Fantasy Football Week 13: Preview and Predictions

Week 13 of the 2015 fantasy football season—the final week of the “regular season” for us fantasy folk—is finally here. For some, this week represents a shot at a first-round bye in the playoffs. For others, a division title or wild-card berth is on the line. For the rest, this week is all about pride. No matter which bucket you fall into, this article will help you prep for this pivotal week with a preview of Week 13. We’ll make some bold predictions as well.

At the quarterback position, Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Andy Dalton is a strong play this week. He thrust himself into the fantasy must-start category earlier this season, but some recent struggles have had owners second-guessing themselves. They should have no problem pulling the trigger this week, however. Find out why inside.

Arizona Cardinals rookie running back David Johnson also gets a big boost in value this week and should be started in nearly all fantasy leagues. He’s up in value because starter Chris Johnson will be “out [an] extended period of time,” per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. You can also lean on New England Patriots tight end Scott Chandler this week, who will be filling in for an injured Rob Gronkowski.

At wide receiver, we’ll let you know why it might be a smart idea to shy away from Washington Redskins speedster DeSean Jackson this week, despite the fact he’s scored a touchdown in two straight games.

This is just a taste of the previews of each position. This slideshow will check in on every position entering Week 13 and will also provide several bold predictions.

QBs: Andy Dalton Set for Another Big Game

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Andy Dalton

Cam Newton sits atop the quarterback rankings heading into Week 13 as his Carolina Panthers travel to New Orleans to take on the suspect Saints defense. Newton should have no problem racking up the points both on the ground and through the air this week.

Right behind him is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who only ranks so high because of his favorable matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. There’s little doubt the injuries suffered by Brady’s key targets in recent weeks—including Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Dion Lewis—will negatively impact Brady’s fantasy output. But the Eagles are porous against the pass, so another strong outing from Brady seems to be in the cards; his ceiling just isn't as high as usual this week.

Week 13’s Top 10 QBs

1. Cam Newton (at NO)
2. Tom Brady (vs. PHI)
3. Aaron Rodgers (at DET)
4. Carson Palmer (at STL)
5. Ben Roethlisberger (vs. IND)
6. Andy Dalton (at CLE)
7. Matthew Stafford (vs. GB)
8. Ryan Tannehill (vs. BAL)
9. Drew Brees (vs. CAR)
10. Eli Manning (vs. NYJ)

Breakout QB of the Week: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Dalton has been one of the better fantasy quarterbacks all season long—he actually ranks sixth at the position so far this season, per ESPN.com—but he has had some typical Dalton-like struggles in recent weeks.

He has posted games of 21, 21 and 19 fantasy points in three of his past five games, but he also has two outings in which he scored fewer than 10 points.

Look for Week 13 to be one of those 20-plus-point games.

Dalton will square off against the Cleveland Browns, who have given up a whopping 12 passing touchdowns to quarterbacks in the past four weeks combined, including two to Matt Schaub last week. Quarterbacks have averaged more than 300 passing yards per game against in the Browns in that stretch, and Cleveland has given up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks on the season as a whole. Dalton tossed three touchdowns against the Browns in Week 9.

QB Bust of the Week: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Brees is no longer the sure thing he once was, and a tough matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 13 could spell trouble.

He has led the Saints to only 20 points in the past two games combined, and he seems a long way off from the quarterback who tied an NFL record with seven touchdowns just four games ago.

In fact, Brees has thrown for one or fewer touchdowns in over half of his games this season, and up next are the Panthers, who have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, per ESPN.com. Brees is a weak QB1 this week.

RBs: Plug Arizona’s David Johnson into Week 13 Lineups

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David Johnson

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson continues to roll and tops the running back rankings this week despite a tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. There’s simply no reason to think he will slow down at this point.

Right behind him is the rejuvenated DeAngelo Williams, who ranks so high this week because his Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Indianapolis Colts, who are among the 10 worst teams at slowing fantasy running backs, per ESPN.com.

Week 13’s Top 10 RBs

1. Adrian Peterson (vs. SEA)
2. DeAngelo Williams (vs. IND)
3. Devonta Freeman (at TB)
4. LeSean McCoy (vs. HOU)
5. Todd Gurley (vs. ARI)
6. Matt Forte (vs. SF)
7. Jonathan Stewart (at NO)
8. Darren McFadden (at WAS)
9. Charcandrick West (at OAK)
10. Doug Martin (vs. ATL)

Breakout RB of the Week: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

As noted in the opening slide, Arizona Cardinals starting running back Chris Johnson will on the sideline this week, and Arizona’s other running back—Andre Ellington—has turf toe, per Cardinals beat writer Darren Urban.

This sets the rookie up for a big week. He has yet to top 10 carries in a game this season, but he has managed to score six total touchdowns—twice as many as C. Johnson.

D. Johnson is a safe bet for 15-plus touches and a score this week. You can trust him as an RB2.

RB Bust of the Week: Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts

Gore and the Colts will square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. According to ESPN.com, the Steelers are the toughest team your fantasy running back can face in 2015.

