Fantasy Football Week 13: Top Plays at Every Position

Three Thanksgiving Day games are already out of the way, but you don't have to be stuck with the leftovers in fantasy football.

Bleacher Report's weekly Top Plays helps you solve the remaining dilemmas for your Week 13 lineups as you try to solidify your playoff spot. The fantasy regular season concludes in standard leagues this week, and this six-part, position-by-position slideshow delivers the headliners, matchups and all the rankings for you.

Quarterbacks: Nick Foles Now a Safer Play Than Even the Likes of Andrew Luck

The Eagles surprised no one when they decided Nick Foles would be their starter for the rest of the season. It is real tough to bench someone who has a 16-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The same would apply to fantasy. Foles rates just ahead of Carson Palmer, Alex Smith, Andrew Luck and Andy Dalton on our board this week.

Bear down with McCown

If you are looking at a matchup to start a fringe quarterback option, Josh McCown has it. The Vikings are second to only Dallas in allowing the most points in fantasy to quarterbacks, per FF Today, and they are fourth-worst against the pass. McCown has legit targets, a road game to keep the score interesting late and a strong set of receivers. Heck, even Matt Forte (knee) has been limited in practice this week, which can potentially limit the running in the game plan.

The Man versus the 12th Man

No one will sit Drew Brees, but you cannot be excited about him going to Seattle, regardless of the Seahawks' secondary drama of late. Seattle is No. 2 against the pass and No. 1 against fantasy quarterbacks. The saving grace is the magnitude of the game. The Saints' home-field-advantage hopes will ride on Brees' right shoulder in crunch time here. You have to keep him active in all leagues.

Like him more

Tom Brady has gotten hot since the return of Rob Gronkowski—even if you cannot accurately project which of his receivers will get the targets and production. Brady faces the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL in the Houston Texans, but we have absolutely no reservations using him with the drama that has befallen the Patriots' fumbling running backs.

Brady is among the quarterbacks we like more than the consensus below:

1. Tom Brady
2. Colin Kaepernick
3. Robert Griffin III
4. Matt Ryan
5. Joe Flacco (already played Thursday night)

Like him less

The Chargers are sixth-worst against fantasy quarterbacks and fifth-worst against the pass, but Andy Dalton has cooled off after his run of 300-yard games. Cleveland held him to a season-low 93 yards passing last Sunday, though he threw three touchdowns.

We rank him outside of the starting options in standard leagues, and he is among the options we rank lower than the masses this week:

1. Matthew Stafford
2. Nick Foles
3. Andy Dalton
4. Josh McCown
5. Ryan Fitzpatrick

Week 13 Quarterbacks Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Quarterbacks	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Tony Romo	Dal	vs. Oak	4	+3
2	Tom Brady	NE	at Hou	6	+4
3	Peyton Manning	Den	at KC	2	-1
4	Drew Brees	NO	at Sea	5	+1
5	Matthew Stafford	Det	vs. GB	1	-4
6	Cam Newton	Car	vs. TB	3	-3
7	Colin Kaepernick	SF	vs. StL	12	+5
8	Philip Rivers	SD	vs. Cin	10	+2
9	Robert Griffin III	Was	vs. NYG	17	+8
10	Russell Wilson	Sea	vs. NO	9	-1
11	Matt Ryan	Atl	at Buf	16	+5
12	Nick Foles	Phi	vs. Ari	7	-5
13	Carson Palmer	Ari	at Phi	13	0
14	Alex Smith	KC	vs. Den	15	+1
15	Andrew Luck	Ind	vs. Ten	14	-1
16	Andy Dalton	Cin	at SD	11	-5
17	Josh McCown	Chi	at Min	8	-9
18	Eli Manning	NYG	at Was	19	+1
19	Ben Roethlisberger	Pit	at Bal	21	+2
20	Joe Flacco	Bal	vs. Pit	28	+8
21	EJ Manuel	Buf	vs. Atl	22	+1
22	Matt Flynn	GB	at Det	20	-2
23	Case Keenum	Hou	vs. NE	26	+3
24	Mike Glennon	TB	at Car	27	+3
25	Matt McGloin	Oak	at Dal	25	0
26	Ryan Fitzpatrick	Ten	at Ind	18	-8
27	Brandon Weeden	Cle	vs. Jac	24	-3
28	Ryan Tannehill	Mia	at NYJ	23	-5
29	Geno Smith	NYJ	vs. Mia	32	+3
30	Christian Ponder	Min	vs. Chi	29	-1

