Fantasy football projections, Week 13: Bears-Lions featuring Matt Forte, Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson

The Week 13 matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions features two star receivers. We've got the fantasy projections for you courtesy of numberFire.

Running back Matt Forte has a whopping 49 carries in the last two games combined. While he only managed 89 yards on 23 carries last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he saved his fantasy day by scoring two touchdowns. Add in his five catches for 23 yards and fantasy owners had to be quite happy with his performance. Forte will of course be busy against the Lions as the engine that makes the Bears offense move, but it will be a tougher matchup. That said, lots of touches can even that out and he's the safest bet on the Bears roster.

On the off chance that he gets shut down, quarterback Jay Cutler will have to look to wide receiver Brandon Marshall to make things happen. After putting together a big day against the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago, Marshall had just three catches for 32 yards last week. He has been inconsistent this season and while a lot of that has to do with the play at quarterback, the Lions represent a tough matchup. If Marshall does get it going on Thanksgiving Day, he will likely have to make some pretty spectacular plays and play above the production levels he's been playing at all season.

A lackluster Bears defense and a mediocre Lions running game should make for a busy day for star wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Johnson has just nine catches on 22 targets in the last two weeks combined and has totaled 117 yards in those games. He came back into the lineup with a bang in Week 10 and it's probably time for him to go off again, as Megatron never goes more than a few games without doing something special. The Bears have been just okay at limiting fantasy wide receivers, but they seem to have a propensity for getting on the wrong side of high-scoring games. Johnson will likely be a beneficiary of that on Thanksgiving Day.

He will of course get his passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has played below his usual production levels this season, particularly when it comes to his passing yardage totals. Part of that has to do with Johnson's absence and part of that also has to do with the pass protection in front of Stafford. By the end of this season, he will likely have set a new personal career worst for the number of times he's been sacked. He's already three sacks away from tying that career mark. Nevertheless, the Bears give up the second most fantasy points to quarterbacks, so Stafford could have a chance to make up for his on-and-off season and help fantasy owners clinch a playoff spot.