Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings: Lineup Advice for Every Position

Week 13 wraps up the regular season in most season-long fantasy leagues, so it's time to make that final push for the playoffs or perfect your lineup for your championship run if you've already clinched. 

The following rankings take into account recent performance, matchups and injuries, but remember to keep an eye on the weather for any critical matchup throughout the week. 

Now that the calendar has turned to December, snow and wind can play significant roles in the strategies utilized by teams and dramatically increase or decrease a player's stock.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Tom Brady, NE	Eagles
2	Cam Newton, CAR	at Saints
3	Carson Palmer, ARZ	at Rams
4	Andy Dalton, CIN	at Browns
5	Aaron Rodgers, GB	at Lions
6	Jay Cutler, CHI	49ers
7	Alex Smith, KC	at Raiders
8	Blake Bortles, JAC	at Titans
9	Russell Wilson, SEA	at Vikings
10	Ryan Tannehill, MIA	Ravens
11	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	Colts
12	Matthew Stafford, DET	Packers

According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, Tom Brady went on Boston sports radio station WEEI-FM on Monday and vented his frustration regarding Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos: "It was a very hard loss. I don't think I've ever been so pissed off after a loss. ... Hopefully we can use it as motivation going forward."

A frustrated Brady with extra motivation is not the Brady you want to face as an opposing defense, and the struggling Philadelphia Eagles are stuck with the task of trying to slow him down. 

Over the past three weeks, the Eagles defense has allowed 28 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, based on the DraftKings scoring system, according to RotoGrinders.com. 

Brady's expectations should be tempered slightly, as Rob Gronkowski will likely be out, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, but the Eagles defense has been playing so poorly that Brady is still an elite option on Sunday.

"

Rob Gronkowski not expected to play Sun vs. Eagles, per sources. Likely to miss multiple weeks; return date will be a pain tolerance issue.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2015"

Alex Smith is an under-the-radar quarterback who could pay major dividends this week against the Oakland Raiders. 

Oakland is one of eight defenses allowing over 20 fantasy points per game this season, making this a great matchup for the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. 

Smith has thrown for over 250 yards in each of his past two games and hasn't tossed an interception since Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Devonta Freeman, ATL	at Buccaneers
2	David Johnson, ARZ	at Rams
3	Doug Martin, TB	Falcons
4	DeAngelo Williams, PIT	Colts
5	Adrian Peterson, MIN	Seahawks
6	Lamar Miller, MIA	Ravens
7	Javorius Allen, BAL	at Dolphins
8	Mark Ingram, NO	Panthers
9	LeSean McCoy, BUF	Texans
10	Eddie Lacy, GB	at Detroit
11	Thomas Rawls, SEA	at Vikings
12	Todd Gurley, STL	Cardinals
13	Jonathan Stewart, CAR	at Saints
14	Chris Ivory, NYJ	at Giants
15	Latavius Murray, OAK	Chiefs
16	C.J. Anderson, DEN	at Chargers
17	Darren McFadden, DAL	at Redskins
18	Giovani Bernard, CIN	at Browns
19	Jeremy Hill, CIN	at Browns
20	Alfred Blue, HOU	at Bills

The running back position has been brutal this season, featuring a seemingly ever-changing top 10. 

The new guy to the party in Week 13 is Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson, who, according to the team website, is likely to take over as the starter against the St. Louis Rams.

Despite a strong start to the year, the Rams defense has been slipping, especially against the run game. St. Louis allowed an average of 31 fantasy points per game against the Chicago Bears, the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals over the past three weeks. 

This is a favorable matchup for Johnson, who has some added value due to his work as a receiver out of the backfield. Even though he's spent much of the season as the third-string running back, Johnson has 17 receptions for 233 yards, including three touchdowns. 

Broncos running back C.J. Anderson is an potential sleeper this week against the San Diego Chargers. 

While frustrated owners have been dropping Anderson in recent weeks due to his light workload, he had a season-high 15 carries against the Patriots and another four touches in the passing game. 

With Brock Osweiler at quarterback, the Broncos seem intent on trying to run the ball to control the clock, which bodes well for Anderson to remain a viable fantasy option.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Julio Jones, ATL	at Buccaneers
2	Antonio Brown, PIT	Colts
3	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU	at Bills
4	A.J. Green, CIN	at Browns
5	Calvin Johnson, DET	Packers
6	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI	at Rams
7	Brandon Marshall, NYJ	at Giants
8	Allen Robinson, JAC	at Titans
9	Odell Beckham Jr., NYG	Jets
10	Jarvis Landry, MIA	Ravens
11	Randall Cobb, GB	at Lions
12	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	at Chargers
13	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	at Chargers
14	Danny Amendola, NE	Eagles
15	Mike Evans, TB	Falcons
16	T.Y. Hilton, IND	at Steelers
17	Dez Bryant, DAL	at Redskins
18	John Brown, ARZ	at Rams
19	Martavis Bryant, PIT	Colts
20	Eric Decker, NYJ	at Giants
21	Jeremy Maclin, KC	at Raiders
22	DeSean Jackson, WSH	Cowboys
23	Amari Cooper, OAK	Chiefs
24	Brandin Cooks, NO	Panthers
25	Sammy Watkins, BUF	Texans

The usual suspects remain at the top of the rankings, but there are a few sleepers who could emerge this week. 

