Week 13 FanDuel Tournament Pivots

Running Back

Chalk:

David Johnson should again be the chalk at running back against a Washington Redskins defense that's allowing 4.7 yards per carry. Le'Veon Bell has averaged 27.4 FanDuel points over the past three games and should be popular once again. Jordan Howard is coming off of a 127-yard performance and gets to take on a league-worst San Francisco 49ers run defense.

Pivots:

Melvin Gordon, $8,000 (vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Melvin Gordon hasn't been the same fantasy force he was at the beginning of the year since he has just one touchdown over the past four games. His yardage output during that time has actually been exceptional, averaging 159 yards from scrimmage (91 yards through his first seven games).

As far as the touchdowns go, Gordon averaged 1.4 scores on 5.4 red zone touches through the first seven weeks. His red zone touches have remained consistent over the past four games, averaging 4.8. Despite this, he's scored just 0.25 times per game.

This week, Gordon will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have allowed 4.4 yards per carry (26th in the NFL). The San Diego Chargers are currently listed as 3.5-point home favorites and are projected for 25.5 points. In the six games in which San Diego has scored 25 or more points this season, Gordon has averaged 23.1 FanDuel points, more than any running back not named David Johnson.

Gordon won't be nearly as highly owned as other top-priced backs like Johnson, Bell, or Lesean McCoy, but his workload (24.6 touches per game, second only to Bell) and red zone usage (first in the NFL in touches) give him as much upside as any of them.

Mark Ingram, $7,000 (vs Detroit Lions): Mark Ingram appeared to reclaim the role of New Orleans' number one back last week, out-snapping Tim Hightower 42-to-25 and piling up 167 yards from scrimmage and two scores. He did this all against a Los Angeles Rams defense that had previously been very tough against running backs.

The stars were aligning for Ingram to finish this year strong, especially with a Week 13 matchup against the Detroit Lions, who rank 10th-worst in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play. However, he's now dealing with a toe injury, and the most recent update is a second missed practice, putting his availability for in question.

Ingram profiles as an excellent pivot off Howard. He's not only running well and has a terrific matchup, but game script also sets up beautifully. No team is projected for more points than New Orleans this week (29.75), who is currently listed as a six-point favorites against the Lions. If healthy enough to handle it, Ingram should benefit from several second-half handoffs as New Orleans runs out the clock against a worn-out Detroit defense.

If Ingram is unable to go, Hightower has shown he can be a valuable fantasy asset. He would be an excellent option with the majority of the backfield playing time at his disposal, as he had in Week 8, when he was given the rock 26 times.