Fantasy Football Week 13: Flex Rankings, Waiver-Wire Targets and Projections

Another week of NFL action is nearly over. This, of course, means that another week of fantasy play is nearly in the books too.

After the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles do battle on Monday night, it will be time to officially turn the page over to Week 13.

For many of you, Week 13 will mark the beginning of your fantasy postseasons. For others, it will be another week in the stretch run to the playoffs. Assuming you're in the postseason or still in the hunt for it, Week 13 is going to be critical.

We're here to help with those all-important roster decisions. Now, we're going to run down our top 50 flex options based on projected performance. We'll be looking at the players we believe will shine in Week 12, along with some top plays and waiver-wire targets.

Good luck!

Week 13 Flex Top 50

Rank	Player	Proj. Points
1	David Johnson, RB, ARI	28
2	Melvin Gordon, RB, SD	26
3	Le'Veon Bell, RB, PIT	25
4	Julio Jones, WR, ATL	23
5	Mike Evans, WR, TB	22.5
6	Odell Beckham Jr., WR, NYG	22
7	T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND	21.5
8	Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI	21
9	Amari Cooper, WR, OAK	20.5
10	Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL	20
11	Brandin Cooks, WR, NO	19.5
12	Jordy Nelson, WR, GB	19
13	LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF	18.5
14	Matt Forte, RB, NYJ	18.4
15	Mike Wallace, WR, BAL	18
16	LeGarrette Blount, RB, NE	17.9
17	Doug Baldwin, WR, SEA	17.8
18	Jamison Crowder, WR, WAS	17.7
19	Greg Olsen, TE, CAR	17.6
20	Davante Adams, WR, GB	17.5
21	Jay Ajayi, RB, MIA	17.4
22	Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN	17.3
23	Frank Gore, RB, IND	17.2
24	Michael Crabtree, WR, OAK	17
25	Lamar Miller, RB, HOU	16.5
26	Tyrell Williams, WR, SD	16
27	Jimmy Graham, TE, SEA	15.9
28	Devonta Freeman, RB, ATL	15.8
29	Michael Thomas, WR, NO	15.5
30	Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA	15.4
31	Kenny Britt, WR, LA	15
32	Allen Robinson, WR, JAX	14.5
33	Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN	14
34	Mark Ingram, RB, NO	13.9
35	Marvin Jones, WR, DET	13.8
36	Cole Beasley, WR, DAL	13.7
37	Spencer Ware, RB, KC	13.6
38	Kelvin Benjamin, WR, CAR	13.5
39	Jordan Howard, RB, CHI	13
40	Jordan Matthews, WR, PHI	12.9
41	Theo Riddick, RB, DET	12.8
42	Dez Bryant, WR, DAL	12.7
43	Martellus Bennett, TE, NE	12.5
44	Willie Snead, WR, NO	12
45	Sterling Shepard, WR, NYG	11.9
46	Dion Lewis, RB, NE	11.5
47	Latavius Murray, RB, OAK	11
48	Pierre Garcon, WR, WAS	10.5
49	DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU	10.4
50	Steve Smith Sr., WR, BAL	10.3

Players to Watch

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans

If you're looking for a sneaky strong play in Week 13, consider Houston Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins. The Clemson product hasn't been his usual fantasy-stud self this season and could easily be overlooked this week.

Hopkins had a good but not great five-catch, 70-yard performance against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. He has 55 catches for 610 yards and three touchdowns for the season.

Part of the problem has been the inconsistent presence of Brock Osweiler under center. Hopkins, though, seems to believe better things are to come.

“We can build on a lot,” Hopkins explained, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. “We know that, and that’s the scary thing with this offense. We know we haven’t reached our potential yet.”

Hopkins might just unleash his fantasy potential this week on the Green Bay Packers. The Packers have struggled mightily against the pass this season and could easily allow Hopkins to run wild.

Green Bay is allowing an average of 265.6 yards passing per game (24th in the NFL) and is rated 31st in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus.

Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots

If you're looking for a potential waiver-wire add, look no further than New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis. The early-2015 fantasy sensation is back from injury and appears to be seeing his role in the offense grow, as Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke noted:

Against the New York Jets on Sunday, Lewis produced 24 yards on six carries and caught four passes for 34 more yards. He may be in line for even more production as his role in the offense grows. Fellow change-of-pace back James White also caught four passes but didn't carry the ball against the Jets.

In Week 13, Lewis and the Patriots will face the Los Angeles Rams. Now, early in the season this might have seemed like an unfavorable matchup because of L.A.'s stout defensive front, but the Rams have been susceptible to the run as of late.

As a team, the Saints rushed for 209 yards against the Rams in Week 12. Don't be surprised if the Patriots also test the Rams on the ground, which could mean more carries for Lewis. Regardless of the game plan, Lewis should serve a role in the passing game—which gives him obvious value in points-per-reception leagues.

Lewis is owned in just 47.7 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Chris Hogan, WR, New England Patriots

Another player who seems to be proving himself in the Patriots offense is wide receiver Chris Hogan. The former Buffalo Bills pass-catcher is becoming a viable deep threat and seems to be a guy that could be earning quarterback Tom Brady's trust.

More importantly, Hogan appears to be healthy.

A back injury prevented Hogan from making a reception against the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago and kept him out against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11. However, Hogan returned on Sunday to snag four receptions for 70 yards.

As long as Brady is under center and playing at a high level, Hogan should have low-end flex value.

Hogan is owned in just 20.4 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

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As long as star receiver A.J. Green remains sidelined with his hamstring injury, the Cincinnati Bengals are likely to lean more heavily on rookie wideout Tyler Boyd. This makes him an intriguing waiver-wire option for at least the next few weeks.

The Pittsburgh product finished Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens with five receptions and 62 yards. Over his past two games, Boyd has caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Don't believe for a second that Boyd is going to duplicate Green's fantasy production, but he should be a solid flex option.

Boyd and the Bengals face a tough matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles next week, but then have a two-week stretch against the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns and Steelers are ranked just 19th (259.4 yards per game allowed) and 22nd (263.5) in pass defense, respectively.

Boyd could be a valuable commodity in the fantasy playoffs. He's only owned in 34.7 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.