Top daily fantasy football running back plays for Week 13

Welcome to Week 13 of the Daily Fantasy season. Pricing has stabilized as trends have emerged but there are still bargains to be found and even some higher-priced options that will go under-owned and can make a difference in your lineups. This article looks at some of the projected lesser-owned plays at running back who could provide huge boosts to your tournament lineups, as well as some trap plays to avoid.

The reality is, Howard has only one big game in the last six weeks. But here’s another reality: The 49ers cannot stop the run. I mean, at all. The 49ers are allowing 171.8 yards per game on the ground and there’s no other team in the league who comes close to that generosity. Part of the reason, beyond obvious lack of talent, is the up-tempo pace they employ, which gives the opposing team a not insignificant increase in plays called. That means while Howard has been in the 15-18 carry range the past three weeks, he should easily top 20 carries against the 49ers. Add it together – plus the fact that the Bears would like to hide quarterback Matt Barkley – and it’s a perfect storm for Howard.

For the season, the Bears have not been nearly as bad against the run as their opponent, but that could change this week, with linebacker Danny Trevathan out for the season with a ruptured patella tendon. Hyde appears to have regained his early-season form and has a chance to feast on the depleted Bears. A QB-RB stack with Colin Kaepernick might not be a bad strategy this week, as you should get all the touchdowns from the 49ers offense from those two players, and there could be a few of them.

What a season for the Lions, and what a spot to look for fantasy goodness this weekend. It’s the Superdome, the Coors Field of football, and this is shaping up as a game where the Lions will be throwing. That is always great news for Riddick, who does his damage as a pass catcher, and the Saints grade out as one of the worst defenses in the league against pass-catching running backs. Riddick is moderately priced, but might have decent ownership, as DFS players flock to find the best ways to get exposure to this game.

Stewart is finally starting to come on since returning from a lengthy injury absence three weeks ago. Last week against the Raiders, Stewart found the end zone twice, rushing for 96 yards on 17 carries. The Seahawks have shown vulnerability against the run in recent weeks and the Panthers will not shy away from Stewart in this matchup. He is going to fly very low under the radar because of the perceived difficult matchup, and that makes him a prime tournament target.

This is primarily a salary-saving recommendation, but with Chris Ivory already ruled out, there’s some hope that Yeldon can take advantage of the Broncos’ weakness against the running game. It is hard to imagine Blake Bortles being able to beat this defense with downfield passing, so Yeldon could make some hay as a checkdown option. Denard Robinson is expected to get some carries, but Yeldon should get the first crack and if he gets going early and the Jags ride the hot hand, this value play could really pay off.

Those 200-yard games sure seem like a long time ago now. Ajayi has really come crashing back to earth, and not even the lowly 49ers defense could get the rookie going last week. Now. Ajayi gets the complete other end of the spectrum in the top-rated Ravens run defense. With Howard sitting $100 cheaper, why would you risk it?

There’s no denying it, Booker has been a tremendous letdown since taking over for the injured C.J. Anderson. The guy has had 24 carries in each of the past two games and has a combined FanDuel total of 20.4 points to show for it. That is an unacceptable level of production, and though Booker might actually exceed that carry total this week with Paxton Lynch at quarterback, it probably won’t make a difference. The Jaguars are a bottom-10 defense against the run, and that won’t matter either. Booker has been facing bad run defenses all season and just can’t take advantage. Don’t get sucked in this week.