In an all-important Week 13, the question of whether to start or sit a player in fantasy football takes on even greater importance. For more start or sit advice, send a tweet to Paul at @pauliep97.
Start ‘em: Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson, Ravens
As long as he’s starting for the Ravens, Lamar Jackson should be starting for your fantasy team. Jackson’s 188 rushing yards over the past two games easily lead the league amongst QBs, and, given the way that standard leagues heavily favor running-QBs, his production on the ground should be enough to outweigh the occasional pick or sub-200 yard passing game. In Week 13, Jackson faces a Falcons defense that is 2nd-worst against fantasy quarterbacks.
[More Week 13 Fantasy Football Help: See rankings, players to add, players to drop, sleepers, streaming kickers, streaming defenses and more.]
Deshaun Watson, Texans
Deshaun Watson’s fantasy outlook is similar to that of Russell Wilson’s. The passing volume is a concern — no more than 25 attempts in a game since Week 5 — but his rushing ability and penchant for passing TDs make him a breakout candidate each and every week (see: two QB1 finishes in the past four games). Watson has a home date with the Browns this week, who are middle of the pack against QBs on the season but have allowed 20+ points to the position in four of the last five games.
Jameis Winston, Buccaneers
While the constant quarterback rotation in Tampa Bay has been frustrating, the overall fantasy production of Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick has been outstanding. The Buccaneers’ offense 1st in PYPG (356), 2nd in pass attempts, and 3rd in YPA. To put it simply, Winston is going to throw it a ton this week against the Panthers, and his odds of tossing a couple of scores are pretty high considering the Panthers have allowed multiple passing TDs in nine of eleven games this season.
Other starters: Matt Ryan vs. Ravens; Aaron Rodgers vs. Cardinals
Sit ‘em: Quarterbacks
Josh Allen, Bills
The Bills’ rookie put on a show against the Jaguars last week, rushing for 99 yards and a TD and leading his team to victory. However, this performance is a mirage. Josh Allen is not athletic enough to rely on rushing alone like fellow rookie Lamar Jackson. The real narrative here is that Allen has failed to top 200 passing yards in five straight starts. Sit him this week against the Dolphins.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings
Here are Kirk Cousins’ weekly finishes in the six games prior to Week 12: QB15, QB23, QB9, QB16, QB16, QB22. So yes, Cousins finished as QB2 this past week, but that performance seems more the exception than the rule. Cousins has attempted the 2nd-most passes this season, yet his offense is scoring just 24 PPG and converting 40% of 3rd downs — 16th and 13th in those categories, respectively. He has also failed to top two passing TDs in six of his last seven. I’m predicting another mediocre performance this week against the Patriots in Foxborough.
Other players to sit: Nick Mullens vs. Seahawks; Baker Mayfield vs. Texans
Start ‘em: Running Backs
Gus Edwards, Ravens
In the two games since he supplanted Alex Collins as the Ravens’ starting running back, Gus Edwards has rushed 40 times for 232 yards and a TD. Now, with Collins dealing with a foot injury, Edwards is again in line to receive the bulk of rushing attempts. He does have exactly 0 targets in the past two games, which is a concern, but considering how atrocious Atlanta’s run defense has been, Gus should still be able to put together a third-straight solid performance.
Phillip Lindsay, Broncos
Even with Royce Freeman back the past two weeks, Phillip Lindsay has remained the clear-cut starter for Denver. And why wouldn’t he? Lindsay is averaging 5.4 YPC and has looked flat-out electric on the field. This week he’ll be matched up against a Bengals defense that seems to be in shambles, and, with a backup quarterback starting for Cincinnati, the Broncos have a good chance to get ahead early and feed Lindsay the ball.
Aaron Jones, Packers
After Aaron Jones received a season-high 17 carries in Week 12, is it possible that Mike McCarthy has finally gotten wise with regards to his star running back? Jones is the RB5 over the past five weeks, and, in that span, he has 6 TDs. Jones faces the Cardinals this week, who rank 29th against fantasy running backs this season. Look for the Packers to get Jones involved early and often in this one.
