Week 13: Player Upgrades

If fantasy owners have been following Player Upgrades the past couple weeks, then you've already got a head start on the competition. You already have picked up one of (if not a couple of) the following players that have been featured in Player Upgrades in the past couple weeks: Justin Forsett, Jamaal Charles, Rock Cartwright, Fred Jackson or Chris Chambers. This Week 13 edition of Player Upgrades isn't going to talk about any of those players with the exception of Fred Jackson, as we will be continuing the trend of focusing on the ten hottest names on the wavier wire that fantasy owners need to target on their way to a fantasy championship.

Week 13 Player Upgrades features: Chris Redman, Vince Young, Fred Jackson, Felix Jones, Laurence Maroney, Jason Avant, Kenny Britt, Antonio Bryant, Devery Henderson, and Visanthe Shiancoe.

Remember to check out the FFToolbox.com podcast available on ITunes. Myself and Ben Standig will be previewing all of the Week 13 games, and getting you ready to get a win and set your fantasy team up for the playoffs. Best of luck to all fantasy owners in Week 13!

QB Chris Redman, ATL

When the Matt Ryan era began in Atlanta last year, the man left holding a clipboard on the sideline was Chris Redman... until this past Sunday when Matt Ryan went down with a turf toe injury. Redman stepped in, completing 23 of 41 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns leading the Atlanta Falcons to a comeback 20-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Matt Ryan has already been ruled out for Week 13 when the Falcons face the Philadelphia Eagles at home, so Chris Redman will start in his place. Chris Redman has a track record of successful starts in the past in a Falcons uniform and was extremely efficient this past weekend for Atlanta. With Michael Turner still a game-time decision, Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling will be the only healthy backs, forcing Atlanta to rely on Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, and Tony Gonzalez in the passing game. This match-up has the makings of a shootout, and Chris Redman has major sleeper potential for savvy fantasy owners looking for a fill-in at quarterback.

QB Vince Young, TEN

Vince Young isn't going to throw for 387 yards in a game very often, but against a weak Arizona secondary, Vince Young was excellent leading the Titans on a game winning 18 play, 99 yard drive, capping it off with a touchdown pass to Kenny Britt as time expired to pull out a 20-17 win over the Cardinals. The most promising aspect of Young's play this past weekend was him trusting his arm and not taking off and running in crunch time.

It sounds strange to say it, but not only has Vince Young become a viable NFL starting quarterback, he has developed into a useful fantasy quarterback fantasy owners should target off of the wavier wire. Vince Young's ability as a runner is an added dimension that only adds to his fantasy appeal. Even if fantasy owners have solidified the quarterback position heading into the fantasy playoffs, Young is worth picking up.

RB Fred Jackson, BUF

Fred Jackson was featured in the Week 12 installment of Player Upgrades, mainly because he was going to see an expanded role with Marshawn Lynch limited with a shoulder injury. Fred Jackson had success earlier in the season as a starter for Buffalo with Marshawn Lynch out of the lineup, and did once again this past weekend in the Bills' stunning upset of the Miami Dolphins. Jackson rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, and also added five receptions for 43 yards. Marshawn Lynch played, but only received three carries for six yards in the game.

Interim Head Coach Perry Fewell has shaken things up in Buffalo, and it looks like he will stick with Fred Jackson for the rest of the season. Fantasy owners need to pick up Fred Jackson if he is available in your league, because this will be your last chance to do so for the rest of the season.

RB Felix Jones, DAL

Felix Jones received only seven carries on Thanksgiving against the Oakland Raiders, but rushed for 68 yards -- including a 46 yard touchdown in the second quarter. Felix Jones is a pre-season sleeper I was extremely high on, and while he still possesses explosive speed and elite playmaking ability, he isn't durable enough to handle a heavy workload, which limits his fantasy upside and keeps him from being a reliable fantasy option.

While Felix Jones may not be worthy of being a weekly option in fantasy owners' lineups unless he sees an increase in touches, he is worthy of a roster spot, and worthy of flex consideration in the fantasy playoffs against New Orleans, Washington, and Philadelphia (ranked 20th, 25th, and 8th against the run this season).

RB Laurence Maroney, NE

The return of Sammy Morris combined with the Patriots' second half deficit kept Laurence Maroney from having a monster fantasy day on Monday Night against the New Orleans Saints. Maroney rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries. Maroney has now scored at least one touchdown in six straight games in which he has totaled 420 yards and eight touchdowns on 99 carries. Maroney has developed a straight ahead running style similar to his former Minnesota teammate Marion Barber, and has begun to look like the back of the future New England saw down the stretch in 2007. If Laurence Maroney is available in your league, then he needs to be picked up immediately, because whether fantasy owners like him or not he continues to produce at an elite level.