If healthy, Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola is in position for a huge game against the Eagles. 

Amendola missed the Patriots' Sunday night loss in Denver but practiced on Thursday, according to ESPN's Field Yates, so a return this week is a strong possibility. 

With Gronkowski and Julian Edelman out, Brady will be looking for new playmakers to emerge against a porous Eagles secondary. 

Brandon LaFell is an option as well, but Amendola has fared well in the past when Edelman has been out. 

Edelman missed two games at the end of the 2014 season, during which Amendola received 18 combined targets from Brady. 

One receiver who gets significantly downgraded this week is New Orleans Saints wideout Brandin Cooks. 

While Cooks has been reliable for the struggling Saints, he'll be going up against the Carolina Panthers defense and will likely be lined up across from cornerback Josh Norman. 

Norman is the highest-ranked cornerback on Pro Football Focus, and he has slowed, if not completely shut out, every receiver he's faced this season. Cooks is not worth the price tag in DFS and should be used only if absolutely necessary in season-long leagues. 

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Greg Olsen, CAR	at Saints
2	Travis Kelce, KC	at Raiders
3	Jordan Reed, WSH	Cowboys
4	Tyler Eifert, CIN	at Browns
5	Scott Chandler, NE	Eagles
6	Gary Barnidge, CLE	Bengals
7	Julius Thomas, JAC	at Titans
8	Martellus Bennett, CHI	49ers
9	Jason Witten, DAL	at Redskins
10	Charles Clay, BUF	Texans
11	Antonio Gates, SD	Broncos
12	Eric Ebron, DET	Packers

With Gronkowski out, there are no sure things in the tight end group this week, but Greg Olsen is the obvious choice at No. 1. 

The Saints are allowing the second-most points per game to tight ends, giving Olsen a great matchup. 

Martellus Bennett's health is something to keep an eye on this week, as he could be a sleeper in DFS leagues if his price has been downgraded due to his injury. 

Bennett sat out Chicago's victory over the Packers on Thanksgiving, but he was at practice Monday, according to ESPN's Jeff Dickerson:

"

Martellus Bennett (ribs) at open portion of Monday's practice https://t.co/FJuBHhttky

— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) November 30, 2015"

Another sleeper not listed in the rankings is the Seattle Seahawks' Luke Willson. With Jimmy Graham out for the year, Willson gets the opportunity to step into a starting role. 

While he's no Graham, Willson costs just $2,500 on DraftKings, making him a decent punt option in DFS.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Broncos	at Chargers
2	Chiefs	at Raiders
3	Panthers	at Saints
4	Cardinals	at Rams
5	Patriots	Eagles
6	Bengals	at Browns
7	Seahawks	at Vikings
8	Buccaneers	Falcons
9	Vikings	Seahawks
10	Steelers	Colts
11	Ravens	at Dolphins
12	Redskins	Cowboys

The Broncos are the highest-scoring team in ESPN standard scoring by a wide margin, and they get a favorable matchup on Sunday against the Chargers. That combination makes them an easy choice for the No. 1 spot in these rankings. 

If you're looking for a sleeper defense, the Washington Redskins have a favorable matchup against Matt Cassel and the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. 

The Redskins defense is in the bottom half of the league in terms of fantasy points scored but put up double digits in two of the last three weeks against the Saints and the New York Giants. 

The Cowboys are capable of scoring without Tony Romo, but what type of effort will they give now that their season is effectively over? The Redskins are playing their best football of the year, and this Monday night matchup could turn into a rout.

Kickers

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	Eagles
2	Graham Gano, CAR	at Saints
3	Cairo Santos, KC	at Raiders
4	Jason Myers, JAC	at Titans
5	Mason Crosby, GB	at Lions
6	Robbie Gould, CHI	49ers
7	Chandler Catanzaro, ARZ	at Rams
8	Mike Nugent, CIN	at Browns
9	Josh Brown, NYG	Jets
10	Steven Hauschka, SEA	at Vikings
11	Blair Walsh, MIN	Seahawks
12	Brandon McManus, DEN	at Chargers

Stephen Gostkowski and Graham Gano have been consistent all season and deserve their weekly places atop the kicker rankings. 

But if you're looking for a new kicker this week, it's time to jump on the Jason Myers bandwagon. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars are quietly developing a potent offense, and Myers is reaping the benefits. He's kicked at least three field goals in four straight games, earning double-digit fantasy points in each contest. 

Jacksonville has a favorable matchup against the Tennessee Titans, which should lead to plenty of scoring opportunities for the young kicker.