This article is part of our Four-Down Duel series.
Here's a look at some recommended plays on FanDuel for Week 13:
Quarterback
Peyton Manning, DEN, $8900 – Normally I don't profile expensive players such as Manning, although there are five quarterbacks with higher price tags. Manning has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the game with nine straight games of 270 passing yards or more. He has two fantasy-friendly wide receivers in Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, while Jacob Tamme and Joel Dressen offer two solid options at tight end to work over the middle. This week he has an excellent matchup at home against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. Tampa Bay comes into this game giving up 316 passing yards per game, good for dead last. Efficiency-wise they are not any better, giving up 8.4 yards per attempt, second-last to only New Orleans. The Tampa Bay offense has looked much better this season so there's a good chance the Bucs put up points and this game becomes a shootout.
Running Backs
Trent Richardson, CLE, $8200 – Richardson enters the week as the fifth-most expensive running back, but he has a good chance to return the highest point total among all of the running backs. Here's how opposing running backs have done against Oakland in recent weeks:
- BenJarvus Green-Ellis – 129 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 catch for 9 yards
- New Orleans 3 RBs – 134 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 4 catches for 29 yards
- Ray Rice/Bernard Pierce – 58 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 3 catches for 33 yards
- Doug Martin – 251 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, 4 catches for 21 yards
I mentioned the "committees" due to the fact that Richardson is one of the few true workhorses at running back and will get around 25-30 touches for the game. Plus Brandon Weeden is coming off a head injury, so the Browns should run a lot Sunday.
DeAngelo Williams, CAR, $4500 – It's kind of hard to recommend a running back who is only averaging 3.2 yards per carry this season. On top of that, Cam Newton is really the Panthers' goal line back and leads the team with six rushing touchdowns (vs. Williams' three). That being said, it appears Jonathan Stewart will miss Sunday's tilt against the Chiefs while he deals with an ankle injury. That means Williams should be the main ball carrier and earn some of the money from the massive contract Carolina gave him. Kansas City is nothing great on defense, as evidenced by giving up 4.5 yards per carry on the season. The key here is the price for Williams; $4500 is the rock bottom for any player in the Fanduel format.
Wide Receivers
Marques Colston, NO, $6800 and Roddy White, ATL, $7000 – While these two may appear as obvious picks, there are actually 12 other wide receivers that are more expensive this week. These two teams played each other just three weeks ago with the game ending in a final score of 31-27. Not surprisingly, the over/under for the Falcons/Saints game is 56, the highest one of Week 13. Therefore, this should be a game with plenty of fantasy goodness and it's possible that both players log around 100 receiving yards and find the end zone. Both are also good plays in tournament formats when other players will shell out more money for the likes of A.J. Green, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson. Also keep in mind that Colston and White will only be available in tourneys that include the Thursday night game.
Jarius Wright, MIN, $4900 – The price is right here (no pun intended) considering Wright has been the most targeted receiver for the Vikings while Percy Harvin has been out the last two games. Against a tough Bears defense last week, Wright had seven catches for 49 yards (8.4 FanDuel points) after posting three catches for 65 yards and a touchdown (14.0 FanDuel points) the previous week. At this point Harvin's status is unsure and playing against Green Bay doesn't look as daunting for Wright, as the Packers are missing Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews.
Tight End
Rob Housler, ARI, $4800 – It seems that every week I go out on a limb for the tight end position and this week will be no different. With Ryan Lindley taking over as the starting quarterback for the Cardinals, it's shouldn't be surprising that he looks a lot for former fellow backup Housler. Housler finished with 11 targets that he turned into eight catches for 88 yards, or 12.8 FanDuel points last week. Housler is a decent cheap option this week, especially considering how disappointing some of the higher-priced tight ends (Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates) have performed.
Defense
New York Jets – In case you're wondering, I did see that debacle of a team that was the Jets on Thanksgiving night. With the fallout of the Fireman Ed scandal, this could be a team that has hit it's lowest point of the season and should be written off. However, they get a fantastic home matchup this week against a Ryan Lindley-lead offense. This is the same Ryan Lindley that in less than two games has thrown two pick-sixes and had a fumble returned for a touchdown. Arizona's best weapon, Larry Fitzgerald, will be blanketed by Antonio Cromarti, and it's hard to not expect an interception from him if Lindley forces throws his way. On top of that, the Cardinals don't have a great pass protecting line and should give up at least a few sacks to a team that's had 10 days of rest and preparation.
