Empty the Bench

Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

It’s been the Year of the Tight End in 2009. I can’t remember a time when fantasy owners had this many options, with seemingly more strong plays emerging by the week. Last week we talked about Fred Davis, who kept it going with 2 TDs and 50 yards in Oakland. He’s a big part of the improved passing game in Washington, and you shouldn’t hesitate to use him at home against the Giants this week unless you have another very strong option.

In the last month Jermichael Finley, who showed promise but dealt with myriad injuries for most of the season, has really stepped up his game. In the last four contests, all Packers wins, he’s put up 228 yards and 2 TDs on 24 receptions. He’s a big, athletic target that can make plays down the field and gain yardage after the catch. Aaron Rodgers is clearly comfortable going to him, and you should be too in a matchup at Polamalu-less Pittsburgh.

It seems absurd to have a TE with 9 TDs on the season ranked down at No. 10, but it just goes to show you how deep the field is this year – and how hit-or-miss Visanthe Shiancoe has been. Along with those scores have come 11 weeks with 4 receptions or less and just one week with more than 5. The Vikings simply have too many options to go to and the Carolina pass defense has been excellent this season (192 YPG, 13 TDs allowed, 19 INTs).

Bo Scaife has had 34 targets over the last 5 games, which is a big number for a TE. He’s not an exciting play, but is an option at home against beatable Miami linebackers and safeties… especially if Vince Young starts, as expected.

See also:
- Week 15 QB Ranks
- Week 15 RB Ranks
- Week 15 WR Ranks
- Week 15 DEF Ranks

1. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts @ JAX
2. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers @ PHI
3. Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles vs. SF
4. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers vs. CIN
5. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys @ NO
6. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers @ PIT
7. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons @ NYJ
8. Fred Davis, Washington Redskins vs. NYG
9. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Bucs @ SEA
10. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings @ CAR
11. Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears @ BAL
12. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. GB
13. Bo Scaife, Tennessee Titans vs. MIA
14. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints vs. DAL
15. John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks vs. TB
16. Kevin Boss, New York Giants @ WSH
17. Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders @ DEN
18. Dustin Keller, New York Jets vs. ATL
19. Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots @ BUF
20. Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens vs. CHI

Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

Roddy White has been limited in practice this week, but he’s going to suit up on Sunday. And you’re going to be starting him. The Saints duo of new corners looked good against the Pats two weeks ago, but the secondary took a big step back last week in allowing Jason Campbell to tear them up. What’s great about White is that the Matt Ryan situation hardly affects him. He and Chris Redman have a nice rapport dating back to the 2007 season when Redman was a big part of White’s late-season coming out party. Last week Redman targeted White a massive 20 times, resulting in 9 receptions for 104 yards and a TD (albeit with 0:00 on the clock).

In the same game you need Robert Meachem in your lineup. He’s shockingly emerged as the most reliable scorer in the Saints loaded offense with 7 TDs over the last five games. At training camp Meachem said Saints fans were finally going to see a first-round pick on the field this season. The last few weeks they have.

With news that Daunte Culpepper will start this week Calvin Johnson’s projection certainly takes a hit. Still, Pep can huck it and the Ravens corners are extremely beatable. I’m not benching Megatron.

**UPDATE: It appears Hester will sit out.** The Bears are optimistic that Devin Hester will be in Chicago’s lineup this week. I’m less optimistic about his chances of being in mine. Jay Cutler has been atrocious of late and he deserves plenty of blame, but the bottom line is that Hester just isn’t getting it done. 6 receptions the last three weeks, no touchdowns since Week 7 and just 3 TDs total on the season. You can do better, especially with the excellent Packers secondary in town.

We talked about Pierre Garcon’s emergence and recent consistency last week and he came out and made us look good, nabbing 6 receptions for 136 yards. He’s been on fire since the Colts’ Week 6 bye. The Denver defense is tough, but they do give up points to No. 2 WRs. Keep rolling with the hot hand.

Just a hunch, but I think Andre Johnson pushes around Seattle’s smallish secondary this week: 9 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TDs.

