Week 13 is a make or break week in many fantasy football leagues. Most leagues conclude their regular season either after this week or next. This is a critical week for those teams fighting for a playoff berth. The good news is that this will be the first week since September where all 32 NFL teams are in action. But plenty has changed since then, and a single decision can make all the difference between making the playoffs or going home for the winter. I will briefly touch on a couple of scenarios where my rankings differ a bit from the Expert Consensus Rankings. Here’s hoping my Week 13 rankings steer you in the right direction.
I have Philip Rivers as a top-five quarterback this week. Most rankers have Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson ranked higher, but I believe Rivers will outproduce them this week. The MCL injury to Melvin Gordon may make the Chargers less efficient on offense, but it will boost Rivers’ volume. Rivers has attempted 30 or fewer passes in 8 of 11 games. That does not figure to be the case this week. Los Angeles will have to throw the ball to keep up with Pittsburgh, the AFC’s third-highest scoring offense. Despite his low weekly volume, Rivers is the only quarterback in the NFL to throw multiple touchdown passes in every game this season. I think more attempts only enhances the likelihood of that streak continuing. I am expecting 300-plus yards and three touchdowns from Rivers in this matchup.
There is not a ton of variance in my running back rankings. I do have Marlon Mack ranked significantly higher than most, though that is likely due to the fact that his status for Week 13 is still unknown following last week’s concussion. If you are unsure why I am higher than most on Jordan Howard, Jalen Richard, or Ty Montgomery, I wrote them up in my Running Back Sleepers piece.
I was a bit surprised many were so low on Justin Jackson. Austin Ekeler is likely to score more fantasy points in the wake of Gordon’s injury, particularly in PPR leagues. But Jackson had more carries than Ekeler last week and certainly did not disappoint, rushing for 57 yards. He could be a starter in deeper formats or for those looking to catch lightning in a bottle with Gordon and Leonard Fournette out this week. He is the RB37 in my Week 13 rankings.
At wide receiver, Robert Woods comes in as my WR5. You are starting him anyway, but I think he gets a massive bump up this week. I would suspect the Lions will use Darius Slay to try to cover Brandin Cooks, which would leave Woods to contend with Detroit’s motley crew of cornerbacks. Though Mike Ford was solid in his second career start on Thanksgiving, I would expect Woods to win that matchup more often than not. With a full week to prepare, expect the Rams to light it up in Motown. Also, you will notice I have A.J. Green as a WR2 this week. He has not yet been cleared, but I do expect him to suit up against Denver on Sunday. I think if you have Green rostered, you have to start him regardless of his recent absence.
As always, there is plenty yet to be settled between now and kickoff, so please stay tuned to the latest news and notes from around the league. If you have any specific questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. May Week 13 be a lucky one for you all.
Week 13 Rankings
Also check out our Week 13 Sleepers: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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