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Running Backs: Rams (Zac Stacy?) vs. 49ers (Frank Gore) Lines Up to Be Run-Heavy

Fantasy waits anxiously on the status of a pair of breakout backs this week: Knowshon Moreno (ankle) and Zac Stacy (concussion). Both returned to practice Thursday, but on a limited basis, according to the official NFL injury report.

The decision to start them is academic—if they are active for their teams—but you might have to wait until Sunday to find out officially.

Strike gold in San Fran with Gore

This shapes up to be a huge week for Frank Gore, who rushed just 13 times for 31 yards Monday night against the Redskins. The Rams have been much better against the run of late, but they have also allowed some huge performances to run-heavy teams this season. St. Louis is second-worst in fantasy against running backs, per FF Today. Start Gore with confidence in all leagues.

Miami mess runs deep at running back

Daniel Thomas (ankle) is out, which should hand the feature-back role to Lamar Miller, right? Well, amid the Dolphins' offensive line woes, Miller hasn't cracked even 20 yards since rushing for a career-high 105 in Week 9. Marcus Thigpen and rookie Mike Gillislee are Miller's seldom-used backups.

It won't matter who gets the few carries on the ground for the Dolphins. The Jets boast the No. 1 run defense in the NFL and No. 2 in fantasy against backs. Don't touch any of the Dolphins backs this week.

Like him more

C.J. Spiller has been a huge bust for the Bills and fantasy owners this season, but this should be his time of the year. Not only does he feel closer to 100 percent, according to Chris Brown of the Bills' official website, but he also faces a Falcons defense that has been fourth-worst against the run and 10th-worst against fantasy running backs.

"I definitely feel like I'm getting back to my old self, making the cuts, making that explosion, so just looking forward to seeing how Sunday goes," Spiller told Brown.

Spiller is among the backs we like more than 10 spots higher than the masses, below:

1. Ray Rice (already played Thursday night—whoops!)
2. C.J. Spiller
3. Chris Ivory
4. Darren Sproles
5. Dennis Johnson
6. DeAngelo Williams

Like him less

Bobby Rainey's surprise Week 11 turned into a bust of Week 12, and now he's a difficult start at Carolina against a Panthers defense that ranks in the top five against the run and against running backs in fantasy.

Rainey is among the backs we like considerably less than the consensus this week:

