Fantasy Football: Week 13 Startability Index
Thank goodness you’re still in contention in your fantasy league. Thank goodness there are a plethora of fantasy resources out there. Thank goodness there is this, the Startability Index, where your requests solely make up the players discussed.
(Disclaimer: The advice provided below was being written while sitting in my parents’ house surrounded by a multitude of cuckoo clocks that are in no way synchronized. I will try my best to serve you given the circumstances.)
Quarterbacks
Nick Foles vs. Arizona (6): Foles has put up some hefty numbers this year but the Cardinals will be perhaps his biggest test. They held Andrew Luck to just 163 passing yards a score and an INT last week. Some quarterbacks have fared better but most usually walk away with at least one turnover.
Andrew Luck vs. Tennessee (6-): Luck remains a Top 10 fantasy quarterback despite a lackluster couple of weeks. But he just isn’t the same without Reggie Wayne. The Titans have held opposing quarterbacks in check in recent games.
Ben Roethlisberger at Baltimore (6+): Big Ben’s first meeting against the Ravens this year was sleepy to the snore of 160 passing yards and a score. Since then Roethlisberger has come to life, finding even better chemistry with Antonio Brown and logging two games with 4 TDs a piece. Weather issues may keep him in check but look for respectable productivity.
Running Backs
Benny Cunningham at San Francisco (4+): First off, Zac Stacy has to fail his concussion tests to make Cunningham fantasy-relevant. More importantly, San Francisco’s run defense has coalesced in recent weeks with the return of Aldon Smith. No running back has eclipsed 52 yards against the 49ers since Week 9.
Matt Forte vs. Minnesota (5+): Marc Trestman anticipates that Forte will play Sunday despite a hyperextended knee. The Vikings allow 120 rushing yards per game and have surrendered 13 touchdowns to boot. But due to injury expect to see more of Michael Bush than is typical.
Knowshon Moreno at Kansas City (7-): The latest on Moreno and his bruised right ankle is that the Broncos were optimistic. However, Moreno has yet to practice since Sunday’s injury, which left him on crutches. If he is a go, his value increases greatly with the injury to Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston. Stay tuned.
Zac Stacy at San Francisco (5): See Benny Cunningham.
Ben Tate vs. New England (5+): Hard to determine whether Tate’s 1 yard on seven carries against Jacksonville was his fault or the product of an ineffective offense. I lean toward the latter.
Wide Receivers
Anquan Boldin vs. St Louis (6+): Boldin has already benefitted from the return of Mario Manningham. Look for more of the same with the return of Michael Crabtree.
Jarrett Boykin at Detroit (6+): Matt Flynn Era Part Deux has seen exactly one touchdown. That was to Boykin. He should get a healthy dose of targets in what could be a shootout.
Riley Cooper vs. Arizona (5+): Foles has proven wildly inconsistent. 100 and so yards here. 30 yards there. But he does have way more targets than DeSean Jackson and that should continue Sunday.
Josh Gordon vs. Jacksonville (8+): 19 receptions, 362 yards, 2 TDs. All over just two weeks. Gordon is a beast and one of the league’s hottest receivers at the moment. He is only knocked down slightly because it’s Brandon Weeden under center.
T.Y. Hilton vs. Tennessee (6): Hilton’s production has been down the past two weeks, but as long as he keeps seeing a consistent 9-12 targets per game the potential is too great to bench.
Kenny Stills at Seattle (4): Stills only has 22 receptions on the year, although he has transformed those catches into 470 yards. On the road against the Seahawks secondary, albeit thin, doesn’t seem like the place where Stills will add much to that total.
Mike Wallace at New York Jets (8+): Wallace comes off his best game of the season and faces a Jets team that has allowed an opposing receiver to earn at least 81 yards in every game this season. Oh, and Antonio Cromartie is a big question mark for this one.
Tight Ends
Jordan Cameron vs. Jacksonville (5): Cameron hasn’t been a factor in four weeks, making it difficult to use a matchup or previous chemistry with Brandon Weeden as a litmus test. He’s a fine start if you have no better option but temper expectations.
Vernon Davis vs. St Louis (5+): Davis always feels like a guy who should get more targets a la Jimmy Graham. I’m sure he would not disagree. But Davis has still scored in each of the last two games, and more games than not this season. However, St Louis has killed tight ends this season, allowing only two touchdowns to the position.
Delanie Walker at Indianapolis (7) When Tennessee faced Indianapolis two weeks ago Walker was at his most productive. 10 receptions, 91 yards. A score. A fantasy delight for PPRers and standard owners alike. There is very little to indicate that he can’t have a repeat performance.
