Table of Contents
Optimize your Week 13 fantasy football lineups with these exploitable matchups.
Calvin Ridley vs. ERA
Ridley continued his strong second half of the season in Week 12 when he caught five of six targets for 93 yards. He’s now played five games since DeAndre Hopkins was traded and has averaged an elite 32% target share in these contests. Since Week 8, Ridley has averaged 14 fantasy points per game, which ranks eighth among all receivers, ahead of Puka Nacua and Terry McLaurin. Ridley has benefited from Will Levis playing better last month. During this time, Levis ranks fourth among all QBs, averaging 9.6 yards per attempt.
This week, Ridley will have a beneficial matchup against the Commanders. Washington ranks 29th in coverage this season according to PFF and they allow the fifth-most touchdowns to wide receivers. The Titans are underdogs by six points this week, so there’s a greater chance they play from behind. If so, this could lead to more targets and production for Ridley. Make sure he’s in your lineup this week.
Jordan Addison vs. ARI
Addison is coming off a big week against the Bears. He produced 162 yards on eight receptions and found the end zone. Addison was the number one fantasy receiver all week after this career-high performance. He benefited from the Bears focusing most of their attention on Justin Jefferson. This allowed Addison to see a lot of one-on-one matchups and she took advantage of them.
Addison has now finished as a top-24 receiver in three of his last four games. He is coming off consecutive games of at least eight goals and a touchdown. The most impressive part of all of this is that he has had a lot of success despite tough matchups against the Titans and Bears. But this week Addison finally gets a good matchup. They’ll face the Cardinals this week, who allow the 10th-highest efficiency per pass play this season. Last week, Jaxon Smith-Njigba totaled 77 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. Expect Arizona to focus most of its attention on Jefferson and for Addison to once again see plenty of one-on-one matchups. It’s a start this week.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube either wherever you listen.
Bucky Irving vs. the CAR
Irving had a great matchup last week against the Giants, who allow the most rushing yards per play. We thought he was in the best spot of the week in Week 12 and he helped us. Irving turned 18 touches into 151 total yards and a touchdown. He posted his first top-five finish of the season and even saw an improvement in his receiving game usage. The Bucs rookie ran 59% of the team’s routes, his second-highest mark in a game this season, leading to six receptions.
This week, Irving will have another elite matchup against the Panthers. Carolina allows the most rushing yards per game and the second-most rushing touchdowns this season. Opposing backfields average 29.3 fantasy points per game against the Panthers, the most in the league. Even if you’re loaded at running back, make sure Irving is in your lineup this week.
Ladd McConkey vs. ATL
McConkey is coming off a rare game in which he didn’t lead the Chargers in target percentage. In Week 12, McConkey got 17% of the team’s targets in a strong matchup against the Ravens. He saw two fewer goals than teammate Josh Palmer. Despite this, McConkey still led the team with six receptions and 83 yards. He’s now averaging 103 yards over the past two weeks and continues to look excellent as a route runner. There’s a chance the Chargers feature McConkey even more in the future given Quentin Johnston’s falling issues.
Quality matchups continue this week for McConkey against the Falcons. The last time we saw Atlanta was in Week 10 before their bye, when they gave up 307 yards and four touchdowns to Bo Nix and the Broncos. Atlanta allows the seventh-most receiving yards per game and ranks 31st in pressure this season according to PFF; Justin Herbert should have plenty of time to pitch this week. McConkey is once again a top 20 option and starts this week.
Rico Dowdle vs. NYG
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has stated several times this season that Dowdle is the team’s leader. We’ve seen flashes of Dowdle operating as the clear No. 1 at times this year, but Week 12 was the best use we’ve seen for him this season. He played 64% of the snaps and handled a season-high 70% of the backfield carries. This resulted in 98 total yards on 22 touches. Ezekiel Elliott gained just three yards on 12 plays in this game. We finally saw the use of Dowdle as a workhorse.
This expanded role comes at the perfect time. In Week 13, Dowdle will face the Giants on Thanksgiving Day. New York allows the most rushing yards per play this season according to NFL Pro. Last week, Bucky Irving totaled 151 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. Irving averaged 8.4 yards per touch against this New York defense that allows the second most explosive runs of 10+ yards. Dowdle is a top 24 RB this week and is worth starting in most 12-team leagues.