1. Bobby Rainey
2. Lamar Miller
3. Pierre Thomas
4. Bilal Powell
5. Brandon Jacobs

Week 13 Running Backs Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Running Backs	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Adrian Peterson	Min	vs. Chi	1	0
2	Jamaal Charles	KC	vs. Den	2	0
3	Matt Forte	Chi	at Min	3	0
4	Marshawn Lynch	Sea	vs. NO	4	0
5	Frank Gore	SF	vs. StL	7	+2
6	LeSean McCoy	Phi	vs. Ari	5	-1
7	Ray Rice	Bal	vs. Pit	22	+15
8	C.J. Spiller	Buf	vs. Atl	21	+13
9	Reggie Bush	Det	vs. GB	8	-1
10	Andre Brown	NYG	at Was	6	-4
11	Eddie Lacy	GB	at Det	9	-2
12	Alfred Morris	Was	vs. NYG	13	+1
13	Chris Johnson	Ten	at Ind	10	-3
14	Le'Veon Bell	Pit	at Bal	20	+6
15	DeMarco Murray	Dal	vs. Oak	11	-4
16	Shane Vereen	NE	at Hou	18	+2
17	Knowshon Moreno	Den	at KC	14	-3
18	Rashad Jennings	Oak	at Dal	12	-6
19	Chris Ivory	NYJ	vs. Mia	31	+12
20	Zac Stacy	StL	at SF	16	-4
21	Maurice Jones-Drew	Jac	at Cle	15	-6
22	Fred Jackson	Buf	vs. Atl	19	-3
23	Andre Ellington	Ari	at Phi	28	+5
24	Giovani Bernard	Cin	at SD	17	-7
25	Steven Jackson	Atl	at Buf	26	+1
26	Darren Sproles	NO	at Sea	37	+11
27	Danny Woodhead	SD	vs. Cin	23	-4
28	Ben Tate	Hou	vs. NE	25	-3
29	Rashard Mendenhall	Ari	at Phi	36	+7
30	Ryan Mathews	SD	vs. Cin	34	+4
31	Stevan Ridley	NE	at Hou	33	+2
32	Montee Ball	Den	at KC	38	+6
33	Donald Brown	Ind	vs. Ten	30	-3
34	Trent Richardson	Ind	vs. Ten	39	+5
35	Dennis Johnson	Hou	vs. NE	46	+11
36	Bobby Rainey	TB	at Car	27	-9
37	DeAngelo Williams	Car	vs. TB	45	+8
38	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	Cin	at SD	41	+3
39	Chris Ogbonnaya	Cle	vs. Jac	35	-4
40	Lamar Miller	Mia	at NYJ	29	-11
41	Kendall Hunter	SF	vs. StL	53	+12
42	Joique Bell	Det	vs. GB	40	-2
43	Pierre Thomas	NO	at Sea	24	-19
44	Mike Tolbert	Car	vs. TB	49	+5
45	Bilal Powell	NYJ	vs. Mia	32	-13
46	James Starks	GB	at Det	60	+14
47	Benny Cunningham	StL	at SF	43	-4
48	Jacquizz Rodgers	Atl	at Buf	57	+9
49	Bernard Pierce	Bal	vs. Pit	58	+9
50	Shonn Greene	Ten	at Ind	62	+12
51	Brian Leonard	TB	at Car	55	+4
52	Willis McGahee	Cle	vs. Jac	64	+12
53	Jonathan Stewart	Car	vs. TB	52	-1
54	Mark Ingram	NO	at Sea	50	-4
55	Brandon Jacobs	NYG	at Was	47	-8
56	Robert Turbin	Sea	vs. NO	74	+18
57	Roy Helu	Was	vs. NYG	59	+2
58	LeGarrette Blount	NE	at Hou	69	+11
59	Bryce Brown	Phi	vs. Ari	65	+6
60	Michael Bush	Chi	at Min	56	-4
61	Fozzy Whittaker	Cle	vs. Jac	54	-7
62	Jason Snelling	Atl	at Buf	85	+23
63	Jordan Todman	Jac	at Cle	66	+3
64	Toby Gerhart	Min	vs. Chi	48	-16
65	Felix Jones	Pit	at Bal	82	+17
66	Jonathan Dwyer	Pit	at Bal	78	+12
67	Ronnie Brown	SD	vs. Cin	51	-16
68	Knile Davis	KC	vs. Den	75	+7
69	Lance Dunbar	Dal	vs. Oak	71	+2
70	Denard Robinson	Jac	at Cle	89	+19
71	Christine Michael	Sea	vs. NO	90	+19
72	LaMichael James	SF	vs. StL	81	+9

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Wide Receivers: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd Face Ideal Matchup in Philly

You want a good sign Michael Crabtree is going to actually play in his return from the PUP list this week? He wasn't even listed on the official 49ers injury report through Thursday.

That doesn't mean he will start or be frequently targeted, but you do have to feel good about his potential to help in fantasy down the stretch. Figure this Sunday against the Rams to be a sneak peek into his future.

Cards dealing with stacked deck

You have to love what Carson Palmer and the Cardinals have accomplished of late. You really have to love their matchup at Philly this week. Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd face the worst team in fantasy against wide receivers, per FF Today, and the worst pass defense in the NFL. You cannot sit this duo.

Pats on the (come)back?

Tom Brady is hot, but which receiver do you trust against the NFL's No. 1 pass defense in Houston? Is it Danny Amendola, the preseason breakout candidate? Is it rookie Kenbrell Thompkins, the training camp phenom? Is it Aaron Dobson, the second-round draft pick? How about Julian Edelman, the lone incumbent and the Week 12 star?

It is a mess. No one in this mix is trustworthy in fantasy right now.

