Week 13 was a total home run for our streaming recommendations. Led by Derek Carr (32.74 fantasy points), with whom we showed faith in after posting a dud in Week 12, all 3 of our recommended quarterbacks topped 20+ fantasy points. Carr finished as the fantasy QB1 thanks to that deep touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs at the end of the game to cap a remarkable win for the raiders over the beleaguered Jets, who fired Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams on the back of that play. Carr threw 3 touchdown passes and went off for 381 yards, his best yardage count of the season.
Kirk Cousins (22.40 fantasy points) was another quarterback who left it late – the Vikings were taken to overtime by the Jaguars and despite a number of poor offensive drives, Cousins got the job done thanks to passing touchdowns to Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. Cousins now has 300+ yards and 3 TD passes in 3 consecutive games, boasting a 15:2 TD:INT ratio in the Vikings last 6 games, in which they have gone 5-1. The Vikings are in the hunt for a wildcard spot so Cousins is a great option going forward into the playoffs.
Taysom Hill (23.58 fantasy points) looked the part once again as the Saints brushed aside the Falcons. Hill has ranked as the fantasy QB3 in the 3 weeks since stepping in for the injured Drew Brees. Hill passed for 232 yards and 2 passing TDs, adding 83 yards rushing in a complete performance. Rumors that Brees is nearing a return have to be classed as mute after this showing. Hill should be a QB1 option for the fantasy playoffs, facing the Eagles in Week 14.
Tua Tagovailoa (16.14 fantasy points) was favored over Ryan Fitzpatrick after recovering from an injured hand, which incidentally seemed to bother him regularly in the contest.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Cousins, Vikings | MIN vs. JAX | 40% | 22.40 |
| Derek Carr, Raiders | LV at NYJ | 57% | 32.74 |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins | MIA vs. CIN | 20% | NA |
| Taysom Hill, Saints | NO at ATL | 59% | 23.58 |
Who surprised us? Baker Mayfield (29.46 fantasy points) shook off a horrible November, in which he posted 3 single-digit fantasy scores in 4 games, to ball out against the Titans in a surprisingly accomplished performance. We see Baker in this groove a couple of times a year, and fantasy players who have him rostered were rejoicing!
Now, let’s look at the lay of the land for Week 14.
Remember, the caveat is that our recommended players for streaming are less than 70% owned in Yahoo! leagues.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Projected Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Cousins, Vikings | MIN at TB | 69% | 18.94 |
| Philip Rivers, Colts | IND at LV | 44% | 18.22 |
| Taysom Hill, Saints | NO at PHI | 61% | 19.89 |
“Send in the old guard”
Kirk Cousins, Vikings at Bucs
The fantasy playoffs are no place to take risks – Kirk Cousins has 20+ fantasy points in 5 of the last 6 games for the Vikings, throwing for 3 touchdowns in 4 of the last 5. It doesn’t seem like the matchup will affect Cousins’ play at the minute as he is benefitting from the improved offensive line and elite receiver play. The Bucs haven’t been particularly impressive on the defensive side of the ball in recent weeks, and I cannot see their cornerbacks marshaling Thielen and Jefferson well at all.
Cousins is now 69% rostered, compared to less than 30% before the Vikings’ Week 7 bye. He is as safe a pick as there is for the 1st week of the fantasy playoffs. Feed our crush for our pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year please, Kirk!
Justin Jefferson COOKED this DB 😳
(via @thecheckdown)pic.twitter.com/vwkFXEr6bc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2020
Philip Rivers, Colts at Raiders
I have tried to avoid featuring Philip Rivers in this weekly article mainly because his arm is completely shot. However, give credit to where credit is due. Rivers has been quietly improving with this offense in Indianapolis, completing 27 of 35 throws for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns in last week’s impressive win against the Texans. That makes 3 straight games with multiple touchdowns for the wily veteran, and more importantly, it was the first time since Week 10 that he didn’t turn the ball over. He has been getting help from both ends of the spectrum too – old stalwart T.Y. Hilton is having an astonishing renaissance, registering 12 catches on 16 targets for 191 yards and 2 TDs in his last 2 appearances. Meanwhile, young buck Jonathan Taylor has finally emerged in his last 2 games, rushing for at least 90 yards in each and registering 2 trips to the endzone.
JT ➡️ TD#ProBowlVote x @JayT23
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/Ees5XwGhKb
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 6, 2020
“The complete package”
Taysom Hill, Saints at Eagles
We waxed lyrical about Taysom Hill‘s performance earlier in this article and we are licking our lips for Week 14 where Hill faces an Eagles defense that has allowed 2,860 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns in 12 games so far this season. Add to that the fact that Hill has 178 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns since taking over from Drew Brees, and you have the perfect storm ready to take advantage of an ailing Eagles side bereft of confidence.
Taysom Hill breaks free for 43 yards! @T_Hill4 #Saints
📺: #NOvsATL on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/nO8DOddpx2 pic.twitter.com/mwt3R76dsK— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2020
Don’t hesitate to give me your thoughts and hit me up for questions at @benjaminhaller1.
(Photo by MSA/Icon Sportswire)