Week 13 Fantasy Lames: Ajayi to dash owner playoff hopes

Each week the Noise highlights 10 over-started names whom he believes are destined to implode leave egg on his face. To qualify, each player must be started in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. Speaking as an accountability advocate, I will post results, whether genius or moronic, the following week using the scoring system shown here. If you’re a member of TEAM HUEVOS, reveal your Week 13 Lames in the comments section below.

SEE WEEK 13 FLAMES HERE

Dak Prescott, Dal, QB (51 percent started, $32 in Yahoo DFS)
Matchup: at Min
If a mad scientist mashed together Tom Brady’s football I.Q. with the accuracy of Drew Brees and athleticism of Russell Wilson, the end result would be Prescott. Defying the notion rookie quarterbacks generally are rough-edged and slow developers, the fourth-round pick is not only in the ROY conversation, he’s a legitimate MVP candidate. What he’s accomplished on the field and in the box score in Year 1 is almost mythical in nature. He ranks top-10 in several categories including completion percentage (67.7, QB6), passer rating (108.6, QB6), yards per attempt (8.3, QB3) and fantasy points per dropback (0.57, QB1). On pace for 336 total fantasy points, he’s threatening Cam Newton’s all-time production high among rookie passers (340.9). Though normally useful and incredibly consistent, this is the week Prescott plays erratically. The Vikings, who should have corner Terrance Newman (41.2 passer rating allowed) back in uniform, are in desperation mode. After losing to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, they sorely need a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. Considering that weight and Minnesota’s stiffness vs. the pass – Kirk Cousins is the only passer to reach 18 fantasy points against it since Week 3 – Prescott may underwhelm. Keep in mind, the Vikes have given up just 226.8 passing yards per game and 6.1 yards per attempt on the season.

Fearless Forecast: 219 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 1 turnover, 18 rushing yards, 13.6 fantasy points

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Jay Ajayi, Mia, RB (94 percent started, $26 in Yahoo DFS)
Matchup: at Bal
A wee three weeks ago, Ajayi was an enraged bull driving a military-grade battle tank. Against Pittsburgh and Buffalo, he joined such football monoliths as O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams as the only rushers in NFL history to post consecutive 200 rush-yard games. Following up with a 130 total-yard, 1-TD showing versus a rock solid Jets rush D, he seemed unstoppable. His pulverizing downhill power flattened would-be tacklers with regularity, evidenced in his position-leading 3.5 YAC. However, someone shoved a rock in the tank’s gun barrel. Since that stirring three-game stretch, Ajayi has resembled the often timid, FLEX-only RB of the early season. Offensive line injuries and stacked boxes limited him greatly vs. San Diego, Los Angeles and, of all opponents, San Francisco, undeniably the most rancid run defense in the league. Over that stretch, he failed to surpass 80 yards on the ground and scored just one TD. His 2.5 yards per carry tallied vs. the Niners certainly vexed season-long and DFS investors. This week, his return could hit a post-breakout low. Featuring numerous Ted DiBiase, the Ravens have placed opposing backs in a sleeper hold. Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley and Lawrence Guy are three of many Baltimore defenders who grade out well above the league average defending the run. On the year, opposing RBs have recorded a one, zero or negative-yard outcome on 38.2 percent of their attempts. Asphyxiating. Given Miami’s disheveled run-blocking, Ryan Tannehill’s unreliability and the road atmosphere, Ajayi, almost unthinkably, is benchable with all the marbles on the line, for some.

Fearless Forecast: 17 attempts, 56 rushing yards, 1 reception, 4 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 6.5 fantasy points

Devontae Booker, Den, RB (50 percent started, $18 in Yahoo DFS)
Matchup: at Jax
If you smothered a Mexican hairless chihuahua in Crisco and instructed it to sprint toward Denver’s makeshift offensive line, it, in all its puniness, would find no hole to squeeze through. The unit is an absolute embarrassment. Terrell Davis riding a triceratops would probably resemble Montee Ball on a donkey attempting to execute behind it. This is why Booker, despite his three-down talents, plus elusiveness and fantastic zone-blocking fit, is a toxic, untrustworthy fantasy asset. Adding fuel to the fire, Trevor Siemian’s inconsistencies haven’t helped. Since replacing C.J. Anderson as the starter Week 8, Booker has done his best Matt Asiata impression, stumbling his way to a wretched 3.0 yards per carry. Over that stretch, his workloads have been more than handsome (21.5 touches per game), but breathing room simply hasn’t existed. Still, shockingly, the majority of his owners continue to rely on his services, a gross miscalculation. If you’re angling for another uneventful 6-8 fantasy points, by all means, keep the RB in your lineup this week. On the road against former Bronco Malik Jackson and the Jaguars, he’s sure to fall outside the RB top-24 for the fourth straight week. Jacksonville’s better than advertised run defense has conceded 4.0 yards per carry and only four “Flame” worthy performances to the position since Week 4. With playoff berths at stake, give Booker the boot.

