NFL Week 13 inactives and fantasy tips: Trevor Lawrence plans to play; Austin Ekeler, J.K. Dobbins hit IR

Welcome to the Week 13 NFL fantasy and betting cheat sheet, a one-stop shop for The Athletic’s game previews, injury and weather updates, and expert analysis. Bookmark this page and check back often, as we offer regular updates to assist with fantasy lineups and betting decisions.

Player rankings referenced in this article are current as of Dec. 1. For updated rankings, see the “Fantasy football player rankings” section.

The latest NFL news and headlines

Last updated: 8 a.m. ET, Dec. 1

Injury news | Weather report
Featured games | Market share report
Flex fliers | Fantasy football player rankings

Injury news

Updated through 8 a.m. ET, Dec. 1

Sunday 1 p.m.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars (shoulder) — Questionable
Trevor Lawrence is officially questionable but expected to play Sunday. Head coach Doug Pederson told reporters, “He’s done some really good things this week. I would say as of right now, yes, he will play.” Fantasy managers with any stake in the Jags are desperate for Lawrence’s return. With him in, TE Evan Engram and WR Brian Thomas Jr. become fantasy-relevant again.

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Commanders (ankle) — Expected to play
Austin Ekeler, RB, Commanders (concussion) — Injured reserve
Ekeler has been placed on injured reserve while Robinson is expected to play. Backup RB Jeremy McNichols has been plucked off waiver wires all week. Lesser-known RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. could also factor into the running game if Robinson suffers any setbacks and with Ekeler on IR.

Austin Seibert, K, Commanders (hip) — Injured reserve
Seibert has been placed on IR after missing kicks following his return from injury, and Zane Gonzalez was elevated from the practice squad to replace him. When Seibert was previously out, Gonzalez went 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points.

Breece Hall, RB, Jets (knee) — Questionable
Breece Hall was a full participant in Friday’s practice and is now expected to play, though officially questionable. Braelon Allen may still be involved in the backfield. Allen had a great Week 2 with 4.7 yards per carry and 19.6 PPR points. But he is averaging 3.7 yards per rush on the year and 5.36 PPR points.

Younghoe Koo, K, Falcons (hip) — Questionable
While officially listed as questionable, Koo is expected to play.

Alec Pierce, WR, Colts (foot) — Questionable
Josh Downs, WR, Colts (shoulder) — Out
Downs has been ruled out. While officially listed as questionable, Pierce is expected to play according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Adonai Mitchell is fantasy-relevant without Downs, and Michael Pittman Jr. stands to get the most wide receiver looks for the Colts.

J.K. Dobbins, RB, Chargers (knee) — Injured reserve
Dobbins sprained his MCL and has been placed on injured reserve. With him out, grab Gus Edwards and think about flexing him. He didn’t do too well after Dobbins left the game in Week 12, but he will likely lead LA’s backfield in Dobbins’ absence. Other names to consider are Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins.

DeMario Douglas, WR, Patriots (ankle) — Questionable
Douglas is officially questionable for Week 13 but is expected to play, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Averaging 8.56 PPR points per game, Douglas is a flex option in deeper leagues. Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne could see more work with Douglas out.

Tyjae Spears, RB, Titans (concussion) — Questionable
Spears practiced fully on Thursday but remains questionable. Tony Pollard is the RB1 in Tennessee. In Spears’ Week 12 absence, Pollard had 119 yards on 24 carries, a touchdown and finished with 21.9 PPR points.

Sunday 4 p.m.

DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles (hamstring) — Questionable
Smith missed Week 12 with a hamstring injury and remains questionable for Week 13. According to EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Eagles receiver said he’s not sure if he will play Sunday. Without Smith on the field last week, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert were the only pass catchers with more than one target. Saquon Barkley also caught four passes for 47 receiving yards.

Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Panthers (neck) — Out
Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers (quadriceps) — Out
Sanders has been ruled out for Week 13, meaning Tommy Tremble will likely get the start. Tremble has not exceeded 5.9 PPR points in any game this season. Coker has also been ruled out, which poses less of an issue for Carolina now that Adam Thielen has returned. In Week 12, David Moore led all receivers with 10 targets, Xavier Legette had four and Thielen had three.

Sunday Night Football

Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers (shoulder) — Questionable
Purdy was limited in practice this week, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he expects the quarterback to play, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Brandon Allen would get another start if anything changes. Managers of Niners receivers would be incredibly thankful if Purdy returns for Week 13.

