We saw some big-time mismatches in the trenches during Week 12, leading to some surprising results. Over the holiday weekend, there were a few good games, lots of bad ones, and an overtime thriller between Philadelphia and Buffalo, with Jalen Hurts (QB – Eagles) leading the Eagles on a game-winning drive with a walk-off rushing touchdown to extend their record to 10-1. Now, let’s briefly recap some of the matchups highlighted in last week’s edition of this article before we dive into matchups on tap during the Week 13 slate.
David Montgomery (RB – Lions) was able to score against the Packers in his second head-to-head matchup this season, totaling four rushing touchdowns against Green Bay, while Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – Lions) handled a similar workload but didn’t manage to find the end zone. We were right on the money for Dallas’ defensive line controlling Washington’s porous offensive line unit, as the Cowboys routed the Commanders 45-10, but neither Washington running back found the end zone despite Dallas’ run defense being a weakness. Instead, Sam Howell (QB – Commanders) plowed ahead for a one-yard touchdown run for the Commanders only touchdown of the game.
Garrett Wilson (WR – Jets) managed to score a late garbage time touchdown against the Dolphins to produce 13.9 points for fantasy managers, while Breece Hall (RB – Jets) was held to 8.4 fantasy points. Miami’s defense is legitimate and caused plenty of problems for a short-handed, porous Jets offensive line.
Defensive matchups highlighted were a bit surprising, as Cleveland’s defense allowed Denver to score three touchdowns, including two on the ground, in a lopsided 29-12 loss on the road to a Broncos team that has now won five consecutive games. Russell Wilson (QB – Broncos), Adam Trautman (TE – Broncos), and Samaje Perine (RB – Broncos) found the end zone instead of Javonte Williams (RB – Broncos), Jerry Jeudy (WR – Broncos), and Courtland Sutton (WR – Broncos) who were referenced as potential touchdown scorers in last week’s article.
We were dialed into Philadelphia’s defensive line against the Bills’ run game, as James Cook (RB – Bills) managed 13 points with most of his production coming from seven targets, while Gabe Davis (WR – Bills) logged 19.5 points, outperforming Stefon Diggs (WR – Bills) and Dalton Kincaid (TE – Bills). Lastly, Houston’s pass defense didn’t hold up against Calvin Ridley (WR – Jaguars), allowing Jacksonville’s WR1 to log 19.4 points with 5-89-1, while Trevor Lawrence’s (QB – Jaguars) usage as a ball carrier in the red zone kept Travis Etienne (RB – Jaguars) to 10.6 points despite. favorable matchup.
NFL fantasy analyst Matt MacKay returns to share his latest offensive and defensive line rankings. We’ll cover key matchups in Week 13, which has six teams on Bye, creating more chaos for setting fantasy lineups in the final stretch before the fantasy playoffs begin in Week 15. Let’s discover which offensive and defensive line units rank inside the top-five before analyzing a few key matchups to target or avoid in fantasy football during Week 13.
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Offensive Line Rankings & Matchups
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Detroit Lions
Key Week 13 Matchups
Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys
Seattle’s offensive line unit has been banged up for the majority of the season, and now, on a short week, they travel to face Dallas’ top-five defense. The Seahawks have surrendered a 6.7 percent sack rate, 12th-most in the league. Plus, their run game has been less than ideal, averaging 4.1 YPC and only seven rushing touchdowns this season.
Rookie Zach Charbonnet (RB – Seahawks) will earn touches, along with D.K. Metcalf (WR -Seahawks), who has seen 9-12 targets in three straight contests. However, both players draw bottom-three matchups on a short week. Micah Parsons (LB/EDGE – Cowboys), DeMarcus Lawrence (DE – Cowboys), and the rest of Dallas’ front-seven will be too much for Seattle to endure, bumping their top skilled players down to RB3 and WR3 value in Week 13.