The Steelers have given up rushing scores to running backs in only three games this season. Gore has only scored in three games this season.

Additionally, in the previous two games combined, he has only carried the ball 33 times for 58 yards. With the difficult matchup on tap, Gore is more of a flex play than an RB2, and it seems unlikely he'll score a touchdown.

WRs: DeSean Jackson to Come Back Down to Earth in Week 13

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DeSean Jackson

There are no true surprises among the top 10 at the wideout position this week, although it still seems amazing that Brandon Marshall has remained so relevant throughout the season as a member of the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led New York Jets. He ranks in the top 10 yet again this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers star wideout Antonio Brown is No. 2 on this week’s rankings, but look for his teammate—Martavis Bryant—to have a breakout game as well. All of this assumes quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suits up for the Steelers.

Week 13’s Top 10 WRs

1. Julio Jones (at TB)
2. Antonio Brown (vs. IND)
3. DeAndre Hopkins (at BUF)
4. Calvin Johnson (vs. GB)
5. Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. NYJ)
6. Dez Bryant (at WAS)
7. Allen Robinson (at TEN)
8. A.J. Green (at CLE)
9. Alshon Jeffery (vs. SF)
10. Brandon Marshall (at NYG)

Breakout WR of the Week: Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bryant and the Steelers will be playing against the Indianapolis Colts this week, a team that ranks in the bottom 10 in terms of giving up fantasy points to wide receivers, per ESPN.com.

The Colts have given up a touchdown to opposing wideouts in all but two games this season—and they should have given up a long score to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans last week, but he dropped the opportunity.

Do long scoring opportunities sound familiar? That’s Bryant’s specialty—and he won’t drop the ball like Evans did.

WR Bust of the Week: DeSean Jackson, Washington Redskins

Jackson now has a touchdown in back-to-back games, but fantasy owners should be cautious: Those scores are nothing but a lure into a trap.

Jackson has played only four games this season, and while his last two games have resulted in decent outings (double-digit points in both games), we can’t forget his first two outings either: a one-point dud and a four-point snoozer.

Jackson has three or fewer receptions in three of the four games he’s played this year, and he has yet to top 100 yards in a game. His fantasy value is tied solely to long touchdowns right now, and while that has always been his forte, he used to have more value elsewhere. That doesn't appear to be the case anymore.

He’ll also be playing against the Dallas Cowboys this week, who are one of the five stingiest defenses in terms of slowing fantasy wideouts, per ESPN.com.

TEs: With Gronkowski Out, Lean on New England’s Chandler

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Scott Chandler

Notably absent from this group is New England Patriots world-beater Rob Gronkowski, who avoided major damage to his knee in Week 12 but is still not expected to play in Week 13. That’s according to ESPN.com, citing Adam Schefter.

Schefter also reported that Cincinnati Bengals tight end and touchdown machine Tyler Eifert's status for Week 13 is in question right now. Unlike Gronkowski, however, Eifert’s status for Week 13 is still up in the air, so he’s included in the rankings right now because there’s still a chance he plays. Keep an eye on this situation.

Week 13’s Top 10 TEs 

1. Greg Olsen (at NO)
2. Tyler Eifert (at CLE)
3. Delanie Walker (vs. JAC)
4. Jordan Reed (vs. DAL)
5. Gary Barnidge (vs. CIN)
6. Travis Kelce (at OAK)
7. Antonio Gates (vs. DEN)
8. Martellus Bennett (vs. SF)
9. Julius Thomas (at TEN)
10. Jason Witten (at WAS)

Breakout TE of the Week: Scott Chandler, New England Patriots

Chandler is a tough cookie to crack this week. He’ll be playing against the Philadelphia Eagles—who are among the best teams at slowing tight ends from a fantasy perspective this season, per ESPN.com—but the Eagles have yet to face an offense that utilizes tight ends like the Patriots do.

Additionally, Chandler caught a season-high five passes for 58 yards and scored last week, notching double-digit fantasy points in the process. It was no coincidence that he was asked to do more when Gronkowski went down. He offers a safe fantasy floor this week and has the potential to record multiple touchdowns, which gives him a high ceiling as well.

TE Bust of the Week: Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears

Bennett and the Bears will be playing against the San Francisco 49ers, a team that has given up only three touchdowns to tight ends all season long—including none since Week 5. He is still ranked in the top 10 this week, but that doesn’t mean he’s a sure bet.

Bennett is also returning from injury, so his status should be monitored throughout the week. If he plays, chances are it means he’s healthy enough to be effective, but there’s always risk associated with injured players. Could Chicago use him as a decoy?

Kickers: Santos a Top Option Among Kickers This Week

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

Cairo Santos

The Kansas City-Oakland game provides an interesting dichotomy of kickers. Both kickers involved in the game—Cairo Santos of the Chiefs and Sebastian Janikowski of the Raiders—are typically reliable week in and week out, but this week, only one of them will rise to the occasion.

We’ve also seen the rapid rise of Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano in recent weeks, and he now finds himself ranked No. 2 among his peers.

