Week 13 in the NFL marks the start of the home stretch. Every team has played 11 games, and there’s no rest from here on in as the byes are done. Ironic, in a way, considering it’s almost Black Friday, and the buys are rolling in. (See what we did there? You see.)
For this edition of the NFL power rankings, our expert panel pored over the cap sheet of each team in the league to find the players providing the most bang for the buck.
This week, the panel includes editor Geoff Lowe and staff writers Donnovan Bennett and Emily Sadler.
1. Baltimore Ravens
2019 record: 9-2
Last week: 1
Best deal: Lamar Jackson
The best deal the Baltimore Ravens have is clearly their QB. Jackson just became the first player in NFL history to have four passing TDs and 50 rush yards in consecutive weeks. It’s crazy to think Baltimore got him at the end of the first round of the draft, and were criticized for moving on from Joe Flacco to turn the team over to him. (DB)
2. San Francisco 49ers
2019 record: 10-1
Last week: 4
Best deal: Nick Bosa
You could double his $6.1-million rookie-deal cap hit, and he’d still be a bargain. It’s young, affordable stars like Bosa that bust windows of contention wide open. (ES)
3. New England Patriots
2019 record: 10-1
Last week: 2
Best deal: Stephon Gilmore
Yes, Gilmore is the fourth-highest cap hit on the Patriots at just north of $9.1 million, but he’s worth every penny. The 29-year-old is the best player on the league’s best defence, and is not even close to the cornerback with the highest cap hit — Gilmore is the 16th-ranked CB in terms of 2019 cap dollars, per Spotrac. (GL)
4. Seattle Seahawks
2019 record: 9-2
Last week: 3
Best deal: Jadeveon Clowney
His salary is fairly substantial, but it’s the trade for Clowney that makes Seattle’s newest defensive powerhouse such a bargain. A pair of average pass-rushers and a third-round pick sent to Houston was a small price to pay, even if his $8-million cap hit isn’t. (ES)
5. New Orleans Saints
2019 record: 9-2
Last week: 5
Best deal: Michael Thomas
After signing an historic extension over the summer, the Saints’ $100-million man is still coming in at a reasonable cap hit of just over $6 million, which is 3.23 per cent of New Orleans cap space. That jumps up to $15 million next year — though at the rate he’s going, he might still be a bargain at that. (ES)
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6. Green Bay Packers
2019 record: 8-3
Last week: 6
Best deal: Elgton Jenkins
The Packers identified pass protection as a draft need last year and they got first-round talent in the second round with Jenkins. The 44th-overall pick allowed only one total pressure on 52 pass-blocking snaps against the 49ers last week — the best among all Packers’ offensive linemen. It was his sixth game grading 80-plus in pass protection. No other rookie offensive lineman has more than three such games. (DB)
7. Minnesota Vikings
2019 record: 8-3
Last week: 7
Best deal: Kirk Cousins
Many people scrutinized his contract, but Cousins has actually delivered elite quarterback play. Cousins ranks second in the league in QB rating as a starter, with a 114.8 rating. In a division with heralded QBs, Cousins has been the best by far. (DB)
8. Kansas City Chiefs
2019 record: 7-4
Last week: 8
Best deal: Patrick Mahomes
No surprise here, as last year’s MVP is still in just the third year of his rookie deal. Divide his $4.5-million cap hit by his 19 touchdown passes on the season, and you’ve got about $235,000 per touchdown pass so far. Worth it. (ES)
9. Buffalo Bills
2019 record: 8-3
Last week: 9
Best deal: Tre’Davious White
The third-year corner is already one of the best in the NFL, coming off a complete shutdown performance against Broncos breakout receiver Courtland Sutton. The LSU alum counts for just $2.7 million against the cap, but that should change soon as the Bills need to lock White up or risk him walking like Gilmore did. (GL)
10. Houston Texans
2019 record: 7-4
Last week: 10
Best deal: DeAndre Hopkins
Deshaun Watson is an obvious choice here, but we’re sure he’d appreciate it if we gave his No. 1 receiver a little love. With a cap hit of $14 million, you could argue that Hopkins is appropriately compensated, but given that players like Sammy Watkins, Allen Robinson and Jarvis Landry count for more against their team’s caps, Hopkins seems like a steal. (GL)
