Welcome to Week 13 of the week’s Fantasy football fades and busts! I’m your host, Matt Okada, and I’ll be bringing you half a dozen players to avoid each week, throughout the fantasy season. Always looking for the perfect six for six! Let’s go!
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As a note, just because a player gets a “fade” or “bust” designation doesn’t mean they should automatically be benched – it depends on the rest of your roster or the options on your waiver wire. But you can expect them to not meet expectations (when I understand them correctly).
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Happy Holidays and, without further ado, here is my list for week 13 of the 2025 season.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seahawks
While there aren’t many fantasy managers who rely on Sam Darnold week to week, there are just enough to make him a reasonable “fade” in reshuffled and DFS leagues. Despite much hype surrounding his and Seattle’s offensive efficiency, Darnold has recorded single-digit fantasy points in three of his last five games. In his four games against the “Red Matchups,” Darnold averaged an abysmal 9.97 fantasy points per game, with three touchdown passes and six interceptions. He has another one this weekend, as the Seahawks take on the Vikings after a much-too-close-for-comfort victory against the Titans. Unless Darnold can complete several deep passes (totally doable) and avoid another set of turnovers (maybe a little less doable), he will likely be disappointing again in Week 13.
What to do ❓ Don’t start Darnold outside of 2QB leagues or desperate situations. He’s somewhere between QB15 and QB20 this week, and you should be able to stream someone like Jacoby Brissett, Trevor Lawrence, or maybe even CJ Stroud instead.
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Rico Dowdle, running back, Panthers
The Rico Dowdle roller coaster was fun this year. His three games with 27+ fantasy points have been incredible, and he’s now meeting high-end RB2 expectations most weeks, even with the return of Chuba Hubbard. Unfortunately, it’s not so clear that he should do so, especially in a game like Sunday’s against the Rams. He’s averaging just 3.2 yards per carry over the past three weeks and has less than 55 rushing yards over the past three weeks. The last two days, Dowdle had viable fantasy days through the air (nine catches for 91 yards combined), but he only saw six carries against the 49ers on Monday night. Against the Rams, he’ll need that receiving job again, as they’ve given up the fourth-fewest yards per carry (3.8) and fewest rushing scores (just two) to running backs all season. Dowdle is much less “durable” in full PPR leagues, but his ceiling is likely capped anyway, back in committee against a lockdown defense.
What to do ❓ In most situations and in most leagues, Dowdle always starts. But he’s closer to the low-end RB2 range than he has been most weeks, and that might be worth avoiding in DFS.
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Devin Neal, RB, Saints
WHO? If you’re asking this question, you probably didn’t pick Devin Neal off the waiver wire, but quite a few people did – he was added in 45% of Yahoo leagues – with quite a bit of enthusiasm. I’m not that optimistic. Yes, Neal played 74.4 percent of the snaps Sunday with Alvin Kamara suffering a knee injury and exiting the game, and yes, he managed to put up 61 yards on 12 touches (seven carries, five catches). But New Orleans will activate (at least) another back for Week 13 (probably Audric Estime), Taysom Hill will likely remain involved in the backfield, and Neal will likely end up having a tough split, as a sixth-round rookie with 10 career carries last weekend.
More importantly, this offense is bad. No, it’s terrible. No New Orleans RB has scored more than 13 fantasy points in a game this season, and I don’t expect that to change this weekend. And the dolphins were quietly a lot best against the position since Week 8, holding Bijan Robinson, Derrick Henry, James Cook and Chris Rodriguez Jr. to a combined 8.5 fantasy points per game on 16.5 touches per game.
What to do ❓ Many fantasy managers are excited to bring Neal into their lineups after picking him up on waivers. I wouldn’t do it. It’s an RB3 at best, with a low floor And a low ceiling in a murky, unproductive offense.
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Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders
We won’t have final injury reports when this article is published, but it appears Terry McLaurin will be back in the Commanders’ lineup after spending three weeks and Washington’s bye. He should not be back in your fantasy lineup. In the four games he’s played this season, McLaurin has only scored double-digit fantasy points once, thanks to a touchdown in Week 8 (his only touchdown of the year). He’s no longer the “undisputed WR1” even when healthy, he’ll play with Marcus Mariota on Sunday night and face a Broncos secondary that has absolutely erased opposing gaps all year. Denver has held names like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, AJ Brown, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Nico Collins and Rashee Rice to fewer than 12 fantasy points – and McLaurin isn’t close to that level at the moment. Given where you drafted him — if you drafted him — you might be tempted to start McLaurin on his long-awaited return, but that would be a mistake.
What to do ❓ Don’t play McLaurin. In (almost) all circumstances. Don’t hesitate to hide him on your bench, rather than leaving him on waivers, but he won’t be able to start this week.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
Michael Pittman Jr. has been consistently good this season. He scored 11+ fantasy points in eight of 11 games and 16+ in five of them. He may not have a true WR1 ceiling – with a season-high 19.5 points – but he nonetheless had a WR1 year (WR10, to be exact). Still, in a low-volume passing attack with a plethora of other options, Pittman can disappear a bit in tougher matchups…like the one against Derek Stingley Jr. and the voracious Texans defense on Sunday. Will Anderson Jr. and the pass rush will likely make Daniel Jones uncomfortable, and even if he has time, Pittman might not be open against Houston’s corners. As a result, he goes from a high-floor WR2 with marginal WR1 potential to a marginal starter, whose lack of ceiling makes justifying his lower floor a bit difficult.
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What to do ❓ You can play Pittman in relatively deeper leagues, especially as a flex, but it might be wise to move away from him for more “streamer” names like Wan’Dale Robinson, Khalil Shakir, or Troy Franklin if possible.
Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders
What Earth what am I doing here? Endangered Brock Bowers?? Have I lost my mind??? No doubt. And to be clear at the top, under no circumstances are you benching Bowers…unless you also have Trey McBride or George Kittle. But I also believe in honest evaluation, and in two of his last three games, Bowers hasn’t been the elite tight end we expected. He caught just one of three targets in a disaster game against Denver, then had four catches for 36 yards last week against Cleveland before a lucky drive down the clock produced two more for 19.
Now he draws a tough matchup with a Chargers defense that has been excellent against tight ends and held (one shot) Bowers to just 6.3 points in Week 2. Geno Smith has been downright terrible this year and the Raiders have an implied total of just 15.5 points in this game. Bowers has a rare target-based fantasy floor, but I don’t envision a high ceiling in this contest.
What to do ❓ As stated above, you start Bowers in every reasonable rework league. But you might want to lower your expectations and avoid it in DFS.