Like him more

Dwayne Bowe and Roddy White have been huge busts this season, but we see some signs of potential stretch-run production. Bowe has been better of late, and White has been healthier. This pair is among the receivers we like more than the masses below:

1. Dwayne Bowe
2. Roddy White
3. James Jones (already played Thursday)
4. Anquan Boldin
5. Julian Edelman
6. Dexter McCluster

Like him less

Crabtree's owners should look to Percy Harvin's season debut as an example of what to expect. Harvin made big plays, but he wasn't used enough to truly impact fantasy. Harvin faces the upstart Saints secondary, which has been third-best against the pass this season.

Harvin is among the receivers we rank 10 spots lower than the consensus this week:

1. Keenan Allen
2. Torrey Smith (already played Thursday night)
3. Riley Cooper
4. Harry Douglas
5. Cecil Shorts
6. Percy Harvin

Week 13 Wide Receivers Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Wide Receivers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Calvin Johnson	Det	vs. GB	1	0
2	Brandon Marshall	Chi	at Min	3	+1
3	Dez Bryant	Dal	vs. Oak	4	+1
4	A.J. Green	Cin	at SD	2	-2
5	Larry Fitzgerald	Ari	at Phi	11	+6
6	Josh Gordon	Cle	vs. Jac	5	-1
7	Demaryius Thomas	Den	at KC	6	-1
8	Victor Cruz	NYG	at Was	14	+6
9	Alshon Jeffery	Chi	at Min	9	0
10	Andre Johnson	Hou	vs. NE	12	+2
11	Jordy Nelson	GB	at Det	8	-3
12	Pierre Garcon	Was	vs. NYG	15	+3
13	Vincent Jackson	TB	at Car	13	0
14	Antonio Brown	Pit	at Bal	7	-7
15	Wes Welker	Den	at KC	16	+1
16	DeSean Jackson	Phi	vs. Ari	10	-6
17	Michael Floyd	Ari	at Phi	18	+1
18	Mike Wallace	Mia	at NYJ	24	+6
19	Eric Decker	Den	at KC	22	+3
20	Dwayne Bowe	KC	vs. Den	31	+11
21	Jarrett Boykin	GB	at Det	26	+5
22	Roddy White	Atl	at Buf	40	+18
23	Nate Burleson	Det	vs. GB	28	+5
24	Steve Smith	Car	vs. TB	27	+3
25	Kendall Wright	Ten	at Ind	23	-2
26	James Jones	GB	at Det	35	+9
27	Anquan Boldin	SF	vs. StL	36	+9
28	Marques Colston	NO	at Sea	34	+6
29	Keenan Allen	SD	vs. Cin	17	-12
30	Torrey Smith	Bal	vs. Pit	20	-10
31	Riley Cooper	Phi	vs. Ari	21	-10
32	T.Y. Hilton	Ind	vs. Ten	25	-7
33	Steve Johnson	Buf	vs. Atl	33	0
34	Danny Amendola	NE	at Hou	38	+4
35	Julian Edelman	NE	at Hou	45	+10
36	Harry Douglas	Atl	at Buf	19	-17
37	Hakeem Nicks	NYG	at Was	41	+4
38	Rod Streater	Oak	at Dal	32	-6
39	Emmanuel Sanders	Pit	at Bal	42	+3
40	Cecil Shorts	Jac	at Cle	30	-10
41	Rueben Randle	NYG	at Was	37	-4
42	Dexter McCluster	KC	vs. Den	58	+16
43	Mohamed Sanu	Cin	at SD	69	+26
44	Percy Harvin	Sea	vs. NO	29	-15
45	DeAndre Hopkins	Hou	vs. NE	55	+10
46	Robert Woods	Buf	vs. Atl	50	+4
47	Michael Crabtree	SF	vs. StL	51	+4
48	Brian Hartline	Mia	at NYJ	39	-9
49	Brandon LaFell	Car	vs. TB	44	-5
50	Justin Hunter	Ten	at Ind	53	+3
51	Marlon Brown	Bal	vs. Pit	85	+34
52	Aaron Dobson	NE	at Hou	57	+5
53	Terrance Williams	Dal	vs. Oak	49	-4
54	Miles Austin	Dal	vs. Oak	59	+5
55	Santonio Holmes	NYJ	vs. Mia	60	+5
56	Golden Tate	Sea	vs. NO	43	-13
57	Donnie Avery	KC	vs. Den	63	+6
58	Greg Jennings	Min	vs. Chi	71	+13
59	Greg Little	Cle	vs. Jac	78	+19
60	Rishard Matthews	Mia	at NYJ	47	-13
61	Eddie Royal	SD	vs. Cin	77	+16
62	Chris Givens	StL	at SF	79	+17
63	Marvin Jones	Cin	at SD	52	-11
64	Kris Durham	Det	vs. GB	72	+8
65	Ted Ginn	Car	vs. TB	75	+10
66	Tiquan Underwood	TB	at Car	54	-12
67	Cordarrelle Patterson	Min	vs. Chi	46	-21
68	Tavon Austin	StL	at SF	48	-20
69	Nate Washington	Ten	at Ind	68	-1
70	Andre Roberts	Ari	at Phi	81	+11
71	Vincent Brown	SD	vs. Cin	82	+11
72	Jeremy Kerley	NYJ	vs. Mia	93	+21
73	Jason Avant	Phi	vs. Ari	97	+24
74	Kenny Stills	NO	at Sea	62	-12
75	Davone Bess	Cle	vs. Jac	89	+14
76	Lance Moore	NO	at Sea	74	-2
77	Doug Baldwin	Sea	vs. NO	61	-16
78	Darrius Heyward-Bey	Ind	vs. Ten	90	+12
79	Jerricho Cotchery	Pit	at Bal	64	-15
80	LaVon Brazill	Ind	vs. Ten	95	+15
81	Marquise Goodwin	Buf	vs. Atl	56	-25
82	Ace Sanders	Jac	at Cle	66	-16
83	Mike Brown	Jac	at Cle	80	-3
84	Stephen Hill	NYJ	vs. Mia	92	+8
85	Santana Moss	Was	vs. NYG	91	+6
86	Darius Johnson	Atl	at Buf	83	-3
87	Austin Pettis	StL	at SF	94	+7
88	Tandon Doss	Bal	vs. Pit	104	+16