See also:
- Week 14 QB Rankings
- Week 14 RB Rankings
- Week 14 TE Rankings
- Week 14 DEF Rankings

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals @ SF
2. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans vs. SEA
3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts vs. DEN
4. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints @ ATL
5. Wes Welker, New England Patriots vs. CAR
6. Randy Moss, New England Patriots vs. CAR
7. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions @ BAL
8. Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings vs. CIN
9. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons vs. NO
10. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals @ MIN
11. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys vs. SD
12. Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals @ SF
13. Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CLE
14. Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos @ IND
15. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers @ DAL
16. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles @ NYG

WR rankings 17 through 46, after the jump…

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Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

Joseph Addai is not having a good year. Frankly, he’s playing badly. On the season Addai is averaging just 3.7 yards a carry and 6.3 yards per reception, both of which are quite poor. That may come as a shock to his fantasy owners, though. After all, he’s put up the fifth-most fantasy points among running backs in ETB’s scoring format. And if he can keep rolling like that, fantasy owners won’t care about the paltry per-touch averages. Addai’s production has been a product of his sheer volume of opportunities on a great offense. He’s among the NFL leaders in red-zone opportunities, he’s caught 43 passes, and he’s even tossed a TD. As long as he keeps getting so many opportunities and holds off the more talented (yet apparently injury-prone) Donald Brown, he’s a great option in fantasy – even if he’s the second-best RB on his real-life team.

I know Jerome Harrison busted out for 97 total yards, 7 receptions and 2 TDs last week – but do you really want to be counting on a Cleveland Brown to advance in the fantasy playoffs? I mean, if you’re desperate you have to, but keep in mind this offense is putting up just 12.1 points a game. That’s not a big pie you’re carving a slice of, even if the Pittsburgh defense looks like a completely different animal sans Troy Polamalu, who could be donezo for the season.

Owners of Michael Turner will want to monitor Atlanta Falcons news closely in the coming days. We don’t think he’ll play and haven’t ranked him, but apparently the Falcons are more optimistic. If he does play Turner is worth a start against a sagging New Orleans rush defense. If he doesn’t play neither Jason Snelling nor Jerious Norwood are strong options with Chris Redman under center. Then again, there’s a chance Matt Ryan plays this week – if injured offensive linemen Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl suit up. It’s all very confusing and mired in contingencies. Unless definitive news breaks soon I think owners are best off just leaving all Falcons out of the starting lineup, except for Roddy White and Tony Gonzo.

The Ravens have only given up 6 rushing TDs to running backs on the season and are coming off a performance in Lambeau in which they held Ryan Grant to just 41 rushing yards on 18 carries (2.3 YPC) despite trailing all night. The Lions are going to be playing from behind, and I’m sitting Kevin Smith this week if I can help it.

See also:
- Week 14 QB Ranks
- Week 14 WR Ranks
- Week 14 TE Ranks
- Week 14 DEF Ranks

1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans vs. STL
2. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens vs. DET
3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. MIA
4. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CLE
5. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams @ TEN
6. Thomas Jones, New York Jets @ TB
7. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings vs. CIN
8. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers vs. ARZ
9. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs vs. BUF
10. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts vs. DEN
11. Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins @ JAC
12. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills @ KC
13. Cedric Benson, Cincinatti Bengals @ MIN
14. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers @ NE (Check Status)
15. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints @ ATL
16. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos @ IND

Running back rankings 17 through 40, after the jump…

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Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

I’m not expecting a Favre fade down the stretch. There’s really no reason to. Minnesota went on the road and ran into a tough defense playing at the top of their game. It happens. Despite my optimism, there’s a good chance you have a better option this week. The Cincinnati Bengals are a great defense, and they’re playing extremely well of late. The Bengals have held opposing QBs under 200 passing yards for five straight games and they’ve only allowed multiple touchdown passes twice.

On the other side of the ball, the Carson Palmer experiment is over for fantasy purposes. Shut it down. Since that 5 TD explosion against Chicago in Week 7, Palmer has been dismal despite facing fantasy-friendly defenses in Detroit, Cleveland, and Baltimore. There’s no reason to expect the former first-overall pick to bust out in Minnesota or at San Diego in the next two weeks, which means you should consider cutting bait on him if you already have a solid option for the championship game in Week 16. Palmer draws the weak Kansas City pass defense to finish the fantasy season, but again, the last two weeks he’s had Detroit and Cleveland and didn’t do anything with it.

