Weekly Positional Rankings: Week 13

In this series, I’ll give you my top 30 quarterbacks, 60 running backs, 60 wide receivers, and 30 tight ends each week to help you with your start/sit decisions in your leagues. To generate this list each and every week, I examine team trends, Vegas over/unders, implied points, pace of play, among various other factors to build a projection for each player and subsequently adjust rankings for upside and more detailed matchup specifics.

Among the rankings, there will surely be some that surprise you or that you may disagree with. At the end of each position section, I’ll give you my thoughts on some players that perhaps are ranked higher/lower than you might expect and insights as to why they are a good/bad play this week. Ultimately, these rankings should help your start/sit dilemmas and ensure you have the requisite resources to make an informed decision. The fantasy playoffs are nearly here, and start/sits can be the difference in every week until securing that championship glory.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Week 13’s positional rankings!

Quarterbacks

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 13 Rank
QB	Patrick Mahomes	OAK	1
QB	Lamar Jackson	SF	2
QB	Kyler Murray	LAR	3
QB	Dak Prescott	BUF	4
QB	Aaron Rodgers	@NYG	5
QB	Matt Ryan	NO	6
QB	Russell Wilson	MIN	7
QB	Drew Brees	@ATL	8
QB	Josh Allen	@DAL	9
QB	Carson Wentz	@MIA	10
QB	Deshaun Watson	NE	11
QB	Ryan Tannehill	@IND	12
QB	Baker Mayfield	@PIT	13
QB	Jameis Winston	@JAC	14
QB	Nick Foles	TB	15
QB	Jared Goff	@ARI	16
QB	Kirk Cousins	@SEA	17
QB	Jimmy Garoppolo	@BAL	18
QB	Kyle Allen	WAS	19
QB	Derek Carr	@KC	20
QB	Sam Darnold	@CIN	21
QB	Andy Dalton	NYJ	22
QB	Daniel Jones	GB	23
QB	Tom Brady	@HOU	24
QB	Jacoby Brissett	TEN	25
QB	Philip Rivers	@DEN	26
QB	Ryan Fitzpatrick	PHI	27
QB	Mitchell Trubisky	@DET	28
QB	Jeff Driskel	CHI	29
QB	Brandon Allen	LAC	30
QB	Devlin Hodges	CLE	31
QB	Dwayne Haskins	@CAR	32

Start ‘em: Carson Wentz, QB PHI

Last week was miserable for Wentz and company against a beatable Seattle defense. The offense as a whole looked lost, and Wentz did the team no favors by turning the ball over four times. This is ultimately a matchup play, banking on the former MVP candidate to return to form against a Miami defense that ranks fifth-worst in the NFL against opposing passers from a fantasy perspective. Wentz, who has thrown just five touchdowns over his last five games, will face a Miami team that has allowed an average of 2.4 passing touchdowns per game. The Eagles have the third-highest implied team total of the week with 27.5 implied points. Wentz has three-touchdown upside paired with a mid-QB2 floor this week, making him a solid low-end QB1 option.

Sit ‘em: Philip Rivers, QB LAC

While the subject of many Twitter jokes as of late, Rivers has deserved all the criticism of his play this season. Despite being surrounded by arguably one of the best collections of skill position players in the league, the veteran quarterback is just QB24 in points per game this season. Facing a Denver defense this week that ranks fourth-best in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, Rivers has little upside in week 13. In a start-one format, there’s plenty of other options for both better upside and a better floor. Keep Rivers on your bench this week.

If you’re desperate: Nick Foles, QB JAX

Nick Foles has been given the green light ever since his return in week 11. Over the last two weeks, Foles has attempted 95 passes: 47 and 48, specifically. This week, he faces a Buccaneers team that has been generous to opposing signal-callers this season, allowing the second-most fantasy points to the position. In one of the higher game totals of the week – 49 points – Foles has upside to throw a lot against a bad defense in a shootout. If you’re desperate, he’s got great upside in week 13 and is a solid start.

