Week 13 Sunday Recap

It was another crazy week in the world of fantasy. Perhaps the biggest fantasy headline was domination at the WR position. Two players soaring over 200 yards and then a third getting 4 TDs and outscoring the previous two. Lets recap it all and see what to make of it.

QBs:
I am pretty sure it was the first week that Peyton Manning (32) wasn't ranked in the top two, and he showed us why you can never rank him outside of the top 5. Looking mortal of late, he came right back with his best performance in weeks. Nick Foles (23) is officially the man. I don't know if its the system, or his talent, but he has been fantastic. This is a tough defense with a great secondary and he handled it without problem. If you own him and you don't have a great first QB, he is in borderline must-start territory. Josh McCown (22) was the other guy a lot of people were high on considering he is a backup, but it was proved rightly so. Alex Smith (21) with another impressive performance. Thats three straight games with 20+ points and 4 of his last 5. I thought he looked really good here besides the dreadful interception. He has the Redskins and Raiders next. You have to imagine that they won't make him struggle either. I see at least 15 points against the Redskins, which makes him a nice #2 option. Ryan Tannehill (21) also had another good game. Thats the second straight week he has set his high total for the year. Next week he faces the Steelers in Pittsburgh, so you can't be too optimistic about that, but it should be another solid game if not great. EJ Manuel (18) got a bit banged up in this game but played fairly well and had a rushing touchdown making him a solid start. Going forward he has two favorable matchups in warm weather, I think he will be a top 15 QB for both. Philip Rivers (12) was back to his mediocre self of late. 12 or 13 fantasy points in 3 of the last 4, at least he has the Giants next week. Andrew Luck (10) is another who has struggled a lot lately. Just 10 points against Tennessee's tough secondary. He gets Cincinnati next, and they certainly haven't been an easy opponent either. I would be worried. One performance that did surprise me, especially after Tannehill last week, was Mike Glennon (3). Carolina tore him apart. He had been a model of consistency before this game. Carolina is extremely tough so its not a major worry going forward.

RBs:
I'm still waiting for an explanation on how Ben Tate (28) can get 1 yard on 7 carries vs the Jags and then have 100+ and three touchdowns vs anyone else. That is frustrating. Of course he faces the Jags next week again and who knows what to expect? I think I will be on the optimistic side, but its far from guaranteed. DeMarco Murray (27) also ended with three TDs, but really didn't impress me that much with his running. Still, he has a very favorable schedule going forward. Reggie Bush (21) continued his big home/road splits as he got 25 carries here and did very well. Next week he is at Philly where it will be cold and the Philly defense has played somewhat decently lately. Don't be surprised to see Bush outside my top 10. Steven Jackson (20) was a true workhorse this week, recording 20+ touches for the first time this season as well as his 2nd & 3rd TDs of the year. It was an impressive performance within a Falcons offense that really performed well all around. Its hard to decipher exactly what to make of this, but it's promising. In the same game C.J. Spiller (20) broke out very quickly with a 77 yard run and continued to pile on the yardage throughout. It was promising, and he looked very good for most of the game. He did get banged up and looked slow for a bit in the middle but he came back and ended up with a 30+ yard TD later on. Its easy to be optimistic, but he still can't be counted on every game. Fred Jackson (19) still had two TDs himself. Joique Bell (18) also piled on the points in addition to Bush and went over 20 touches for the second time this year. Unfortunately, unless your situation is pretty bad, I can't really imagine starting him because he could just as easily get 5 carries next week and thats it. One guy who didn't actually do too much but impressed me was Lamar Miller (8). Since the O-line fallout, the Dolphins run game had been basically a zero. There was no reason to expect change this week, but Miller delivered. Its still hard to trust him going forward, but you could certainly do worse. Eddie Lacy (3) might have been the most disappointing performance of the day. I really didn't expect a terrible performance from Flynn and that completely derailed the whole offense. Not worried long term.

