NFL Scores Week 13: Top Fantasy Stars, Results and Playoff Picture

For the second week in a row, the NFL's best team, the Dallas Cowboys, helped kick things off with a win Thursday.

Following their 17-15 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football, the Cowboys are 11-1, thanks in large part to rookie quarterback and MVP candidate Dak Prescott.

"He leads the NFL in Total QBR," ESPN.com's Sharon Katz wrote. "And has gained positive expected points added on the second-highest percentage of his plays among NFL QBs."

With Prescott and fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott leading the way, the Cowboys look poised to make a Super Bowl run.

Some of Sunday's top performers are hoping to elevate their teams to the same level.

Away	Score	Home	Fantasy Star
Cowboys	17-15	Vikings	Ezekiel Elliott	86 rush yds, 1 TD
Dolphins	6-38	Ravens	Joe Flacco	36-of-47, 381 yds, 4 TDs
49ers	6-26	Bears	Jordan Howard	117 rush yds, 3 TDs
Rams	10-26	Patriots	Stephen Gostkowski	4-of-4 FGs, 2-of-2 XPs
Chiefs	29-28	Falcons	Devonta Freeman	56 rush yds, 2 TDs, 49 rec. yds
Eagles	14-32	Bengals	Andy Dalton	23-of-31, 332 yds, 2 TDs
Texans	13-21	Packers	Brock Osweiler	21-of-34, 213 yds, 2 TDs
Broncos	20-10	Jaguars	Broncos D/ST	2 INTs, 1 FUM recovered, 1 TD
Lions	28-13	Saints	Matthew Stafford	30-of-42, 341 yds, 2 TDs
Bills	24-38	Raiders	Latavius Murray	82 rush yds, 2 TDs
Buccaneers	28-21	Chargers	Melvin Gordon	84 rush yds, 1 TD, 54 rec. yds
Giants	14-24	Steelers	Ben Roethlisberger	24-of-36, 289 yards, 2 TDs
Redskins	23-31	Cardinals	David Johnson	175 scrimmage yds, 2 total TDs
Panthers	7-40	Seahawks	Thomas Rawls	106 rush yds, 2 TDs

Playoff Standings

AFC
NFC
Team	W	L	T
Raiders	10	2	0
Patriots	10	2	0
Ravens	7	5	0
Texans	6	6	0
Chiefs	9	3	0
Broncos	8	4	0
Team	W	L	T
Cowboys	11	1	0
Seahawks	7	3	1
Lions	8	4	0
Falcons	7	5	0
Giants	8	4	0
Buccaneers	7	5	0

Notable Week 13 Performers

Joe Flacco

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco shredded the Miami Dolphins secondary to the tune of 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-6 win Sunday.

As Ryan Mink of the Ravens official website tweeted, it was Flacco's best game of the season:

The Dolphins defense came into the day having given up the ninth-fewest passing yards in the NFL, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. Flacco made that unit look nonexistent with plays like this one, via the NFL:

In a neck-and-neck race with the Steelers for the AFC North crown, the Ravens may need more performances like this to get into the postseason.

Jordan Howard

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

During his team's 26-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long summed up rookie teammate Jordan Howard's 117-yard, three-touchdown performance about as well as anyone could:

In a 3-9 season that's seen few bright spots, Howard has been exactly that for the Bears. Along with Elliott, Howard has become one of the league's most consistent runners, as ESPN.com's Matthew Berry showed:

While Bears fans have plenty to lament this year, Howard represents hope for the future. Building an attack with him as the foundation could lead to plenty of wins down the road.

David Johnson

Ralph Freso/Getty Images

They may have to run the table, but the Arizona Cardinals still have a faint glimmer of hope for the playoffs thanks to running back David Johnson.

Sunday, he took over and rumbled his way to 175 yards from scrimmage and two total touchdowns. Behind his massive production, the Cardinals beat the Redskins 31-23.

And this isn't the first time Johnson has dominated as both a runner and receiver this season. In fact, he's done it all year and is now in pretty special company, per Rotoworld's Rich Hribar:

"

Players with 1,000 rushing yards and 700 receiving yards through 12 games in a season: David Johnson 2016, Marshall Faulk 1998. End of list.

— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) December 5, 2016"

Expect plenty more tweets, articles and analysis on the historic impact of what Johnson is doing, because he needs to keep it up for his team to stay alive.