FantasyFootball

The holiday season is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. Whoever said that didn’t bench Sammy Watkins or C.J. Anderson in fantasy football before their Week 12 breakout games.

The 2015 campaign has been a roller-coaster ride for fantasy owners thanks to high-profile injuries (Rob Gronkowski‘s and Jimmy Graham‘s were the latest), inconsistent production and unexpected performances every week. For example, Anderson has not lived up to preseason expectations, and Watkins’ inconsistency has driven fantasy owners mad.

Elsewhere, guys like Markus Wheaton carved up the once-fabled Legion of Boom secondary in Seattle, while Ryan Fitzpatrick outperformed Tom Brady. Whatever is a fantasy football enthusiast to do this year?

While some roster decisions have involved rolling the dice in 2015, the following list of rankings and rounded projections will hopefully provide some clarity for the flex position and beyond heading into a critical Week 13 with postseason spots on the line. The projections are based on a points-per-reception scoring system.

Quarterback

Brady will be without Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and Dion Lewis for his Week 13 matchup, but his high ranking is a testament to his greatness and ability to work through those obstacles. It is also a testament to the Eagles defense.

Philadelphia allowed 45 points in each of the last two outings to the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions and Bucs have admittedly played better football over the past few weeks but have nothing on a Brady-led offense.

Philadelphia is spiraling downward as the season progresses, and a matchup with the defending champions and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time could be a disaster. That is, unless you are a fantasy owner relying on Brady.

Running Back

MVP candidate Adrian Peterson faces a stingy Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 13, but sometimes talent trumps matchups in fantasy football.

The Seahawks allow the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs per game this season, according to ESPN.com, but Peterson is simply too talented to deny. The Minnesota Vikings playmaker leads the league in rushing yards by 223 over the next-closest competitor (Doug Martin) and has found the end zone in each of the last four games.

He is carrying the Minnesota offense atop the NFC North, and the team will ride him all the way to the playoffs. That means plenty of fantasy points in Week 13 and beyond.

Wide Receiver

Demaryius Thomas is coming off an abysmal game against the New England Patriots, with only one catch on 13 targets. However, fantasy owners should heed the target numbers as evidence that Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler trusts his go-to receiver.

Thomas is still well on his way to his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season with 875 on the year, and he gets to go against a San Diego Chargers defense that was 22nd in the league in passing yards allowed per game after Sunday’s action. Expect a strong bounce-back effort.

Tight End

Gronkowski’s injury opens up an opportunity for tight end Scott Chandler, who will seize it against a vulnerable Eagles defense.

Chandler scored a touchdown Sunday against the Broncos and also received a team-high 11 targets, many of which came with Gronkowski on the field. Chandler also had something of a track record before he joined the talented Patriots, with 655 receiving yards in 2013 with the Buffalo Bills and 12 combined touchdowns in 2011 and 2012.

Brady will throw to Chandler enough against the Eagles to make the tight end a valuable waiver-wire target in Week 13.

Kicker

A matchup with the Eagles defense means plenty of points for Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski. The special teams weapon is 24-for-25 on field goals this season and has drilled four of 50 yards or more.

Matt Dolloff of CBS Boston praised Gostkowski after his effort against the Broncos:

Gostkowski has grown into perhaps the best, most dependable kicker in the league. This season he has finally gotten the chances to prove it, and quickly silenced his remaining doubters. It’s too bad the Patriots couldn’t pull off the win Sunday night, because if they did, Gostkowski’s game-tying kick at the end of regulation–the entire preceding drive, really – would have been the stuff of legend.

A clutch kicker against a struggling defense is a recipe for fantasy gold.

Defense

The Chicago Bears face the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, but their high ranking is not primarily about Blaine Gabbert, who has been much better than expected. Rather, it is a recognition of one of the more underrated defenses in the league.

Chicago allowed less than 20 points in each of its last four games, and those contests came against stars such as Aaron Rodgers, Thomas, Todd Gurley and Philip Rivers. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has this team rolling right into playoff contention, and safety Chris Prosinski claimed that “the guy is a genius” when discussing his impact, via Adam Hoge of WGN Radio.

