This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 13 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT and features 12 games, while the Washington-Pittsburgh and Buffalo-San Francisco games are both scheduled for Monday, and Dallas-Baltimore has been moved to Tuesday. Additionally, the Panthers and Buccaneers are the league's last two teams to take their bye week. Some of the standout Week 13 options include a couple of streaking deep threats, a pair of players who looked spry in returning from hamstring injuries last week, and a productive yet affordable quarterback who continues to fly under the radar.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Kirk Cousins, MIN vs. JAX ($30): Cousins has quietly turned his season around after a dreadful start, posting an 11:1 TD:INT in his last four games after sitting at a 12:10 ratio through his first seven. Jacksonville has lost 10 consecutive games but came within four points in three of its last four, so there's a good chance this one stays close and keeps Cousins throwing against a Jaguars secondary that's allowing 279.5 passing yards per game -- fourth most in the league. With OC Gary Kubiak describing workhorse running back Dalvin Cook as "beat up" earlier this week, the team will likely look to Cousins and the passing game to lead the offense in this favorable matchup.
RB: Jonathan Taylor, IND at HOU ($24): Taylor spent last week on the reserve/COVID-19 list and has been held to fewer than 30 rushing yards in three of his last four games played, but he could easily outperform his $24 valuation here nonetheless. Nyheim Hines handled lead back duties in Taylor's absence last week, but Hines profiles as more of a change-of-pace back and has mustered just 31 rushing yards on 16 carries (1.9 YPC) over the past two weeks, while Jordan Wilkins has rushed for more than 40 yards only once all season. The Texans have allowed a league-high 1,564 rushing yards to running backs and are tied with the Lions for the most rushing touchdowns allowed to the position (14), so whichever running back gets the bulk of the work on the ground for Indianapolis should deliver a strong performance, and a well-rested Taylor is the leading candidate to be that guy.
WR: DK Metcalf, SEA vs. NYG ($31): Metcalf has been an unstoppable force at home this season, finding the end zone in all five home games to date for a line of 29 catches for 502 yards and seven touchdowns on 45 targets. While James Bradberry is having a terrific season at cornerback for the Giants, Metcalf's elite speed in a 6-4, 229-pound frame makes him a challenge to cover for anybody, plus Tyler Lockett is no slouch opposite Metcalf and pulls a fair amount of defensive attention himself.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Deshaun Watson (HOU, $31), Kyler Murray (ARI, $36), Cam Newton (NE, $29)
RB: James Robinson (JAX, $30), Kenyan Drake (ARI, $19), DeAndre Washington (MIA, $16)
WR: Brandin Cooks (HOU, $18), Michael Pittman (IND, $18), Robert Woods (LAR, $27)
TE: Evan Engram (NYG, $16), Ryan Izzo (NE, $10)
DST: Indianapolis Colts (at HOU, $18), Las Vegas Raiders (at NYJ, $14)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
QUARTERBACK
Ryan Tannehill, TEN vs. CLE ($30): It's rare for quarterbacks -- especially good ones -- to be overshadowed by running backs in today's NFL, but that's exactly the case for Tannehill next to Derrick Henry in Tennessee's offense. Henry deserves much of the credit and has powered in 12 touchdowns, but Tannehill has a sparkling 23:4 TD:INT this season, improving on the 22:6 mark he posted after taking over as Tennessee's starter last season. The quarterback's efficiency should lead to another productive outing in the game with Sunday's highest over/under (54 points). Cleveland's 22 passing touchdowns allowed to quarterbacks are just two shy of Dallas' league-high total, while running backs have mustered only eight rushing scores against the Browns, so the pendulum's likely to swing back Tannehill's way after Henry ran roughshod over the Colts to the tune of three touchdowns last week.
RUNNING BACK
David Montgomery, CHI vs. DET ($17): Those who rolled the dice on Montgomery last week against the Packers were rewarded with 143 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 16 touches, and Chicago's lead back is primed to build on that performance at home against a Lions team that has allowed the second-most scrimmage yards (1,722) and the most touchdowns (21) to running backs this season. Montgomery will be a key part of the reeling Bears offense either as a runner in a close game or as a pass-catcher if Chicago falls behind like it did last week, and the Lions have been susceptible to both kinds of production out of the backfield, with at least a share of the league lead in both rushing (14) and receiving (seven) touchdowns allowed to running backs.
Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. NE ($27): Ekeler was leading the league in scrimmage yards prior to getting hurt, and he picked up right where he left off in last week's return from a hamstring injury, rushing 14 times for 44 yards while catching 11 of 16 targets for another 85. Now that he's healthy, Ekeler's unlikely to stay priced below eight alternatives at his position for long, and he's primed to carve up a Patriots defense that just allowed a pair of rushing touchdowns to Arizona's Kenyan Drake last week.
WIDE RECEIVER
Tyreek Hill, KC vs. DEN ($34): Grabbing Hill now is like investing in Tesla or Bitcoin. It makes sense to doubt whether he can maintain his torrid recent pace, but there's undeniable FOMO (fear of missing out) in staying away from a guy who has 582 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his last four games, as well as 33 catches on a whopping 47 targets over the past three. Hill's price has unsurprisingly climbed to a season-high $34, and it's possible Kansas City gets up big early and doesn't need much from Hill, but his upside is unmatched heading into a home matchup against a Denver defense that's allowing 27.4 points per road game despite facing a pair of bottom-six offenses in its five away tilts.
Breshad Perriman, NYJ vs. LV ($16): Perriman's finally healthy and rounding into form just in time to make a second consecutive late-season push. He finished his Buccaneers tenure with 419 yards and five touchdowns over his last four games, and the speedster is in the midst of a comparable stretch in New York, with 234 yards and three touchdowns in his last three contests. Perriman tied a season high with eight targets from Sam Darnold last week and should have plenty of opportunities to get behind a Raiders defense that's battling injuries in the secondary and has allowed 78 points in the last two games. The winless Jets probably don't have the capability to torch the Vegas defense like the Chiefs and Falcons did, but New York will likely fall behind and keep looking Perriman's way downfield in the passing game.
Deebo Samuel, SF vs. BUF ($22): Like Ekeler for another California-based team, Samuel didn't skip a beat in his return from a hamstring injury last week, catching 11 of 13 passes for 133 yards. Samuel should serve as the focal point of the passing game for the injury-riddled 49ers moving forward, and coach Kyle Shanahan is an expert at scheming the ball into the physical wide receiver's hands with space to work. Deebo should keep rolling against a Bills defense that hasn't been as stout as years past, allowing 25.6 points per game overall and surrendering over 100 yards and a touchdown to the opposition's No. 1 receiver twice in the last three games. He's a solid option for contests that span the entire week.
TIGHT END
Mike Gesicki, MIA vs. CIN ($15): Gesicki has showcased a consistent floor recently regardless of whether it's Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tua Tagovailoa (thumb) under center for Miami, recording at least 40 receiving yards in three consecutive games before totaling 35 yards and his third touchdown of the season in last week's win over the Jets. Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe both vulture the occasional short score, but Gesicki is by far the most athletically gifted member of Miami's tight end room, which is why the Dolphins selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft. His playmaking ability should be on full display against a Bengals defense that has allowed a league-high 718 receiving yards to tight ends, along with six touchdowns.
DEFENSE
Green Bay Packers, GB vs. PHI ($17): This unit proved capable of capitalizing on a favorable matchup last week, scoring a season-high 15.0 fantasy points against the Bears while recording at least one sack, interception and fumble recovery for the third time in four games. More sacks and turnovers should follow in this favorable home matchup against an Eagles offense that has surrendered the most sacks (46) while totaling the second-most interceptions (15) and third-most turnovers (21). With Carson Wentz regressing before our eyes and Jalen Hurts usurping valuable practice reps while being limited to a gadget role on game days, Philadelphia's unlikely to turn things around in the cold confines of Lambeau Field.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Taysom Hill (NO, $32), Patrick Mahomes (KC, $40), Derek Carr (LV, $28)
RB: Aaron Jones (GB, $31), Frank Gore (NYJ, $14), James White (NE, $17)
WR: Justin Jefferson (MIN, $26), A.J. Brown (TEN, $25), Jarvis Landry (CLE, $15)
TE: Darren Waller (LV, $24), Kyle Rudolph (MIN, $12)
DST: Miami Dolphins (vs. CIN, $21), Detroit Lions (at CHI, $11)
