Week 13: NFL Waiver Wire Pickups | Fantasy Football Player Rankings

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With Cedric Benson down for another week and Marshawn Lynch banged up, the door is open for production from backup running backs. At this time of year it is vitally important that you have your running game scoring well for you as you will need it to win a fantasy football championship.

While hot waiver pickups like Justin Forsett are probably long gone, you can still get players like Fred Jackson or Larry Johnson to help you out.

Below we have the top players you might want to pay attention to, for waiver pickups. Even if you don't select a waiver (or have already done so) it's good to keep these names in mind for the future weeks.

Quarterbacks

Dennis Dixon (Steelers)

The one time great quarterback for the Oregon Ducks received his first NFL start against the Ravens on Sunday night football. While this was not the ideal team to face on the road for your first real work as a quarterback Dennis Dixon did a good job.

Dixon threw a nice touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes and flashed his trademark running skills with a 24-yard scamper for a touchdown. If Ben Roethlisberger is out next week against the Raiders, Dixon should put up decent stats in his absence.

Running Backs

Fred Jackson (Bills)

Marshawn Lynch's backup Fred Jackson received a lot of play early in the year because of Lynch's suspension for the first three games of the season. Now, Jackson is receiving the starter work load once again with new head coach Perry Fewell calling the shots.

Last week against the Dolphins , Jackson totaled over 110 total yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns. This was a huge difference to his counterpart in Lynch whom received only four touches for 15 total yards.

Look for Jackson to continue as the starting tail back next week in a great matchup against the Jets .

Larry Johnson (Bengals)

If Cedric Benson can't return from his hip injury next week against the Lions then expect Larry Johnson to have another solid game. Last week against the Browns , Johnson had 107 yards rushing on 22 carries.

Johnson should continue to be the top man for carries if Benson is out because he is a bigger runner than Bernard Scott. Look for Johnson to also be a threat to score from the goal line as well.

Wide Receivers

Mark Clayton (Ravens)

This is a desperate move, but if you're in great need of a receiver for your fantasy football team you might want to give Mark Clayton a try. Clayton seems to start showing up in production around this time every year and last week he had a good performance.

Against the Steelers, Clayton had seven catches for 129 yards. Next week he will play the Packers, and they are without Al Harris. Look for Joe Flacco to go Clayton's way a decent amount as Derrick Mason should be covered by Charles Woodson all game.

Jason Avant (Eagles)

If DeSean Jackson is out this week because of concussion issues than Eagles third receiver Jason Avant will start. Avant has had three solid weeks in a row and will get a decent amount of looks from Donovan McNabb.

Avant also has very good size and strength, this is an assest when you look at the other receivers around him that are skinny and undersized. Look for Avant to be a nice weapon for McNabb inside the red zone.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

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