San Francisco also allows the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses per game, according to ESPN.com. That means the Chicago defense will carry it to another victory and rack up some fantasy points along the way.

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Opinion

Sure things don’t exist in fantasy football. As a pivotal Week 13 approaches, most managers have learned this lesson repeatedly this season.

DeAndre Hopkins, a pass-catching monster facing one of the worst passing defenses ever, produced 36 yards against the New Orleans Saints during Week 12. Kicker Dustin Hopkins offered more fantasy points. 

An elite player given an elite matchup made the Houston Texans player Week 12’s top flex play, but tight end Ryan Griffin stole his glory with his first touchdown of the season. Drew Brees, Todd Gurley, Lamar Miller and Demaryius Thomas round out an All-Star team of colossal duds.

With the playoffs right around the corner, owners must regroup and trust their studs to rebound. At the very least, they’ll hope days of matchup research pay off instead of losing to Marcus Wheaton and Graham Gano. Let’s not waste any time firing up Week 13’s top-50 flex rankings for standard and point-per-reception (PPR) scoring. 

Sometimes fantasy football simply makes no sense. It didn’t take any deep-diving to identify DeAngelo Williams as a terrific Week 10 play against the Cleveland Browns, who then ranked last in rushing defense. But a week after gaining 225 yards, the Pittsburgh Steelers running back stumbled for 58 yards against a vulnerable adversary.

When pitted against the Seattle Seahawks, who have surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to the position behind Pittsburgh, he went wild. Uninterested in challenging a defense yielding 3.8 yards per run, the Steelers instead aired it out 59 times while affording Williams eight carries. It still didn’t hinder his afternoon.

The 32-year-old back instead factored heavily into the aerial assault, corralling all seven of his targets for 88 yards while adding a six-yard rushing score. As noted by NFL.com’s Matt Harmon, playing for the league’s No. 4 offense has certainly boosted Williams’ fantasy appeal:

In five games without Le’Veon Bell, Williams has registered 635 total yards and six touchdowns. This weekend, he’ll get another chance to make good on a golden matchup. The Indianapolis Colts rank No. 24 in rushing defense and allow 4.2 yards per run. 

While the Cleveland dud dampened his top-tier status, no player is immune to off days. Trust him as an upper-echelon option this week.

Dez Bryant hardly had any time to reconnect with Tony Romo. In just his second game back from a seven-game absence, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback again injured his collarbone, this time requiring season-ending surgery. 

Now the top wideout again must settle for Matt Cassel. Aside from a touchdown grab on a jump ball in heavy traffic against the Philadelphia Eagles, the pairing hasn’t made much magic through three games together:

In true Jerry Jones fashion, the Cowboys owner said a bunch of things that made no sense. Although the team is 3-8 and without its starting quarterback, he insisted to the Dallas Morning News‘ Jon Machota that Bryant will benefit by playing out the season through pain:

You can have the greatest talent in the world, but if you don’t practice it and hone it, then it’s not going to be at the level that it can be. Make no mistake about it, the [Jason] Wittens or any of these guys that are really, really talented, very few of them can walk out there, if any, and play at the level they’re capable of. That’s what’s happening to Dez. He just missed a lot of time here this year and he’s not at his complete apex of his A-game.

Perhaps Jones drafted Bryant on his fantasy team. If that’s the case, he’ll join a crowded group of disappointed managers who hoped the star receiver would heat up in time for the fantasy playoffs. 

Washington would present a mouthwatering matchup if Romo and Bryant were fully healthy. The improbable NFC East leaders have allowed 7.7 yards per pass attempt and the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. As Bryant proved against the Eagles, he has the skills to make his own good fortune, especially in the right matchup.

Because of his talent and years of elite production, he’ll remain in starting lineups for anyone not playing in a four-team league. Yet Cassel drains Bryant’s upside and lowers his floor, downgrading him to a low-end No. 2 wideout.  

Then again, losing a starting quarterback doesn’t always have to be a death sentence. Ask the Indianapolis Colts, who continue to win behind 40-year-old reserve Matt Hasselbeck. Along with beating the Atlanta Falcons, the veteran passer helped out T.Y. Hilton owners waiting for another big outing.

