Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings: Projecting the Riskiest QBs

The quarterback is arguably the most important position on your fantasy football roster, generally scoring the most points for your team on a weekly basis.

Starting the wrong passer has the potential to wreck your chances for victory. While taking a risk can pay off, with the fantasy playoffs just a week away, taking a gamble at the quarterback position might cost you a win.

With that in mind, here are the four most risky fantasy quarterbacks for Week 13.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

Rookie Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has outperformed expectations so far this season, completing 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,509 yards, 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and running with the ball for 81 yards and a score.

With the aid of wide receiver and fellow rookie A.J. Green, tight end Jermaine Gresham and veteran receiver Jerome Simpson, he's managed to become a fairly solid fantasy option for those who have lost starters to injury or unreliable performance.

However, this week, his team faces the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second time this season. In their first meeting, the Steelers defense held Dalton to 170 yards, as he completed just 15 of his 30 passing attempts and threw two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Pittsburgh's defense is still in the top 10 against the pass and will likely once again hold Dalton to under 200 passing yards and will seek to pick him off yet again. He's not a good start this week; if you can, bench him. If you can't, don't expect too much.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets (at Washington Redskins)

Though New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez had one of his best games of the season last week against the Buffalo Bills, throwing four touchdowns to just one interception, he only managed 180 passing yards and completed just 50 percent of his passes.

Those numbers are more important when considering whether Sanchez has somehow become a worthwhile starting fantasy quarterback than his touchdown total last week and belie the inconsistencies that have made him a fantasy pariah in all but the deepest of leagues.

On the year, Sanchez has completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 2,513 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, with just two games on the year in which he hasn't thrown any picks.

Though the Washington Redskins defense isn't generally one of the more stout outfits in the league, the inherent risk of starting Sanchez, regardless of opponent, makes him not a worthy play this week unless you are particularly desperate.

QB Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers (vs. St. Louis Rams)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is more of a game manager than either a gunslinger or a precision passer, and while that's been a liability to his team in the past, he's become exactly what his team needs this year, helping them along to a 9-2 record and control of the NFC West.

However, he's not without his faults, as evidenced by the beating he took last week against the Baltimore Ravens. Held to just 140 passing yards with 15 completions in 24 attempts, he was sacked nine times and picked off once.

Though he has a pretty solid stat line considering what's demanded of him, throwing for 2,116 yards for 13 touchdowns and five interceptions and rushing for another score so far this season, there are reasons for concern this week.

Clearly, Smith is susceptible to pressure, and his offensive line can have trouble protecting him. Though the St. Louis Rams aren't an intimidating bunch, they did manage to snag their first win of the season in Week 8 by constantly harassing and sacking New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. 

The Saints should have won that game handily, but the pressure was just too much. That could be an issue this week, and even if it's not, you're better off not taking the risk of starting Smith if you can help it.