It’s pretty difficult to have much faith in Joe Flacco right now. Since Baltimore’s Week 7 bye the second-year quarterback hasn’t thrown for more than 1 TD, totaling just 3 scores in those six weeks. And it’s not like he’s been throwing for 300 yards: he hasn’t done that since Week 6, either. Still, you can’t help but consider Flacco this week. He’s playing at home against the Detroit Lions, the NFL’s worst pass defense. I know we keep updating these totals weekly, but the Lions have now allowed an NFL-most in passing yards per game at 274.8 and passing TDs at 28. If you’ve been banking on guys like Jay Cutler, Eli Manning or Carson Palmer (and your team is still alive), it might be time to roll the dice on the big guy.

Vince Young has been surprisingly fantasy-useful the last two weeks against the solid defenses of Indianapolis and Arizona. With the Rams rolling into town this week he’s definitely a legitimate option.

See also:
- Week 14 RB Rankings
- Week 14 WR Rankings
- Week 14 TE Rankings
- Week 14 DEF Rankings

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints @ ATL
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts vs. DEN
3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers @ CHI
4. Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. CAR
5. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers @ DAL
6. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans vs. SEA (Check Status)
7. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CLE
8. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals @ SF
9. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles @ NYG
10. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys vs. SD
11. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings vs. CIN
12. Vince Young, Tennessee Titans vs. STL
13. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs. DET
14. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers vs. ARZ
15. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks @ HOU
16. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals @ MIN
17. Eli Manning, New York Giants vs. PHI
18. David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. MIA
19. Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins @ OAK
20. Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins @ JAC
21. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears vs. GB
22. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos @ IND

Brett Favre Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

The Arizona Cardinals defense looked stellar on Sunday night in keeping the Minnesota offense completely off balance. They’re a strong unit, but limiting TE Visanthe Shiancoe to just 2 receptions for 14 yards was a surprise. Shiancoe managed to turn one of those catches into a TD though, and on the season the Cards have been one of the most generous defenses to opposing TEs in the NFL. Expect the league’s best receiving TE, Vernon Davis, to keep rolling.

On a similar note, the Eagles have boasted a stout passing defense all season, but they’ve given up the most fantasy points in the NFL to tight ends. A big part of that is Philadelphia is such a blitz-heavy team. They put too much pressure on the quarterback to give him the time to deliver it downfield and he ends up dumping off to the TE often. That makes Giants end Kevin Boss a fringe option this week – though still not a reliable one given his inconsistency even with 4 TDs in the last five games.

Jason Witten hasn’t scored since Week 2 despite playing in every game. It’s been an incredibly disappointing streak. Still, he’s had at least 5 receptions in each of the past five weeks and posted his best game of the season last week with 14 receptions for 156 yards. You should roll with him once again; the best way to attack the Chargers is by grinding it out with the running game and the short-passing game.

Fred Davis has been a great late-season fantasy story, propelling some teams into the postseason with his 9 receptions, 96 yards and 2 TDs the last two weeks. He’ll find the row tough to hoe this week in Oakland against the only team yet to allow a touchdown to a TE. However, the passing attack has been much improved under new “offensive consultant” Sherman Lewis, and QB Jason Campbell is looking for Davis. Unless you have another TE1, you can roll with him.

See also:
- Week 14 QB Rankings
- Week 14 RB Rankings
- Week 14 WR Rankings
- Week 14 DEF Rankings

1. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers vs. ARI
2. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers @ DAL
3. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts vs. DEN
4. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys vs. SD
5. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CLE
6. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons vs. NO
7. Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles @ NYG
8. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers @ CHI
9. Fred Davis, Washington Redskins @ OAK
10. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings vs. CIN
11. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Bucs vs. NYJ
12. Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens vs. DET
13. Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears vs. GB
14. Bo Scaife, Tennessee Titans vs. STL
15. Dustin Keller, New York Jets @ TB
16. Kevin Boss, New York Giants vs. PHI
17. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints @ ATL
18. Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders vs. WAS
19. John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks @ HOU
20. Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots vs. CAR

Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

The Ravens have not played as well as expected this season, but they’ve also had an extremely difficult schedule. That schedule gives them a repreive this week with the Lions rolling into town, but I don’t expect Baltimore’s defense to take the week off. Far from it: in this must-win game they should come out inspired.