Following his 150-yard, two-touchdown outburst a month ago against New Orleans, Hilton accrued eight catches and 118 yards through the next three games. Just as antsy managers started to search for alternatives, he burned Atlanta for 95 yards and two scores on a dozen targets.

In four Hasselbeck starts, the 26-year-old receiver has recorded 271 receiving yards. Inconsistency has always plagued him regardless the starter, but two of his slowest games with Andrew Luck came against Darrelle Revis and Josh Norman.

For this weekend, at least, Hilton works his way back into prominent territory. Only the Saints and New York Giants have submitted more passing yards to Pittsburgh, who has coughed up an NFL-high 169 receptions to wideouts. Against a typically tame Seattle Seahawks passing game, the Steelers surrendered five touchdowns through the air, including three to No. 1 receiver Doug Baldwin.

As long as Hasselbeck keeps holding his own in the pocket, Hilton (and Donte Moncrief) are alluring plays against a struggling Steelers secondary.

Fantasy scoring information obtained from NFL.com.

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Even at this late stage of the NFL season, the outlook for each player can change in an instant.

Between injuries, matchups and adjusted roles, anyone in the NFL can go from an unknown to a superstar or vice versa in a week. This means you have to pay attention in daily fantasy football to get the most out of your lineup.

Here is a look at the latest stock report to help you out heading into Week 13.

Stock Up

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($5,900)

He didn’t get into the end zone last game, but Doug Martin has played extremely well over the past few weeks. The running back followed up his 235-yard performance in Week 11 with 97 rushing yards on 14 carries in Week 12.

Additionally, Martin has been a bit unlucky when it comes to getting touchdowns. He had a score called back on Sunday, while the week before, he was stopped at the 1-yard line after an 84-yard run. He is getting the opportunities, and eventually, this will turn into touchdowns.

He will certainly have a good chance to produce in Week 13 against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed 13 rushing touchdowns this season, second most in the NFL. With the way he has run the ball, this could be a huge showing.

DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins ($3,300)

Although the first-round pick hasn’t had an easy time getting on the field this season, an injury to Rishard Matthews got DeVante Parker in the game Sunday, and the rookie responded with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.

He also finished with 10 targets, behind only Jarvis Landry for the team lead.

According to Rand Getlin of NFL Network, Matthews could miss some more time:

This leaves Parker with a huge opportunity to finally show why he was drafted with the No. 14 overall pick. With the Dolphins dropping to 4-7, there is no reason to keep him on the bench any longer. This would be a risky pick in Week 13, but there is a lot of upside available at the price.

Scott Chandler, TE, New England Patriots ($2,500)

The New England Patriots have survived some key injuries already this season, but perhaps the only player they couldn’t afford to lose outside of Tom Brady was tight end Rob Gronkowski. Unfortunately, this is one injury they will now have to try to survive.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided the latest on the Pro Bowl tight end’s timetable:

This leaves an opportunity for Scott Chandler to become a bigger part of a high-powered offense. The backup had a few drops early Sunday night but finished with five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos on a team-high 11 targets.

Brady is still capable of moving the chains at will, but he is running out of targets he trusts. Chandler is in this exclusive group and could become one of the best cheap plays of the week.

Stock Down

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers ($7,200)

There is no denying Aaron Rodgers has been one of the best quarterbacks in football over the past few years, but something has not been right over the past month. Last year’s MVP has struggled with accuracy lately, failing to reach a 60 percent completion rate in any of the last four games.

Rodgers explained this week he is just not in a rhythm with his receivers, per Weston Hodkiewicz of the Press-Gazette:

I’m obviously going to have to make sure my preparation is as high as it’s ever been because we need to get on the same page, the passing game. We’re just on different pages. When you miss throws, when I’m throwing at a certain depth, when receivers are running at certain depth — we’re obviously on different pages.

This week, he faces a Detroit Lions defense that has improved immensely since the start of the year and only three weeks ago held the Green Bay Packers to 16 points in an upset win.

Whether you want to blame the receivers, Rodgers or even Olivia Munn (for whatever reason), drafting the quarterback is too much of a risk for the money.

Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($7,300)

It’s clear Mike Evans hasn’t been quite as good as his production implies this season. He has benefited from a lot of targets, although he has only brought in 44 of 92 looks his way. With Vincent Jackson back in the lineup, these targets have diminished a bit, leading to a relatively quiet five catches for 64 yards in Week 12.

Things won’t get any easier for him in Week 13 with a tough matchup against Desmond Trufant, who has been one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL this year.

According to Pro Football Focus, Trufant trails only Patrick Peterson in average snaps per reception at 17.5. The 9.7 snaps per target against him is also second best. The cornerback has only allowed a single touchdown in coverage all season.

Receivers simply don’t get open against Trufant, and Evans will have a hard time breaking this trend in Week 13. 

Latavius Murray, RB, Oakland Raiders ($4,800)

After a good start to the season, Latavius Murray has quieted down in a hurry. The Oakland Raiders running back has failed to top 100 yards from scrimmage in any of the last four games and has scored only a single touchdown in this stretch.

The result is a pedestrian 10.3 fantasy points per game on DraftKings.

Considering he rarely gets enough catches to make a difference in points-per-reception scoring, Murray has transformed from a safe bet into a low-upside option.

Against a tough Kansas City Chiefs front seven, Murray should be avoided in Week 13.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Enter the DraftKings $1M Play-Action contest this weekend. Use promo code Nerdy Football when you sign up.

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Daily Fantasy

As the fantasy football season begins to wind down, an emphasis on stars and the proper sleepers rules the day when it comes to start ’em, sit ’em decisions. 

In Week 12, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson led all scorers at his position before Monday with a 29-point outburst against the struggling Atlanta Falcons. Not far behind him was super sleeper Spencer Ware of the Kansas City Chiefs with 17.

There are a few ways to score late-season victories. Below, let’s look at value comparisons for each position in table form and outline some lineup advice by examining star and sleeper options for Week 13.

QB    

Star to Exploit: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (at NO)

This is going to get ugly. 

The New Orleans Saints entered Week 12 coughing up the most points to quarterbacks by way of 14 passing touchdowns allowed over three games. Out of a bye, Houston’s Brian Hoyer tossed two more while totaling 14 points.

Long story short, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers will have a field day with the unit. He’s coming off a down performance by way of 17 points, but remember that just a week before he went for 30 while tossing five scores.

Newton managed 29 points against these Saints back in Week 3. Oddly enough, New Orleans looks even worse for the rematch, making Newton the top play of the week.

Sleeper: Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets (at NYG)

For one reason or another, fantasy football owners just don’t seem to trust New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who only has an ownership percentage of 26.3. 

There’s good value here, though, considering Fitzpatrick has posted 14 or more points in four consecutive games, the latest a 29-point outburst.

Fitzpatrick has the ability to go off in the right matchup thanks to weapons such as Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. Week 13 will personify this thanks to an encounter with the New York Giants, a team that entered a Week 11 bye coughing up the fifth-most points to the position.

Washington’s Kirk Cousins just posted 22 points on the unit. Fitzpatrick can hit that mark and then some.

RB   

Star to Exploit: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears (vs. SF)

Matt Forte’s return from injury for the Chicago Bears in Week 12 wasn’t the boon some would have hoped. 

There, he split duties with backup Jeremy Langford and mustered just four points, but one has to think the Bears will give more work to Forte as he gets back into the swing of the game.

Just in time, too, as the Bears next encounter the San Francisco 49ers. The struggling franchise allowed the second-most points to running backs before Week 12, only to let Arizona’s third-string back, David Johnson, total eight points with a touchdown on just eight carries.

Rest assured Forte will see more than eight carries against the unit on his way to a big day.

Sleeper: Charcandrick West, Kansas City Chiefs (at OAK)

Before suffering an injury of his own, Charcandrick West of the Kansas City Chiefs was one of fantasy’s hottest commodities while playing in place of Jamaal Charles.

Starting in Week 7, he rattled off three consecutive games with a touchdown and at least 17 points before dealing with an injury.