Week 13’s Top 10 Ks

1. Stephen Gostkowski (vs. PHI)
2. Graham Gano (at NO)
3. Cairo Santos (at OAK)
4. Brandon McManus (at SD)
5. Justin Tucker (at MIA)
6. Mason Crosby (at DET)
7. Steven Hauschka (at MIN)
8. Chandler Catanzaro (at STL)
9. Josh Brown (vs. NYJ)
10. Dan Bailey (at WAS)

Breakout K of the Week: Cairo Santos, Kansas City Chiefs

Santos will be playing against the Oakland Raiders this week, who have given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing kickers so far this season, per ESPN.com. From Weeks 1-11, kickers made at least two field goals against the Raiders in every game. Week 12 proved to be the exception, but Santos remains a safe bet for multiple field goals this week.

K Bust of the Week: Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders

Janikowski and the Raiders will play against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are among the three strongest teams in terms of slowing fantasy kickers, per ESPN.com. Kickers haven’t connected on more than one field goal in a game against the Chiefs since Week 7.

Defense and Special Teams: Patriots Top D/ST Rankings in Week 13

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Chandler Jones

The New England Patriots top the D/ST rankings this week with Mark Sanchez and/or Sam Bradford and the Philadelphia Eagles on tap. We have more on them below.

The Patriots aren’t the only solid D/ST unit with a great matchup this week. The Cincinnati Bengals (at CLE) and Arizona Cardinals (at STL) also have fantastic matchups.

Week 13’s Top 10 D/STs 

1. New England Patriots (vs. PHI)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (at CLE)
3. Arizona Cardinals (at STL)
4. Carolina Panthers (at NO)
5. Denver Broncos (at SD)
6. Houston Texans (at BUF)
7. Green Bay Packers (at DET)
8. Seattle Seahawks (at MIN)
9. Kansas City Chiefs (at OAK)
10. Miami Dolphins (vs. BAL)

Breakout D/ST of the Week: New England Patriots

The Patriots D/ST is among the top 10 in total points scored this season, per ESPN.com, but it has yet to score a defensive touchdown. That could change in Week 13 when the Pats play host to the Sanchez-led Philadelphia Eagles. Sanchez has turned the ball over at least once in every game he’s played so far this season.

There is a chance Sam Bradford plays for the Eagles this week, however. That's according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While the chance of a D/ST touchdown would decrease if Bradford plays, he's not exactly turnover-proof: Bradford nearly has as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (11) this season.

D/ST Bust of the Week: Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta D/ST unit was a hot pickup earlier this season after scoring three touchdowns in the span of two games, but since then, the unit has been hot and cold. The Falcons will travel to Tampa Bay to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a bevy of offensive weapons.

Bold Predictions: Jay Cutler Puts Up Impressive Numbers

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Jay Cutler

Below are five bold predictions for Week 13 of the 2015 fantasy football season.

• Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler throws for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns. He’ll be playing against the San Francisco 49ers this week, a team that has been favorable to quarterbacks all season long, per ESPN.com. A good game in Week 13 would mark the end of a slump of sorts for Cutler. He has thrown only one touchdown in the past two weeks combined, but context is needed: One of those games was against the Denver Broncos—the top defense in the NFL—and the other was against the divisional rival Green Bay Packers in mixed weather. Look for Cutler—who has uncharacteristically not thrown for multiple interceptions in any game this season—to bounce back in Week 13 with wideout Alshon Jeffery at full strength and tight end Martellus Bennett back in the lineup.

• Doug Martin rumbles for 150 rushing yards for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Martin will square off against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13, a team that ranks in the bottom five in terms of fantasy points ceded to running backs in 2015, per ESPN.com. Add in the fact that Martin has been on a roll lately and you have a recipe for success.

• New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. tops 100 receiving yards again—even if Darrelle Revis covers him. In 23 career games, OBJ has 2,310 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. A 100-yard, one-touchdown effort would literally only be average for him. We’ll call it a bold prediction in this case, however, because if he does top 100 yards, that will put him over the milestone in five straight games, and it would be particularly impressive if it came against New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

• Travis Kelce scores twice. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end will play against the Oakland Raiders in Week 13. The Raiders have been terrible at defending tight ends in 2015. In fact, a tight end has scored in all but two games against the Raiders this season.

• Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson finishes outside the top 18 among quarterbacks in terms of fantasy points. Wilson was the (tied for) top scorer among quarterbacks in Week 12 after throwing for 345 yards and five scores. He now has eight touchdowns and no interceptions in his past two games combined. However, from Weeks 1-10, Wilson had thrown for more than one touchdown in just one game, and he hadn’t topped 300 yards in any game this season until last week. As of now, his Week 12 outburst was nothing but an anomaly, and Wilson will find points harder to come by against the Minnesota Vikings, who rank sixth in terms of slowing fantasy quarterbacks, per ESPN.com.

The rankings provided throughout this article are the author's own preliminary Week 13 rankings. His rankings are updated throughout the week at FantasyPros.com.