For those who are still not in the know, we do a weekly game-day roundtable Google Hangout on Sundays at 11:30am, EST. It’s a blast, and I for one enjoy the friendly, loose atmosphere where we answer fantasy questions, discuss biscuits and gravy, argue about just, precisely, how bad the Bears are against the tight end, and rage at one another for previous good or bad calls.
This week, I got a few interesting predictions quite correct on the show, but my biggest call of the week was ranking Jacquizz Rodgers over Michael Turner.
My philosophy has always been to avoid the bounds of conventional wisdom. While it is irrational and irresponsible to make outlandish claims just for the sake of doing so, it is equally foolish to restrict your rankings to the limits placed by strict adherence to “safe” wisdom and “standard” value decisions. If I had only followed my gut, for example, I would have played Cecil Shorts last week over Marques Colston... and you know what? It would have been correct.
So, use the rankings as a guide. Understand, I am uninhibited (some would say unhinged) when it comes to placing my own value system (which I create by numbering certain categories for each player and placing them into tiers) above the systems, rankings, or beliefs of others. And remember: headed into the fantasy playoffs, the most important thing to trust is yourself.
Top 75 Fantasy Football Flex Rankings
Week 13 Top 75
1. Arian Foster
2. Trent Richardson
3. Jamaal Charles
4. Adrian Peterson
5. Ray Rice
6. Doug Martin
7. CJ Spiller
8. AJ Green
9. Alfred Morris
10. Calvin Johnson
11. Marshawn Lynch
12. Jimmy Graham
13. Demaryius Thomas
14. Frank Gore
15. Tony Gonzalez
The Big Boys
Yeah. That’s really the way I’d rank them. Anyone who watched Monday Night Football this week fully understands why Jamaal Charles finds himself at number three on my list. I don’t think Kansas City has a better option than just handing him the ball a bunch and I think this week maybe they figure it out. If Bryce Brown can carve up the Panthers, Jamaal Charles can, too. Trent Richardson, who has been consistently good all season, now gets to run against the (very) bad Oakland Raiders. Peterson finds himself fourth purely by virtue of the softness of 2 and 3’s matchups. Tony Gonzalez- too high? Can he really repeat week 10’s 11-for-122 and two scores? Maybe not, but he’ll come close.
MORE: All of our fantasy rankings.
16. Julio Jones
17. Roddy White
18. Andre Johnson
19. Chris Johnson
20. Dez Bryant
21. Ahmad Bradshaw
22. Bryce Brown
23. Reggie Wayne
24. Brandon Marshall
25. Hakeem Nicks
26. Victor Cruz
27. Marques Colston
28. Wes Welker
29. Eric Decker
30. Stevan Ridley
Wish List, Part One: “Some Wants”
I really wanted to rank Stevan Ridley lower, but it’s hard to find names on the next tier to move above him. At the same time, I also wanted to move Bryce Brown higher- anyone who has watched him run would understand why- but don’t want to overreact to a small sample size. At 22, I think I’m doing his talent enough service. I also wanted to drop Chris Johnson a bit, but the same logic used for Stevan Ridley applies, methinks. Hakeem Nicks has a nice week and could be due for more of a late-season turnaround. Eric Decker gets a great matchup. I want to believe that he returns to his touchdown ways this week.
31. Mikel LeShoure
32. Jordy Nelson
33. Cecil Shorts
34. Vincent Jackson
35. Randall Cobb
36. Greg Jennings
37. Jason Witten
38. Pierre Garcon
39. Ryan Matthews
40. Steven Jackson
41. Jacquizz Rodgers
42. Darren Sproles
43. Matt Forte
44. Steve Johnson
45. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Late Season Risers
Pierre Garcon returned last week and made an immediate impact. I’m adding him where available. While it’s possible Garcon’s Thanksgiving day outburst is the last of his worthwhile fantasy contributions this season, he is also a proverbial “home-run hitter” who can win you your week or league. Greg Jennings, meanwhile, is set to return this week. The thinking is, he could be fresh from a month of rest and recovery and, perhaps most importantly, not taking game-day hits. Don’t underestimate the power of being fresh. Cecil Shorts has been... consistent? Shorts is more of a “all-season-long-riser.” Don’t look now, but BenJarvus Green-Ellis is kinda getting it done. Forte drops because of 1) TD-Vulture Michael Bush and 2) injuries. Oh, and VIVE LA QUIZZ.
46. Knowshon Moreno
47. Marcel Reece
48. Danario Alexander
49. Denarius Moore
50. Felix Jones
51. Reggie Bush
52. Steve Smith
53. Jonathan Dwyer
54. Michael Bush
55. Justin Blackmon
56. Torrey Smith
57. Fred Jackson
58. Beanie Wells
59. Larry Fitzgerald
60. Michael Turner
61. Owen Daniels
62. Vick Ballard
63. Dallas Clark
64. Danny Amendola
65. Lance Moore
66. Michael Crabtree
67. Ryan Broyles
68. Aaron Hernandez
69. Jeremy Maclin
70. James Starks
71. DeAngelo Williams
72. T.Y. Hilton
73. Malcom Floyd
74. Jermaine Gresham
75. Sidney Rice
Time to Get Serious
It’s playoff time. No mistakes, avoid questionable situations. Obviously, I’m staying away from all Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, and all Chiefs not named Jamaal Charles. I was hoping to avoid any Panthers running back, too, but with Jonathan Stewart likely out, DeAngelo Williams is a fairly reasonable low-end flex play, especially in deeper leagues. Also, for as long as the Titus Young suspension holds, Ryan Broyles is eminently startable. I know tight end is thin, but I just can’t bring myself around to start Vernon Davis. Bottom-end guys who may win you your week/league/get you into the playoffs? How about T.Y. Hilton (can explode at any moment), Jeremy Maclin (who else are they going to throw to?), and Aaron Hernandez (if he’s fully healthy, the Patriots use the tight end a ton).
As always, best of luck in week 13. You can tweet lineup questions, comments, rants, dissertations on the human condition, or stories about third grade P.E. to: @petethegreekff.
