Fantasy football, NFL Week 13: Top Arizona Cardinals fantasy options vs. Atlanta Falcons

This post comes from Justin Becker of FantasyFootballOverdose.com. You can follow him on Twitter @NBAandNFLInfo or on the Fantasy Football Overdose Google+ Page, and for more NFL Fantasy Projections visit Fantasy Football Overdose

The Arizona Cardinals took a nose dive on offense in week 12, as they managed just three points on the road against what currently looks like a better Seattle Seahawks team. Fantasy football owners couldn’t have expected fireworks from a Drew Stanton-led offense, though, and will have much more hope for Arizona’s fantasy options when they head to Atlanta to take on the Falcons in week 13.

To gauge which Cardinals options you can actually feel confident about this week, let’s rank them based on fantasy value:

Andre Ellington (RB)

Arizona’s running game has been pretty shaky lately, and Ellington has been a big reason why. While the blocking hasn’t really been there and Drew Stanton’s presence doesn’t do him any favors, Ellington still just hasn’t been getting the job done with three straight games with 2.4 yards per carry or less. He should be in for a nice rebound game in Atlanta this week, however, as the Falcons are one of the worst defenses in the league when it comes to allowing fantasy points to running backs.

Michael Floyd (WR)

Floyd scored two touchdowns in Week 11 and followed that solid performance up by getting blanked (zero catches on two targets) in Week 12. The matchup obviously wasn’t any good, but that’s now two games for Floyd without a reception on the year. While his targets and production have left a lot to be desired too often in 2014, he does have a real shot at some solid numbers this week when he takes on a porous Falcons defense. You should be able to use him with some confidence as a high upside WR3.

Drew Stanton (QB)

There’s no denying Stanton was dreadful in Week 12, but he was on the road against a tough defense and his team didn’t give him much help. Considering the Falcons are one of the softer defenses in the league, Week 13 should be much better for anyone thinking about using Stanton. He does have a couple of solid outings under his belt, so 200+ yards and 1-2 touchdowns isn’t impossible. However, if you’re relying on Stanton to get you to the fantasy playoffs or further, you might be in for a world of hurt.

John Brown (WR)

Brown is surprisingly the best fantasy receiver in Arizona these days (and on the year), but I like him one step below Floyd this week based purely on upside. He is still a solid play thanks to Larry Fitzgerald’s status and the matchup he’ll get this week.

Larry Fitzgerald (WR)

Fitzgerald is always worth a shot if he’s on the field, while this matchup with the Falcons bodes well. Unfortunately, he’s likely to miss his second straight game with a sprained knee. Keep an eye on his status, but it looks like you’ll need to find someone else to slide into your WR3 spot this week.

Stepfan Taylor (RB)

Taylor is Ellington’s direct backup and could happen into some solid fantasy value if Ellington goes down or simply continues to struggle, but for now his value is very limited. He’s topped five carries in a game just once all year and basically needs to score to return value. Unless you can predict that he’ll vulture a touchdown this week, you probably need to stay away from him.

John Carlson (TE)

Carlson is beyond hit or miss at this point, as he hasn’t eclipsed three receptions in a game since week six and he has just one touchdown on the year. He’s actually a fairly talented tight end and the matchup works this week, but Arizona just doesn’t properly utilize the tight end position. He can’t be trusted in Week 13.