WRs:
The top three WRs dominated. They are all very good players and all must starts every week. Decker is the one that you have to worry about a bit, but because of the offense, he is worth starting as shown here. The 4th highest scoring receiver of the day was Brian Hartline (17) who had 9 catches and 15 targets. He's not good enough to be an every week starter, but if you aren't great at WR, he is startable. Don't expect these numbers though. Michael Floyd (15) continued his torrid pace. I don't think he is better than Fitz, but with the attention that Fitz commands, Floyd has become a very good option every single week. Welcome back, Roddy White (14). I'm not ready to say he is full back, but this game was very promising. And yet I wouldn't be surprised if he returns to worthlessness next week. Andre Holmes (13) was a big emerging target this week. Its hard to say just how real this is because Denarius Moore sat out again. Worth an add in deeper leagues, but thats about it at this point. It bums me out that 8 points is a good day for Victor Cruz but that is what it is. After last week its still disappointing, but hopefully a step in the right direction for the remainder of the season. Ace Sanders (6) has quietly become a consistent deeper league option. 6 points in each of the last three games with 8 receptions in two separate games. As a PPR flex, he might not be a bad option now that he is clearly above the injured Mike Brown. Dwayne Bowe (5) very nearly had a big game, but a touchdown called back and a few other plays that didn't quite fall and 5 points is the result. Frustrating but I am looking forward to next week as well. Hakeem Nicks (3) is droppable. Only two targets this week. LaVon Brazill (4) actually had more targets than T.Y. Hilton (5) but only caught 3 passes. Worth a flier deep, but not much else. Another disappointing game for Wes Welker (3) but I still consider him a must start. Just like Decker, he's bound to score sooner than later. Don't let it be when you have him benched.

Week 13 QB Rankings

1. Matthew Stafford
2. Tony Romo
3. Cam Newton
4. Tom Brady
5. Peyton Manning
6. Drew Brees
7. Josh McCown
8. Russell Wilson
9. Andrew Luck
10. Nick Foles
11. Matt Flynn
12. Alex Smith
13. Philip Rivers
14. Andy Dalton
15. Robert Griffin III
16. Ryan Fitzpatrick
17. Eli Manning
18. Carson Palmer
19. E.J. Manuel
20. Colin Kaepernick
21. Ben Roethlisberger
22. Mike Glennon
23. Matt Ryan
24. Case Keenum
25. Matt McGloin
26. Ryan Tannehill
27. Christian Ponder
28. Brandon Weeden
29. Joe Flacco
30. Geno Smith
31. Kellen Clemens
32. Chad Henne

#2 Tony Romo - (#4 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)

Anytime you rank Tony Romo higher than 5th, it screams mistake. Romo is always capable of playing at a high level, but it doesn't always happen when it should. Still, at home this year in 5 games, he has scored 16+ fantasy points in 4 of them. The fifth was a weird 8 against Washington. I like to believe in a decent matchup, Romo steps up here. In a week where other options have tough defenses, Romo is your man.

#5 Peyton Manning - (#2 on Fantasy Pros)

I know, I know, Philip Rivers just cut through the Chiefs Defense like they were butter. But if either one of Justin Houston or Tamba Hali is back and in playing form for this game, they will cause trouble for Peyton. You don't need me to tell you that Peyton hasn't been amazing of late. He hasn't even been great. If it were any other QB they would be 9th or 10th at best, but I feel like 5th is me still putting my faith in Peyton here.

#9 Andrew Luck - (#13 on Fantasy Pros)

I hate this matchup for Luck, the Titans secondary continues to do very well. But I also strongly believe that Andrew's fantasy performance will rebound even if he might struggle in actual game performance. I'm not totally sure how he will score points here, but I am convinced that he will. Faith in a guy who doesn't make too many mistakes, which is where the Titans secondary specializes.

#10 Nick Foles - (#7 on Fantasy Pros)

There are a lot of reasons to like Nick Foles here. His TD:Int ratio being at the top. But the Cardinals D is good and Foles can't go on mistake-free for the rest of the year. With an extremely athletic secondary and a solid pass rush, if there was ever a game for Foles to struggle this is it. Remember that he hasn't been perfect, he did struggle against the Cowboys too.

#11 Matt Flynn - (#21 on Fantasy Pros)

I really struggled on where to put Flynn, but I ultimately feel pretty good about this spot. Flynn looked pretty impressive stepping in unexpectedly last week. He couldn't do anything in OT, but he didn't make mistakes either. Over their past 5 games, the Lions have given up 14 passing TDs. The Vikings in that same timespan have given up just 10. Thats about a full pass TD a game, or 4 extra points in a standard league. I truly believe its within reason to think 20 pts is reachable here. and 15 is my expectation.

Quicker Thoughts...I am actually in line with the consensus (1 spot ahead), so I didn't point out Josh McCown, but its a great matchup. He should really flourish here. Another good matchup for Alex Smith who has had 20+ in 3 of his last four, including the first matchup vs DEN. Its also a really good matchup for E.J. Manuel against Atlanta. He's still a rookie and ranked as such, but if you need a potential high ceiling, he would be a good pick. And as much as NYG-WAS screams shootout on paper, I don't want any part of either QB.