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills (wrist) — Questionable
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills (knee) — Out
Coleman was limited at practice with a wrist injury, while Kincaid has been ruled out. Coleman hasn’t played since Week 9. If he returns, Coleman will share targets with Amari Cooper and Khalil Shakir. With Kincaid out, Dawson Knox is a quality backup who should demand streaming consideration for this week.

Monday Night Football

Cedric Tillman, WR, Browns (concussion) — Out
Tillman was diagnosed with a concussion during Thursday Night Football in Week 12 and has been ruled out for Week 13. But Jerry Jeudy has been the surging Browns receiver lately. In Weeks 8-12, Jeudy has averaged 17 PPR points, with a 26.2-point performance in Week 11. If Tillman sits, Jeudy is an even better fantasy option.

Weather report

Outdoor games only. 

As the weather grows colder, two remaining matchups — 49ers-Bills and Steelers–Bengals — will be played in temperatures below 35 degrees. In Jake Ciely’s fantasy football strategy guide to weather, he notes that the passing game is impacted when temperatures drop below 35 degrees, which is illustrated in the table below.

According to Rotowire’s aggregated NFL-related forecasts, there is an 89 percent chance of snow with an expected temperature of 27 degrees when the Bills welcome the 49ers to Buffalo.

San Francisco 49ers (5-6) vs. Buffalo Bills (9-2)

Snow and precipitation primarily affect the passing game. Typically, running backs are used more in difficult weather conditions, so their value is less impacted. Christian McCaffrey and James Cook should typically produce, and maybe Ray Davis even gets some carries if the game scripts lean run.

Josh Allen has played in three games in the snow, in 2020 and 2021. In those games, he averaged a completion percentage of 51.8 percent, compared to a career 63.7 percent (TruMedia). While that’s dismal, he also still threw for an average of 256.33 yards per game. Backup TE Dawson Knox and Cook out of the backfield could see a lot of short-yardage work. I may trust Khalil Shakir more than Amari Cooper this week because of Shakir’s rapport with Allen and consistent fantasy production.

Brock Purdy hasn’t played in the snow in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers last snowy game was in Jan. 2022, in a divisional game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. They won 13-10, and seven of their points came off a blocked punt that went for a touchdown. Former 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo was 11-for-19 and threw for 131 yards and an interception. The team rushed for 106 total yards, and Kittle led the Niners in receiving with four receptions and 63 yards. A typical snow game.

Jake Ciely’s Week 10 fantasy football player rankings

Find out Jake’s top QB, RB, WR and TE for the week!

• There is no perfect widget out there, sadly, still. I know many view this on your phone, but 1) use the rankings widget on a PC/laptop/etc. if possible or 2) open in your phone’s browser, especially for Android users, to get the scrolling to work (or Android people can try a two-finger scroll).
• ECR = “Expert” Consensus Ranking (which isn’t updated by everyone consistently, so take with a grain of salt).
• Updated regularly, so check up to lineups locking.

Get Ciely’s full Week 13 analysis. Plus sleepers and projections.

Featured games

Game-specific previews and live updates are available on the day of the game.

Sunday afternoon

Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) vs. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

• Venue: M&T Bank Stadium — Baltimore, Md.
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

After Saquon Barkley’s 302 net yards and Hurts’ efficient performance against the Rams in Week 12, Philly still doesn’t get the odds against the Ravens in Baltimore. Led by MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, the Ravens can beat anyone, even the soaring Eagles. Derrick Henry’s impact on Baltimore’s dominant season cannot be overstated. He’s averaging 20 PPR points per game and just had a 140-yard rushing performance on Monday Night Football, breaking one tackle after another. He faces eight men in the box at the second-highest rate in the NFL (33.9 percent) and still averages 3.55 yards after contact (sixth in the league). Zay Flowers (Ciely’s WR23), Mark Andrews (TE19) and Rashod Bateman (WR54) round out the Ravens offense and give Jackson capable targets.

The Ravens allow the fewest yards per rush (3.5), and even Barkley may find less room to run in this game. The Eagles have a great one-two punch with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith (who was inactive in Week 12 and questionable this week), and TE Dallas Goedert is great for the short game. With much focus on Barkley this season, Hurts’ seventh-ranked passer rating (102.3) and sixth-ranked completion percentage (69.1 percent) have gone under the radar. Brown has 727 receiving yards on the season and averages 16.96 PPR points per game.

Read the full preview.

