The Tennessee Titans head to the East Coast on Sunday when they travel to Landover, Maryland to take on the Washington Commanders.
After a big surprise win over the Houston Texans and a significant improvement from Will Levis, the Titans have momentum on their side. Great performances from Will Levis, Tony Pollard and the Titans defense have put this team on a whole new path.
The Commanders, on the other hand, have hit a wall in recent weeks and have lost their last three games in a row. This is obviously something they want and need to fix if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive, but against a surging Titans team, the Commanders need someone to step up.
It will be a good game when these two teams face each other on Sunday. Jayden Daniels needs to show he won't hit a rookie ceiling, and Will Levis needs to show he can be consistent and win multiple games in a row. It will be a battle that will likely come down to the finish and will depend on which team wants more.
To that end, there are five players that, if you have them on your fantasy roster, you need to start in Week 13.
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Tony Pollard is on track to have his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. Through Week 12, he's at 800 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He has scored four touchdowns this season, and he will likely get more if the Titans continue to play like they have in recent weeks. The Commanders are allowing an average of 19 fantasy points to running backs, and expect Pollard to take full advantage of that this week.
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Since the departure of DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley has shouldered the Titans' receiving corps. He comes to extra training sessions, gets to the facility early and does drills to keep his skills sharp. In the five games since Hopkins left, Ridley averaged 90.2 receiving yards per game. Against a Commanders defense that allows over 139 yards to receivers each week, Ridley represents a solid option in Week 13.
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Jayden Daniels has taken the league by storm in 2024, making an early splash in the Rookie of the Year voting and leading the Commanders to a 7-5 start. He has only thrown five interceptions and fumbled the ball twice this season, but the rest of his game makes up for the few turnovers. He's the fourth-ranked fantasy quarterback entering Week 13 and is projected to score nearly 20 points. Not only is his arm an effective weapon, but Daniels can also move the ball with his legs. He's a true dual-threat quarterback who could keep the Titans' defense off balance on Sunday.
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The Titans' defense hasn't had much fantasy value this season and Sunday will be a bit of a tricky matchup for them, but they've also proven difficult to play against. Last week, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders couldn't get past the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have the fourth-worst rush defense in the NFL, but their pass defense is mediocre at best. The Titans have the top-ranked pass defense and a top-10 run defense.
Daniels is the biggest threat and he has relied on himself more than the rest of his team in recent weeks. Terry McLaurin will struggle against the Titans secondary and Daniels will be forced to look elsewhere to pass the ball. The Commanders will put points on the board, but this Titans defense will surprise you.
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There really isn't anything bad to say about Nick Folk's play on the field. He is very consistent and rarely misses his target. The biggest issue with him in fantasy is the Titans' offensive ability to penetrate the field. It was a struggle at the start of the season. People haven't really had much use until the last two weeks. In 11 games, Folk has only missed a single field goal, and with what we've seen from Will Levis recently, there's no reason to think the Titans won't make field goals against the Commanders.
