Week 13 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

Fantasy managers have a couple more weeks to navigate before the fantasy football playoffs. And Week 13 is already looking like it may be a tricky one. Of course, we have the normal myriad of injuries we must deal with. But we also have our final installment of Byemaggedon. Six more teams are off this week, which drastically thins out the player pool. There have been weeks this season where I have ranked upwards of 300 players. However, there are less than 250 players included in this week’s rankings. And even quite a few of those are not highly recommended unless you are in desperation mode. Below are my Week 13 Flex rankings, based on half-PPR scoring.

Running Back Notes

When Jonathan Taylor was out earlier this season, and even after he was eased back into action upon his return, Zack Moss more than held his own for the Indianapolis Colts. Moss posted four top-10 weekly finishes from Week 2 through Week 6. He has been relatively quiet since then as Taylor has taken over the Colts’ backfield. However, Taylor injured his thumb last week and underwent surgery. He is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks, though he has not been placed on injured reserve by the club. In his absence, Moss should once again become the go-to back. Moss was still available in about 28 percent of Fantrax leagues last week, but he is this week’s top waiver priority. I consider Moss a borderline RB1 this week given the volume he is likely to receive.

Aaron Jones missed last week’s game due to an MCL injury. In his stead, AJ Dillon posted his second consecutive RB24 weekly finish. Dillon is nothing if not consistent. He has finished each of the last six weeks between RB21 and RB36. That makes him a reasonable Flex in most formats. Neither Jones nor Dillon practiced on Wednesday. The latter is dealing with a groin injury. Green Bay should have a favorable matchup on the ground this week. The Kansas City Chiefs are a run-funnel defense, ranking 27th in DVOA against the run but third against the pass. I ranked both Packers backs as if they will play, though we should get some clarity in the coming days. As things currently stand, I have both inside the top 60 overall in my Week 13 Flex rankings.

One player who I ranked comparatively low based on his weekly year-to-date production is De’Von Achane of the Miami Dolphins. Achane missed over a month due to a knee injury, then logged just one carry in his Week 11 return before going down again. He missed last week’s game and has practiced on a limited basis this week. With the upside he possesses and six NFL teams on a bye this week, fantasy managers may be hard-pressed to bench the young star. Just keep in mind that he is a highly volatile fantasy commodity. Miami will likely be cautious with him in a game they should win handily against an overmatched Washington Commanders defense. Washington is much better against the run than the pass, so Achane may not have the blowup game some might expect.

Wide Receiver Notes

Demario Douglas finished as the overall WR40 in fantasy last week, which is a minor miracle considering how bad New England’s quarterbacks played. Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe combined for just 143 yards on 35 attempts while throwing three interceptions. To make matters worse, Douglas is currently in the league’s concussion protocol. This is a situation to monitor, as the Patriots have little reason to push the issue. If Douglas plays, I would start him as a low-end WR3 or potential Flex. He has a solid matchup against a bottom-five Los Angeles Chargers defense. The Chargers have given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this year. If Douglas were to miss this contest, I suppose DeVante Parker would be the next man up, though I would be less confident about him returning solid fantasy value.

Another injury situation to monitor is Tee Higgins in Cincinnati. Higgins has not played since Week 9 while dealing with a hamstring injury. If and when he returns, he does so to a landscape that looks quite different without Joe Burrow. There are worse quarterbacks out there than Jake Browning, but he will not be able to replicate what Burrow did in the passing game. Over his final five full games, Burrow threw for 12 scores while averaging just under 300 passing yards per game. Even if Higgins plays, he is coming off a multiweek layoff and has a major downgrade at quarterback. The Bengals also do not play until Monday, which further complicates things. Fantasy managers should plan accordingly and have contingencies in place this week. Ja’Marr Chase is the only Bengal pass catcher I would start on Monday night.

Noah Brown returned to practice on Wednesday for the Houston Texans. That is a good sign after Brown missed the last two weeks with a knee ailment. Before the injury, Brown had consecutive games of 150 receiving yards. That type of production may not be replicated, but Houston has one of the most prolific air attacks in the NFL. They rank third in passing DVOA while placing just 27th on the ground. If Brown plays, he and the rest of the Texans’ wideouts should have a solid Week 13 matchup. Denver has been opportunistic defensively of late, but they still have the worst defensive DVOA in the league. That includes ranking 28th versus the pass. Brown is shaping up as a boom-or-bust Flex play in this matchup. I currently have him just outside the top 100 overall in my Week 13 Flex rankings.

Tight End Notes

After missing six weeks and earning just one target upon his return, Pat Freiermuth had a monster game last week. He set new career highs with nine catches and 120 receiving yards. While we may have just seen Freiermuth’s best game of 2023, I think he will be a solid fantasy player going forward. I do not consider it a coincidence that this breakout performance occurred the week after the Pittsburgh Steelers relieved former offensive coordinator Matt Canada of his duties. Freiermuth may have limited touchdown upside based on Pittsburgh having just seven passing touchdowns this year. But he should continue to be involved. I currently have Freiermuth ranked as my TE10, and he will likely be a low-end TE1 in 12-team leagues moving forward.

One of the biggest complaints of fantasy managers for most of the year was that Kyle Pitts was seemingly being passed over for Jonnu Smith. That was not exactly the case. Pitts was being targeted downfield, whereas Smith was being utilized more as a safety valve. But over the past two games, Smith has been nonexistent. The former Titan has just one catch for one yard on three targets, including a goose egg last week. The problem is that Pitts has not exactly thrived with Smith put on the back burner. Pitts has now finished five straight games outside the top 15 among tight ends in fantasy points. I am a glutton for punishment, so I naturally ranked Pitts as my TE12 for the week. The New York Jets have allowed six touchdowns to tight ends, tied for most in the league.

More Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty

Week 13 Flex Rankings