The Ravens offense should be able to spot them a lead, their rush defense is still elite, and Kevin Smith has hard enough time generating yards on the ground as it is. That means Daunte Culpepper, stepping in for the injured Matthew Stafford, will be forced to throw all day. I fully expect Baltimore to tee off, making them an elite option win Week 14.

The Green Bay Packers were most impressive on Monday Night Football. This is a complete unit that is really gelling right now. They’re opportunistic, can take away the opponent’s best option, and don’t have any glaring weaknesses despite a couple of big injuries. This week they head into Chicago and face off against the quarterback who shares the NFL interceptions lead with Matthew Stafford at 20. On the ground, the Bears offensive line and RB Matt Forte are a complete mess. There’s no reason not to expect big things out of the Pack DEF on Sunday.

See also:
- Week 14 QB Rankings
- Week 14 RB Rankings
- Week 14 WR Rankings
- Week 14 TE Rankings

1. Baltimore Ravens vs. DET
2. Green Bay Packers @ CHI
3. Pittsburgh Steelers @ CLE
4. New Orleans Saints @ ATL
5. Minnesota Vikings vs. CIN
6. New York Jets @ TB
7. New England Patriots vs. CAR
8. Arizona Cardinals @ SF
9. Tennessee Titans vs. STL
10. Philadelphia Eagles @ NYG
11. San Diego Chargers @ DAL
12. Indianapolis Colts vs. DEN
13. Tampa Bay Bucs vs. NYJ
14. Buffalo Bills @ KC
15. Washington Redskins @ OAK
16. Miami Dolphins @ JAC
17. Oakland Raiders vs. WAS

Ed Reed Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

You just can’t trust the Seattle Seahawks passing game right now. Matt Hasselbeck has only tossed 2 TDs in the last month, and it’s killing the fantasy value of Nate Burleson and TJ Houshmandzadeh. The ‘Hawks should have been able to pass all over the Rams in Week 12, but managed 0 TDs and just 102 yards though the air on 25 passes, which works out to a cringe-inducing 4.1 yards-per-attempt. It’s a real shame, too, because we know these two can play. San Francisco has given up the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL this year at 256.5 per, but the bend-but-don’t-break unit has only given up 11 receiving TDs thus far. They might do it, but it’s hard to count on either Seattle wide receiver scoring.

In that same matchup, Alex Smith sure has looked comfortable in the spread offense, hasn’t he? At least, more comfortable than NFL observers have ever seen him. Smith and Michael Crabtree have developed a nice rapport, with the rookie wide receiver grabbing 26 passes for 346 yards and TD in his first 6 games as a pro. Seattle has allowed a large 20 receiving TDs on the season, and we like the rook’s chances of scoring in this divisional matchup.

They’ve fallen off slightly since leading the NFL in pass defense earlier in the year, but it still seems weird to me that the Giants have allowed 18 receiving TDs despite giving up just 182.6 yards a game through the air. Still, in Week 2 the G-Men certainly had Tony Romo’s number as the Dallas QB finished 13-for-29 with just 127 passing yards and 1 TD against 3 INTs. Roy Williams belongs on your bench, and expectations must be tempered for Miles Austin.

Despite lofty expectations for the 6-5 receiver after Chris Chambers was cut, Malcolm Floyd has been pretty quiet in San Diego. He’s yet to top 4 catches in a game this season, but still the big man perpetually seems on the cusp of big things. He keeps coming so close. Last week Floyd was robbed of a TD when erroneously called down inside the 5 after a 53-yard catch, and he’s now 6th in the NFL in receptions of 40+ yards. He’s talented, and this passing game is potent. It’s hard to endorse a guy with such little production thus far, but I can’t help but feel like a breakout game is coming at some point. This week in Cleveland is as good a time as any.

