Fantasy Football's Top Five Matchups For Week 13: A Must-See!

With fantasy football playoffs right around the corner, it’s that time of year where we all need to buckle down and trust not only our instincts as managers, but also the myriad of key matchups out there to exploit.

Usually, a no-brainer start is NOT what a manager wants to hear about, but, at this time of year, it’s most pertinent.

Here we will break down the top five matchups of this week and then some.

Everyone ready?

Denver at Kansas City

The Broncos are in push mode and there is very little room for error, so taking advantage of “easy” matchups is something the Broncos are going to want to do.

The Chiefs have two key issues as a team:

1. They can’t cover at all.

2. They can’t tackle at all.

This makes Brandon Marshall a huge nightmare for the Chiefs.

Marshall should be good for at least 110 yards and two scores, while Chris Chambers and the rest of Kansas City will be as useful as a fork in soup.

New Orleans at Washington

The Redskins tout the No. 1 passing defense, despite never facing a team like New Orleans, and that ranking will be torn to shreds with the fire power the Saints enjoy.

It’s one thing to say that Drew Brees and Marques Colston are a sure thing—which they are—but to add in the emergence of Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson in recent weeks, makes just about anyone on the Saints’ roster a must start, while the Redskins' roster is a must-sit.

New England at Miami

Speaking of the Saints, the Patriots will come into Miami with a huge chip on their shoulder, thanks to the drubbing the Saints put on them, making Wes Welker and Randy Moss must-starts.

The rest of Miami will do literally nothing.

Greg Camarillo and Devon Bess will have their hands full dealing with a very competent Saints’ secondary.

The only weapon the Dolphins have of any worth is Ricky Williams, who will see the end zone at some point, but outside of that, this is about as lopsided as Cousin Eddy’s hair part.

Detroit at Cincinnati

The Lions can’t cover, and they can barely stop the run with a makeshift linebacker corp comprised primarily of rookies.

Ochocinco has been relatively quiet as of late, but expect that to change, and don’t be afraid to start Cedric Benson .

The sentiment around Benson is to sit him because of the hip injury which is baloney. Don’t be a crowd-follower; start him with confidence.

Calvin Johnson, on the other hand, should be sat, considering the Pro Bowl-caliber corners the Bengals have, and the fact that he is not 100 percent—neither is Stafford.

San Diego at Cleveland

Well, I mean, really, you can just pick whomever you want here so long as they don a Chargers’ jersey.

The Browns are about as bad as it gets in just about every aspect of football, and they bring nothing to the table short of shame and disgust.

Vincent Jackson will get back on track, L.T. and Sproles will get some love, and Antonio Gates will be a nightmare for the Browns coverage package, even if Brandon McDonald is roaming around.

Remember, thinking outside the box at this point will give you an edge in your league, and point-and-shoot starts are the name of the game.

For a more detailed look at wide receiver starts, free Start-Sit advice complete with a link to some very tasty unknown Waiver picks that are virtually unowned, please click here for my column.

Good luck this week, everyone!