There are so many twists and turns to an NFL Sunday that it's hard for fantasy football managers to keep up with everything. This column is designed to help, providing you with all of the storylines you need to know from Sunday's action in order to kick-start your research for Week 14.
This week's top story was Javonte Williams' spectacular performance on Sunday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. He displayed speed, agility and tackle-breaking ability, and he was the only bright spot in a dreadful Denver Broncos offense.
Without Melvin Gordon III in the backfield, it was Williams who led the Broncos with 29 touches and 178 yards. In the event Gordon is once again inactive against the Lions, Williams will be an RB1 candidate. However, even if Gordon were to return, Williams would still be an RB2 candidate.
In Weeks 15-17, Williams will face the Bengals, Raiders and Chargers. These three teams are among the top-10 most-generous defenses in terms of RB fantasy points allowed, permitting an average of 26.0 points per game. Williams has all the makings of a fantasy-league winner.
All stats are courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information, except where noted.
Here's a quick look at some of the standout stats from Sunday's action:
Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions set season-highs in multiple statistical categories against the Vikings. The rookie led Detroit in targets (12), receptions (10) and yards (86) while also scoring his first career touchdown. In addition, St. Brown led the team in routes run with 44. From Weeks 14-17, he will face the Broncos, Cardinals, Falcons and Seahawks, which puts him on the flex radar of deeper leagues.
Head coach Dan Campbell had said prior to the game that Jamaal Williams was prepared to carry the load for the Lions against the Vikings. The fact that Godwin Igwebuike had 24 routes run compared to Williams' 12 was concerning. Igwebuike might become a fantasy-relevant player in deeper formats if D'Andre Swift continues to miss time and the Lions are trailing.
In his first appearance since Week 8, DeVante Parker returned to the Miami Dolphins to take on the Giants. He ran 32 routes, with the only player to run more being Jaylen Waddle (37). Parker has seen 25 targets and converted that into 224 receiving yards over his last three games, offering flex value against a Jets defense that allows the most total fantasy points per game (112.3).
The high ankle sprain suffered by Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings against the Lions opens the door for K.J. Osborn to fill the void -- especially with Minnesota scheduled to play on Thursday night against the Steelers. On Sunday, Osborn played on 70 snaps and ran 43 routes, which was nearly identical to Justin Jefferson. Osborn suddenly finds himself on the flex radar against a Steelers defense that allows the 10th-most WR points per game (36).
Despite expectations that Tyler Johnson would emerge as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' No. 3 receiver, it was Breshad Perriman who played on 59 snaps (with 46 routes run), surprising many. Also, he accumulated 69 receiving air yards, second only to Mike Evans. In Week 14, Perriman is not on the fantasy radar, but he's will be a potential streaming option from Weeks 15-17, given matchups against the Saints, Panthers and Jets.
A rib injury kept Kenny Golladay out of the first-half action for the New York Giants, but he played the entire second half. In total, he played on 38 snaps and ran 28 routes. Darius Slayton (38) was the only New York wide receiver to run more routes. Considering the injury uncertainty surrounding both Kadarius Toney and Sterling Shepard and taking into account the 12 targets that Golladay has had over the last two games, it appears as though the Giants are trying to get him more involved in their offense. Against the Chargers, Golladay finds himself on the flex radar.
Boston Scott missed all of the Philadelphia Eagles' practices this past week due to illness and only dressed against the Jets as an emergency option. It was Kenneth Gainwell who featured as the team's No. 2 back, finished the game with 17 touches, 87 total yards and a touchdown. He ran 12 routes and played on 27 snaps. Gainwell could be used as a flex option after the Eagles return from their bye week if Miles Sanders misses time due to his ankle injury.
Logan Thomas was in the middle of a great game for Washington when he suffered what is believed to be a torn ACL and MCL in the fourth quarter. On 43 snaps, he ran 22 routes and caught three of his five targets for 48 yards and a touchdown. With upcoming matchups against the Cowboys and Eagles (twice each over the next four weeks), a pair of teams that allow a lot of TE points per game, Ricky Seals-Jones suddenly becomes someone you want to target on the waiver wire.
Van Jefferson had a higher number of targets (8) than Odell Beckham Jr. (5). He also ran more routes (35) than Beckham did (22). While Beckham may have the name recognition with fantasy managers, it's Jefferson who has served as the Rams' No. 2 receiver since Robert Woods suffered his season-ending ACL injury. Over the last two games, Jefferson has accumulated 17 targets and can be used as an every-week WR2.
As Darrell Henderson Jr. was only available in case of emergency, Sony Michel played on 97% of the offensive snaps for the Los Angeles Rams. In the process, he became the first Rams back this season to rush for over 100 yards in a game. Michel can be a back-end RB1 if Henderson's injury takes longer than expected to heal. Michel remains a solid flex option if Henderson sees more touches soon. With Michel's performance in this game, Sean McVay could also easily decide to deploy a committee approach for the remainder of the season.
For weeks now, James Robinson has been hobbled for the Jacksonville Jaguars due to knee and heel injuries. His snap count and workload against the Rams were very similar to that of Carlos Hyde. Hyde should be rostered in most leagues even though he is part of the league's worst offense, just in case Robinson ends up getting placed on IR at some point before the end of the season.
Josh Jacobs played on 50 snaps and ran 33 routes for the Las Vegas Raiders. He accumulated 22 touches, 90 total yards and a touchdown. Jacobs also caught nine passes, which was a career-high. Now that Kenyan Drake will miss the rest of the season due to a broken ankle, Jacobs will be getting a ton of work. In Week 14, Jacobs can be viewed as a RB1 against a Chiefs defense that was just dominated by Denver's Javonte Williams.
Chase Claypool's stat line is misleading, because 40 of his 52 yards came on one big catch against the Ravens. If you dig deeper, the Steelers receiver played on just 37 snaps and ran only 20 routes, while Ray-Ray McCloud played on 39 snaps and ran 21 routes. Claypool's turf toe may not have fully healed.
Starting in Week 6, Rashod Bateman had been playing on more than 60% of the Baltimore Ravens' offensive snaps. However, once Sammy Watkins returned from injury, things began to change. Over the past two games, Bateman has only seen five total targets after seeing six-plus looks in each of his first five games. Bateman will be difficult to trust in lineups moving forward.