developed a good connection with Douglas, targeting him at least five times in six of the seven starts he completed, although the touchdowns haven't necessarily followed at this point.

There are signs that this partnership is trending upwards, however, as Douglas has secured at least 50 yards receiving in each of his past three games. With New England frequently trailing, there figures to be plenty of garbage time work for Douglas to establish himself as a viable flex option for fantasy rosters going forward.

Verdict: Trust

Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints

It looked like Derek Carr was on the road to fantasy superstardom after two blowup weeks to start the season but injuries torpedoed that trajectory. Carr missed three games due to injury but has been on fire since his return, putting up five touchdowns against no interceptions over his last three games prior to New Orleans' Week 12 bye.

That performance has been very impressive since Carr has seen a number of his top pass catchers go down with Rashid Shaheed gone for the season while Chris Olave landed on IR after suffering another concussion. The Saints have seen Carr deliver strong fantasy numbers while utilizing Taysom Hill and journeyman Marquez Valdes-Scantling (who was featured in this space after a monstrous Week 10 effort) as some of his top targets.

The upcoming schedule is favorable for New Orleans, which plays its next three against vulnerable pass defenses (the Rams, Giants and Commanders respectively) while the fantasy championship offers a revenge spot against the Raiders. Carr should be rostered at least as a backup and offers plenty of streaming potential for teams who have had issues at the quarterback position this season.

Verdict: Trust

Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers

Its been a minute since Adam Thielen was a fantasy consideration but he made his triumphant return to Carolina's lineup after missing the past eight weeks with a hamstring injury. Bryce Young made Thielen a part of the game plan immediately, targeting the veteran four times in Sunday's highly-competitive overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Thielen made the most of his limited opportunities, catching three passes for 57 yards, which could earn him more work going forward as the Panthers look to rebuild Young's confidence over the rest of the regular season. There are a few factors working against Thielen, however, including the emergence of rookie Xavier Legette as Young's favorite weapon during Thielen's stint on IR.

While game flow figures to be favorable for the Panthers, Thielen backers likely have to hope that Young's improvements are for real and that he doesn't regress any further. There is simply too much risk here to bank on Thielen as a reliable contributor when there are other solid options available on the waiver wire.

Verdict: Bust