11. Dallas Cowboys
2019 record: 6-5
Last week: 12
Best deal: Dak Prescott
Presumably this won’t be the case for much longer as Dak is likely to become the latest young QB to take over as the highest-paid at his position this off-season. But right now, Prescott is the best passer in the game (Sunday’s slog in New England notwithstanding), with a cap hit of just north of $2.1 million – less than both A.J. McCarron and Brian Hoyer. (GL)
12. Los Angeles Rams
2019 record: 6-5
Last week: 11
Best deal: Cooper Kupp
The Rams’ best weapon is having a career year in a season that hasn’t quite gone as expected in L.A. Cupp counts for about half a per cent (0.55, to be exact) of the club’s total cap, which is insane considering he his outsized role in the offence. (ES)
13. Indianapolis Colts
2019 record: 6-5
Last week: 14
Best deal: Quenton Nelson
Some love for the big man here, who will surely become the NFL’s highest-paid offensive guard within the next couple of seasons. Counting as 2.28 per cent of Indy’s cap, Nelson is the lifeblood of the Colts’ dominant offensive line, and although he gets plenty of love on NFL Twitter, he’s still criminally underappreciated. (GL)
14. Tennessee Titans
2019 record: 6-5
Last week: 18
Best deal: Ryan Tannehill AND Derrick Henry
Both Tannehill ($1.875 million) and Henry ($1.72 million) are the catalysts for the Titans’ resurgence over the last few weeks, breathing life into an offence that was painfully dull through the first six weeks of the season and catapulting Tennessee back into the AFC wild-card picture. (GL)
Passing DVOA 2019
Marcus Mariota: -17.1%
Ryan Tannehill: 26.5%— Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) November 26, 2019
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
2019 record: 6-5
Last week: 15
Best deal: T.J. Watt
The Steelers have at least four sacks in four of their last five games. They have at least two takeaways in all but two games this season. Most of that is due to T.J. Watt, who is not just great value — he might be the defensive player of the year. Watt has five forced fumbles (tied for first), 25 QB hits (first) and has at least a half sack in eight consecutive games which is the longest active streak in the NFL. (DB)
16. Oakland Raiders
2019 record: 6-5
Last week: 13
Best deal: Josh Jacobs
We could’ve chosen any of the Raiders’ impact rookies this season, but Jacobs’s ability to alter the outlook of this offence from the onset makes him the biggest bargain. We’re guessing Derek Carr would shell out Jacobs’s $2-million cap hit himself for making the starting QB’s life easier. (ES)
17. Carolina Panthers
2019 record: 5-6
Last week: 16
Best deal: Christian McCaffrey
The third-year running back is worthy of the MVP-like hype, and worth every penny of his $4.7-million cap hit — just 2.44 per cent of the total cap. (ES)
18. Cleveland Browns
2019 record: 5-6
Last week: 20
Best deal: Jarvis Landry
Many people talk about the Browns’ trade for Odell Beckham Jr., but it’s the acquisition of Jarvis Landry the year before that has been more productive. Landry is the first Brown with a touchdown catch in four consecutive games since Gary Barnidge in 2015 and the first Browns wide receiver to accomplish the feat since Kevin Johnson in 2001. (DB)
19. Philadelphia Eagles
2019 record: 5-6
Last week: 17
Best deal: Jordan Howard
The Eagles’ offence falling apart has coincided with the absence of Howard from the lineup. Part of that is coincidental given the health of Philly’s top receivers, but the run game has been pretty stagnant since Howard suffered a stinger. With a cap hit of a little more than $2 million, Howard is a steal and one of the Eagles’ most important offensive players. (GL)
20. Chicago Bears
2019 record: 5-6
Last week: 19
Best deal: Nick Williams
The Bears have found themselves another defensive stud in Williams. The tackle’s second year with the Bears has been a breakout season. He has 31 tackles and a team-high six sacks after never registering a sack in his four-year career before this season. (DB)
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2019 record: 4-7
Last week: 24
Best deal: Shaquil Barrett