Sunday night

San Francisco 49ers (5-6) vs. Buffalo Bills (9-2)

• Venue: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, N.Y.
• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC, Peacock
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

The Niners have been disappointing this year and sit at the bottom of the NFC West. Still in playoff contention, they hope to have Brock Purdy back in Week 13. Christian McCaffrey hasn’t looked the same since his return from injury, averaging 3.5 yards per carry and under 50 rushing yards per game. However, the Bills D gives up 4.9 yards per carry (30th in the NFL), giving fantasy managers who have McCaffrey something to be thankful for this week. Interestingly in the receiving corps, Deebo Samuel is averaging only 10.5 PPR points per game, while breakout wideout Jauan Jennings is averaging 14.9.

Josh Allen is on a tear this season, averaging 231.18 passing yards and 28.7 rushing yards per game and throwing for 18 TDs while rushing for five. He has only five interceptions with a passer rating of 98.2 and is fantasy’s QB5 with 20.3 PPR points per game. Now Allen has Amari Cooper alongside Khalil Shakir as his top two receivers. Shakir has only scored less than 10 PPR points once in Week 6; he offers a great floor and a ceiling of about 20 points.

Read the full preview.

Monday night

Cleveland Browns (3-8) vs. Denver Broncos (7-5)

• Venue: Empower Field at Mile High — Denver, Colo.
• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

On the shoulders of Bo Nix’s improved play and a tough defense, the Broncos are favored over the Cleveland Browns. I was big on Nix entering the season. His college career contained few errors, and I thought he’d fit into Sean Payton’s system well. But the first few weeks of his play had me cowering in a corner. But persistence has brought vengeance! Nix has thrown zero interceptions in the past three weeks while scoring eight touchdowns. From Weeks 10-12, his passer rating is 118.6, and he has a 71.4 percent completion rate. Courtland Sutton has been buoyed because of it. During that span, he averaged 81.67 receiving yards per game on nine targets. The Broncos running game is an entirely different story. Payton seems to be using the hot-hand approach to Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime, making none of them viable fantasy plays.

The Browns have some fight in them with Jameis Winston under center. They aren’t winning games, but they’ve become more fun to watch, and Jerry Jeudy has become flex-relevant in deep leagues. Jeudy has scored 12 or more PPR points since Week 8, and in Week 11, he had 26.2. Denver has a stout pass defense, allowing only 199.8 passing yards per game (ninth in the NFL), so while I think Jeudy deserves flex consideration, temper expectations.

Read the full preview (coming Monday).

Statistics in this section come from TruMedia. 

Market share report

Michael Salfino looks at usage trends across the league. 

What we’re doing is really simple. For pass-catchers, market share is targets divided by team pass attempts. For running backs, it is touches divided by team plays from scrimmage (not team touches, to be clear).

Snap counts, depth of target and type of touch (running back receptions are far more valuable than carries) are also important but will generally not be discussed here. This is pure market share. Consider this a primary tool for assessing waivers and trades. …

If J.K. Dobbins is out with his balky knee, Gus Edwards probably elevates to a more prominent role. He’ll definitely be the goal-line back.

Noah Brown is widely available. He was No. 13 and easily out-targeted Terry McLaurin. If you get 10 targets, I’m automatically adding you off of waivers.

Zay Flowers is in such a depressed passing offense that he’s almost certain to underperform his market share, especially given his TD woes. But you have to play him in Flex10 formats (three WRs and a flex).

Check out all of Salfino’s insights.

—Salfino

Flex fliers

Scott Engel discusses last-minute free agency options to fill roster holes. 

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, NO (36 percent rostered): MVS’ rostered percentage indicates that most savvy fantasy players know his fantasy history as an occasional boom but more often bust. Derek Carr, however, appears to favor Valdes-Scantling as a downfield threat, and the injury-riddled New Orleans Saints need MVS. Over the past four weeks, the Rams allowed an NFC-high six touchdown passes to WRs.

Devaughn Vele, WR, DEN (18 percent): This sizable pass-catcher (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) is emerging as the No. 2 WR for Bo Nix. In the last three games, Vele has posted double-digit fantasy point totals and delivered his best stat line of the season last week (six receptions, nine targets, 80 yards). He is not showing upside yet, but the rookie looks like a big TD target, and scoring receptions may be ahead. For Week 13, Vele is sporting an 86.8 WR/CB matchup grade on Pro Football Focus against the Cleveland Browns cornerbacks, which qualifies as “Excellent.”

—Engel

See all of Engel’s Week 13 flex fliers.

(Photo of Trevor Lawrence: Rich Storry/Getty Images)