We have finally arrived at the December stretch of the 2023 NFL season. The first Sunday of this month has removed 10 teams from the Sunday slate, which presents DFS enthusiasts with a host of different roster builds for this weekend.
Here is a look at some of my DFS picks for Week 13 of NFL action.
Week 13 DFS Locks
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers ($6,100)
Despite all of the talent on the defensive side of the football for the Philadelphia Eagles, they have been a very fantasy-friendly matchup for opposing quarterbacks through the first 12 weeks of the 2023 NFL season. They give up an average of 22 fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers, which bodes very well for San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy.
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Purdy has produced two huge fantasy performances in two of his last three outings, throwing for 290+ passing yards and three scores against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Expect Purdy to capitalize on the Eagles’ weakness in the secondary with George Kittle and Deebo Samuel throughout this contest.
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6,300)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White produced his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season against the Indianapolis Colts last week and could have another big day on the ground against the Carolina Panthers, who have given up more rushing touchdowns than any other team in the league this year.
While it’s well within the range of outcomes for White to carve up the Panthers as a ball carrier, his consistent involvement in the passing game is another reason to love his fantasy outlook heading into Week 13. White has caught 43 of 46 targets this season for 364 yards, which raises his fantasy floor in this full point-per-reception format on DraftKings.
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers ($6,200)
Do you know which team is giving up more fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers than the Washington Commanders this season? The Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite an abundance of talent on the defensive side of the football, the Eagles are giving up an average of 37.7 fantasy points to opposing wideouts, which has seen them consistently struggle to slow down players operating out of the slot.
Samuel is a satellite player and gets moved all over the formation in various ways in an explosive San Francisco offense. Expect him to give this Eagles secondary plenty of issues in Week 13.
Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals ($4,300)
The Arizona Cardinals’ second-year TE Trey McBride has made the most of his expanded role since Zach Ertz was sent to injured reserve (IR). His 33 receptions and 351 receiving yards over the last five games are considered elite fantasy production from the tight end position and have firmly put him into weekly TE1 conversations.
McBride’s breakout is partly a result of Ertz’s absence from this passing offense. Ertz averaged six targets per game, significantly limiting McBride’s snaps and involvement in the passing game. For some perspective, McBride never saw more than 58% of the offensive snaps in any game Ertz played, while he has seen a minimum of 68% of the snaps since Ertz was sent to IR.
MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 13 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Pittsburgh will be one of McBride’s tougher challenges yet. The Steelers allow an average of just 7.5 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. However, McBride has scored more than 20+ fantasy points in three of his last five games.
Despite the tough matchup, McBride is still a rock-solid TE1 option this week.
Atlanta Falcons D/ST ($3,400)
Normally, when I’m selecting a defense for my DFS slate, I’ll spend a fair amount of time discussing recent breakout strong outings for the unit. In this case, I’m simply going to mention the fact that the Atlanta Falcons are playing the struggling New York Jets offense.
Starting QB Tim Boyle has 212 yards with one score and three interceptions, and he has taken eight sacks on 60 dropbacks this season. If the Jets’ offense continues to produce minimal scoring opportunities, then expect the Atlanta defense to have a solid outing in Week 13.
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