Other starters: David Johnson vs. Packers; LeSean McCoy vs. Dolphins
Sit ‘em: Running Backs
LeGarrette Blount, Lions
With Kerryon Johnson poised to miss another game, LeGarrette Blount should handle the bulk of the carries this Sunday against the Rams. Blount, of course, put up an excellent performance as the starter last week 103 total yards and 2 TDs on 20 touches — but I don’t believe that he can sustain that production. Remember, in the four games prior to Thanksgiving, as Kerryon’s backup, Blount carried 21 times for just 16 yards. The other problem here is game script. With the Lions almost guaranteed to be trailing the Rams this week, I don’t see Blount amassing the type of volume he will need to be productive.
Tevin Coleman, Falcons
Since Week 5, Tevin Coleman is averaging just under 10 carries per game. That volume is not what many envisioned when Devonta Freeman was placed on injured reserve. Though Coleman has been inefficient, the problem does not lie with him alone. The Falcons’ offensive line has struggled mightily, and poor defense has forced Atlanta to abandon the run on multiple occasions. I don’t expect Coleman to turn it around this week against a Ravens defense that ranks 2nd against running backs this season.
Other players to sit: Carlos Hyde vs. Colts; Kenyan Drake vs. Bills
Start ‘em: Wide Receivers
Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos
Emmanuel Sanders is having quite the bounce-back season thus far. He’s averaging 6 receptions and 77 yards per game, he’s clearly Case Keenum’s top target, and Courtland Sutton has failed to emerge in the absence of Demaryius Thomas, which only makes Sanders more essential to Denver’s offense. I expect Sanders to continue his dominant season against the Bengals this week.
Kenny Golladay, Lions
Marvin Jones is officially out for the season, which means Kenny Golladay will finish out the year as the de facto number one in Detroit. So far, in the two games Marvin Jones has missed, Golladay’s target share has been an absurd 29.3%. That will continue this week against the Rams, and, if the game gets out of hand, Golladay would be the biggest beneficiary of a frantic passing game and perhaps some garbage time production.
D.J. Moore, Panthers
After a slow start to the season, D.J. Moore has begun to emerge as the top passing threat in Carolina. Since Week 9, Moore has played on about 90% of the snaps, and, in the past three games, he’s received a 23% target share. With Devin Funchess likely to miss Week 13 or, at best, play in a limited fashion, Moore should be busy against a Buccaneers defense that has allowed the 6th-most passing yards and the most passing TDs this season.
Other starters: Adam Humphries vs. Panthers, Tyler Boyd vs. Broncos
Sit ‘em: Wide Receivers
Alshon Jeffery, Eagles
Alshon Jeffery returned to action in Week 4 and began his season with three great games out of four. However, Alshon has now failed to top 50 receiving yards or find the end zone in four straight contests, and, unfortunately, a bounce back does not seem imminent. His targets have dropped dramatically since the team acquired Golden Tate, and, with Josh Norman likely to shadow Jeffery on Monday night, I would recommend looking elsewhere.
Allen Robinson, Bears
As I’ve said before, the Bears do not treat Allen Robinson like a true number one receiver. If the game plan doesn’t favor Robinson, Matt Nagy is perfectly comfortable featuring players like Tarik Cohen or Trey Burton. As such, Robinson has averaged under 7 targets per game and has just two top-20 weeks this season. Against the Giants, who have held six different wide receiver corps scoreless, I’m not expecting much from Robinson, especially with Chase Daniel set to start for the second straight game.
Other players to sit: Keke Coutee vs. Browns; Devin Funchess vs. Buccaneers
Start ‘em: Tight Ends
Jordan Reed, Redskins
With Colt McCoy under center, Jordan Reed is relevant once more. In two games with his new QB, Reed has 15 receptions for 146 yards and a TD. He finished as a top-10 tight end in both games. The Eagles have been 3rd-best against tight ends this season, but, with a dearth of quality pass-catchers, the Redskins will likely have to force the ball to Reed. It’s also worth noting that, in Reed’s last game against the Eagles, he caught 8 passes for 64 yards and 2 TDs.
Other starters: Eric Ebron vs. Jaguars; Cameron Brate vs. Panthers
Sit ‘em: Tight Ends
Jimmy Graham, Packers
If Jimmy Graham wasn’t named Jimmy Graham, you wouldn’t even consider starting him this week. He hasn’t topped 4 receptions since Week 6, he has 2 TDs on the season, and he’s playing with a broken thumb. Aaron Rodgers has never leaned on his tight ends, and he won’t have to this week against the Cardinals. Graham will be little more than a decoy in what should be a run-heavy game.
Other players to sit: Antonio Gates vs. Steelers; C.J. Uzomah vs. Broncos
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