Your Weekly Darrelle Revis Alert: Downgrade Terrell Owens.

See also:
- Week 13 QB Rankings
- Week 13 RB Rankings
- Week 13 TE Rankings
- Week 13 DEF Rankings

1. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN
2. Randy Moss, New England Patriots @ MIA
3. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans @ JAX
4. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers @ CLE
5. Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings @ ARZ
6. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals vs. MIN
7. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals vs. DET
8. Wes Welker, New England Patriots @ MIA
10. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints @ WSH
11. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles @ ATL (Check Status)
12. Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers vs. BAL
9. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys @ NYG
13. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons vs. PHI
14. Steve Smith, New York Giants vs. DAL
15. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. OAK
16. Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos @ KC

WR rankings 17 through 43, after the jump…

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Ranks Preview by Brian Spencer

The MVP race is overloaded with worthy QB candidates this season, but after the Saints’ Monday Night mauling of the New England Patriots, it’s just about time to whittle this down to a three-man competition. Tom Brady, it’s nice that you’re back, but you’re officially out of the discussion.

I can’t remember the last time a Brady-led Patriots team was humbled like they were at the Superdome… and in primetime, nonetheless. We were (literally) betting on the Saints’ unbeaten streak ending at 10, but outside of RB Laurence Maroney, very few Patriots bothered to show up.

Not Brady (who played timidly, repeatedly missed open receivers, and was squeezed all night by impressive Saints’ DEs Charles Grant and Will Smith), not Randy “Mr. Monday Night” Moss (3 catches, 67 yards), and certainly not the porous secondary. Somebody teach those guys how to tackle.

But enough about the Pats’ disappointing performance: the Saints’ 38-17 laugher was just as much about what they did as what the Patriots didn’t do. The defense, decimated by injuries, rose to the occasion and held the league’s second- or third-best offense well below its per-game averages for points and total yards. (Can Mike McKenzie and Chris McAlister keep that up?)

As well as that unit played, however, it was Drew Brees and his cadre of interchangeable weapons that stole the show: Brees became the first QB to ever throw for 5 TD passes against a Bill Belichick-coached team, and finished with an eye-popping box of 18-23 for 371 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, and just one taken sack. That’s an average of over 20 yards per completion (!). He calmly spread the ball around to 7 different receivers, and has now thrown TD passes to 10 of his teammates so far with five more games to go.

Insane.

When it’s all said and done, though, will Brees win out over Brett Favre and Peyton Manning? What if none of their teams lose another game, with the Saints and Colts finishing undefeated and the Vikings with just one blemish on their record? Right now our vote goes to Favre, but this MVP race is shaping up to be one of the closest in recent history.

See also:
- Week 13 RB Rankings
- Week 13 WR Rankings
- Week 13 TE Rankings
- Week 13 DEF Rankings

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints @ WSH
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN
3. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers @ CLE
4. Tom Brady, New England Patriots @ MIA
5. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings @ ARZ
6. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals vs. DET
7. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans @ JAX
8. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers vs. BAL
9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. OAK
10. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles @ ATL
11. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys @ NYG
12. Eli Manning, New York Giants vs. DAL
13. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos @ KC
14. Vince Young, Tennessee Titans @ IND
15. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens @ GB
16. David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. HOU
17. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears vs. STL
18. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks vs. SF
19. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Bucs @ CAR
20. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers @ SEA
21. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions @ CIN
22. Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals vs. MIN (We’re assuming Warner is out.)
23. Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins vs. NO

Drew Brees’ Head Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Ranks Preview by Brian Spencer

With playoff berths and seeding on the line this week in most fantasy leagues, now’s not time to get overly cute with your starting lineup: stick with the horses that have gotten you here (unless they’re injured, of course) and ride them to the end.

Example: last week was the first time all year that I left Jason Witten on my bench. His production has been way down, I don’t particularly have much faith in Tony Romo, and Green Bay Packers TE Jermichael Finley was there for the taking on waivers. Healthy and getting more and more looks by the week, Finley seemed like a lock to go off against the Paper Lions secondary on Thanksgiving Day. I went with his upside over Witten’s proven fantasy track record.

