Fanduel
Log In
The Duel

JuJu Smith-Schuster Injury Update Crushes Week 13 Fantasy Outlook, Provides Boost for James Washington

By Jason Schandl

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns / Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
facebooktwitterreddit

After being sidelined with both a knee injury and concussion last week, JuJu Smith-Schuster has cleared the concussion protocol, but still hasn't shaken his knee injury.

He didn't participate in Thursday's practice, and he looks unlikely to suit up for a Week 13 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

Smith-Schuster has had a highly disappointing season, with just 524 yards and three TDs on 38 receptions. He's still been a big part of the Pittsburgh passing attack though, and through Week 11 (he left that game in the first half) he had accounted for 17 percent of the targets and 24 percent of the air yards (both team-high marks).

With JuJu out last week, James Washington stepped up for one of his biggest games of the season, matching his season-high with seven targets and setting a new season-high with 98 receiving yards. That gives him seven targets, 90-plus yards and one touchdown in two of his last three games, averaging 15.9 PPR fantasy points per game in that stretch.

His matchup this week is a tough one, as the Browns check in at ninth against the pass in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA metric, but that kind of volume makes Washington worth considering as a fantasy option anyway.

Accounting for Smith-Schuster sitting out, Washington comes in at WR35 in our Week 13 PPR fantasy football rankings. The absence could provide a slight boost for Vance McDonald as well, and he comes in at TE8.

Join FanDuel Sportsbook Today. New users get a risk-free bet up to $500. Join Now.

Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.