Week 13 Monday Night Start Decisions and Rankings: Should Cleveland's Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Nick Chubb and Denver's Devaughn Vele and Javonte Williams Be Starting?

Week 13 of the NFL regular season wraps up with a game between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.

Let’s break down the top fantasy options from the game. I’ll also provide rankings for every offensive player in the contest before we wrap up.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Quarterbacks

Jameis Winston leads Cleveland into action, while Bo Nix quarterbacks Denver’s offense.

Nix is up to 2,548 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season. He’s completed 64.9% of his passes and rushed for 300 yards and four more scores. Nix has scored 14 or more fantasy points in eight straight games.

Winston has started four games this season. This season, he’s completed 62.2% of his passes for 1,266 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Winston has 46 rushing yards and a score as well. He’s scored 10 or more fantasy points in his four starts, with two games over 20 points.

Nix’s matchup is more favorable, as Cleveland allows 20 fantasy points per game. Denver allows only 13 fantasy points per game. Nix is projected for 17 fantasy points, while Winston is at 16.

I also like Nix more in tonight’s game, but expect him to perform much better than Winston.

Running Backs

Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime are the running backs for the Broncos. Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford have dominated the backfield touches for Cleveland over the past couple weeks.

Williams has 445 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 120 attempts this season, while adding 256 yards on 37 receptions and 48 targets. He’s had 23 touches over the past two weeks - he scored 19 fantasy points one week and just two last week.

McLaughlin is up to 283 rushing yards and a score on 66 attempts. He has 47 yards and two scores on 16 catches and 18 targets. McLaughlin has 11 touches over the past two weeks, but scored just six fantasy points combined.

Estime has 179 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 38 attempts. He has caught all three of his targets for nine yards. Estime has 12 touches over the past two weeks, but only got three last week. He had two fantasy points last week and six the week prior.

Chubb has 222 rushing yards and three scores on 73 attempts. He also has seven receiving yards on three grabs and seven targets. Chubb has 32 touches over the past two games, including 21 last week - he scored 19 fantasy points in that contest.

Ford has 298 rushing yards and a score on 61 attempts, while accumulating 126 receiving yards on 26 grabs and 31 targets. He has 14 touches over the past two games, scoring 12 fantasy points in those contests.

Denver’s defense allows opposing fantasy backs to score 22 fantasy points a week, while Cleveland gives up 19 points.

In the weekly projections, Chubb is projected for 11 PPR fantasy points. Williams is set for 10 points, Ford seven, Estime five and McLaughlin four.

I also like Chubb the best in this contest, and easily think he’s the most confident starting option. He’s also the only one I’d want to play in a standard league. Williams, Ford, McLaughlin and Estime are all deep league options, but I only would want to try Williams.

Wide Receivers

Courtland Sutton is the top Denver wideout. Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Josh Reynolds are other options. 

Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore are the top Cleveland wide receivers with Cedric Tillman out with a head injury. Jamari Thrash is another wideout who has played of late.

Sutton is up to 744 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 57 receptions and 95 targets. He has at least 15 fantasy points in the past five contests.

Humphrey has 267 yards and a score on 29 catches and 42 targets. He has just two double-digit fantasy outings all season, with the last one being in week 11.

Vele has 361 yards and a touchdown on 32 grabs and 41 targets this season. He has 11 or more fantasy points in three straight games.

Franklin is up to 190 yards and two touchdowns on 19 catches and 35 targets. He has three double-digit fantasy performances this season, with his last one in week 11 (he scored that week).

Mims has 162 yards and a score on 16 receptions and 26 targets this season. He’s scored at least seven fantasy points in three straight games.

Reynolds hasn’t played since week 5, but is questionable for Monday night. He had 183 yards and a score on 12 catches and 19 targets in the first five weeks.

Jeudy has 645 yards and two touchdowns on 45 catches and 77 targets. He has 13 or more fantasy points in four straight games.

Moore has tallied 336 yards and a score on 42 grabs and 64 targets. He has three double-digit fantasy performances over the past five weeks, but only 11 fantasy points in the two games he fell short.

Thrash has just an 11-yard catch this season, getting that back in week 11. Jaelon Darden is also on the active roster, but hasn’t played a snap this season. James Proche II, Kadarius Toney and Michael Woods II are on the practice squad.

Cleveland’s defense allows opposing wideouts to score 35 fantasy points per game, while Denver gives up only 28.

In the weekly projections, Sutton is projected for 16 PPR fantasy points. Jeudy is set for 12 points, Vele 10 and Moore nine. Nobody else made the top 69 spots.

I’m also a fan of Sutton first in this contest. I also like Jeudy next and think he’s the last standard league option.

Vele is a player I would try in a deeper league. Moore is more of a flex option in a deeper league, but also someone I wouldn’t mind giving a start to. 

Franklin, Reynolds (if he plays), Thrash, Mims, Humphrey and Darden are how I’d ranked everyone else. I’d take whichever Cleveland receiver (Proche, Toney, Woods) is activated from the practice squad last.

Tight Ends

David Njoku is the top Cleveland tight end. Jordan Akins has gotten four targets in three straight games, so he’s worth mentioning too. Adam Trautman is the only Denver TE worth mentioning going into Monday’s game.

Njoku has 345 yards and two touchdowns on 40 catches and 57 targets this season. He only scored four fantasy points last week, but had eight or more in the five games before that.

Akins has 229 yards and a score on 23 grabs and 34 targets. He had seven fantasy points last week after nine the previous two games combined.

Trautman has just 158 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions and 15 targets this season. He had a 19-point fantasy showing in week 8, but has just six points in the past four games combined.

Denver allows 11 fantasy points to opposing tight ends, while Cleveland gives up 10 points. In the weekly projections, Njoku is projected for 13 PPR fantasy points - he’s the only one in this game inside the top 26.

Njoku is the clear best fantasy TE in the game tonight. I’d consider Akins in a deep league, while trying to avoid Trautman in almost all formats.

Kickers

Dustin Hopkins is the Cleveland kicker. He’s 15-of-21 on his field goals this season and 11-of-13 on his extra points.

Wil Lutz kicks for Denver. He’s 24-of-27 on his field goals and has made all 26 of his extra points.

Both kickers are projected for six fantasy points tonight. Neither are great options, but I do prefer Lutz, as I think Denver wins and thus gives Lutz more scoring chances.

Defenses/Special Teams

Denver’s defense allows 296 yards and 16.8 points per game. The Broncos have 15 takeaways and 13 giveaways.

Cleveland gives up 345 yards and 24.3 points per week. The Browns had only eight takeaways and 15 giveaways.

Denver’s D/ST is projected for eight fantasy points, while Cleveland is at seven points. I also like the Denver D/ST more tonight, and think they outscore Cleveland by more than a point.

Offensive Overall Rankings (OP or Flex Spots)

1. Bo Nix

2. Courtland Sutton

3. Jerry Jeudy

4. Jameis Winston

5. Nick Chubb

6. David Njoku

7. Devaughn Vele

8. Elijah Moore

9. Javonte Williams

10. Jordan Akins

11. Troy Franklin

12. Jerome Ford

13. Josh Reynolds

14. Jaleel McLaughlin

15. Audric Estime

16. Jamari Thrash

17. Marvin Mims

18. Lil’Jordan Humphrey

19. Adam Trautman

20. Jaelon Darden

21. Cleveland practice squad WR (James Proche II, Kadarius Toney or Michael Woods)