Fantasy Football Pitfalls: Week 13

Ryan Lester — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:12:41 -0500

Before we get started, check out my Week 13 NFL picks .

I’m going to look at the matchups each week and pick five fantasy starters that could be in for a tough week. Here’s a look at players who could struggle this week.

Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Warner makes the list again this week, but it’s more a reflection on who he’s facing than anything. I’m confident he’ll be able to play this week, but he could have a hard time finishing the game against Minnesota’s front four. The Vikings lead the league with 40 sacks, and it’s hard to have faith in a QB coming off a concussion against a defense that brings so much pressure.

I’m also iffy on Ben Roethlisberger coming off his concussion and facing the Raiders, who are tied for fourth with just ten passing TDs allowed.

Ryan Grant, RB, Green Bay Packers
This is not a good week to use Ryan Grant. He faces Baltimore’s sixth ranked rushing defense (97.6 yards/gm). They are also tenth with just seven rushing TDs allowed. Grant plays at home, where he has actually been less productive.

Home: 87.5 total yards per game (72.5 rushing, 15.0 receiving)
Away: 111.0 total yards per games (91.0 rushing, 20.0 receiving)

Brandon Jacobs, RB, New York Giants
Jacobs faces Dallas’ ninth ranked rushing defense (102.7 yards/gm). They've allowed just five rushing TDs on the season. In Jacobs' last four games against Dallas he has scored just one TD with an average of 84 total yards. Not exactly numbers you can bank on in this crucial juncture of the season.

Terrell Owens, WR, Buffalo Bills
TO is on fire, but squares up against Darrelle Revis. The Jets are No. 2 against the pass with 175.7 yards allowed per game, and tops with just seven passing TDs allowed. When the Bills faced the Jets in Week 6, TO was held to 13 yards on three catches.

Chris Chambers, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Chambers has been a godsend for the Chiefs, especially with Dwayne Bowe serving his four-game suspension. This week though, he faces Champ Bailey and Denver’s fifth ranked passing defense (185 yards/gm). They are also tied for fourth with ten passing TDs allowed.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com .

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Fantasy Football Week 13 Rankings: Top 35 Running Backs

Eric Stashin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:08:53 -0500

A week where Adrian Peterson is not only not the top running back, but outside the top three? Let’s take a look at who assumes the top few spots, as well as all the rankings, for Week 13:

DeAngelo Williams - Carolina Panthers - vs. Tampa Bay
Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville Jaguars - vs. Houston
Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans - at Indianapolis
Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings - at Arizona
Cedric Benson - Cincinnati Bengals - vs. Detroit
Ray Rice - Baltimore Ravens - at Green Bay
Rashard Mendenhall - Pittsburgh Steelers - vs. Oakland
Michael Turner - Atlanta Falcons - vs. Philadelphia
LaDanian Tomlinson - San Diego Chargers - at Cleveland
Matt Forte - Chicago Bears - vs. St. Louis
Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers - at Seattle
Steven Jackson - St. Louis Rams - at Chicago
Ricky Williams - Miami Dolphins - vs. New England
Thomas Jones - New York Jets - at Buffalo
Knowshon Moreno - Denver Broncos - at Kansas City
Steve Slaton - Houston Texans - at Jacksonville
LeSean McCoy - Philadelphia Eagles - at Atlanta
Marion Barber - Dallas Cowboys - at New York Giants
Jamaal Charles - Kansas City Chiefs - vs. Denver
Rock Cartwright - Washington Redskins - vs. New Orleans
Joseph Addai - Indianapolis Colts - vs. Tennessee
Brandon Jacobs - New York Giants - vs. Dallas
Justin Forsett - Seattle Seahawks - vs. San Francisco
Ryan Grant - Green Bay Packers - vs. Baltimore
Laurence Maroney - New England Patriots - at Miami
Jonathan Stewart - Carolina Panthers - vs. Tampa Bay
Kevin Smith - Detroit Lions - at Cincinnati
Marshawn Lynch - Buffalo Bills - vs. New York Jets
Pierre Thomas - New Orleans Saints - at Washington
Darren Sproles - San Diego Chargers - at Cleveland
Correll Buckhalter - Denver Broncos - at Kansas City
Tim Hightower - Arizona Cardinals - vs. Minnesota
Beanie Wells - Arizona Cardinals - vs. Minnesota
Jamal Lewis - Cleveland Browns - vs. San Diego
Reggie Bush - New Orleans Saints - at Washington

Thoughts:

DeAngelo Williams gets the top spot this week thanks to being one of the top running backs in the game, who gets to face off with the worst rushing defense. What more can you ask for?

Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup and is playing in a passing offense that is firing on all cylinders. I know, it looks weird seeing him at No. Four, but that doesn’t mean much. It’s just one week.

While Michael Turner may have a tough matchup, if he’s healthy is there any way you wouldn’t want to go with him?

After seeing Larry Johnson step in and have a huge game for the Bengals, you have to worry about Cedric Benson. Will he be healthy enough to play? If he is, he should be the main back, so just monitor the news for the upcoming week. If he’s playing, he’s a top five option for sure.

Matt Forte in the Top 10?! Many figured that would be a given every week for 2009, but it has far from been the case, hasn’t it? It’s a special week, getting to take on the Rams, making him a great play.

The Titans are a terrible passing defense and a halfway decent rushing defense. That certainly doesn’t seem to stack up well for Joseph Addai, does it?

Justin Forsett does have a tough matchup against the 49ers defense, so while he definitely is usable (even if Julius Jones makes his return), I wouldn’t consider him more than a low-end RB2.

It feels like Brandon Jacobs is on the sideline every three or four players, checking himself over to make sure he’s not injured. That doesn’t even mention that he just doesn’t seem to be the same type of back that he was last season. He’s turning himself into a tough play.

Speaking of tough plays, Pierre Thomas has seemed like a good matchup at times the past few weeks, only not to get the bulk of the carries. How can we trust him outside of FLEX formats?

What are your thoughts? Who was left off the list? Who should be higher? Who should be lower?

This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football

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Bleacher Report - Ryan Grant

Fantasy Football Pitfalls: Week 13

Fantasy Football Week 13 Rankings: Top 35 Running Backs