New York Jets vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Jets’ offensive line is playing its reserves at most positions right now, which doesn’t aid the lackluster quarterback play in the backfield. Factor in Atlanta’s defensive line, which generates a 23.6 percent pressure rate, ranked inside the top-ten for the league, and the outlook for Jets fantasy players gets even gloomier. Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson are the only assets to consider in fantasy lineups in Week 13, however, both are downgraded to RB3 and WR3 territory due to bottom-ten matchups against a quality Falcons’ defense. Wilson is the preferred start over Hall, who has logged under 10 fantasy points in three of his past four games, versus Wilson, who has hit 13 points in two of his past three matchups with two bad quarterbacks.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers
We’ve seen the Chiefs offensive line play well this season but their numbers are a bit skewed due to Patrick Mahomes’ (QB – Chiefs) mobility inside and outside of the pocket. Green Bay is quickly ascending as a defensive line unit, ranked seventh in pressure rate (24.7%), fifth in quarterback knockdown percentage (10.6%), and seventh in hurry rate at 9.2 percent. Rashan Gary (LB/EDGE – Packers), Devonte Wyatt (DE – Packers), and Kenny Clark (DT – Packers) are some of the most notable players along the Packers’ front-seven, which could disrupt early and often to keep Mahomes out of sync. Isiah Pacheco (RB – Chiefs) remains a high-end RB2 against a top-ten fantasy run defense, however, Rashee Rice (WR – Chiefs) and Travis Kelce (TE – Chiefs) get bumped down a level due to the talent residing in Green Bay’s secondary.
Defensive Line Rankings & Matchup
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Green Bay Packers
5. New York Jets
Key Week 13 Matchups
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
T.J. Watt (DE – Steelers) and the rest of Pittsburgh’s defensive line should feast against Arizona in Week 13. The Cardinals are averaging a 7.7 percent sack rate this season, ranked 11th-highest, while the Steelers are relentless on defense, ranking inside the top-ten for pressure rate (23.2%), quarterback knock down rate (9.7%), and third-best in rushing touchdowns (6) allowed entering Week 13.
Kyler Murray (QB – Cardinals) and James Conner (RB – Cardinals), who faces his former team, both get downgraded, while Marquise Brown (WR – Cardinals) and Greg Dortch (WR – Cardinals) should see more volume in a fairly good matchup against a young but improving Pittsburgh secondary. Trey McBride (TE – Cardinals) remains in lineups as a low-end TE1 in a bottom-ten matchup against Pittsburgh on the road in Week 13.
Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders
Losing Jaelen Phillips (LB – Dolphins) is not ideal for Miami but its defense remains stout under DC Vic Fangio. Now, the Dolphins travel to face the Washington offense, which has allowed 55 sacks through 12 games. Sam Howell is frequently playing in a deficit, giving Miami plenty of time to prepare its pass rush, along with Jalen Ramsey (CB – Dolphins) headlining a talented secondary waiting to feast on errant passes downfield.
The Dolphins are a bottom-six fantasy running back matchup, downgrading Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – Commanders) and Antonio Gibson (RB – Commanders) into low-end RB2 and RB3 territory, while the pass defense still allows big explosives on occasion, keeping players like Curtis Samuel (WR – Commanders), Terry McLaurin (WR – Commanders), and Jahan Dotson (WR – Commanders) as Flex options with WR2 upside.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers
Undoubtedly the game of the week, featuring a 2022 NFC Championship game rematch, Philadelphia’s defensive line going up against San Francisco’s offensive line is the key matchup in this contest. Trent Williams’ (LT – 49ers) return to the lineup has vastly improved the 49ers’ offense against opponents like Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Seattle. Now, he’ll face a huge test against the likes of Haason Reddick (LB/EDGE – Eagles), Brandon Graham (DE – Eagles), and the rest of the Eagles’ elite pass rush.
Philadelphia’s defense is the toughest matchup for fantasy running backs, while presenting the best matchup for fantasy football wide receivers and a top-eight matchup for fantasy tight ends. Therefore, Brandon Aiyuk (WR – 49ers), Deebo Samuel (WR – 49ers), and George Kittle (TE – 49ers) all get bumped up, especially with how well Brock Purdy (QB – 49ers) has been playing since coming out of their Week 9 Bye. Christian McCaffery (RB – 49ers) is virtually matchup-proof, and his pass-catching volume keeps him in fringe RB1 territory, but it’ll be much more difficult to hit 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns, which he accomplished against the porous Seattle run defense in Week 12.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.