Fantasy Football Hot Pickups: Week 13

Brian Westbrook is this week's hottest pickup with reports surfacing that Frank Gore may miss the rest of the season with his hip injury suffered on Monday Night Football.

Westbrook took over in vintage fashion and gashed the Cardinals D for 136 yards and one touchdown off of a workhorse 23 carries. Westbrook is available in 91 percent of Yahoo! leagues and looks to be a solid RB3 with RB2 upside the rest of the way.

Davone Bess is the new No. 1 receiver for the Dolphins with Brandon Marshall set to miss multiple weeks. Apparently, somehow, 57 percent of leagues missed that fact and he is still sitting on their waiver wires. He finished the game against the Raiders with 6 receptions for 111 yards.

Brandon Jacobs got the start at running back for the New York Giants and responded with 6.2 yards per carry off of 14 carries for 87 yards. He is still available in 27 percent of leagues.

Jonathan Stewart is still sitting at 48 percent available and I am not sure what is going on. We urged you last week to pick him up in our fantasy football alert but it does not look like one person listened, as he had the same ownership during the week. Stewart, despite not getting the start, finished the day with 12 carries for 98 yards.

Jacoby Ford killed it once again and had 4 receptions for 108 yards and a TD and he also scored a return touchdown on the opening kickoff of the game. He needs to be added in all leagues as he is a home-run threat every time he touches the ball. He is currently available in 89 percent of leagues.

Earl Bennett had two touchdowns vs. the Eagles off of 4 receptions and 52 yards and is hot pickup this week. He is only 3 percent owned and he may help solidify team depth down the stretch.

What's more is the Vanderbilt connection and friendship Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett share. If he could throw to Bennett on every play, he would. Make the add and reap the potential benefits.

Chris Ivory had 7 receptions for 38 yards and 2 TDs for the Saints and seems to have solidified the goal-line back role, a role he will maintain when and if Pierre Thomas returns. He is currently available in a whopping 78 percent of leagues.

Mohamed Massaquoi is a hot pickup now that Jake Delhomme is back under center. The two have a solid on-field chemistry and Massaquoi is Delhomme’s big-play threat. He finished the day with 4 receptions for 52 yards and is currently available in 87 percent of leagues.

Brian Robiskie had 7 receptions for 50 yards and should be on fantasy rosters as long as Jake Delhomme is starting. The two share a solid chemistry and it will show up on game day in passing game targets. He is available in 100 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Nate Burleson had only 3 receptions for 35 yards for the Lions this week but is worth a look in deeper leagues due to his upside. He had 7 receptions for 97 yards and 1 TD in Week 11, which highlights his upside in this offense. He is currently available in over 70 percent of leagues.

Jordy Nelson had 5 receptions for 61 yards and a TD. Nelson is worth a look in deeper formats and is someone who can help as roster depth in shallower leagues.

Jason Avant had 8 receptions for 83 yards and continues to gain Michael Vick’s confidence as his No. 3 receiver. He is worth an add in the deepest of leagues.

James Jones had 5 receptions for 44 yards and should be on rosters in deeper leagues. He is currently only 23 percent owned and should help rosters down the stretch as injury depth or as a flex starter in the deepest of leagues.

Brian Hartline had a solid game for the Dolphins and should be added as long as Brandon Marshall is out. He finished the day with 4 receptions for 75 yards.

James Davis led the Redskins in carries with only six, but it stands to reason that if Ryan Torian is not healthy next week that Davis will get an extended look. James Davis has more potential to be the Redskins running back of the future and I think the Shanahans know that. He is currently available in 99 percent of leagues.

Toby Gerhart took over for Adrian Peterson and responded with 22 carries for 76 yards and a TD. Adrian Peterson is slated to play this week, but this past weekend highlighted the importance of having handcuffs down the stretch.

Mike Thomas had 6 receptions for 46 yards and should be owned in all leagues after showing some consistency the last few weeks. He is currently available in 51 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Rashad Jennings was impressive this past Sunday with 7 carries for 53 yards and a TD. He may be making a case for a goal-line role and has made his case for an expanded role. Jennings’ getting carries will help MJD keep fresh and his owners should not worry. Rashad Jennings is available in 99 percent of leagues.

Mario Manningham is the Giants No. 1 receiver due to injury attrition and he needs to be owned in all leagues for the time being. Steve Smith will not return to full health this season and Hakeem Nicks’ injury is so serious that he should be shut down for the season. 

