Fantasy Football Week 13 Rankings: Updated Overview for All Positions

As Thanksgiving food goes, I'd probably rank stuffing as my favorite of the dishes, followed by mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, turkey with gravy, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese and whatever other pies are available. 

To be honest, I pretty much like it all. But those are my rankings.

I know, I know, you didn't come here to read about my food rankings, you are here to help decide who the smartest players are to start on your fantasy team this week. Sorry, I got sidetracked by daydreams of Thanksgiving feasts. But we'd all like to pile on some fantasy points, so let's get to this week's rankings.

Notes: For a full explanation of the rankings, see here. Abridged version: Startability measures how smart it is to start a given player in a week rather than attempting to project how many points he will score. "Ability" measures a player's overall talent, proficiency at his position and ability to produce fantasy numbers. "Offense" measures how much that team's offense improves his fantasy stock. The overall "startability" grade is weighted. All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. 

Schedule

Thursday, November 27	Time (ET)	TV
Sunday, November 30	Time (ET)	TV
Monday, December 1	Time (ET)	TV
Philadelphia at Dallas	4:30 p.m.	FOX
Chicago at Detroit	12:30 p.m.	CBS
Seattle at San Francisco	8:30 p.m.	NBC
Washington at Indianapolis	1 p.m.	FOX
Tennessee at Houston	1 p.m.	CBS
Cleveland at Buffalo	1 p.m.	CBS
San Diego at Baltimore	1 p.m.	CBS
NY Giants at Jacksonville	1 p.m.	FOX
Cincinnati at Tampa Bay	1 p.m.	CBS
Oakland at St. Louis	1 p.m.	CBS
New Orleans at Pittsburgh	1 p.m.	FOX
Carolina at Minnesota	1 p.m.	FOX
Arizona at Atlanta	4:05 p.m.	FOX
New England at Green Bay	4:25 p.m.	CBS
Denver at Kansas City	8:30 p.m.	NBC
Miami at NY Jets	8:30 p.m.	ESPN

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Andrew Luck	49	22	14	10	A+ (95)
2	Aaron Rodgers	50	11	15	10	A (86)
3	Peyton Manning	50	10	15	10	A (85)
4	Drew Brees	49	13	13	9	A (84)
5	Tony Romo	40	23	11	7	A- (81)
6	Tom Brady	48	11	13	8	B+ (80)
7	Ryan Tannehill	40	23	9	7	B (79)
8	Matt Stafford	43	20	10	4	B (77)
9	Ben Roethlisberger	42	16	11	6	B- (75)
10	Philip Rivers	43	16	10	6	B- (75)
11	Russell Wilson	47	3	12	9	C+ (71)
12	Eli Manning	41	14	10	6	C+ (71)
13	Andy Dalton	39	15	10	5	C (69)
14	Mark Sanchez	38	12	14	5	C (69)
15	Joe Flacco	40	11	11	6	C- (68)
16	Alex Smth	38	20	5	5	C- (68)
17	Jay Cutler	42	5	12	7	D+ (66)
18	Matt Ryan	42	9	9	5	D (65)
19	Cam Newton	43	12	6	4	D (65)
20	Colin Kaepernick	40	3	8	4	F (55)

Outside of the very elite tier of quarterbacks—Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady—this is a pretty good chance to play the matchups. 

For instance, it's hard not to love Ryan Tannehill against a New York Jets defense giving up 19.7 points to opposing quarterbacks per week, worst in the NFL. Or Tony Romo against a Philadelphia defense allowing 19.5 points to the position each week, 31st in the league. Both are pretty safe bets to be QB1 options this week.

One player even I'm pretty surprised to see in the QB1 running is Matt Stafford, who has a grand total of 14 fantasy points in the past two weeks. Stafford has been wildly inconsistent this year and has scored 17 or more fantasy points just four times, but he also has a tasty matchup against a Chicago defense that is 29th in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks each week. 

This is Last Chance Saloon for Stafford, in other words. If he doesn't post QB1 numbers this week, you can give up on him from a fantasy perspective. 

Fantasy owners have probably already given up on Cam Newton. Quite frankly, I don't blame you—he's obviously still battling injuries, he doesn't have great weapons around him and, honestly, Carolina just isn't very good this year. He simply can't be started at this point. 

Last season, Philip Rivers started off with a bang (18 or more points in four of his first five games) but lost steam down the stretch (18 or more points in just four of his last 11 contests). This year, Rivers started off with a bang (18 or more points in six of his first eight games) but has really struggled of late (a total of 21 points in his last three contests).

