Week 13 fantasy football rankings: Austin Ekeler's all-around game can't be stopped

Week 13, the final week of the fantasy football regular season for most, is already here.

For some, this will be your final week. That definitely has to be a harsh reality, because I know that having fantasy football back has been a great distraction for me, considering everything that is going on in the world. In a year where our daily lives and routines have been drastically altered, the NFL and fantasy football have largely gone unscathed... even though that Wednesday game was kinda strange.

Whether you’re fighting for a playoff spot or trying to work your way out of last place to avoid a loser’s punishment, my Week 13 fantasy football rankings are below to help you set the best lineup possible.

QB

1) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

2) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

3) Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (vs. New York Giants)

Wilson’s fantasy production has taken a bit of a dip over the past three weeks, and that's mainly due to a return to running the ball in Seattle. After letting Russ cook for the first nine weeks, head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have reverted back to their preference of running the football. Seattle has run the football the 11th-least frequently of any team, but over the past three weeks, they’ve run the ball the 11th-most of any team. Now that Chris Carson is back in the lineup, I don’t see the Seahawks shying away from this recent trend. Regardless, Wilson should still be able to move the ball downfield against the Giants, who are tied for allowing the ninth-highest yards per-target to QBs this season.

4) Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

5) Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (at San Francisco 49ers)

6) Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

Murray, like Wilson, has seen his numbers drop recently. Murray’s been nursing a shoulder injury, and he certainly looked compromised this past week as he didn’t reach the end zone against the Patriots. He has averaged just 23 rushing yards-per-game over his past two contests, despite averaging 67 yards-per-game through his first nine starts. I still have Murray slotted fairly high in my rankings despite his recent struggles and the difficult matchup against the Rams - who have conceded the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season - because of the ridiculously high upside the sophomore possesses.

7) Ryan Tannehill. Tennessee Titans (vs. Cleveland Browns)

After a stretch of tough matchups, the schedule really starts to lighten up for Tannehill. His next three matchups are all against teams that are top-10 fantasy opponents for quarterbacks, starting this week with the Browns. Cleveland is allowing the 10th-most fantasy points-per-game to opposing passers in 2020, and Tannehill is coming off of an impressive outing against a tough unit in the Colts. On the season, Tannehill is QB9 and he owns the sixth-highest QB rating in the NFL. The former first-round pick has really excelled in stretching the field on play-action passes this season as his yards per attempt on such throws rises to 9.9, the third-highest of any QB in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s a pretty significant jump from his YPA on non-play action throws, as that number sits at 6.6, which is tied for 20th.

8) Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New England Patriots)

9) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

10) Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (at Atlanta Falcons)

11) Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

12) Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

13) Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (at New York Jets)

14) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

15) Mitch Trubisky, Chicago Bears (vs. Detroit Lions)

You may not have realized this, but Trubisky finished Week 12 as QB6. Sometimes we forget, but there’s a reason why we call this game fantasy football. Anybody who watched him on Sunday night knows it was an ugly effort, but he was able to offer some fantasy value. In Week 13, he gets a date against the Lions. In his six career games against Detroit, Trubisky has been very successful. He has an impressive 106.0 QB rating and has amassed a sparkling 14:4 touchdown-interception ratio. The Lions are currently allowing the seventh-most fantasy points-per-game to quarterbacks this season, so Trubisky is definitely in play as a starting option in deeper leagues.

16) Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts (at Houston Texans)

17) Cam Newton, New England Patriots (at Los Angeles Chargers)

Newton had a dud of a performance against the Cardinals in Week 12 as he posted just 5.96 fantasy points, and we’re possibly now figuring out why. The Patriots listed Newton on the injury report with an abdomen injury this week, and although both the team and himself are downplaying the ailment, it could be an issue as the dual-threat QB exposes himself to contact quite frequently. The biggest concern is that this injury may make Newton hesitant to run, which is the aspect of his game that makes him fantasy relevant. Although the Chargers are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs this season, I’m looking elsewhere for production this week.

18) Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (at Tennessee Titans)

19) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)

20) Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (at Arizona Cardinals)

21) Sam Darnold, New York Jets (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)

22) Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (at Chicago Bears)

23) Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (at Green Bay Packers)

24) Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys (at Baltimore Ravens)

25) Nick Mullens, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Buffalo Bills)

26) Drew Lock, Denver Broncos (at Kansas City Chiefs)

27) Mike Glennon, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Minnesota Vikings)

28) Alex Smith, Washington Football Team (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

29) Colt McCoy, New York Giants (at Seattle Seahawks)

30) Brandon Allen, Cincinnati Bengals (at Miami Dolphins)

RB

1) Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

2) Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (vs. Cleveland Browns)

3) Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns (at Tennessee Titans)

4) Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New England Patriots)

Ekeler fantasy managers were grinning from ear-to-ear when the do-it-all Chargers’ back made his return to the lineup in Week 12. He finished the game with 25 total touches - a career-high - while totalling 129 yards from scrimmage. In each complete game he has played this season, he has finished with 20 or more touches. In Week 13, he matches up against the Patriots, who are allowing the highest catch percentage to opposing running backs this season. That bodes extremely well for a back like Ekeler who will be very involved in the passing game. Continue deploying him as a high-end RB1.

5) Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

6) Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

7) James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Minnesota Vikings)

8) Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (at Atlanta Falcons)

9) Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks (vs. New York Giants)

10) Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns (at Tennessee Titans)

11) Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles (at Green Bay Packers)

12) Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Buffalo Bills)

Mostert made his return to the 49ers’ lineup in Week 12, and although the yardage totals weren’t very impressive, he did find paydirt and his 18 touches were a good indicator that he’s at or near full health. In Week 13, the matchup will be much friendlier as the Bills are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points-per-game to opposing tailbacks this season. With Nick Mullens at quarterback, the 49ers will likely lean on the run as much as they can and this Monday’s matchup offers an opportunity to do so.

13) David Montgomery, Chicago Bears (vs. Detroit Lions)

14) Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

15) J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

Dobbins was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and he’ll be the preferred play from Baltimore’s backfield this week against the Cowboys. Without Mark Ingram and Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill handled backfield duties in Week 12 against the Steelers, and the two combined for only 45 yards on 18 carries, while Hill added two receptions for five yards. In Week 11 against the Titans, Dobbins handled 17 of the 22 running back touches and accumulated an impressive 85 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Against the Cowboys, who are allowing the sixth-most fantasy points-per-game to running backs, he is a solid RB2 play.

16) Devontae Booker, Las Vegas Raiders (at New York Jets)

Josh Jacobs has been ruled out for Sunday’s game, which means Booker will likely handle the majority of the backfield work for Las Vegas. Booker has been very good in a change-of-pace role this season, averaging 5.5 yards-per-carry on 59 rushing attempts and he’s scored three touchdowns in his last four games. In a game where the Raiders are favourites by more than a touchdown, the game script should lean heavily in favour of the run. Additionally, the Jets are allowing the 10th-most fantasy points-per-game to opposing tailbacks this season.

17) Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (at Baltimore Ravens)

18) Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts (at Houston Texans)

19) Wayne Gallman, New York Giants (at Seattle Seahawks)

20) Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts (at Houston Texans)

21) Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

22) Latavius Murray, New Orleans (at Atlanta Falcons)

For some reason unbeknownst to myself, Murray has played an equal number of snaps as Kamara (63) over the past two weeks. Maybe it has something to do with Kamara popping up on the injury report with a foot injury in recent weeks? This trend also coincides with Taysom Hill taking over under centre. Hill, unlike Drew Brees, hasn’t gotten Kamara involved in the passing game, as Kamara’s seen just three targets since the QB switch. Murray’s usage and success (34.60 fantasy points since Week 11) have put him into the RB2 conversation.

23) Damien Harris, New England Patriots (at Los Angeles Chargers)

24) Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos (at Kansas City Chiefs)

25) David Johnson, Houston Texans (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

Johnson is still on injured reserve, but he’s been practicing and it seems like he’ll be activated ahead of Sunday’s game. Duke Johnson Jr.’s poor showing in his absence likely means he’ll resume his position as the Texans’ lead back.

26) Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams (at Arizona Cardinals)

Akers was one of my top waiver wire recommendations this week because I think he’s becoming harder to ignore. Over the past two weeks, Darrell Henderson has handled 18 carries for a minuscule 24 yards and has caught two passes for four yards. Akers, over the same span, has registered 14 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown while also snagging one reception for a four-yard touchdown. Sure, the majority of that total came on a 61-yard rush, but I think too many people gloss over big plays such as this. Akers’ long scramble came on a day where Los Angeles was having a very difficult time moving the ball against the 49ers, and his effort was certainly better than what Henderson or Malcolm Brown supplied that afternoon. Since the Rams’ Week 9 bye week, Akers’ 24 touches are just a smidge lower than Henderson’s 28, which means he’s becoming a bigger part of the offense. If you need someone who has big-play upside, Akers is a boom-or-bust option for Week 13.

27) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals (at Miami Dolphins)

28) Frank Gore, New York Jets (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)

29) Zack Moss, Buffalo Bills (at San Francisco 49ers)

30) Benny Snell Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

WR

1) Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

2) Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

3) D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks (vs. New York Giants)

4) A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans (vs. Cleveland Browns)

5) Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

6) Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New England Patriots)

7) Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears (vs. Detroit Lions)

Robinson will look to have some of Will Fuller’s leftovers in Week 13, as now he gets a chance to line up across from Lions corner Amani Oruwariye. Oruwariye was responsible for covering Fuller on Thanksgiving Day, and he let the Texans’ receiver burn him for 152 yards on five receptions. Robinson will look to keep his momentum rolling into Week 13, as the Bears’ No. 1 wide receiver corralled eight of his 13 targets for 74 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers last week.

8) Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills (at San Francisco 49ers)

Diggs is as matchup-proof as they come, but he will have his hands full with Richard Sherman in Week 13. The Niners’ corner was primarily responsible for covering Robert Woods, and in his coverage, Woods only amassed four receptions for 38 yards, while Sherman also came away with an interception. Without John Brown, Diggs will still be a relied upon member of the Bills’ offense, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect a career day out of him this week.

9) Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

10) Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints (at Atlanta Falcons)

11) DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals (at Los Angeles Rams)

12) Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

13) Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)

14) Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks (vs. New York Giants)

Lockett fantasy managers likely aren’t pleased with his three catch, 24-yard performance from last week, but he definitely should remain in your lineup for Week 13. Lockett will mainly be covered by Darnay Holmes, and Holmes has had his fair share of struggles in coverage. In Week 9, Holmes let Cam Sims of the Football Team torch him for 143 yards on five receptions. Lockett will be the toughest assignment he has faced all season and I expect the Seahawks star receiver to win this battle and be someone Russell Wilson looks for all day.

15) DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

16) Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams (at Arizona Cardinals)

17) Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

Will Fuller V was suspended for six games after violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy, which now makes Cooks the Texans’ WR1. Cooks was already a weekly starter for fantasy managers, as the wideout has scored the 11th-most fantasy points at the position since Week 5. Now with Fuller out, Cooks will likely see his targets increase from the 7.1 per-game he’s been averaging. Given the lack of receiving threats surrounding Cooks, he should be able to see enough volume to remain a surefire WR2 and someone worth starting in a difficult matchup against the Colts, who are tied for allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points-per-game to wide receivers.

18) Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

19) Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (at Arizona Cardinals)

20) Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Buffalo Bills)

21) Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

22) Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns (at Tennessee Titans)

Landry was due for a major outing and he finally delivered in Week 12, securing eight of his 11 targets for 143 receiving yards and a touchdown. It seemed like getting away from the windy confines of FirstEnergy Stadium did the Browns’ passing game some good. Once again, Landry and the Browns will be on the road, playing the Titans in Nissan Stadium. Landry will likely be pinned up against Desmond King II, who has had mixed results since joining Tennessee. It’s a matchup I’m not shying away from as the Titans are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points-per-game to wide receivers in 2020.

23) Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys (at Baltimore Ravens)

24) Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (at Houston Texans)

25) Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills (at San Francisco 49ers)

26) CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys (at Baltimore Ravens)

27) Nelson Agholor, Las Vegas Raiders (at New York Jets)

Agholor (ankle) hasn’t practiced yet this week, but if he’s able to play, I really like his chances of having a big day against the Jets. Since Week 10, Agholor has led the team’s wide receivers in targets (19), receptions (13), and receiving yards (150). While tight end Darren Waller remains the No. 1 receiving option on the team, Agholor has emerged as the team’s top wideout. He’ll likely line up against Jets corner Bryce Hall, who was responsible for covering DeVante Parker of the Dolphins last week. Hall surrendered six receptions and 68 yards on 10 targets while covering Parker, according to PlayerProfiler. The Jets as a whole are tied for allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

28) JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

29) Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (at Seattle Seahawks)

30) Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans (vs. Cleveland Browns)

TE

1) Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

2) Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders (at New York Jets)

3) T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions (at Chicago Bears)

4) Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (at Green Bay Packers)

Goedert has been sensational for fantasy managers since returning from his injury in Week 8. Over the past two weeks, Goedert has seen 16 targets, which he has turned into 12 receptions, 152 yards and two touchdowns. Even with Zach Ertz’s looming return from injury, there’s no reason to expect Goedert to slow down. He’s fantasy football’s TE2 in fantasy points since Week 11 and Carson Wentz should once again rely heavily on his top tight end in Week 13.

5) Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New England Patriots)

6) Evan Engram, New York Giants (at Seattle Seahawks)

7) Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

After scoring 10 or more fantasy points just once from Week 6-Week 10, Tonyan has surpassed that plateau in each of the past two weeks. Like nearly every other tight end, Tonyan is touchdown dependent, but the Packers’ narrow passing-game tree gives him a somewhat bearable floor if he doesn’t reach the end zone. In what’s been a brutal year for the position in fantasy, Tonyan is the third-highest scoring tight end.

8) Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)

9) Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

10) Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys (at Baltimore Ravens)

11) Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

12) Noah Fant, Denver Broncos (at Kansas City Chiefs)

13) Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

Vikings tight end Irv Smith missed both Week 10 and Week 12’s matchup with an injury, and in both contests, Rudolph racked up 60+ receiving yards. Smith hasn’t practiced in the lead up to Week 13, which means there’s a strong possibility he can’t suit up. If that’s the case, Rudolph is serviceable as a low-end TE1.

14) Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns (at Tennessee Titans)

15) Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Buffalo Bills)

16) Jordan Akins, Houston Texans (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

Suddenly, the Texans don’t have a lot of receiving options at their disposal. Will Fuller V has been suspended for six games and Kenny Stills was recently waived. The team could lean on Akins to help supplement some of Fuller’s field-stretching capabilities, as the tight end has a reception of 20 yards or more in four of the eight games he has played this season. I’d rather take the wait-and-see approach with Akins before starting him, but he's an option if you’re desperate for help at the position

17) Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears (vs. Detroit Lions)

18) Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

19) Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts (at Houston Texans)

20) Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams (at Arizona Cardinals)

DEF

1. Miami Dolphins (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

3. Baltimore Ravens (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

4. Seattle Seahawks (vs. New York Giants)

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

6. Chicago Bears (vs. Detroit Lions)

7. Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

8. Green Bay Packers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

9. Las Vegas Raiders (at New York Jets)

10. New Orleans Saints (at Atlanta Falcons)

11. Buffalo Bills (at San Francisco 49ers)

12. Indianapolis Colts (at Houston Texans)

13. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New England Patriots)

14. Los Angeles Rams (at Arizona Cardinals)

15. Detroit Lions (at Chicago Bears)

16. Tennessee Titans (vs. Cleveland Browns)

17. Arizona Cardinals (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

18. Washington Football Team (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

19. Dallas Cowboys (at Baltimore Ravens)

20. New England Patriots (at Los Angeles Chargers)

K

1. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)

2. Rodrigo Blankenship, Indianapolis Colts (at Houston Texans)

3. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

4. Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

5. Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders (at New York Jets)

6. Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints (at Atlanta Falcons)

7. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

8. Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills (at San Francisco 49ers)

9. Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Washington Football Team)

10. Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks (vs. New York Giants)

11. Dan Bailey, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

12. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

13. Ka’Imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

14. Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Buffalo Bills)

15. Matt Prater, Detroit Lions (at Chicago Bears)

16. Zane Gonzalez, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

17. Michael Badgley, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New England Patriots)

18. Cody Parkey, Cleveland Browns (at Tennessee Titans)

19. Greg Zuerlein, Dallas Cowboys (at Baltimore Ravens)

20. Matt Gay, Los Angeles Rams (at Arizona Cardinals)

More coverage from Yahoo Sports