Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season was not a great week for fantasy football. There were more blowouts than truly competitive games, and that can have an odd impact for fantasy football. Sometimes blowouts can lead to one team's players getting supercharged with points for fantasy. But they can also result in some disappointing performances if a game's outcome is decided too quickly.
The fantasy football playoffs are just one week away. That makes it a terrible time to overreact to one poor performance, especially from superstar players.
Below we will explore three fantasy football duds from Week 13 who you should not be worried about.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was hurt by blowout game script against Vikings
Remember what I said about blowout games producing weird fantasy football results? JSN is the poster child of that concept in Week 13.
On paper, you might expect Smith-Njigba to have had a great game against the Vikings. After all, the Seahawks won 26-0 so they must have had plenty of offensive output, right?
Wrong. JSN only managed two receptions for 23 yards against Minnesota. But the problem was less about JSN, Sam Darnold, or the Vikings defense. In fact, it was simply an odd game script because of a blowout.
Seattle only needed 219 total yards on offense to win the game. That's because their defense forced one fumble and four interceptions, one of which became a pick-six.
The Seahawks also kicked four field goals thanks to added opportunities from turnovers. That pick-six and the field goals accounted for most of Seattle's points in the game.
JSN has a nice matchup against the Falcons in Week 14, so expect him to return to normal this week.
Matthew Stafford's dud vs. Panthers is a fluke
There's no question that Stafford is a frontrunner for NFL MVP.
The veteran quarterback is at the height of his powers in 2025, passing for 3,073 yards and 32 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He is one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, both in real life and in fantasy football this season.
But that was not the case in Week 13.
Stafford uncharacteristically threw two interceptions against the Panthers, one of which was a pick-six. Those mistakes contributed to the Rams losing a surprising game.
Not to be too disrespectful to Carolina, but this was a fluke outcome. If this game was played 10 times, I don't see the Panthers winning more than once or twice.
Stafford should return to his old self in Week 14. And when looking ahead at the fantasy football playoffs, Stafford is still a great starting option regardless of league format.
The Rams take on the Cardinals in Week 14 then the Lions for the first week of the fantasy playoffs.
Start Stafford with confidence for the rest of the 2025 season.
Jahmyr Gibbs still an elite running back despite lackluster Thanksgiving game
The Packers seem to know how to stop the Lions this season.
Green Bay is responsible for two of Gibbs' worst outings of the season. He played much better on Thanksgiving than he did in Week 1, where he only rushed nine times for 19 yards. Gibbs managed 20 carries for 68 yards with three receptions for 18 yards through the air.
While Gibbs did not manage any explosive plays, he was still an effective start in fantasy football. He just wasn't the game-winner that he has been in past weeks.
Ultimately, the huge workload for Gibbs is the main reason to have confidence in him throughout the rest of the season. The third-year running back is a big play waiting to happen, so it is great to see that Detroit gives him so many carries.
Beyond that, he is an active part of Detroit's passing game. Even if he does not rip off any huge runs, those receptions raise Gibbs' floor in PPR leagues.
The Lions have a decent schedule for the fantasy playoffs, going up against the Rams, Steelers, and Vikings.
Gibbs is a must-start in fantasy football based on talent alone. Even in an unideal matchup, Gibbs has to stay in your lineup because of his ability to score a touchdown from anywhere on the field.
Put him into your starting lineup and don't look back.
