Fantasy Football Week 13: Who's Hot, Who's Not at the RB Position

As we enter Week 13 in the NFL, fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner. Regular-season wins are nice, but a championship is what truly earns the bragging rights.

It's time to look at which running backs have been coming on strong in recent weeks and which are stumbling down the stretch.

Here are five running backs who are hot coming into Week 13 and five who are not.

Hot: DeAngelo Williams

Remember when the timeshare between DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart gave fantasy owners headaches?

Those were the good old days.

Adding Cam Newton into the rushing mix this season has made the Carolina Panthers backfield a difficult guessing game for fantasy purposes.

Williams had become irrelevant, seeing limited carries and virtually no goal-line work.

Week 11 was a breath of fresh air for those stubborn enough to keep him in their lineup. He gained over 100 total yards and broke double-digit fantasy points for only the second time all season.

Then in Week 12, Williams took advantage of a premium matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. His 69 yards and two touchdowns was good for an 18-point performance.

It will be difficult to trust Williams for a Week 13 start, but he has put together two nice games in a row and bears watching.

If he is available in your league, go scoop him up.

Hot: Cedric Benson

Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson is hot coming into a Week 13 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Benson treated his fantasy owners to strong performances in Weeks 11 and 12.

Benson only managed 41 yards against the Baltimore Ravens, but made it into the end zone twice. A week later he gained over 100 yards rushing, over 20 receiving and scored a touchdown.

With consecutive fantasy games of 16 and 18 points, Benson is hot.

Hot: Marshawn Lynch

The Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch has been one of the best fantasy football plays for the past month. His lowest fantasy score during the past four weeks is 14 points.

Lynch has rushed for more than 100 yards three times and found the end zone four times over that span.

He should feast on a free-falling Philadelphia team that has to travel across the country for a Thursday night game. Based on this juicy matchup, Lynch has RB1 potential for Week 13.

Hot: Michael Bush

Michael Bush has stepped into the Raiders' starting lineup and picked up right where the injured Darren McFadden left off.

Any McFadden owner who did not handcuff him with Bush has suffered through a frustrating month. However, those who were lucky enough to scoop up the Raiders' second-string back are reaping some serious rewards.

Over the past four weeks Bush has turned in fantasy scores of 18, 29, 16 and 14 points.

That is impressive, consistent production.

With McFadden's Week 13 status still up in the air, continue to ride Bush's hot streak. 

Hot: Maurice Jones-Drew

Maurice Jones-Drew is stuck on an awful Jacksonville Jaguars team, but continues to put up numbers for fantasy owners.

He does not have the highest upside of the elite running backs, but Pocket Hercules delivers consistent production week in and week out.

Jones-Drew has scored a touchdown in three of his last four games and has averaged 16 fantasy points during that span.

Not: Daniel Thomas

Daniel Thomas' rookie season has been slowed by a nagging hamstring injury and a resurgent Reggie Bush.

Thomas is a big bruiser who appeared to be in line for a significant workload with the Miami Dolphins this year.

That hasn't panned out.

The young back went off with 17 points in Week 3, but has done absolutely nothing since. A two-point fantasy day on Thanksgiving is the most recent in a long line of disappointing performances.

Thomas should not be anywhere near a starting lineup at this point.

Not: Jackie Battle

Over the past three weeks Kansas City's Jackie Battle has not topped 10 carries or six fantasy points.

Battle was a strong pickup thanks to the heavy workload promised when the Chiefs made him the starter. Now with those touches diminishing, his fantasy production is all but gone.

He is averaging fewer than four fantasy points during his last four games and faces some tough run defenses down the stretch.

Hopefully you are not counting on Battle through the fantasy playoffs. 

Not: Mike Tolbert

Despite Ryan Mathews' struggle to stay healthy, San Diego Chargers running back Mike Tolbert has not delivered significant fantasy numbers.

Last year's touchdown vulture has not reached the end zone during the past three weeks.

During the last three weeks, he has given fantasy owners a grand total of 14 points.

Tolbert is still a risky flex play with some upside, but you may want to find a safer option.

Not: Shonn Greene

Based on where he was drafted, many fantasy owners are counting on Shonn Greene to be a high-end RB2 for their team.

He is certainly not living up to that billing.

He has only two touchdowns on the year and none since Week 5. Add in a rib injury and Joe McKnight's emergence, and that makes Greene a less-than-exciting fantasy play.

Rex Ryan promised a return to the ground-and-pound philosophy, but Greene's production hasn't improved.

Not: Frank Gore

Injury questions have lingered throughout the year on Frank Gore, but it's hard to keep him out of your fantasy lineup.

He burned fantasy players with a six-carry, zero-yard performance in Week 10, then followed it up with two more stinkers.

Gore has totaled a mere 11 fantasy points over the past three weeks.

He is not hot, but fantasy owners will need to start him and hope for the best.