Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit: Trust Jordan Addison again in Week 13

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’s now played five games since DeAndre Hopkins was traded and has averaged an elite 32% target share across these contests. 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 benefitted from Will Levis playing better the past month. During this time, Levis ranks fourth among all QBs, averaging 9.6 yards per attempt.

This week, Ridley gets a beneficial matchup against the Commanders. Washington ranks 29th in coverage this season according to PFF and they allow the fifth-most touchdowns to wide receivers. The Titans are six-point underdogs this week so there’s an increased chance they play from behind. If so, this could lead to more targets and production for Ridley. Make sure he’s in your lineup this week.

Jordan Addison vs. ARI

Addison is coming off 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 on the entire week after this career-high performance. He benefitted from the Bears focusing most of their attention on Justin Jefferson. This allowed Addison to see plenty of one-on-one matchups and he took advantage of these.

Addison has now finished as a top-24 receiver in three of his last four games. He’s coming off back-to-back games of at least eight targets and a touchdown. The most impressive part about all of this is he’s found so much success despite difficult matchups against the Titans and Bears. But this week Addison finally gets a good matchup. He’ll face the Cardinals this week who allow the 10th most efficiency per passing play this season. Last week, Jaxon Smith-Njigba totaled 77 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. Expect Arizona to focus most of their attention on Jefferson and for Addison to see lots of one-on-one matchups again. He’s a start this week.

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Bucky Irving vs. CAR

Irving had a great matchup last week against the Giants who allow the most rushing yards per play. We deemed him to be in the best spot of the week in Week 12 and he came through for us. Irving turned 18 touches into 151 total yards and a touchdown. He posted 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 allows the most rushing yards per game and second-most rushing touchdowns this season. Opposing backfields average 29.3 fantasy points per game against the Panthers, the most in the league. Even if you’re loaded 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 target share. In Week 12, McConkey earned 17% of the team’s targets in a strong matchup 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’s now averaging 103 yards the past two weeks and continues to look great as a route runner. There’s a chance the Chargers feature McConkey even more moving forward 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 allows the seventh most receiving yards per game and ranks 31st in pressure this season according to PFF; Justin Herbert should have plenty of time to throw this week. McConkey is once again a top-20 option and start this week.

Rico Dowdle vs. NYG

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has claimed multiple times this season that Dowdle is the team’s lead. We’ve seen glimpses of Dowdle operating as the clear No. 1 at times this year, but Week 12 was the best usage we’ve seen for him this season. He played 64% of the snaps and handled a season-high 70% of the backfield carries. This resulted in 98 total yards on 22 touches. Ezekiel Elliott earned just three yards on 12 snaps in this game. We finally saw workhorse usage out of Dowdle.

This increased role comes at the perfect time. In Week 13, Dowdle will take on the Giants on Thanksgiving Day. New York allows the most rushing yards per play this season according to NFL Pro. 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+ yards. Dowdle is a top-24 RB this week and worth starting in most 12-team leagues.