Is history repeating itself? It sure looks like it. Perhaps a matchup against a Baltimore Ravens defense ranked 25th in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks will help him right the ship. If he doesn't, Rivers is going to be hard to trust as the fantasy playoffs approach.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Arian Foster*	48	23	14	9	A+ (94)
2	DeMarco Murray	48	13	15	10	A (86)
3	Le'Veon Bell	47	16	13	10	A (86)
4	Andre Ellington	43	23	8	8	A (82)
5	Jamaal Charles	49	8	14	10	A (81)
6	Alfred Morris	44	20	10	7	A (81)
7	Matt Forte	48	7	14	10	A (79)
8	Eddie Lacy	43	15	12	8	A- (78)
9	Marshawn Lynch	49	5	14	8	A- (76)
10	LeSean McCoy	46	12	10	7	A- (75)
11	Giovani Bernard	43	15	9	7	B+ (74)
12	Denard Robinson	38	22	7	6	B+ (73)
13	Rashad Jennings	40	16	11	6	B+ (73)
14	Fred Jackson	40	14	10	7	B (71)
15	Justin Forsett	39	11	12	8	B (70)
16	Mark Ingram	42	11	10	6	B (69)
17	Jeremy Hill	40	15	8	6	B (69)
18	Tre Mason	37	20	7	5	B (69)
19	Jerick McKinnon	38	18	8	3	B- (67)
20	C.J. Anderson	38	7	14	7	B- (66)
21	Lamar Miller	41	7	11	6	C+ (65)
22	Frank Gore	40	10	9	5	C+ (64)
23	Jonathan Stewart	35	19	6	3	C+ (63)
24	Chris Ivory	39	13	7	3	C (62)
25	Joique Bell	39	10	7	5	C (61)
26	Darren Sproles	39	12	5	3	C (59)
27	Shane Vereen	36	12	7	4	C (59)
28	Ryan Mathews	40	3	9	6	C- (58)
29	Bishop Sankey	36	14	5	3	C- (58)
30	Trent Richardson	37	5	10	4	C- (56)
31	Latavius Murray	37	10	5	3	D+ (55)
32	Doug Martin	35	12	5	2	D+ (55)
33	Isaiah Crowell	37	3	8	5	D (53)
34	Steven Jackson	36	3	7	5	D (51)
35	Terrance West	35	3	5	4	D- (47)

If Arian Foster manages to play this week, he could very easily exceed 30 fantasy points. Seriously. 

In their last four games, the Tennessee Titans have given up 717 rushing yards, eight touchdowns and 126 fantasy points to opposing running backs. That, of course, includes the 35 fantasy points Foster managed against them in Week 8. If he can't go, Alfred Blue instantly becomes a high-end RB2, but if Foster plays, he could win your Week 13 matchup on his own.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Andre Ellington has really struggled over the past three games, with just 20 fantasy points in that time. The Arizona Cardinals aren't exactly a proficient running team, either, with a league-worst 3.1 yards per carry. So I would understand if you were hesitant to trust Ellington this week. 

Let me soothe your fears. For starters, he's faced three solid defenses in the past three games. For another, as a threat in the passing game, he can produce for fantasy owners in more than one way. Finally, facing an Atlanta Falcons defense that has given up 21.9 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, 31st in the NFL, he should find plenty of open running lanes. 

Be wary of some tough matchups this week. It's tough to trust players like Frank Gore, Ryan Mathews, Isaiah Crowell and Trent Richardson against stingy defenses. 