Manningham is still somehow available in 23 percent of leagues, so take a trip to your waiver wire and see if you are one of the lucky ones.

Eddie Royal is currently available in 44 percent of leagues and should be owned in all. He finished Sunday's game with 6 receptions for 74 yards and a TD and should be more consistent down the stretch with Demaryius Thomas nursing yet another injury.

Maurice Morris played the role of feature back for the Lions and responded with 9 carries for 55 yards and 2 TDs and 5 receptions for 20 yards.

Mo-Mo should be added in all leagues as Jahvid Best’s turf toe has flared up and will be a lingering issue for the rest of the season, and Kevin Smith was placed on I.R over a week ago. He is a solid flex option as long as Best is not starting.

Deion Branch is killing it for the Patriots and needs to be added in all leagues. There I said it, I am shocked that he is still available in 47 percent of leagues when he should be owned in all.

Branch finished the Thanksgiving Day game with 2 TD’s off of 3 receptions for 113 yards. If he is available in your league, find the roster spot for him at all costs. He is a solid flex option with WR3 upside the rest of the way.

Fred Jackson, despite dominating the Bills backfield since CJ Spiller went down, is still available in 27 percent of leagues. Spiller is set to return this week, but F-Jax needs to added where available as he is the workhorse. He finished the tough game against the Steelers with 12 carries for 59 yards and 5 receptions for 104 yards and a TD.

Ben Obomanu had 5 receptions for 159 yards and 1 TD for the Seahawks and functioned as the Seahawks No. 1 receiver with ‘Big’ Mike Williams out with injury. Needless to say, he is worth an add in all leagues. He looks like a solid flex2 the rest of the way.

David Nelson has shown up on this list for the second straight week and that should speak volumes to those in the deepest leagues. He finished the game against the Steelers with 6 receptions for 58 yards and he looks to be the second receiver Ryan Fitzpatrick has made fantasy relevant this season.

Mike Goodson proved he can still be fantasy relevant with Jonathan Stewart returning and had a great PPR fantasy line with 14 carries for 55 yards and 1 TD to go along with 8 receptions and 81 yards.

Goodson is one of the best receivers on this team...period. I actually had to line him up in three-wide sets in my Madden 11 season with the Panthers. He looks like a solid flex2 the rest of the way or a flex in PPR leagues.

Golden Tate had only 2 receptions for 21 yards this past Sunday but as arguably the Seahawks most talented receiver, he should be added as end of the bench depth until he breaks out. He should be owned in all dynasty leagues.

Brandon Pettigrew has been solid and consistent for the Lions and is a solid low-end TE1. He is outplaying many of his bigger-name counterparts over the past five weeks and should be added where needed.

If you play in a two-TE league he is not available, but those in single-TE leagues may want to look at starting him over names like Dustin Keller. He finished last week with 5 receptions for 67 yards.

Jordan Shipley showed up once again and finished last Thursday’s game with 5 receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. Shipley seems to have a bright future with the Bengals and should be owned in all dynasty leagues. Jordan Shipley is solid bench depth in shallow leagues and is viable flex2 in PPR leagues.

Devery Henderson had 4 receptions for 97 yards and is a threat to score every week. He is available in 90 percent of leagues and should be added in deeper leagues.

The Saints spread the ball around too much for him to be relied upon as anything more than a flex2, but he has considerable upside and should be rostered simply for that fact.

Lance Moore continues to shine in a comeback season and remains one of Drew Brees’ favorite targets. He finished last week's game with 5 receptions for 39 yards and a TD and is a solid flex2 the rest of the way.

Blair White had 1 touchdown and 4 receptions for 34 yards. This comes a week after his two-touchdown outburst and he looks like a solid flex play as long as Austin Collie remains out.

Early Doucet is No. 3 in a deep receiver corps but has unique upside as a physical player who can get it done in the red zone. He led the Cardinals in receptions on Monday night Football with five receptions for a team-high 60 yards receiving.

Josh Morgan is loaded with talent and is drawing easier coverage due to the presence of Michael Crabtree. Josh Morgan and Troy Smith are also developing a solid chemistry, and Morgan’s 4 receptions in week 11 were his second highest total of the season. This past week on Monday night Football, he led the team in receptions with three.

James Starks will make his season debut this week with Dmitri Nance sidelined. This is the Packers potential running back of the future and he needs to be owned in all dynasty leagues.

Almost two years removed from playing in a football game we expect him to start slowly but the Packers brass see something special in this kid, so we are making the add in redraft leagues as well.