Week 13 WR Rankings

Normally I rank over my set amount of 75 players on a bye week! It will be interesting to see how many players I deem fantasy relevant for week 13 with everyone back. A lot of good matchups too.

1. Calvin Johnson
2. AJ Green
3. Brandon Marshall
4. Dez Bryant
5. Josh Gordon
6. Andre Johnson
7. Torrey Smith
8. Larry Fitzgerald
9. Antonio Brown
10. Demaryius Thomas
11. Jordy Nelson
12. Keenan Allen
13. Kendall Wright
14. Victor Cruz
15. Alshon Jeffery
16. Desean Jackson
17. Pierre Garcon
18. T.Y. Hilton
19. Vincent Jackson
20. Wes Welker
21. Michael Floyd
22. Dwayne Bowe
23. Nate Burleson
24. Harry Douglas
25. Percy Harvin
26. Rueben Randle
27. Eric Decker
28. Golden Tate
29. Denarius Moore*
30. Anquan Boldin
31. Jarrett Boykin
32. Riley Cooper
33. Rod Streater
34. Steve Johnson
35. Michael Crabtree
36. Hakim Nicks
37. Steve Smith
38. Marvin Jones
39. Danny Amendola
40. Cecil Shorts
41. Mike Wallace
42. Kenny Stills
43. Miles Austin
44. James Jones
45. Brian Hartline
46. DeAndre Hopkins
47. Roddy White
48. Ace Sanders
49. Justin Hunter
50. Marquise Goodwin
51. Marques Colston
52. Dexter McCluster
53. Davone Bess
54. Jacoby Jones
55. Emmanuel Sanders
56. Eddie Royal
57. Brandon LaFell
58. Cordarrelle Patterson
59. Darius Johnson
60. Aaron Dobson
61. Robert Woods
62. Tiquan Underwood
63. Donnie Avery
64. Santana Moss
65. Lance Moore
66. Doug Baldwin
67. Santonio Holmes
68. Rishard Matthews
69. Greg Jennings
70. Mohamed Sanue
71. Ted Ginn
72. Tavon Austin
73. Jerome Simpson
74. LaVon Brazill
75. Kenbrell Thompkins
76. Mario Manningham
77. Andre Roberts
78. Terrance Williams
79. Kris Durham
80. David Nelson
81. Julian Edelman
82. Chris Givens
83. Josh Morgan
84. Darrius Heyward-Bey
85. Nate Washington
86. Mike Brown*
87. Vincent Brown
88. Marlon Brown
89. Greg Little
90. Greg Salas

#6 Andre Johnson - (#10 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)
A lot of people will be understandably low on Andre. Not me. Its a game where they will have to throw a lot and I can't see Andre faltering again right away. Not even against Aqib Talib. Although I do love Talib, Andre is the man.

#7 Torrey Smith - (#20 on Fantasy Pros)
Torrey is one guy I always like a ton. Last week the wind took out the deep game, so keep an eye out for what the weather is. A deep threat like Torrey can definitely be mitigated in that situation. For now - I don't know what the forecast is. If it isn't too bad, I think this is another great matchup for Torrey. Just like Josh Gordon last week, he should have no problem burning the aging and slowed Steeler Defense.

#10 Demaryius Thomas - (#5 on Fantasy Pros)
The Chiefs are obviously very vulnerable right now, as the Chargers proved. Peyton is still a bit sore and Julius should be back. I think Decker is due for a bigger game and that will bring Thomas down a little.

#12 Keenan Allen - (#17 on Fantasy Pros)
I'm really glad Keenan did well last week, now I can justify my love for him again. Extremely talented and by far the best Wide Receiver on this team. He now gets a Bengals defense which is much better against the run (even without Geno). I expect him to flourish again.

#13 Kendall Wright - (#26 on Fantasy Pros)
Some people don't want to notice, but Wright has become one of the most reliable receivers. Over his last 5 games he is averaging over 85 yards a game. That would be a pace of 1300+ yards a season. You either buy it or you don't. He won't always shine, but his floor is so high - points seems like the worst case here, much better than someone like Hilton for example - and because of that it should be very hard to justify his benching.

#15 Alshon Jeffery - (#9 on Fantasy Pros)
I like Jeffery, he just isn't elite. Brandon Marshall is still far and away the #1 receiver and its not like the Rams are a likely candidate to stop him. Jeffery should have a decent, not great game.