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Tight Ends: You Should Stick with Your Early-Season Breakouts Here

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Julius Thomas last played, and scored, against the Chiefs; we expect he will return to the lineup Sunday.

Two tight end breakouts gave you nothing in Week 12, but we should expect Julius Thomas (knee) and Jordan Reed (concussion) to return for their teams and to fantasy starting lineups. Thomas' Broncos face a huge game in Kansas City, while Reed's Redskins have another prime-time showcase at home, this time against the equally disappointing Giants.

Start Thomas and Reed with confidence, despite their shaky status on the official NFL injury report.

Cameron overcoming a Brown out?

Speaking of 2013 tight end breakouts that have been disappointing of late: The Browns are going back to Brandon Weeden at quarterback this week, which might mean a return to fantasy prominence for early-season star Jordan Cameron. The third-year tight end hasn't cracked double digits in standard leagues since Week 7, but a matchup against the Jags is certainly appealing.

The Jags are second-worst in fantasy against tight ends, per FF Today. Cameron is a start once again.

Take it to the Housler?

The Eagles have the worst pass defense in the NFL, but somehow they have been the No. 1 team in fantasy against tight ends. Consider that a function of how bad they are against wide receivers on the outside. Arizona's Rob Housler, a breakout candidate, won't be such a bad play. He plays more like a wide receiver than an in-line end.

Like him more

Antonio Gates' fantasy owners had to pull their hair out last week when Ladarius Green scored on a big play. Also, Gates is dealing with a hamstring issue, but we still see him as a start in standard leagues. He is among the options we like more than the consensus this week:

1. Antonio Gates
2. Rob Housler
3. Brandon Pettigrew (already played Thursday)
4. Jermaine Gresham
5. Brandon Myers

Like him less

Tony Gonzalez's farewell tour would have had a lot more fanfare if the Falcons hadn't been eliminated from postseason contention so early. The future Hall of Famer is hanging on, but a matchup at Buffalo—the Bills are seventh-best versus tight ends—makes him a borderline starter in standard leagues.