Running Backs

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 13 Rank
RB	Christian McCaffrey	WAS	1
RB	Alvin Kamara	@ATL	2
RB	Saquon Barkley	GB	3
RB	Dalvin Cook	@SEA	4
RB	Leonard Fournette	TB	5
RB	Le’Veon Bell	@CIN	6
RB	Melvin Gordon	@DEN	7
RB	Joe Mixon	NYJ	8
RB	Ezekiel Elliott	BUF	9
RB	Nick Chubb	@PIT	10
RB	Josh Jacobs	@KC	11
RB	Phillip Lindsay	LAC	12
RB	Aaron Jones	@NYG	13
RB	Derrick Henry	@IND	14
RB	Miles Sanders	@MIA	15
RB	Austin Ekeler	@DEN	16
RB	Jonathan Williams	TEN	17
RB	Todd Gurley	@ARI	18
RB	Mark Ingram	SF	19
RB	James White	@HOU	20
RB	Tevin Coleman	@BAL	21
RB	David Montgomery	@DET	22
RB	Kareem Hunt	@PIT	23
RB	Devin Singletary	@DAL	24
RB	Damien Williams	OAK	25
RB	Ronald Jones	@JAC	26
RB	Rashaad Penny	MIN	27
RB	Jamaal Williams	@NYG	28
RB	Latavius Murray	@ATL	29
RB	Benny Snell	CLE	30
RB	Sony Michel	@HOU	31
RB	Chris Carson	MIN	32
RB	Kenyan Drake	LAR	33
RB	Devonta Freeman	NO	34
RB	Derrius Guice	@CAR	35
RB	Jaylen Samuels	CLE	36
RB	Carlos Hyde	NE	37
RB	Duke Johnson	NE	38
RB	Royce Freeman	LAC	39
RB	Bo Scarborough	CHI	40
RB	Chase Edmonds	LAR	41
RB	Nyheim Hines	TEN	42
RB	Tarik Cohen	@DET	43
RB	Kalen Ballage	PHI	44
RB	Matt Breida	@BAL	45
RB	Giovani Bernard	NYJ	46
RB	Frank Gore	@DAL	47
RB	Jalen Richard	@KC	48
RB	Peyton Barber	@JAC	49
RB	Alexander Mattison	@SEA	50
RB	JD McKissic	CHI	51
RB	Adrian Peterson	@CAR	52
RB	Brian Hill	NO	53
RB	Malcolm Brown	@ARI	54
RB	Raheem Mostert	@BAL	55
RB	Darrell Williams	OAK	56
RB	Lesean McCoy	OAK	57
RB	Tony Pollard	BUF	58
RB	Patrick Laird	PHI	59
RB	Gus Edwards	SF	60

Start ‘em: James White, RB NEP

Before last week, James White was one of the most consistent players in fantasy football, scoring at least 9.6 PPR points in every game. The weather conditions and game plan prevented White from reaching those marks again last week, but he remains one of the most trust-worthy RB2 options in fantasy football. In week 13, White faces the Houston Texans, who have allowed by far the most running back receptions in the NFL. The Texans have allowed opposing running backs to catch 78 of 88 targets (88.6%) for 646 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Expect White to be heavily involved in the Patriots’ game plan on Sunday; start him as an RB2 with confidence.

Sit ‘em: Devonta Freeman, RB ATL

Freeman is back from injury this week on Thanksgiving Day against the New Orleans Saints. While Freeman is a solid low-end RB2 play from week to week, this matchup lends itself towards a slow day for the once overall RB1. The Saints have been great against opposing running backs this season, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position on the season. Freeman himself has been lackluster as well aside from solid receiving game usage. Before his injury, he eclipsed 40 yards rushing just twice and exceeded four yards per carry in a game the same number of times. While Freeman’s receiving game usage keeps him from a scary-low floor, look for better plays with more upside this week. He’s an RB3 play on volume alone and can be benched for better options.

If you’re desperate: Benny Snell, RB PIT

Snell took command of the Steelers backfield in week 12 and performed admirably. The rookie earned 22 touches and totaled 103 yards on the day, the best overall game of his career. While Snell doesn’t have much long-term dynasty appeal with James Conner and Jaylen Samuels in this backfield for the foreseeable future, he’s a fine desperation play in week 13 against the winless Bengals. Cincinnati has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, and the Steelers may lean on the ground game more with rookie Devlin Hodges set to start. Snell should command 15 touches in week 13, and while he may not get many looks in the passing game, he has touchdown upside good enough to make him an RB3 play on the week.