West almost played this past weekend, which means he’s sure to be in the lineup against the Oakland Raiders, a team that entered the same weekend as one of the worst 10 in terms of points allowed to backs.

It’s easy to forget about West on a struggling team, especially after Ware’s outburst. Those who do not will start one of the week’s top sleepers.

WR  

Star to Exploit: Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders (vs. KC)

Sometimes, it’s a scary proposition to label a rookie receiver a star and tout him as one of the week’s top players. 

There’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to Amari Cooper, though. The Oakland Raiders’ top option has double digits in six games this year, including seven grabs for 115 yards and 11 points this past weekend.

Cooper will merely be the latest to exploit the Chiefs through the air. They entered the weekend allowing the most points to wideouts before Buffalo’s Sammy Watkins erupted for 27.

While Cooper might not reach that mark, he’s going to post one of his top performances of the season.

Sleeper: Ted Ginn Jr., Carolina Panthers (at NO)

Go ahead and fire up Carolina’s top wideout alongside Newton. 

For those who don’t know, that would be Ted Ginn Jr. with Kelvin Benjamin out of the picture for the season.

Ginn exploded out of the gates with double digits in two of his first four games but has cooled since with just one other such outburst. In between the double-digit outings, though, was a nine-point performance against the Saints on his four grabs for 93 yards.

In Week 13, Ginn gets another shot at the Saints after seeing at least eight targets in four of his last five games. Since he’s still seeing plenty of work and put up solid numbers against a unit that looks even worse this time around, Ginn figures to be one of the top surprises of the week.

TE 

Star to Exploit: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (at OAK)

While Kansas City’s Travis Kelce has been rather hit or miss this season, he’s scored in double digits four times, including last week with 12 points. 

By now it’s clear Kelce is mostly a touchdown-reliant producer, which is just fine heading into Week 13 against the Raiders.

Those Raiders have allowed a whopping 11 touchdowns to tight ends this year, a clear testament to the fact the team won’t have anyone who can shut down Kelce.

Sleeper: Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings (vs. SEA)

Thanks to the return of Adrian Peterson, the emergence of Stefon Diggs and other factors, Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph has fallen a bit on the back burner. 

Rudolph’s best game of the season came in Week 11 when he caught six passes for 106 yards and a score, good for 16 points. He followed with another seven catches this past weekend but didn’t find pay dirt.

The usage is an encouraging sign, though, as is a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who quietly allowed the fourth-most points to the position entering this past weekend thanks to seven touchdowns allowed.

Look for Rudolph to see more heavy usage and turn it into another strong day.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of November 30. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.

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Fantasy

Week 13 wraps up the regular season in most season-long fantasy leagues, so it’s time to make that final push for the playoffs or perfect your lineup for your championship run if you’ve already clinched. 

The following rankings take into account recent performance, matchups and injuries, but remember to keep an eye on the weather for any critical matchup throughout the week. 

Now that the calendar has turned to December, snow and wind can play significant roles in the strategies utilized by teams and dramatically increase or decrease a player’s stock.

Quarterbacks

According to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss, Tom Brady went on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Monday and vented his frustration regarding Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos: “It was a very hard loss. I don’t think I’ve ever been so pissed off after a loss. … Hopefully we can use it as motivation going forward.”

A frustrated Brady with extra motivation is not the Brady you want to face as an opposing defense, and the struggling Philadelphia Eagles are stuck with the task of trying to slow him down. 

Over the past three weeks, the Eagles defense has allowed 28 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterback, based on the DraftKings scoring system, according to RotoGrinders.com. 

Brady’s expectations should be tempered slightly, as Rob Gronkowski will likely be out, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but the Eagles defense has been playing so poorly that Brady is still an elite option on Sunday.

Rob Gronkowski not expected to play Sun vs. Eagles, per sources. Likely to miss multiple weeks; return date will be a pain tolerance issue.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2015

Alex Smith is an under-the-radar quarterback who could pay major dividends this week against the Oakland Raiders. 

Oakland is one of eight defenses allowing over 20 fantasy points per game this season, making this a great matchup for the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. 

Smith has thrown for over 250 yards in each of his past two games and hasn’t tossed an interception since Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers.