Maybe that was the right play on paper, maybe not, but in the end it was the wrong play: Finley was somehow limited to just 3 catches for 25 yards, while Witten turned his best performance of the year with 5 catches for 107 yards. He didn’t score, and has still only done so once this year (thanks for that, guy), but he’s going back into the fray from here on out. No more being cute.

See also:
- Week 13 QB Rankings
- Week 13 RB Rankings
- Week 13 WR Rankings
- Week 13 DEF Rankings

1. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN
2. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers @ CLE
3. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers @ SEA
4. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys @ NYG
5. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Bucs @ CAR
6. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings @ ARZ
7. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons vs. PHI
8. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. OAK
9. Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears vs. STL
10. Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles @ ATL
11. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints @ WSH
12. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers vs. BAL
13. Dustin Keller, New York Jets @ BUF
14. John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks vs. SF
15. Kevin Boss, New York Giants vs. DAL
16. Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders @ PIT
17. Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos @ KC
18. Fred Davis, Washington Redskins vs. NO
19. Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers vs. BAL
20. Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots @ MIA

Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

It took the Bills entirely too long to realize that Fred Jackson is their best option in the backfield. Hopefully it’s not a case of too little, too late for those of you who drafted him. Marshawn and his absurd grill are the brand name, and we were generally fond of the Cal product in his rookie year. But it’s been a long time seen we’ve seen him in Beast Mode, and in the interim the less-excitingly-named, grill-less Fred has clearly emerged as the superior talent. Dick Jauron force-fed Lynch 90 carries this season, but he’s only managed to convert them into 278 yards (3.1 YPC, yuck) and 1 TD with 3 fumbles.

Meanwhile, Jackson got the nod on Sunday and turned 15 carries into 73 rushing yards and 2 TDs. That brings his season total to a far more respectable 601 yards on 143 carries, good for a perfectly fine 4.2 YPC. Jackson has also emerged as a strong option in the receiving game, grabbing 32 balls in limited duty. The Jets matchup isn’t ideal this week, but he draws the toothless Chiefs in Week 14 and Falcons in the all-important championship week.

DeAngelo Williams will be playing on a sprained ankle and the Panthers will start Matt Moore, he of the 3-to-6 TD-to-INT ratio in 11 career appearances. The Panthers will be looking to hide their QB, so the forecast calls for a ton of handoffs. That’s a recipe for fantasy production out of Jonathan Stewart, who we absolutely love as a Flex or potential RB2 play this week.

I hate to say it, Matt Forte owners, but this is your last opportunity to expect a big game out of your first-round pick. Forte (and the Chicago offensive line) has struggled with anything resembling a respectable defense, but he’s feasted on the Lions and Browns in two home matchups that have accounted for all of his 3 TDs on the season. Next week Green Bay Comes to town and then the Bears face off against two top-5 NFL rush defenses in Baltimore and Minnesota in the fantasy playoffs. Ouch.

The Bills and their NFL-worst rushing defense are frequent topics in this space. This week the Jets and their No. 2 rushing offense come into town, making Thomas Jones a must-start option. Hell, I know he hasn’t done anything outside of that 144-yard- 2TD game in Oakland, but Shonn Greene might be an option if your team has been ravaged by injuries and you’re desperate. We haven’t ranked him, but Greene got 10 carries last week and could be good for 50 yards with an outside shot at a TD. Again though, only if you’re desperate.

See also:
- Week 13 QB Ranks
- Week 13 WR Ranks
- Week 13 TE Ranks
- Week 13 DEF Ranks

1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans @ IND
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. HOU
3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings @ ARZ
4. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens @ GB
5. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers vs. TB (Check Status)
6. Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins vs. NE
7. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals vs. DET
8. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams @ CHI
9. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers @ SEA
10. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN
11. Thomas Jones, New York Jets @ BUF
12. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. OAK
13. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers @ CLE
14. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears vs. STL
15. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers vs. TB

Running back rankings 16 through 36, after the jump…

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