Written By Brian Dezelske
This is it! Week 13 is the last set of games before your fantasy playoffs kick into full gear. Don’t find yourself playing for this year’s Toilet Bowl. Find out who needs to be in your lineups and who shouldn’t be, and dominate your league all the way to a championship.
As always, we won’t be discussing starters like LeVeon Bell and Andrew Luck because they belong in your lineup every week. Our information is based on a 12-team standard-scoring format.
STARTS
Ryan Tannehill @ NY Jets
Last week I wrote about owners having to start Ryan Tannehill; I do hope everyone listened, because he finished Week 12 as the No. 3 fantasy quarterback. Now this week he has a matchup that garners him the possibility of finishing as a Top 3 QB once again. Just once have the NY Jets held an offense to one or fewer passing touchdowns. They are the softest matchup for any signal caller, and Tannehill should wind up with a very nice QB1 showing at game’s end.
Tre Mason vs. Oakland Raiders
Tre Mason may not seem like a sure bet this week, especially with playoff implications on the line. But he is the bell cow back for St. Louis and is averaging 19 carries over the last four games. He also gets a crack at one of the weakest run defenses in the league. The Oakland Raiders have allowed a running back to score six times in the last six games and are giving up just under 21 fantasy points per game to the position. Mason carries a low-end RB2 grade this week with RB1 upside.
Jerick McKinnon vs. Carolina Panthers
This matchup will be Jerick McKinnon’s most favorable matchup since his 135-yard outburst against the Atlanta Falcons back in Week 4. Carolina gives up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs and are coughing up just over 119 yards per game on the ground. Owners may be nervous about playing a guy who hasn’t recorded a touchdown yet this season, but if there was ever a game for him to finally find the end zone, this would be it. McKinnon’s value lands in the flex range this week with added value in PPR leagues.
Josh Gordon @ Buffalo Bills
Having 11 weeks off proved to be non-issue as Josh Gordon showed absolutely no signs of rust. He made his presence known with 120 yards on eight receptions and a Week 12-high 16 targets. The Buffalo Bills are doing a good job at defending wide receivers this year, but if you either drafted Gordon or if you picked him up off waivers and were waiting for this moment, now’s the time to play him. Gordon is a legit WR1 from here on out. Hopefully owners can ride him to a championship.
Odell Beckham Jr. @ Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s not much more that needs to be said about this kid … he’s absolutely matchup proof. He burst onto the scene in Week 5, after missing the first month with a hamstring issue, and has been averaging 12.7 fantasy points per week since. The young rookie is already Eli Manning’s No. 1 option, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change for a long, long time. Owners need to get this kid in their lineups this week as he will face a Jags secondary that’s giving up 22.3 fantasy points to opposing receivers.
SITS
Andy Dalton @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is the most important week for fantasy owners who are on the playoff bubble, and making the wrong choice at quarterback could spell their demise. Owners who want to give themselves a chance should steer clear of Andy Dalton this week. Dalton has been one of the most inconsistent QBs in fantasy this year, having four games without recording a touchdown pass. Even with A.J. Green back and ripping it up, Dalton remains too risky despite the semi-decent matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend.
Ryan Mathews @ Baltimore Ravens
If Ryan Mathews were to rush for 70 yards against Baltimore this Sunday, he’d be the first running back to do that in 2014. The Saints’ Mark Ingram found out the hard way last week how tough this Ravens front seven really is. I know fantasy owners were excited to see Mathews do his thing this past Sunday and want to run him out there again, but the brakes really need to be pumped here. Making the fantasy playoffs is the most important goal. Look for more favorable options this weekend, and save Mathews for the following weeks.
Steven Jackson vs. Arizona Cardinals
S-Jax has been giving fantasy owners a nice little boost at the flex position over the last few weeks, which helped owners get through that three-game stretch of bye-week hell. But Jackson still doesn’t have a 100-yard game this year, and now will face a Cardinals defense that’s held every starting running back they’ve faced to under 85 rushing yards. It’s time to put the old man back on the shelf and get those younger legs back in your lineup for the playoff push. Jackson does, however, garner some minor value in deeper 14-16 team leagues where the position is stretched thin.
Vincent Jackson vs. Cincinnati Bengals
I happen to know there are many owners out there who continue to put this dude in their lineups each and every week, and I don’t get why. He only has two touchdowns on the year, and he has just one double-digit fantasy outing. Mike Evans has stepped in and taken over the reins as the No. 1 receiving option on that Bucs offense, and it seems as though Jackson is becoming irrelevant. Owners should also know that V-Jax gets the Cincinnati Bengals secondary this week, who happens to allow the second-fewest points to opposing wideouts. It’s a bad time to be playing a feast-or-famine guy who’s been mostly famine this season.
Antonio Gates @ Baltimore Ravens
Antonio Gates picked a bad time to go M.I.A. He may currently be the No. 4-ranked fantasy tight end, but he’s only scored six fantasy points in the last three games. Not the kind of production owners are looking for as they vie for potential playoff spots. Gates is a tough sit this week, especially with how thin the tight end position is, but Baltimore has only allowed two touchdowns to tight ends not named Jimmy Graham. Gates has also been targeted just 10 times in the last three games, so Philip Rivers isn’t really looking his way right now either. Maybe its age that’s catching up with him. Who knows? But whatever it is couldn’t come at a worse possible time.
NOTES
Rookie Wide Receivers
There are eight receivers in the last 20 years who reached 1,000 yards in their rookie season. This year we could have up to five rookies reach that mark (Mike Evans, 841; Kelvin Benjamin, 768; Sammy Watkins, 684; Jordan Matthews, 635; Odell Beckham Jr., 609)
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles had their ninth different player score a return touchdown this past weekend, which is an NFL record for one season.
DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray currently leads the NFL with 1,351 rushing yards. LeVeon Bell is currently second on the list with 951 yards – 403 yards behind Murray.