Fearless Forecast: 19 carries, 61 rushing yard, 3 receptions, 17 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 9.3 fantasy points

Kelvin Benjamin, Car, WR (74 percent started, $20 in Yahoo DFS)
Matchup: at Sea
If you stripped away the name and looked at Benjamin’s game log, you would probably surmise he was actually fellow Panther Ted Ginn. His plentiful low-catch, high-yard outputs label him an prototype boom/bust player, similar to his teammate. With only a single touchdown scored in his past seven contests, Benjamin has underachieved. Once widely perceived to be a weekly WR2, he’s slipped into the WR3 ranks on a per game basis checking in at No. 26. His unsteady target shares (only above 20 percent in two of his past five games) and rare red-zone opportunities (two targets since Week 8), have stunted his upside. Because of his monstrous frame, he’s arguably one of the game’s finest contested catch weapons, but the volume and Cam’s inaccuracy have him outside the circle of trust. This week, his star will only lose more luster. The “Legion of Boom” hasn’t levied many thunderous hits on the competition. Injuries to Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have softened the Seahawks’ well-known secondary. Plus-sized WRs have given them problems (see Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Dorial Green-Beckham games), but with Thomas possibly back, Richard Sherman performing at a high level (73.1 passer rating allowed) and Seattle’s rowdy home crowd, Benjamin whimpers.

Fearless Forecast: 3 receptions, 68 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 8.3 fantasy points

[Week 13 rankings: Overall | FLEX | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K]

Jordy Nelson, GB, WR (98 percent started, $28 in Yahoo DFS)
Matchup: vs. Hou
When Aaron Rodgers visited the fantasy oracle inside that mysterious tent at Philadelphia it demanded he throw it to No. 87. After a slow first frame, Rodgers and Nelson clicked post-halftime. Though the wideout’s TD game streak ended at four, he rallied past 90 yards for the fourth time since Week 8. Ignoring a brief lull against Dallas and Chicago, Jordy, after a one-year siesta due to a knee injury, has regained his rightful throne among consistency kings. He’s crossed the chalk in nine of 11 contests and churned out a top-six per game total at wide receiver. So, why is he featured on this list? The Texans own an unheralded secondary. Most fantasy players, even those in competitive leagues, probably couldn’t rattle off two or even one Houston DB’s name. For the unfamiliar, Johnathan Joseph, A.J. Bouye and Kareem Jackson have each scored above average coverage grades. Getting granular, Bouye and Joseph have conceded a combined 5.6 fantasy points per game and a 45.0 passer rating to their assignments. As a group, the Texans have surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points to WRs this year. Rodgers-to-Nelson is arguably the hottest combination in the league, but this week, the visiting Steers corral one half of the duo, especially if Rodgers’ hammy proves bothersome.

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 71 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 9.6 fantasy points

BONUS WEEK 13 LAMES

#TEAMHUEVOS Picks of the Week
Each week one fortunate guest prognosticator will have a chance to silence the Noise. Following the rules stated above, participants are asked to submit their “Lames” (1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 D/ST) by midnight PT Tuesdays via Twitter @YahooNoise. How large are your stones?

Reader Record: 39-46

Noise Record: 64-54 (Week 12: 8-2; W: Jeremy Hill, Matt Forte, Marvin Jones, Julio Jones, Doug Martin, LeGarrette Blount, Greg Olsen, LA Rams D/ST; L: Cam Newton, Travis Kelce)

Follow Brad on Twitter (@YahooNoise) and check out his new TV show, ‘The Fantasy Football Hour,’ Wednesdays on Altitude TV (Channel 681 on DirecTV, 412 on DISH).