Fantasy football projections, Week 13: Washington-Cardinals featuring DeSean Jackson, David Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, more

The Week 13 matchup between the Washington and the Arizona Cardinals features two teams looking to rebound from disappointing losses. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.

Since returning to the lineup in Week 11 following a shoulder injury, wide receiver DeSean Jackson has caught eight passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Last week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys was his best fantasy day of the season. While it is a bit disappointing to see that Jackson has just two 100-yard games of the season, he appears to be playing well at the right time. The Cardinals did a great job of following up Atlanta’s Julio Jones last week, but the team still got burned for 38 points. Yes, Jackson’s matchup against Arizona’s cornerbacks is less than ideal, but he’s got the speed and talent to get open for at least two or three big-time plays on Sunday. He should finished the game right around his projected totals.

Still, tight end Jordan Reed probably has a higher floor than Jackson heading into Sunday’s game. He caught 10 of 12 passing targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas last week. The one negative in expecting Reed to surpass his projections in Arizona is that the opponent has given up the fewest fantasy points to the tight end position in all of the NFL this season. Reed will be in a tough situation but given the way he has played when in the lineup this season, it’s almost impossible to sit him on the bench in Week 13. It would be smart for owners to estimate conservatively and assume that Reed will finish below his projections given the matchup this week.

Whether the Cardinals are winning or losing as a team, running back David Johnson continues to keep on rolling. He’s got 100 total yards in every single game this season. Even though he only rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries against the Falcons last week, he still finished with 161 total yards. Johnson is the top player in fantasy football and even more valuable in PPR formats. Washington’s defense ranks 25th against the run. Put two and two together and assume that Johnson will go well above his fantasy projections.

Future Hall Of Famer and teammate Larry Fitzgerald is less of a guarantee to reach his projected numbers against Washington. The Jay Gruden-led defense ranks seventh in the league at limiting production from opposing receivers. Fitzgerald will still make an impact in PPR formats, but to expect him to rise above 100 yards and a touchdown may be asking a little too much this time around. In deep leagues, he may provide enough value to get owners through the week. In 10- and 12-team formats, fantasy owners can probably squeeze more value out of somebody else.