Gonzalez is among the few tight ends we like less than the masses:

1. Tony Gonzalez
2. Martellus Bennett
3. John Carlson

Week 13 Tight Ends Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Tight Ends	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Rob Gronkowski	NE	at Hou	1	0
2	Jason Witten	Dal	vs. Oak	3	+1
3	Jimmy Graham	NO	at Sea	2	-1
4	Julius Thomas	Den	at KC	4	0
5	Vernon Davis	SF	vs. StL	5	0
6	Greg Olsen	Car	vs. TB	7	+1
7	Jordan Cameron	Cle	vs. Jac	6	-1
8	Antonio Gates	SD	vs. Cin	11	+3
9	Coby Fleener	Ind	vs. Ten	9	0
10	Tony Gonzalez	Atl	at Buf	8	-2
11	Jordan Reed	Was	vs. NYG	12	+1
12	Martellus Bennett	Chi	at Min	10	-2
13	Delanie Walker	Ten	at Ind	13	0
14	Rob Housler	Ari	at Phi	16	+2
15	Garrett Graham	Hou	vs. NE	15	0
16	Brandon Pettigrew	Det	vs. GB	22	+6
17	Tim Wright	TB	at Car	18	+1
18	Heath Miller	Pit	at Bal	19	+1
19	Brandon Myers	NYG	at Was	24	+5
20	Jared Cook	StL	at SF	20	0
21	John Carlson	Min	vs. Chi	17	-4
22	Scott Chandler	Buf	vs. Atl	23	+1
23	Jermaine Gresham	Cin	at SD	30	+7
24	Marcedes Lewis	Jac	at Cle	39	+15
25	Zach Ertz	Phi	vs. Ari	29	+4
26	Tyler Eifert	Cin	at SD	28	+2
27	Anthony Fasano	KC	vs. Den	26	-1
28	Zach Miller	Sea	vs. NO	35	+7
29	Andrew Quarless	GB	at Det	40	+11
30	Jeff Cumberland	NYJ	vs. Mia	34	+4
31	Mychal Rivera	Oak	at Dal	31	0

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Defense/Special Teams: Chicago's Run-over Defense Needs to Bear Down

The Bears gave up their emphasis on defense when they moved from head coach Lovie Smith to Marc Trestman, and the numbers have made them suspect and hardly fantasy-viable. They are dead last in the NFL against the run. All they have to do this week is slow down Adrian Peterson in Minnesota.

Ouch.

We still rate the Bears defense a starting option, though, since the Vikings are fifth-worst in fantasy against defense/special teams, per FF Today.

Pats defense bigger in Texas

Speaking of suspect teams against the run, the Patriots were abused by the Broncos and Knowshon Moreno last Sunday. New England should get much better defensive numbers at Houston, though. The Texans are the second-worst team in fantasy against defense/special teams. The Pats are a must-start.

Broncos have Chief concerns

Denver's defense looked like a fantasy gem in the first half last week in New England—not so much in the second half and overtime. Now, a marginal unit heads to Kansas City to face the No. 1 team in fantasy against defense/special teams. You have to be wary of the Broncos, even if they are a lot better defensively than they have shown.

Like them more

The Jets came off their bye with two of their worst performances of the season. You should change your tune against the sinking Dolphins this week, though. Miami was the most-added defense in fantasy this week, but the Jets are among the defenses we like more than the masses:

1. Dallas Cowboys (already played Thursday—whoops!)
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Chicago Bears
4. New York Jets
5. St. Louis Rams

Like them less

You should always love the Seahawks at home, but Drew Brees is coming to town for a matchup that might determine home-field advantage for the playoffs. If you own the Seahawks, you likely start them against anyone, but Seattle is among the units we like less than the consensus this week:

1. Carolina Panthers
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Cleveland Browns
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. Arizona Cardinals