Wide Receivers

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 13 Rank
WR	Michael Thomas	@ATL	1
WR	Davante Adams	@NYG	2
WR	Tyreek Hill	OAK	3
WR	Julio Jones	NO	4
WR	Chris Godwin	@JAC	5
WR	Mike Evans	@JAC	6
WR	DJ Moore	WAS	7
WR	Stefon Diggs	@SEA	8
WR	DeAndre Hopkins	NE	9
WR	Keenan Allen	@DEN	10
WR	DJ Chark	TB	11
WR	Julian Edelman	@HOU	12
WR	Christian Kirk	LAR	13
WR	Tyler Boyd	NYJ	14
WR	Calvin Ridley	NO	15
WR	Amari Cooper	BUF	16
WR	TY Hilton	TEN	17
WR	Cooper Kupp	@ARI	18
WR	Allen Robinson	@DET	19
WR	Courtland Sutton	LAC	20
WR	Tyler Lockett	MIN	21
WR	Odell Beckham Jr	@PIT	22
WR	Jarvis Landry	@PIT	23
WR	Kenny Golladay	CHI	24
WR	Robert Woods	@ARI	25
WR	John Brown	@DAL	26
WR	Jamison Crowder	@CIN	27
WR	Emmanuel Sanders	@BAL	28
WR	Steling Shepard	GB	29
WR	Dede Westbrook	TB	30
WR	Devante Parker	PHI	31
WR	Robby Anderson	@CIN	32
WR	Tyrell Williams	@KC	33
WR	Michael Gallup	BUF	34
WR	Curtis Samuel	WAS	35
WR	Will Fuller	NE	36
WR	Brandin Cooks	@ARI	37
WR	Deebo Samuel	@BAL	38
WR	Terry McLaurin	@CAR	39
WR	Marquise Brown	SF	40
WR	AJ Brown	@IND	41
WR	James Washington	CLE	42
WR	Marvin Jones	CHI	43
WR	Sammy Watkins	OAK	44
WR	Mike Williams	@DEN	45
WR	DK Metcalf	MIN	46
WR	Anthony Miller	@DET	47
WR	Cole Beasley	@DAL	48
WR	Mecole Hardman	OAK	49
WR	Auden Tate	NYJ	50
WR	Allen Lazard	@NYG	51
WR	Darius Slayton	GB	52
WR	N’Keal Harry	@HOU	53
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	LAR	54
WR	Josh Gordon	MIN	55
WR	Ted Ginn Jr	@ATL	56
WR	Kenny Stills	NE	57
WR	JJ Arcega-Whiteside	@MIA	58
WR	Corey Davis	@IND	59
WR	Zay Jones	@KC	60

Start ‘em: Dede Westbrook, WR JAX

Westbrook has had an up and down season as he’s settled into a clear secondary role in this offense behind team (and fantasy) WR1 DJ Chark. In week 13, Westbrook’s matchup against Tampa Bay is good enough to warrant a start as a solid WR3 in fantasy. The Buccaneers have allowed by far the most points per game to opposing receivers; Tampa Bay’s 49.7 points per game allowed is 6.4 points higher than the second-worst team. Chark should lead the team in all aspects, but Westbrook – coming off a solid eight-reception game himself – should thrive in the slot against a beatable secondary. Start him with confidence as a WR3/FLEX option.

Sit ‘em: Marquise Brown, WR BAL

Brown has outperformed expectations by all standards as he’s become the clear number one receiver for Lamar Jackson this season. Coming off a two-touchdown game with over 20 fantasy points, it’s not easy to suggest Hollywood as a sit. However, the matchup against San Francisco has a wide range of outcomes for the rookie. San Francisco allows the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers on the season, and they’ll be a tough matchup for the Ravens even with Baltimore at home. Ultimately, Brown could easily break off a big touchdown play and prove this ranking wrong, but he has a low floor that warrants a WR4 ranking on the week. Unless you’re a big underdog that needs the high variance, Brown can be on your bench this week.

