Week 13 Fantasy Rankings: Kevin Kolb and More Late-Game Monsters

Week 13 of the fantasy football season is underway, but that does not mean there is not time for you to still make some adjustments to your lineup and find some valuable assets on the waiver wire. Late games give you the opportunity to make up for lost points in the early games. 

Still, you have to be careful not to get sucked into alluring names that are just acting as a MacGuffin for the real players that are ready to breakout this week. 

We all know that matchups play a role in the way that we decide who starts and sits, and that is the case this time, but there are other factors in play here too. You have to take some chances in order to get the all-important victory. 

Here are three players to keep in mind as you fill out your lineups for this evenings games. 

1. Kevin Kolb, QB, Arizona Cardinals

The Kevin Kolb era in Arizona gets a reboot today against the Dallas Cowboys. The fifth-year quarterback has missed the last four games due to turf toe, but he is back and, hopefully, better than ever.

I can understand the reluctance of fantasy owners to want to play Kolb considering the rust that he will have, and the way the Cowboys have been playing, but he has had his share of quality games this season. Granted they have been few and far between.

Still, the Cowboys have not been the most consistent team, even during their four-game winning streak, and they are just 2-3 on the road. They have allowed at least 20 points in every game away from Cowboys Stadium this season, so Kolb will have every opportunity to put up fantasy points.

2. Kendall Hunter, RB San Francisco

The 49ers have not used Hunter to the extent that I expected them to in recent weeks, but that should change this week against the lowly St. Louis Rams.

Frank Gore is obviously going to be the featured back, but they should have this game wrapped up early. If that happens, expect Hunter to see a healthy dose of second half carries just to try and run the clock out.

Everyone seems to have great games against the Rams porous run defense, so look for Hunter to have his best performance of the season.

3. Nate Burleson, WR, Detroit Lions

While Calvin Johnson gets all the headlines in Detroit for his spectacular play making ability, Burleson has emerged as a solid fantasy player, particularly in recent weeks.

Following a strong start to the season, Burleson went through a six-week lull where he looked like an over-the-hill receiver just fighting to keep his job in the NFL.

The last three weeks have seen him completely re-invent himself with 20 receptions. He is still not getting a ton of yardage, though I expect that to change against New Orleans.

The Saints give up a lot of yards through the air, and Matthew Stafford likes to spread the ball around to keep cornerbacks off of Johnson as much as he can.

Look for Burleson to keep his solid reception numbers and add better yardage totals in this game.