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Dez Bryant	49	23	13	9	A+ (94)
2	A.J. Green	49	22	11	9	A+ (91)
3	Antonio Brown	48	19	13	10	A+ (90)
4	Demaryius Thomas	48	8	15	9	A (80)
5	T.Y. Hilton	44	14	14	8	A (80)
6	Jordy Nelson	48	5	15	9	A (77)
7	Calvin Johnson	49	15	8	5	A (77)
8	Mike Wallace	44	15	11	7	A (77)
9	Odell Beckham Jr.	43	16	10	8	A (77)
10	Emmanuel Sanders	44	8	15	9	A- (76)
11	Julio Jones	49	8	12	6	A- (75)
12	Randall Cobb	46	5	15	9	A- (75)
13	Josh Gordon	46	10	10	7	B+ (73)
14	Brandon Marshall	47	5	12	8	B+ (72)
15	Kelvin Benjamin	42	12	10	8	B+ (72)
16	Golden Tate	42	15	8	7	B+ (72)
17	Martavis Bryant	38	19	9	6	B+ (72)
18	Julian Edelman	38	16	12	6	B+ (72)
19	Jeremy Maclin	44	7	13	7	B (71)
20	Sammy Watkins	43	14	9	5	B (71)
21	Brandon LaFell	38	16	12	5	B (71)
22	Mohamed Sanu	38	22	6	5	B (71)
23	Terrance Williams	37	23	7	3	B- (70)
24	Alshon Jeffery	45	5	12	7	C+ (69)
25	Kendall Wright	38	22	5	4	B (71)
26	Larry Fitzgerald	40	20	5	3	C (68)
27	Mike Evans	43	5	12	7	C (67)
28	Reggie Wayne	38	14	7	6	C (65)
29	Torrey Smith	40	11	8	5	C- (64)
30	Steve Smith	40	11	8	5	C- (64)
31	DeSean Jackson	45	6	7	5	D+ (63)
32	DeAndre Hopkins	40	10	7	6	D+ (63)
33	Roddy White	39	8	9	6	D+ (62)
34	Jordan Matthews	39	7	10	5	D (61)
35	Percy Harvin	40	9	5	5	D (59)
36	Anquan Boldin	40	3	9	6	D (58)
37	Andre Johnson	40	10	5	3	D (58)
38	Eric Decker	38	9	5	5	D- (57)
39	Vincent Jackson	41	5	5	4	D- (55)
40	Michael Crabtree	40	3	6	4	D- (53)

There has never been a better class of rookie receivers to hit the NFL, or at least there has never been a class that has been this productive in their rookie seasons. That has carried over to fantasy football as well. 

Mike Evans can't stop scoring touchdowns. Odell Beckham Jr. has been phenomenal since returning from injury and made one of the truly great catches you'll ever see. Kelvin Benjamin has been the one player worth watching on Carolina's dreadful offense. Sammy Watkins has flashed superstar potential despite mediocre quarterback play in Buffalo. Jordan Matthews has developed into a nice weapon in Philly. John Brown has the league's best and wackiest touchdown dance. Martavis Bryant has taken us all by surprise. Brandin Cooks was having a nice season before he was lost to injury.

In years past, trusting rookie wide receivers was folly. This season, it's been downright wise. 

What is up with Calvin Johnson? The league's most physically gifted receiver has just 10 fantasy points total in his past two games and has continued to kill owners who spent a high-round pick on him. If you have Megatron you have to start him, but at what point do we have to throw our hands in the air and declare him unreliable?

That day is fast approaching. 

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Jimmy Graham	49	20	13	8	A+ (90)
2	Rob Gronkowski	49	13	15	9	A (86)
3	Julius Thomas*	48	12	14	7	A- (81)
4	Greg Olsen	45	10	12	7	B+ (74)
5	Martellus Bennett	41	13	12	5	B (71)
6	Antonio Gates	41	11	11	6	B (69)
7	Coby Fleener	38	13	10	5	B (66)
8	Travis Kelce	40	15	7	3	B- (65)
9	Larry Donnell	37	14	9	4	B- (64)
10	Jason Witten	40	10	7	6	B- (63)
11	Delanie Walker	39	5	8	5	C+ (57)
12	Heath Miller	37	5	7	3	C (52)

At one point this year, tight end appeared as though it might actually have depth. So much for that. At this point in the season, just seven players (the first six on my rankings and Delanie Walker) are averaging seven or more fantasy points per game, and the pickings are pretty slim if you don't have one of those players. 

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Ranking that next group of players can be tricky. You have to love Travis Kelce's upside, or Jason Witten's past, but neither player can be trusted each and every week. Desperate owners might turn to Tim Wright or Kyle Rudolph, hoping for a lucky touchdown. Times have gotten quite lean at the position, especially with Dwayne Allen's injury.

More than any point in the season, you have a huge advantage over the competition if you own Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham. For everyone else, you'll have to play the matchups and hope to get lucky at this rough position. 

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team
1	Arizona Cardinals
2	Miami Dolphins
3	Houston Texans
4	Seattle Seahawks
5	St. Louis Rams
6	Indianapolis Colts
7	Detroit Lions
8	San Francisco 49ers
9	Minnesota Vikings
10	Buffalo Bills

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team
1	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots
2	Adam Vinatieri	Indianapolis Colts
3	Caleb Sturgis	Miami Dolphins
4	Mason Crosby	Green Bay Packers
5	Cody Parkey	Philadelphia Eagles
6	Randy Bullock	Houston Texans
7	Steven Hauschka	Seattle Seahawks
8	Shaun Suisham	New Orleans Saints
9	Dan Carpenter	Buffalo Bills
10	Dan Bailey	Dallas Cowboys

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than a catching drill with Odell Beckham Jr.