He’s the league leader in sacks (12.5 on the season), making the Buccaneers’ one-year, $4-million pact with the outside linebacker a worthy short-term investment that will likely lead to a long-term landing spot this off-season. (ES)
22. Atlanta Falcons
2019 record: 3-8
Last week: 21
Best deal: Calvin Ridley
The second-year wide receiver counts for $2,477,434, which is 1.31 per cent of the Falcons’ cap. When you have the league’s highest-paid on your roster, a cost-efficient option at No. 2 is a necessity. (ES)
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
2019 record: 4-7
Last week: 22
Best deal: D.J. Chark
There’s not much to phone home about in Jacksonville right now, but let’s shout out second-year wideout Chark, who is having a monster year in the Sunshine State despite the fact he’s dealt with some ups and downs at QB. Accounting for just 0.5 per cent of the Jags’ cap, Chark is one of the few positives on an offence in serious flux right now. (GL)
24. Los Angeles Chargers
2019 record: 4-7
Last week: 23
Best deal: Austin Ekeler
He ranks second in both rushing and receiving yards for the Chargers, as a dynamic and versatile weapon on a club that’s been hit with injuries and setbacks at nearly every position. His $646,668 cap hit counts for just 0.35 per cent of the team’s total cap. (ES)
25. Detroit Lions
2019 record: 3-7-1
Last week: 25
Best deal: Bo Scarborough
Scarborough spent 18 months with four different teams and was almost out of football. He got his opportunity for Detroit and scored his first TD on the third carry of his first start. A week later he rushed for 98 yards on just 18 carries, the second-highest total for a Lions running back this season. In a lost season, the Lions found themselves a nice complement to Kerryon Johnson. (DB)
26. Arizona Cardinals
2019 record: 3-7-1
Last week: 26
Best deal: Kyler Murray
How can a first-overall draft pick be a bargain, you ask? The young QB made the Cardinals relevant again, and you can’t put a price on that. (But, uh, if you did, it’d cost you about $6.5 million a year.) (ES)
Kyler's speed looks even crazier from the sideline @K1 pic.twitter.com/VNf3H932iQ
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 17, 2019
27. Denver Broncos
2019 record: 3-8
Last week: 27
Best deal: Phillip Lindsay
Last year’s breakout star was a revelation in Denver, and at $575,000 (0.29 per cent of the Broncos’ cap space!) he’s probably the best bargain in the entire league. (ES)
28. New York Jets
2019 record: 4-7
Last week: 28
Best deal: Jamal Adams
With CJ Mosley sidelined, Adams has been the heart and soul of the resurgent Jets defence this season, leading the team in tackles and sacks (a safety leading the team in sacks is a problem, but that’s another story). With a cap hit of $6 million, Adams makes three per cent of the Jets’ cap. (GL)
29. Miami Dolphins
2019 record: 2-9
Last week: 29
Best deal: Ryan Fitzpatrick
Whether the front office of the Dolphins wants to actually win games is a matter of debate, but the point of playing the games is to get wins — and without Fitzpatrick Miami wouldn’t have any. With a cap hit of $5.5 million, Fitzpatrick ranks 24th among QBs, just below Bears backup Chase Daniel. (GL)
30. Washington Redskins
2019 record: 2-9
Last week: 30
Best deal: Terry McLaurin
Another NFC East rookie receiver, “Scary Terry” is probably the lone bright spot in what has been an absolutely miserable season in Washington. McLaurin has 638 yards receiving, outpacing his next closest teammate by more than 350 yards. Coming in at $745,805 against the cap, Washington is certainly getting its money’s worth. (GL)
31. New York Giants
2019 record: 2-9
Last week: 31
Best deal: Darius Slayton
A fifth-round pick last spring out of Auburn, Slayton has emerged as Daniel Jones’s favourite target over the last few weeks and gives Giants fans another young offensive player to be excited about. Slayton’s been targeted 21 times over the last two weeks, and leads Big Blue with five receiving TDs this season. He also has a cap hit of just $553,497. (GL)
32. Cincinnati Bengals
2019 record: 0-11
Last week: 32
Best deal: Nobody
They’ve yet to win a game. Nobody on their team is a good deal. “Keep the receipt and bring it back before the warranty runs out” is the shopping mantra of the Cincinnati Bengals. (DB)
