Top 200 Fantasy Football 2013 PPR Rankings

If you’re checking out the Top 200 Fantasy Football 2013 PPR Rankings, then know that I have much respect for you. This means a lot — and you should be proud. You are an evolved Fantasy species!

By reading these 2013 PPR Rankings, you’re telling me that you are one of the 28 percent of Fantasy Football players (on CBSSports.com, at least) that use points-per-reception scoring.

While it’s true, some may score just half a point per catch, and some might even reward fewer, but still, you are part of an advanced group of Fantasy Football players.

Beyond the average PPR player, we’ll find the flex players, the IDP owners, and then finally, the ultra-dynasty auction IDP leagues. (They scare me just a bit.)

Evolution in Fantasy Scoring

The whole reason the PPR scoring format was even created dates back to the early ‘90s, when Fantasy leagues were getting sick of seeing running backs being the foundation of every draft. They wanted to spread the love around, getting both tight ends and wide receivers some more love.

Matt Forte, 2013 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings — Bears RB Matt Forte has not only played in 75 of 80 NFL games in his career, he has also averaged over 50 catches per season. Photo Credit: Wbryant

Unfortunately, it also gave a little too much love to third-down running backs, making guys like Derek Loville and Ronnie Harmon a little more valuable than they probably should have been.

So as I mentioned, some leagues have figured out that in order to not reward third-down running backs too much, they award “running backs only” just half a point or less per catch.

In one of my local keeper leagues with all my softball buddies, including Jamey Eisenberg and Eric Mack, we score receptions this way. If a player gets one or two catches, he gets zero points. But three catches gets you three points, four catches get you four, and so on. So it eliminates the one or two catches for guys like Stevan Ridley, Alfred Morris or BenJarvus Green-Ellis. I’m not sure why we do it, but it’s an interesting twist, as you REALLY root for your running back to get that third catch.

Three-Year Averages in PPR Land

So before we get into the 2013 PPR rankings, I thought it would be good to look back at the past three years, to see which running backs are averaging the most targets and receptions. The obvious leaders aren’t surprising, with Darren Sproles, Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy each averaging 60 or more receptions each year.

Last year’s rookie RBs, specifically Doug Martin and Trent Richardson, are both PPR demons, with about 50 catches each. Let’s look at some surprises, though.

Ryan Mathews, despite always being hurt, still ranked among the top 12 in receptions by RBs.
Despite catching 52 passes in 2010 and 2011 combined, Marcel Reece caught another 52 in 2012, and he finished ranking 10th in third-year averages for targets among RBs.
Steven Jackson has averaged 42 receptions and 58 targets over the past three seasons, and now he’s going to be playing in a well-balanced offense that will take advantage of all of his skills. Only this time, defenses won’t be able to load up the box against him.