Fantasy Player Projections

San Francisco had five sacks and two interceptions that it returned for touchdowns against the Saints in Week 12. Sam Bradford is no Drew Brees, and the 49ers should dominate on defense once again.

If Houston can apply pressure to struggling Jake Locker, this game could be over quickly. In the last meeting, the Texans notched four sacks and picked off Matt Hasselbeck twice.

The Ravens received a boost of energy this week from the announcement that spiritual leader Ray Lewis may still return before the end of the year. This week the Ravens will try to exploit a Pittsburgh offense that turned the ball over eight times last week.

The Cowboys scored three touchdowns in the first meeting with Philadelphia. It would be crazy to expect an encore, but Dallas' return game is now one of the league's most explosive, and the defense's aggressive nature can lead to points at any time.

The Jets have been steamrolled by opposing offenses several times this season, including Week 12, when the Patriots scored 49 points on them. The Cardinals aren't the Patriots, and they'll be starting a rookie quarterback, making this borderline unit a risk/reward Week 13 option.

The Jaguars still rank among the bottom five in both yards (410.5) and points (28.0) allowed. Last week they showed some promise against Tennessee, but fantasy owners cannot take this unit seriously, not even against lowly Buffalo.

The Packers' offensive line is a mess, and their running game has still not gained the respect of opponents. This is the type of game Jared Allen lives for.

The Patriots' defense is red-hot in fantasy right now, posting consecutive huge games against the Colts and Jets. The Pats have five defensive or special teams touchdowns, three sacks and eight forced turnovers in that span. They'll face rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill in Week 13.

The Cardinals gave up 205 passing yards and 173 rushing yards against the Rams, with two sacks and an interception. They should be in for a big game against a Jets team that is having trouble scoring points.

While the Panthers didn't get any interceptions against Philadelphia in Week 12, they did force three fumbles and allowed only 107 passing yards. They should have another nice game in Week 13 against another replacement quarterback.

For the third week in a row, the Bengals proved to be a very good fantasy defense. They had four sacks for the third game in a row, and they forced two turnovers. The Chargers have struggled offensively, so the Bengals' defense is a good start once again.

Cleveland's defense had another huge game in Week 12, keeping the Steelers under 200 passing yards and 50 rushing yards. The Browns also notched three interceptions and a sack. This unit is officially a nice sleeper against the Raiders in Week 13.

The Bills have not been an attractive fantasy defense this season, and after watching Jacksonville light up the scoreboard the past two weeks there is even more reason to steer clear of Buffalo.

The PED story and Seattle's disappointing performance last week will serve as distractions as they enter unfriendly Soldier Field. Most weeks Seattle is a smart bet; not this one.

Devin Hester's status (concussion) is worth watching, but it's nothing that should stop fantasy owners from giving this unit the green light for Week 13.

The Packers' injuries finally showed last week, as their lack of depth up front and inability to cover New York's receivers resulted in a blowout loss. Fortunately for Green Bay, the Vikings do not have as much offensive firepower.

It's difficult to predict what kind of mindset the Eagles will bring into this game after losing seven straight. They sacked Tony Romo three times a few weeks ago but failed to generate a single turnover.

The Chiefs had one interception and two sacks against the Broncos in Week 12. They held the Broncos to just 17 points, but they're just not consistent enough to trust week in and week out in fantasy play.

The Rams had four interceptions, including two that they returned for touchdowns, against Arizona in Week 12. They'll face another young quarterback in Colin Kaepernick, but they won't see the same kind of success against the Niners.

The Detroit offense has been difficult to stop lately, and it's possible the Colts could get entangled in a shootout similar to the one Houston got into with the Lions last week. That's not fantasy friendly.

The Titans' defense has the "good fortune" of hosting the league's best running back and a red-hot Matt Schaub. No thanks.

The Steelers limited Baltimore to just 200 yards of total offense two weeks ago. Somehow we doubt Pittsburgh will be able to contain Ray Rice a second time.

The return game has failed to impress but the defense is finally coming alive. In the first meeting with Washington, the Giants collected three fumbles, an interception and three sacks.

This isn't the Giants from a few weeks ago. This New York offense has its act together and can strike on the ground or through the air. Washington may be red hot, but this game will cool down the 'Skins a bit.

The Saints forced two turnovers against the 49ers in Week 12, but they were unable to get any sacks, and they gave up 31 points. The Falcons are even tougher offensively, so look for another fantasy defense in Week 13.

Atlanta picked up a pair of sacks against the Buccaneers, but it couldn't force any turnovers. The Saints' high-powered offense comes to town in Week 13, and the Falcons gave up 31 points to them in Week 10, with one interception and one sack. This is not a favorable fantasy matchup for the Falcons' defense.

The Buccaneers had a tough time against the pass once again in Week 12, allowing 353 yards and a touchdown to Matt Ryan. They registered one sack and forced two turnovers, but don't trust them against the explosive Broncos.

Denver's defense continues to shine for fantasy owners, allowing just nine points and 116 passing yards to the Chiefs in Week 12. The Buccaneers are a more formidable opponent, but you have to keep the Broncos active.

The Raiders' defense has produced four consecutive bad games now. Oakland has allowed an average of 42 points in that span, with just two forced turnovers and three sacks.

The attention paid to Ndamukong Suh this week has masked a bigger issue: the fact that Detroit allowed more than 200 rushing yards and more than 300 passing yards in last week's loss. Fantasy owners should keep a safe distance from the Lions.

San Diego forced a fumble and registered five sacks against the Ravens in Week 12 and gave up 16 points in the overtime loss. The Chargers are worth considering depending on the matchup, but this week they're just a borderline unit against the Bengals.

Miami's defense was strong against Seattle, allowing 312 total yards while keeping the Seahawks under 100 yards rushing. The Dolphins also have five sacks in their past two games, although the Patriots' offense is just too strong to consider starting the Dolphins in Week 13.