If you’re desperate: Robby Anderson, WR NYJ

Anderson’s big days this season have unsurprisingly correlated with Sam Darnold’s big games. The two have a great connection on deep passes, and when it hits, both players perform for fantasy. Coming off a solid outing of 86 yards and a touchdown, Anderson is in a good spot once again in week 13. The Jets play the winless Cincinnati Bengals in what should be a good day for the Jets offense. The Bengals allow a ridiculously high 16.5 yards per reception to opposing wide receivers, which fits right into Anderson’s wheelhouse. If you’re desperate, there are few plays this week with higher upside than Robby Anderson.

Tight Ends

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 13 Rank
TE	Travis Kelce	OAK	1
TE	Zach Ertz	@MIA	2
TE	George Kittle	@BAL	3
TE	Mark Andrews	SF	4
TE	Jared Cook	@ATL	5
TE	Darren Waller	@KC	6
TE	Hunter Henry	@DEN	7
TE	Gerald Everett	@ARI	8
TE	Jack Doyle	TEN	9
TE	Greg Olsen	WAS	10
TE	Kyle Rudolph	@SEA	11
TE	Noah Fant	LAC	12
TE	Ryan Griffin	@CIN	13
TE	Dallas Goedert	@MIA	14
TE	Jacob Hollister	MIN	15
TE	Mike Gesicki	PHI	16
TE	TJ Hockenson	CHI	17
TE	Kaden Smith	GB	18
TE	Tyler Eifert	NYJ	19
TE	Jason Witten	BUF	20
TE	Jimmy Graham	@NYG	21
TE	Vance McDonald	CLE	22
TE	Irv Smith	@SEA	23
TE	Cameron Brate	@JAC	24
TE	Jonnu Smith	@IND	25
TE	Tyler Higbee	@ARI	26
TE	Foster Moreau	@KC	27
TE	OJ Howard	@JAC	28
TE	Darren Fells	NE	29
TE	Mo Allie-Cox	TEN	30

Start ‘em: Rams TEs

We all know the story by now; start your tight ends against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have been atrocious against opposing tight ends all season, even recently allowing Ross Dwelley to score twice. Everett has been slowed as of recently as the Rams have spiraled into mediocrity, but it wasn’t long ago when he was emerging as a top-tier option in fantasy football at the tight end position. With 59 targets on the season, Rams starter Gerald Everett ranks tenth in total tight end targets and 13th in fantasy points per game. Everett is dealing with a knee injury that has him day-to-day, so monitor his progress throughout the week. If he’s unable to go, Tyler Higbee would move up the rankings considerably and would be a borderline TE1 play on the week.

Sit ‘em: Jimmy Graham, TE GB

Graham had a solid stretch this season – when Davante Adams was injured – as a solid option at tight end. Over his last four games, however, Graham has topped 20 yards receiving just once and hasn’t found the end zone. Averaging just 5.1 PPR points over this stretch, Graham’s performance has been outside the top 30 TEs in points per game since week eight. The Giants, Graham’s week 13 matchup, have been great against opposing tight ends this season, allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. In a difficult matchup, Graham doesn’t have the upside that’s worth starting this week.

If you’re desperate: Kaden Smith, NYG

On the other side of the Packers-Giants slate, Kaden Smith makes for a solid desperation play at the tight end position this week. Last week, Smith caught five of six passes for 17 yards and a touchdown. The yards per reception isn’t ideal, but Smith has the opportunity once again to produce in week 13 if teammate Evan Engram is on the sidelines again. With Golden Tate likely out, Smith can once again command a solid target share. The Packers have allowed the third-most points per game to opposing tight ends, making this a solid matchup for the rookie. The combination of opportunity and matchup makes Kaden Smith a solid TE2 option this week and is a fine desperation play.

That concludes this week’s rankings article! As this series is released on Thursdays, be sure to follow any lingering injuries and changing injury status updates for players as Sunday approaches. If you’re wondering about a player I didn’t dive into detail about, feel free to reach out to me @FFzinger on Twitter. Best of luck this week, and I’ll be back next week to give Week 14’s positional rankings.