Week 13 Fantasy Rankings: Projecting the NFL's Biggest Duds This Week

Three running backs and a wide receiver are the four fantasy players I am featuring here who I project won't provide much benefit to your fantasy team this week.

Poor matchups, an unfortunate situation at quarterback and generally bad play are the primary reasons why I don't see them performing well. Should you be thinking of giving any of these four a start, I suggest you reconsider.

Click through the slides to find out why.

RB Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams (at San Francisco 49ers)

With little going for them on offense, St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson has been the team's sole hope this season. Though he missed time earlier in the year with a quad strain, he was able to bounce back well, marking three consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing days in Weeks 8-10.

Though not the fantasy stud he's been the last two years, Jackson has worked his way back up the rankings despite the calamity that is the Rams offense around him. However, this week, you'd be better off benching Jackson if you can.

The Rams face the San Francisco 49ers, the league's best rushing defense. They allow just 75.5 rushing yards on average per game and have yet to allow a touchdown on the ground this season. With all of those problems on the Rams offense, Jackson is clearly the team's top player.

The Niners are acutely aware of this fact and should have no trouble stopping him on Sunday. His numbers should be low and, if history is any indicator, he won't be running in a touchdown either.

RB Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns (vs. Baltimore Ravens)

Perhaps it's the dreaded Madden Curse, but Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis has been plagued by injury, illness and drama all season long that have kept his numbers low and made his fantasy owners frustrated.

Hillis, whose hamstring is still likely not at 100 percent, managed to play a full game in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals, rushing 19 times for 64 yards and catching two passes on which he lost four yards.

Now that fellow back Montario Hardesty has had a setback with his calf injury, Hillis is set to be the Browns' primary back this week against the Baltimore Ravens, getting at least 20 carries and a handful of targets in the passing game.

While this may sound like a positive development on the fantasy front, should you own him, the smartest thing to do with Hillis this week is to keep him on your bench. The Ravens defense is the strongest in the league and won't be allowing Hillis much room to run on Sunday afternoon.

The matchup doesn't bode well for the Browns as a whole this week as they've been struggling to produce meaningful yards and multiple touchdowns in all phases of the offense, but it's especially poor for Hillis.

Though he's averaging 55 rushing yards and 14 receiving yards per game, don't expect much more than half that this week against such a strong defense.

WR Earl Bennett, Chicago Bears (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)

If you grabbed Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett after his triumphant return in Week 9, it's time to not just lower your expectations of his fantasy value—it's time for you to drop him altogether.

Of any Bears receiver, Bennett is hurt the most by starting quarterback Jay Cutler's injury and absence. Catching 14 passes in Weeks 9-11 for a total of 251 yards and a touchdown, he had just one reception for five yards last week with Caleb Hanie under center.

The passing game is no longer a priority for the Bears offense while Cutler is sidelined, with the run getting primary focus. Once a great midseason waiver wire addition, Bennett is now nearly worthless to your fantasy team. If you start him, you'll get practically zero points from him. Hopefully you're not that desperate.

RB Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants (vs. Green Bay Packers)

Unless the New York Giants handle the Green Bay Packers as they did in their Week 9 win over the New England Patriots and are just as successful at it, there won't be much reason for running back Brandon Jacobs to see much action.

That means that, should you be forced to start him, he's going to have a disappointing day. Just as his numbers were held down last week, when playing from behind against the New Orleans Saints, they should be similarly low this week.

While Jacobs managed a touchdown in the 49-24 Week 12 loss, he still only gained 36 yards on 13 carries. There's no guarantee he will get a score this week, and with numbers like that, he shouldn't make much of a positive impact to your fantasy roster this week.

On the year, Jacobs has 103 rushes for 320 yards and four touchdowns, and has caught 14 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. His carries have increased somewhat while Ahmad Bradshaw has been sidelined with a foot injury, but Jacobs is the starter in name only this week.

He won't have nearly the numbers of a true starting running back, especially not when his offense will need to match and beat the high-scoring Packers on Sunday.