#19 Vincent Jackson - (#13 on Fantasy Pros)
The Panthers got beat good in the passing game last week, but that doesn't mean Mike Glennon and the Bucs will be able to repeat. I see Vjax as nothing more than a WR2.

Deeper thoughts...I'm actually a bit lower than the consensus on Michael Floyd, but the jury is in, he is a very legit player. Dwayne Bowe has touchdowns in two straight games, and he now faces the Broncos again. I'm optimistic again. Percy Harvin should be much more involved this week, but its still a tough matchup and I want to see him get a ton of targets before I consider him a must start. I like Eric Decker, but if Peyton isn't playing at his usual legendary level, someone has to come down, and its been Decker so far. I also continue to like Riley Cooper as a deep threat, but that is what he is. It is important to remember deep threats are not something you can confidently rely in. This ranking reflects that. Michael Crabtree makes his return and I like him as a WR3/Flex option. A very good chance he immediately does well here.

Week 13: 55 & 5 RB Rankings

Week 13 marks the end of bye weeks. That means the deeper parts of the rankings get richer. If you're desperate, you might have a better chance taking a flier on someone in the 30s if you have to. Of course three of those games will be knocked out on Thursday. There is always a little worry that Thursday games are a little sloppier, the offenses struggle a bit. It can be true, but I wouldn't let it affect you. Last Thursday, Jimmy Graham did great, Pierre Thomas had 100+ yards like many expected, and even Harry Douglas had 80+ yards and was a solid PPR option. So don't let that worry you, and lets jump into the rankings.

1. Matt Forte*
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Reggie Bush
4. Jamaal Charles
5. LeSean McCoy
6. Marshawn Lynch
7. Rashad Jennings
8. Eddie Lacy
9. Knowshon Moreno*
10. Chris Johnson
11. Zac Stacy*
12. Andre Brown
13. Alfred Morris
14. Giovani Bernard
15. DeMarco Murray
16. Frank Gore
17. Le'Veon Bell
18. Fred Jackson
19. Maurice Jones-Drew
20. Pierre Thomas
21. Chris Ivory*
22. Shane Vereen
23. C.J. Spiller
24. Danny Woodhead
25. Bobby Rainey
26. Steven Jackson
27. Rashard Mendenhall
28. Andre Ellington
29. Ryan Mathews*
30. Ben Tate
31. Ray Rice
32. Donald Brown
33. Brandon Bolden
34. Chris Ogbonnaya
35. Benny Cunningham
36. Darren Sproles
37. Trent Richardson
38. Darren McFadden*
39. Bilal Powell
40. James Starks
41. Brandon Jacobs
42. Mike Tolbert
43. Dennis Johnson
44. Lamar Miller
45. Stevan Ridley
46. Brian Leonard
47. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
48. DeAngelo Williams
49. Joique Bell
50. Jacquizz Rodgers
51. Jonathan Stewart
52. Michael Bush
53. Shonn Greene
54. Roy Helu
55. Mike Gillislee

#3 Reggie Bush - (#9 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)

Reggie gets a good matchup and he is at home. I have previously mentioned (if not here, then on Twitter multiple times) that Reggie plays much better at home. I love this matchup and I think Bush will find a lot of holes and be used heavily in the passing game.

#7 Rashad Jennings - (#14 on Fantasy Pros)

Another where I love the matchup. Dallas has been dreadful vs the run game without Sean Lee. There is some worry that DMC will steal a majority of the carries, but the Raiders say thats not the case, and I believe them. I fully expect 100+ yards and a touchdown here.

#11 Zac Stacy - (#16 on Fantasy Pros)

This is part injury part matchup for most I am sure. Either way, if Zac Stacy is out there, you want to start him. He has been nothing but impressive so far, and there is no reason it should stop even against the 49ers.

#12 Andre Brown - (#5 on Fantasy Pros)

I was surprised I was this far off the consensus here. I really like Andre Brown, I just don't think he is elite. I don't think he is better than Frank Gore. Gore struggled mightily against the Redskins. I'm not saying Brown will struggle, but there are more talented players you can choose from.

#14 Giovani Bernard - (#19 on Fantasy Pros)

I'm not sure if I'm getting sucked into a love of the talent with Bernard or not. But watching him play, its hard to resist. Regardless, a very good matchup and he has had a week of rest, it should bode very well for him.

