Optimize your Week 13 fantasy football lineups with these exploitable matchups.
Calvin Ridley vs. WAS
Ridley continued his strong second half of the season in Week 12 when he caught five of six targets for 93 yards. He has now played five games since DeAndre Hopkins was traded and has averaged an elite target share of 32% in those games. 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 over the past month. During this time, Levis ranks fourth among all QBs, averaging 9.6 yards per attempt.
This week, Ridley gets a favorable matchup against the Commanders. According to PFF, Washington ranks 29th in coverage this season and they allow the fifth-most touchdowns to wide receivers. The Titans are six-point underdogs this week, so they’re more likely to play from behind. If so, it could lead to more targets and production for Ridley. Make sure he’s in your lineup this week.
Jordan Addison vs. ARI
Addison has a big week against the Bears. He produced 162 yards on eight catches and found the end zone. Addison was the No. 1 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 he took advantage of it.
Addison has now finished as a top-24 receiver in three of his last four games. He has back-to-back games with at least eight targets and a touchdown. What’s most impressive about all of this is that he’s found so much success despite tough games against the Titans and Bears. But this week, Addison finally gets a good match. He will face the Cardinals this week, who are allowing the 10th-highest efficiency per passing game this season. Last week, Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 77 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. Expect Arizona to focus most of its attention on Jefferson and Addison to see a lot of one-on-one matchups again. He’s a start this week.
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Bucky Irving vs. CAR
Irving had a great game last week against the Giants, who are allowing the most rushing yards per game. We found him in the best spot of the week in week 12 and he came through for us. Irving converted 18 touches into 151 yards and a touchdown. He earned 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 gets another elite matchup against the Panthers. Carolina is allowing the most rushing yards per game and the second-most rushing touchdowns this season. Opposing backfields are averaging 29.3 fantasy points per game against the Panthers, the most in the league. Even if you’re at the running back position, make sure Irving is in your lineup this week.
Ladd McConkey vs. ATL
McConkey is coming off a rare game where he didn’t lead the Chargers in goal share. In Week 12, McConkey made 17% of the team’s goals in a strong game against the Ravens. He saw two fewer targets than teammate Josh Palmer. Despite this, McConkey still led the team with six catches and 83 yards. He has now averaged 103 yards over the past two weeks and continues to look great as a route runner. There’s a chance McConkey could improve even further on the Chargers given Quentin Johnston’s drop issues.
This week, the quality matchups continue 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 is allowing the seventh-most receiving yards per game and ranks 31st this season according to PFF; Justin Herbert should have plenty of time to throw this week. McConkey is once again among the top 20 and starts this week.
Rico Dowdle vs. NYG
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has claimed several times this season that Dowdle is the team’s leader. We’ve seen glimpses of Dowdle operating as the clear No. 1 at times this year, but Week 12 was the best performance we’ve seen for him this season. He played 64% of the snaps and made a season-high 70% of the backfield carries. This resulted in 98 total yards on 22 touches. Ezekiel Elliott only gained three yards on 12 snaps in this game. We finally saw the use of workhorses from Dowdle.
This expanded role comes at the perfect time. In Week 13, Dowdle will take on the Giants on Thanksgiving Day. According to NFL Pro, New York is allowing the most rushing yards per game this season. 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-plus yards. Dowdle is a top-24 RB this week and worth starting in most 12-team leagues.