Week 13 Defenses and Special Teams Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Defenses and Special Teams	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Dallas Cowboys	Dal	vs. Oak	8	+7
2	New England Patriots	NE	at Hou	3	+1
3	Carolina Panthers	Car	vs. TB	1	-2
4	San Francisco 49ers	SF	vs. StL	2	-2
5	Baltimore Ravens	Bal	vs. Pit	6	+1
6	Cincinnati Bengals	Cin	at SD	16	+10
7	Chicago Bears	Chi	at Min	12	+5
8	New York Jets	NYJ	vs. Mia	11	+3
9	Cleveland Browns	Cle	vs. Jac	5	-4
10	St. Louis Rams	StL	at SF	14	+4
11	Seattle Seahawks	Sea	vs. NO	7	-4
12	Arizona Cardinals	Ari	at Phi	10	-2
13	Miami Dolphins	Mia	at NYJ	4	-9
14	Denver Broncos	Den	at KC	13	-1
15	Kansas City Chiefs	KC	vs. Den	17	+2
16	Philadelphia Eagles	Phi	vs. Ari	19	+3
17	Detroit Lions	Det	vs. GB	23	+6
18	New Orleans Saints	NO	at Sea	18	0
19	Green Bay Packers	GB	at Det	28	+9
20	Buffalo Bills	Buf	vs. Atl	9	-11

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Kickers: Stephen Gostkowski Deserves His Rightful Spot at No. 1

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Pats' Stephen Gostkowski is accurate, clutch and consistent, which makes him an easy No. 1 kicker.

The Pats' Stephen Gostkowski is not only 26-of-27 in his field-goal attempts—the most accurate kicker in football this season—but he is also the leading scorer in fantasy through 12 weeks. It makes him an easy No. 1, no matter the matchup.

Don't be Buffaloed

The Bills' Dan Carpenter is 12th in scoring among kickers in standard leagues, but that doesn't make him a true fantasy option. Yes, Atlanta has been the worst team in fantasy against kickers, per FF Today, but the Bills just don't have a trustworthy offense. Carpenter barely cracks our top 20 below.

Zuerlein's matchup is Ram tough

Greg "The Leg" Zuerlein has been resurgent in his second year, but he faces the 49ers on the road. San Francisco is No. 1 in fantasy against kickers. It is a bad time to jump back on the Zuerlein bandwagon.

Like him more

No one really trusts Mike Nugent as a steady fantasy option, apparently. We rank him 19 spots higher than the masses below. Here are the other kickers we like more than most:

1. Matt Prater
2. Mason Crosby (already played Thursday—whoops!)
3. Phil Dawson
4. Mike Nugent
5. Matt Bryant
6. Sebastian Janikowski (already played Thursday)
7. Jay Feely

Like him less

The Vikings are the only team in football that hasn't had a miss by an opposing kicker. The conditions might be optimal in Minnesota's dome, but that still isn't enough for us to rank Robbie Gould as a starter in standard leagues.

Gould is among the kickers we like less than the consensus this week:

1. Dan Bailey (already played Thursday)
2. Garrett Hartley
3. Robbie Gould
4. Alex Henery
5. Nick Novak
6. Dan Carpenter

Week 13 Kickers Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Kickers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	at Hou	1	0
2	Matt Prater	Den	at KC	5	+3
3	Steven Hauschka	Sea	vs. NO	4	+1
4	Mason Crosby	GB	at Det	8	+4
5	Phil Dawson	SF	vs. StL	13	+8
6	Mike Nugent	Cin	at SD	25	+19
7	Dan Bailey	Dal	vs. Oak	2	-5
8	Ryan Succop	KC	vs. Den	9	+1
9	Garrett Hartley	NO	at Sea	7	-2
10	Justin Tucker	Bal	vs. Pit	11	+1
11	David Akers	Det	vs. GB	10	-1
12	Matt Bryant	Atl	at Buf	22	+10
13	Adam Vinatieri	Ind	vs. Ten	14	+1
14	Robbie Gould	Chi	at Min	3	-11
15	Sebastian Janikowski	Oak	at Dal	24	+9
16	Alex Henery	Phi	vs. Ari	12	-4
17	Nick Novak	SD	vs. Cin	15	-2
18	Kai Forbath	Was	vs. NYG	18	0
19	Jay Feely	Ari	at Phi	21	+2
20	Dan Carpenter	Buf	vs. Atl	6	-14

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Follow @EricMackFantasy

Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report this season. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game. You can also listen to him on his podcast that he deprecatingly dubbed the Fantasy FatCast.