#16 Frank Gore - (#6 on Fantasy Pros)

Another player I am surprised how low  I am on. I look at my top 10 and I feel the only aggressive play is Rashad Jennings, everyone else is so clearly undeniably ahead of Gore this week in my opinion. He hasn't rushed over 100 yards in 5-straight games. Four of those he had a YPC under 4.0. Its a great matchup but you have to wonder if the ancient RB is slowing down as the season goes on.

Deeper Thoughts...My boy C.J. Spiller is in a great matchup and its one of those weeks where he could go off or he could disappoint again. My ranking reflects the point where I feel the reward outweighs the risk. Bobby Rainey faces another tough matchup again. Its possible people might drop him if he does poorly here, keep an eye out for that because I don't think he's done. I like Donald Brown best of the Colts RBs, but I have zero confidence playing either, and you should feel the same way. I still hate Ray Rice. Lamar Miller has been terrible since the O-line debacle, wouldn't even consider playing him. Likewise no faith in Stevan Ridley. After his third straight game with a fumble, I would be very surprised if he is the starter and if he gets more than a few carries. Ranking will change IF we hear otherwise. 

Week 13 Waiver Grabs

We are down to the wire here and its becoming must-win time for a lot of people, so waiver moves are especially important. I've ranked the 3-5 best guys to pick up at each position. QBs are for this week only and the rest are a mix of overall and for this week only. Most of these rankings are for players 50% owned or less, but there is an exception or two. For example, I doubt Alex Smith is owned in every competitive league despite his higher %.

QBs: (Yahoo Ownership %)

1. Josh McCown (19%) @ Minnesota

2. Matt Flynn (2%) @ Lions

3. Alex Smith (61%) vs. Broncos

4. E.J. Manuel (8%) vs. Falcons

Josh McCown has been really impressive. After two tough matchups where he got a passable grade, he now faces a much easier defense and should play really well. Flynn is much riskier because we've only seen him play half a game, but its a great matchup and he knows the system well. I have high expectations. Next you have Alex Smith who has been pretty good lately, and has another great matchup. At the same time, I don't think its fair to continually expecting 20 points, so thats why he is lower. Lastly we have the forgotten Manuel in a great matchup as well. He can run a little, and he will potentially have all of his WRs. Its promising

WRs:

1. Michael Crabtree (31%)

2. Nate Burleson (25%)

3. Rod Streater (14%)

4. Robert Woods (7%)

5. Marvin Jones (40%)

Percy Harvin got a ton of hype in his return. Crabtree on the other hand has gotten some, but its way less than Harvin. I really think Crabtree can outperform Harvin going forward. His team needs him more. He is a must add now. Burleson will probably be the top add after last week, and he should definitely be a high priority, specifically in PPR leagues. With Calvin across from him, he should do very well. Streater is a guy that I think has taken over the #1 WR role for Oakland with McGloin in. Two straight good weeks and I like him. *If* Woods is back, he is one you want for this week only. Atlanta is a joke.

RBs:

1. Chris Ogbonnaya (29%)

2. Benny Cunningham (5% - a must for Stacy owners)

3. Donald Brown (41%)

4. Dennis Johnson (41%)

5. Jacquizz Rodgers (41%)

6. Bilal Powell (39%)

I really like the Silent G Ogbonnaya. Over his last two games he has 12 carries for 95 yards. That is a fantastic 7.91 YPC. Unfortunately he has also fumbled in both of those games. He is also their best receiving back. That kind of talent (vs. basically no talent at all in Whittaker/McGahee) wins out. He might not be great this upcoming week, but he is absolutely worth a speculative add for the owner in need of an RB. Next is Cunningham. He had a great game against a terrible defense, so take from that what you will. He is definitely talented. His upside is limited by whether he gets any time. If Stacy is fine, Cunningham will be used sparingly. But he is worth the add on the chance that Stacy is out. A lot of people will sour on Brown after he inexplicably got three carries, but in most games they won't be down by double digits, and Brown will see his time.

TEs:

1. Delanie Walker (49%)

2. Tim Wright (19%)

3. Owen Daniels (16%)

3. John Carlson (12%)

5. Rob Housler (15%)

Slim pickings at Tight End compared to the rest of the positions. The one guy that definitely isn't a streaming option is Walker. Fitzpatrick really likes him. His most recent game wasn't stellar, but it was better than a lot of other middling options. And with Fitz, I think that could be as bad as it gets. I'd take a floor of 4-5 points every week if you don't have a top 5 TE. Tim Wright is next. He won't always be a top option but he has 60-70 yard upside every week. Owen Daniels is an intriguing. His return has quietly crept closer. If you don't need a tight end right away, he is a great add.