Running Backs

The running back position has been brutal this season, featuring a seemingly ever-changing top 10. 

The new guy to the party in Week 13 is Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson, who, according to the team website, is likely to take over as the starter against the St. Louis Rams.

Despite a strong start to the year, the Rams defense has been slipping, especially against the run game. St. Louis allowed an average of 31 fantasy points per game against the Chicago Bears, the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals over the past three weeks. 

This is a favorable matchup for Johnson, who has some added value due to his work as a receiver out of the backfield. Even though he’s spent much of the season as the third-string running back, Johnson has 17 receptions for 233 yards, including three touchdowns. 

Broncos running back C.J. Anderson is an potential sleeper this week against the San Diego Chargers. 

While frustrated owners have been dropping Anderson in recent weeks due to his light workload, he had a season-high 15 carries against the Patriots and another four touches in the passing game. 

With Brock Osweiler at quarterback, the Broncos seem intent on trying to run the ball to control the clock, which bodes well for Anderson to remain a viable fantasy option.

Wide Receivers

The usual suspects remain at the top of the rankings, but there are a few sleepers who could emerge this week. 

If healthy, Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola is in position for a huge game against the Eagles. 

Amendola missed the Patriots’ Sunday Night loss in Denver but practiced on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, so a return this week is a strong possibility. 

With Gronkowski and Julian Edelman out, Brady will be looking for new playmakers to emerge against a porous Eagles secondary. 

Brandon LaFell is an option as well, but Amendola has fared well in the past when Edelman has been out. 

Edelman missed two games at the end of the 2014 season, during which Amendola received 18 combined targets from Brady. 

One receiver who gets significantly downgraded this week is New Orleans Saints wideout Brandin Cooks. 

While Cooks has been reliable for the struggling Saints, he’ll be going up against the Carolina Panthers defense and will likely be lined up across from cornerback Josh Norman. 

Norman is the highest-ranked cornerback on Pro Football Focus, and he has slowed, if not completely shut out, every receiver he’s faced this season. Cooks is not worth the price tag in DFS and should be used only if absolutely necessary in season-long leagues. 

Tight Ends

With Gronkowski out, there are no sure things in the tight end group this week, but Greg Olsen is the obvious choice at No. 1. 

The Saints are allowing the second-most points per game to tight ends, giving Olsen a great matchup. 

Martellus Bennett’s health is something to keep an eye on this week, as he could be a sleeper in DFS leagues if his price has been downgraded due to his injury. 

Bennett sat out Chicago’s victory over the Packers on Thanksgiving, but he was at practice Monday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson:

Martellus Bennett (ribs) at open portion of Monday’s practice https://t.co/FJuBHhttky

— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) November 30, 2015

Another sleeper not listed in the rankings is the Seattle Seahawks’ Luke Willson. With Jimmy Graham out for the year, Willson gets the opportunity to step into a starting role. 

While he’s no Graham, Willson costs just $2,500 on DraftKings, making him a decent punt option in DFS.

Defense/Special Teams

The Broncos are the highest-scoring team in ESPN standard scoring by a wide margin, and they get a favorable matchup on Sunday against the Chargers. That combination makes them an easy choice for the No. 1 spot in these rankings. 

If you’re looking for a sleeper defense, the Washington Redskins have a favorable matchup against Matt Cassel and the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. 

The Redskins defense is in the bottom half of the league in terms of fantasy points scored but has put up double digits in two of the last three weeks against the Saints and the New York Giants. 

The Cowboys are capable of scoring without Tony Romo, but what type of effort will they give now that their season is effectively over? The Redskins are playing their best football of the year, and this Monday night matchup could turn into a rout.

Kickers

Stephen Gostkowski and Graham Gano have been consistent all season and deserve their weekly places atop the kicker rankings. 

But if you’re looking for a new kicker this week, it’s time to jump on the Jason Myers bandwagon. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars are quietly developing a potent offense, and Myers is reaping the benefits. He’s kicked at least three field goals in four straight games, earning double-digit fantasy points in each contest. 

Jacksonville has a favorable matchup against the Tennessee Titans, which should lead to plenty of scoring opportunities for the young kicker. 

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