The fantasy football postseason is right around the bend, and we still have this week’s slate to think about first for our playoff pictures to clearly pan out. There’s no time to be lollygagging with our rosters anymore, and our Week 13 fantasy points projections for each of the week’s games below will help you determine which particular players at each crucial position are poised to either surge or slump.
Should you be in need of more fantasy advice, check out our fantasy sleepers as well as the experts’ pickups after this to learn more on how to further boost your chances at a strong playoff push.
[sc:Football ]
Complete NFL Week 13 Fantasy Points Projections
**data courtesy of ESPN Fantasy Football (for standard league/non-PPR formats)
Thursday, December 3
Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions (8:25 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Green Bay
Packers D/ST
7.4
QB
Aaron Rodgers
19.5
RB
Eddie Lacy
10.0
WR
Randall Cobb
9.0
TE
Richard Rodgers
5.5
Detroit
Lions D/ST
4.6
QB
Matthew Stafford
17.9
RB
Theo Riddick
5.8
WR
Calvin Johnson
12.2
TE
Eric Ebron
4.8
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Packers are eager to avenge their loss to the Lions in Lambeau from earlier this season, and the Lions are making a late case for a playoff berth after stringing three-straight wins, so this game has the makings of a gritty shootout.
Expect both Rodgers and Stafford to get their lofty numbers with the Green Bay and Detroit receiving units benefiting from both of the quarterbacks’ nice afternoons of taking to the skies.
Sunday, November 29
Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Seattle
Seahawks D/ST
9.4
QB
Russell Wilson
15.1
RB
Thomas Rawls
11.6
WR
Doug Baldwin
6.7
TE
Luke Willson
3.2
Minnesota
Vikings D/ST
6.5
QB
Teddy Bridgewater
11.2
RB
Adrian Peterson
15.4
WR
Stefon Diggs
6.0
TE
Kyle Rudolph
4.1
Unlike the Thursday night game between Green Bay and Detroit, the clash between the Seahawks and the Vikings will be won on the ground. Russell Wilson and Thomas Rawls make for a solid one-two punch for Seattle, while Adrian Peterson will continue to be the tank that he is for Minnesota. Defenses will also benefit from this grind-it-out battle, so start either D/ST without hesitation.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Cincinnati
Bengals D/ST
9.0
QB
Andy Dalton
17.5
RB
Jeremy Hill
9.1
WR
A.J. Green
12.1
TE
Tyler Eifert
7.2
Cleveland
Browns D/ST
1.7
QB
Austin Davis
13.9
RB
Duke Johnson Jr.
7.3
WR
Travis Benjamin
8.3
TE
Gary Barnidge
8.5
Clearly, the Bengals will have a field day dismantling the bumbling Browns. The only thing that’s working against Cincy is that Tyler Eifert is still questionable heading into this match on Sunday as he continues to nurse a stinger on his neck. Duke Johnson Jr. seems like an attractive start for Cleveland, as his team’s offense will be run by relatively inexperienced Austin Davis, the Browns’ third starting quarterback with of the season.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Baltimore
Ravens D/ST
5.7
QB
Matt Schaub
13.6
RB
Javorius Allen
9.6
WR
Kamar Aiken
9.2
TE
Crockett Gillmore
4.7
Miami
Dolphins D/ST
5.0
QB
Ryan Tannehill
17.3
RB
Lamar Miller
10.5
WR
Jarvis Landry
10.0
TE
Jordan Cameron
4.9
The Dolphins’ top-tier fantasy players look to break out this Sunday as they take on Baltimore’s weak sauce of a D, with Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Miller and Jarvis Landry all projected to produce double-digit outings. And give the Ravens some credit for their own second-string roster’s projections as well, but that may actually be the result of having to face Miami’s equally inept defense.
Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Houston
Texans D/ST
7.6
QB
Brian Hoyer
13.9
RB
Alfred Blue
7.3
WR
DeAndre Hopkins
12.4
TE
Ryan Griffin
3.3
Buffalo
Bills D/ST
5.8
QB
Tyrod Taylor
14.1
RB
LeSean McCoy
15.9
WR
Sammy Watkins
9.4
TE
Charles Clay
4.3
We’re not certain about LeSean McCoy’s almost 16-point output on Sunday, especially with the Texans’ revitalized defense about to stand in his way. We also expect the Bills’ own D/ST to produce more than just about six points, as Houston’s offense is just average without a solid ground attack to complement Brian Hoyer and the Texans’ passing game.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
San Francisco
49ers D/ST
3.9
QB
Blaine Gabbert
8.5
RB
Shaun Draughn
10.1
WR
Anquan Boldin
6.2
TE
Vance McDonald
3.9
Chicago
Bears D/ST
10.0
QB
Jay Cutler
14.1
RB
Matt Forte
13.1
WR
Alshon Jeffery
10.9
TE
Martellus Bennett
5.9
Oh, the humanity… If you could avoid starting any Niners players this week, please do yourself a favor and do so. If the Bears defense is projected to score just as much points as San Francisco’s best player this week, then that should be enough proof for you to steer clear from the Bay Area team this week at all costs.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Jacksonville
Jaguars D/ST
6.4
QB
Blake Bortles
15.4
RB
T.J. Yeldon
8.3
WR
Allen Robinson
11.0
TE
Julius Thomas
7.3
Tennessee
Titans D/ST
8.5
QB
Marcus Mariota
15.2
RB
Antonio Andrews
8.7
WR
Kendall Wright
6.1
TE
Delanie Walker
8.3
Young guns Blake Bortles and Marcus Mariota are expected to deliver the same numbers this Sunday, but how they’ll get their points should also be considered beforehand.
Bortles will target Allen Robinson and Julius Thomas heavily, meaning that those two guys are must-starts. On the other hand, Mariota likes to spread his targets across his entire arsenal at his disposal. With the exception of tight end Delanie Walker, we strongly recommend keeping Tennessee’s receivers on your bench.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Atlanta
Falcons D/ST
6.3
QB
Matt Ryan
14.6
RB
Devonta Freeman
15.4
WR
Julio Jones
12.9
TE
Jacob Tamme
6.7
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers D/ST
5.9
QB
Jameis Winston
14.1
RB
Doug Martin
12.0
WR
Mike Evans
8.7
TE
Cameron Brate
4.2
Those are some pretty generous projections for the Falcons’ players. Atlanta has not been playing all that well of late (especially Matt Ryan), and the Bucs are no pushovers themselves. Don’t be dazzled by those numbers for the visiting team, yet keep an open mind that both Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones are still capable of mind-boggling performances individually.
Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Arizona
Cardinals D/ST
10.0
QB
Carson Palmer
17.7
RB
David Johnson
11.5
WR
Larry Fitzgerald
11.5
TE
Jermaine Gresham
2.0
St. Louis
Rams D/ST
6.3
QB
Case Keenum
9.9
RB
Todd Gurley
12.2
WR
Tavon Austin
6.9
TE
Jared Cook
3.9
Let’s make this quick and simple: Cards good, Rams bad. Start nobody on St. Louis except the amazing Todd Gurley, and send Arizona’s entire offensive platoon save for their tight ends onto the virtual battlefield.
New York Jets vs. New York Giants (1:00 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
New York
Jets D/ST
7.5
QB
Ryan Fitzpatrick
15.9
RB
Chris Ivory
10.3
WR
Brandon Marshall
11.1
TE
Kellen Davis
0.3
New York
Giants D/ST
5.0
QB
Eli Manning
17.2
RB
Rashad Jennings
6.2
WR
Odell Beckham Jr.
12.6
TE
Will Tye
5.1
This Empire State showdown will have the Jets expose the Giants’ problematic defense, alright. Then again, Eli Manning is well-equipped to dissect the Jets’ once formidable secondary, which should’ve knocked down the Jets D/ST’s projection by a few ticks.
And yes, that’s no typo: the Jets’ best tight end on the roster is literally expected to be a non-factor. To be honest, we didn’t even know that there was a certain Kellen Davis on the Jets’ roster before we did this feature.
Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers (4:05 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Denver
Broncos D/ST
9.1
QB
Brock Osweiler
14.1
RB
C.J. Anderson
10.3
WR
Demaryius Thomas
8.4
TE
Vernon Davis
4.3
San Diego
Chargers D/ST
2.8
QB
Philip Rivers
16.0
RB
Danny Woodhead
7.7
WR
Stevie Johnson
7.8
TE
Antonio Gates
6.8
The only obvious loser in this AFC West bout is San Diego’s defense. Philip Rivers can make the Chargers look like Zeus in the passing game (even Danny Woodhead is a pass-catching back in their offense), but their defense has been one huge liability. This is also a sweet opportunity for Denver’s Brock Osweiler to finally explode after facing the tough as nails Patriots D this past week.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders (4:05 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Kansas City
Chiefs D/ST
5.6
QB
Alex Smith
15.0
RB
Charcandrick West
13.1
WR
Jeremy Maclin
8.9
TE
Travis Kelce
7.0
Oakland
Raiders D/ST
3.8
QB
Derek Carr
15.8
RB
Latavius Murray
9.0
WR
Michael Crabtree
9.6
TE
Clive Walford
2.3
Having Charcandrick West (hamstring) seemingly ready for Sunday’s game against the Raiders is great news for Kansas City, but that’s not entirely the case for Alex Smith. 15 points from a run-first Chiefs offense is quite alarming, especially since he’s almost up to par this week with Oakland’s more prolific deep-ball chucker Derek Carr.
Sure, Smith is finally connecting with Jeremy Maclin (or just Kansas City’s wide receivers in general), but the backfield tandem of West and Spencer Ware should have dropped the QB’s projection this week a little lower.
Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints (4:25 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Carolina
Panthers D/ST
9.1
QB
Cam Newton
22.8
RB
Jonathan Stewart
12.0
WR
Ted Ginn Jr.
6.6
TE
Greg Olsen
10.8
New Orleans
Saints D/ST
4.5
QB
Drew Brees
17.9
RB
Mark Ingram
12.4
WR
Brandin Cooks
7.9
TE
Benjamin Watson
7.0
Cam Newton’s owners have got to be jumping for joy to find out that he and the Panthers have the pleasure of taking on the Saints’ wasteland of a defense this coming Sunday. Drew Brees and the Saints offense are also expected to produce, but take that with a grain of salt as Brees has not been himself lately, and Carolina’s defense is undoubtedly top-notch. All in all, the only logical move here is to keep the New Orleans’ D on the waiver wire where it belongs.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots (4:25 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Philadelphia
Eagles D/ST
2.3
QB
Sam Bradford
13.6
RB
DeMarco Murray
9.8
WR
Jordan Matthews
7.6
TE
Zach Ertz
5.5
New England
Patriots D/ST
8.6
QB
Tom Brady
21.6
RB
LeGarrette Blount
11.9
WR
Brandon LaFell
10.0
TE
Scott Chandler
7.9
We believe that New England’s weekly fantasy prowess as a whole needs no further discussion, regardless of the lack of weapons for tom Brady on offense. Sheesh, even Brandon LaFell is expected to hit the double-digit mark.
What should be kept on tabs, though, are Sam Bradford (shoulder) and Zach Ertz’s (concussion) statuses coming in into Sunday night’s game. Philly needs all the help it could get on offense, and Bradford’s role will create either a positive or negative chain reaction across the Eagles’ passing game.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (8:30 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Indianapolis
Colts D/ST
4.7
QB
Matt Hasselbeck
14.8
RB
Frank Gore
8.5
WR
T.Y. Hilton
9.4
TE
Coby Fleener
5.8
Pittsburgh
Steelers D/ST
7.3
QB
Ben Roethlisberger
16.7
RB
DeAngelo Williams
15.0
WR
Antonio Brown
13.6
TE
Heath Miller
6.1
While we’re on the topic of ailing quarterbacks, the Steelers sure hope that Ben Roethlisberger’s bouts with injuries are well behind him already. His latest scare is a concussion, but he practiced in full on Wednesday. That should keep the Pittsburgh players’ projections on the up-and-up. Matt Hasselbeck is also running Indy’s offense rather smoothly in place of Andrew Luck, so this should be a good day for the Colts’ offense as well.
Monday, December 7
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins (8:30 PM ET)
TEAM/POSITION
PLAYER
PROJECTED POINTS
Dallas
Cowboys D/ST
4.6
QB
Matt Cassel
10.8
RB
Darren McFadden
12.2
WR
Dez Bryant
8.3
TE
Jason Witten
5.3
Washington
Redskins D/ST
5.2
QB
Kirk Cousins
10.7
RB
Alfred Morris
7.3
WR
DeSean Jackson
6.4
TE
Jordan Reed
7.0
Kirk Cousins is expected to put up less than 11 points in a game played in Washington against Dallas’ shoddy defense?! That’s quite preposterous, considering that Cousins loves home field advantage as like Popeye loves his spinach. Meanwhile, the Cowboys without Tony Romo should spell another long day for Darren McFadden and the running game, indeed.
