By: Pierce Barker

After a brilliant display of quarterbacking last week against Arizona, the Chargers are expected to have a high scoring game against Pittsburgh.

After a somewhat weird Week 12, Week 13 is finally upon us. First, a quick recap last week's plays. Big hits: Lamar Jackson, Sony Michel, Julio Jones. Big misses: Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara. If you followed last week’s guide, you may have realized that many of those plays turned out in fantasy owners’ favor, while others did not (Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara), but who could have predicted that four undrafted free agents would score touchdowns on Thanksgiving night? It always hurts when your value plays out-perform your big money players, but beside that, let’s hop right into this week’s fantasy game of the week, value plays, and top 3 PPR plays in each position.

Fantasy Game of the Week: Los Angeles Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

USC product, Juju Smith-Schuster, and the Steelers figure to put up a lot of points on Sunday Night Football against the Bolts.

For the game of the week, the Chargers travel to Pittsburgh to duel with the Steelers in a huge game for both teams. With stars lined up across the board, the Chargers might be without star running back Melvin Gordon III, perhaps their biggest star and one of the most underrated running backs in the league. Austin Ekeler, who shined in the beginning of the season, will be in to start and replace Gordon if he can’t go on Sunday night. Ekeler is a big time threat in PPR leagues due to his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and line up in the slot. These two high powered offenses are in for a shoot out, which means WRs such Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Keenan Allen should be in for big days. Perhaps the most underappreciated piece of this Chargers’ offense is WR Tyrell Williams, a big play threat who is capable of breaking one off at any time. Despite Tyrell not recording a catch last week, look for him to make an impact.

Play of the game: Keenan Allen is the big time play here, who along with most Charger players, is extremely underrated. He may be shadowed by Joe Haden most of the game, but Haden is not the player he once was. Expect a big game out of Keenan Allen with some explosive plays to a secondary that let up some big yardage to Denver WR, Emmanuel Sanders, last week.

Value Plays:

Chargers RB, Austin Ekeler, is a huge value play this week against Pittsburgh.

Austin Ekeler- RB Chargers vs Steelers (5,400 FanDuel 5,400 DraftKings)

At 5,400 for both sites, Austin Ekeler is an absolute snipe this week. A great reception back, look for the Chargers to put Ekeler in the slot to expose the matchup with the Steelers linebackers. Ekeler has huge upside this week, and look for him to have a big game against a team that has struggled with Leonard Fournette and Phillip Lindsay in back-to-back weeks.

Gus Edwards- RB Ravens vs Falcons (6,400 FanDuel 4,800 DraftKings)

It’s hard not to put Gus Edwards back on this list, as the rookie has back to back 100 yard games and shows no sign of slowing down. Going against a horrible Atlanta defense, expect Edwards to get upwards of 20 carries once again, regardless of if Jackson or Flacco starts

D.J. Moore- WR Panthers vs Buccaneers (6,400 FanDuel 5,600 DraftKings)

After a somewhat slow start to the season, D.J. Moore has come alive in recent weeks. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner has been able to use Moore’s wide range of skills with designed runs and Cam Newton has also been looking for him in the passing game. With him finally living up to his first round pedigree and with the Panthers in a must win situation against a bad Buccaneers defense, expect the explosive rookie to put some points on the board.

PPR Plays of The Week:

QBs:

Quarterback, Deshaun Watson, looks to continue his recent hot stretch this week against Cleveland.

Cam Newton- Panthers vs Buccaneers

Losers of 3 straight, the Panthers are in absolute must-win territory against the disappointing Tampa Bay Buccaneers if they hope to keep pace in the NFC Wild Card race. The Buccaneers have a historically bad defense against the pass, so look for Cam to do work not only through the air, but possibly some goal line runs as well. Newton is a must play if possible this week.

Lamar Jackson- Ravens vs Falcons

Lamar Jackson makes the list for the second straight week. Don’t get things twisted, Jackson may not be a great NFL quarterback by any means, but in fantasy terms, he is everything you can ask for. You get rewarded more points for rushing yards and rushing TDs than passing yards and passing TDs, which makes the young Jackson a good candidate against this struggling Falcons team. If Joe Flacco and him split snaps, which may be the case, wipe him off all boards. But for right now, continue to roll the dice with Lamar Jackson.

Deshaun Watson- Texans vs Browns

During Week 12 on Monday Night Football, we saw just how dynamic Deshaun Watson really is, not only through the air, but with his feet as well. The Texans are winners of 8 straight looking to make it 9 against a Browns defense that ranks among the NFL’s worst. Deshaun’s explosiveness will be on display once again on this Sunday afternoon against the Browns.

RBs:

Undrafted, surprise standout, Phillip Lindsay, looks to continue his marvelous rookie season this week against an awful Cincinnati defense.

Christian McCaffrey- Panthers vs Buccaneers

Rock with a Panthers stack this week. Week in and week out, the explosive McCaffrey shows his dominance not only on the ground, but through the air. He is a matchup nightmare wherever the Panthers line him up, and will continue to be this week against the Buccaneers.

Phillip Lindsay- Broncos vs Bengals

Phillip Lindsay has quietly been a top 10 back all season. Coming out of the University of Colorado, Lindsay has helped propel the Broncos back into the playoff picture with huge games as of late. The undrafted free agent rookie has been one of the most explosive players in football, and will continue that trend this week against a Bengals team that is slowly falling apart.

Kareem Hunt- Chiefs vs Raiders

Last week, the Ravens ran all over the Raiders, and fans should expect to see Hunt do that this week as well. The Chiefs should run the score up early on in the game against the horrendous Raiders and turn to the ground game, so don't be surprised to see Kareem Hunt end up with upwards of 100 yards and punch in a couple of scores. Roll with Hunt as the most valuable offensive Chief this weekend in Oakland.

WRs:

Elite receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, should torch a weak Browns secondary this weekend.

Keenan Allen- Chargers vs Steelers

Keenan Allen is a big time performer and seems to come up big for the Chargers when they need a big play. Playing on Sunday Night Football this week, Allen should embrace the big stage and have a nice fantasy performance. Look for Allen to torch Joe Haden all game and put on a show during this potential shootout between elite offenses.

DeAndre Hopkins- Texans vs Browns

DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best WRs in football, should have a field day against this Browns’ secondary. Yes, Browns rookie corner Denzel Ward has been a shutdown corner thus far in his career, but he gives up almost 30 pounds to DeAndre Hopkins, who is the most physical WR in football. This will be a good matchup to watch, but ultimately, Hopkins will come out the winner.

Stefon Diggs- Vikings vs Patriots

Back on the list again after a big Sunday Night Football win against the Packers, Diggs is looking to repeat the same success he did in Week 12. With Stephon Gilmore expected to shadow opposite WR, Adam Thielen, most of the game, Diggs should be able to put up big numbers against this Patriots’ secondary. The Vikings are in need of a big win and in order for that to happen, Stefon Diggs is going to need to have a big day to upset the Patriots in Foxborough.

Week 13 Fantasy Football Guide