Week 13 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em is here to highlight a few players at each position that we would like to sit or start (where possible). It’s Thanksgiving Weekend, and we’re going to let you know which players you need to “gobble up” and which players are like the Cranberry Sauce and need to be passed on.
This series will avoid the “obvious” answers. So, just because I don’t tell you to start the RB1 in the week doesn’t mean you should sit him. It means I just felt it was a no-brainer and didn’t need to be discussed. Also, consider these suggestions in the context of your lineup. When I say to sit a player, there are obviously going to be situations where you have no choice but to play them. Bye weeks and injuries can cause us to start players with whom we are uncomfortable. Examine your squad’s situation before blindly following this column.
Week 13 Quarterback Starts Of The Week:
Jacoby Brissett, ARI @ TB
Jacoby Brissett has quietly been putting up stats and has been a top-12 QB in every game he’s started. He’s coming off his worst game, where he still managed to be a top-10 quarterback and have nearly 19 fantasy points. This week, it’s a bit of a tougher defense for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Buccaneers have given up 28+ points in 3 straight weeks. They might not let Arizona put up that many points, but Brissett is still going to be slinging the ball. He’s a must-add on the waiver wire if you need a quarterback and he is still somehow available.
Bo Nix, DEN @ WAS
The Denver Broncos might be 9-2, but they really needed that bye week in week 12 to work on their offense. The Broncos’ offense has struggled over the last three games. In two of those three games, Bo Nix failed to eclipse the 200-yard mark. A game against the Washington Commanders, who struggle on defense, should right that ship for the Broncos offense to get back on track and make Bo Nix a respectable fantasy option again. I have Nix finishing with 20+ points again and getting back to using his legs to rack up some stats.
Week 13 Quarterback Sits Of The Week:
Daniel Jones, IND vs. HOU
Daniel Jones was impressive against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, a game that served as a big test of how legitimate a threat the Indianapolis Colts are. The Colts led for the majority of the game, and the Chiefs needed a field goal in overtime to win. Despite losing, Daniel Jones held his own and finished without a turnover and had multiple touchdowns. Daniel Jones was on my sit list last week, but he impressed me. Unfortunately, I don’t have 100% confidence just yet that he can perform against an elite defense like the Houston Texans. The Texans’ defense just shut down Josh Allen of all players and pulled off the win. This is going to be a massive matchup in the AFC South, and I’m not fully on board with Daniel Jones performing as he has been.
Brock Purdy, SF @ CLE
It was a rough outing for Brock Purdy against the Carolina Panthers, as it felt like his favorite receiver was Jaycee Horn. Purdy threw 3 interceptions, two of which were to Horn. It was a career low for the quarterback, who has thrown 7 interceptions through the 4 games he’s played. Purdy hasn’t been great when he’s played, and I don’t trust him against a Cleveland Browns team that has given up the 3rd fewest points to the quarterback position.
Week 13 Running Backs Starts Of The Week
Breece Hall, NYJ vs. ATL
With Garrett Wilson still on the IR, Breece Hall is being relied on more in the New York Jets offense. It also helps that they have Tyrod Taylor playing quarterback now, someone with more experience. With Taylor, they were more competitive, and Hall had 75 receiving yards, a season-high. The Jets might continue to lose, but their offense looked better and should continue to improve with a home matchup against the Falcons. The Falcons’ defense has struggled against dual-threat backs like De’Von Achane and Rico Dowdle this year. With Wilson out and Taylor starting at quarterback, Hall will continue to be fantasy relevant, and this weekend, I have him pegged as a top-15 option.
Travis Etienne, JAX @ TEN
After starting the season strong, Travis Etienne fell into a bit of a slump in weeks 5-7. Coming out of the bye week, Etienne has been RB6, averaging 18 fantasy points per game. He’s a must-start against the NFL’s worst team in the Tennessee Titans. With the passing offense not being consistent, Etienne has been a focal point of the offense and will continue to expand his role. I have Etienne as a major boom candidate this week.
Week 13 Running Back Sits Of The Week
Rico Dowdle, CAR vs. LAR
After exploding for 650+ rushing yards in 5 weeks, Rico Dowdle has come back down to earth. He’s only managed 136 rushing yards over the last three games, and that includes matchups against the Falcons & Saints, teams that rank in the bottom-12 in rushing. The competition is much higher with the NFC’s top team and a top-5 defense in the Rams. The Panthers are going to be playing from behind most of this game, and the carries aren’t going to happen for Rico. He’s my best prediction of the week.
Woody Marks, HOU @ IND
Rookie Woody Marks set a career-high in rushing yards with 75 yards against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are giving up the 3rd most rushing yards per game. The Texans also won this game, and we’re continuing to feed Marks the ball, with his 3rd most attempts on the year. The Texans have a tougher matchup on the road against division-rival Indianapolis this weekend. The Colts might’ve just let Kareem Hunt rush for 100 yards, but Hunt had 30 carries. The Texans won’t give Marks the ball that much, and he certainly won’t eclipse the performance he just had. The Texans will be playing more of this game from behind and will be throwing the ball a lot more than they did last week.
Week 13 Wide Receiver Starts Of The Week
Khalil Shakir, BUF @ PIT
After having one reception for -3 yards, Khalil Shakir bounced back against the league’s #1 defense with 110 yards on 10 receptions, both a season-high. With the issues the Bills have had with Keon Coleman, Shakir should continue to see his stock rise. In what’s anticipated to be a high-scoring affair against Pittsburgh, Shakir makes my list as a low-end WR1.
Xavier Worthy, KC @ DAL
If you drafted Xavier Worthy, you’ve probably been very disappointed in his performance this year. Worthy has averaged less than 9 fantasy points per game in what was supposed to be a breakout year for him. He’s only managed 4 games over 10+ points, and this upcoming week, I have him having his 5th game reaching that threshold. The Dallas Cowboys give up the 3rd most passing yards per game and the 2nd most points per game. The Chiefs are going to be in a shootout with the Cowboys, and to spread the ball around, Xavier Worthy is going to get some of those extra targets. Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce already are must-starts, but this week, Xavier Worthy joins them as a WR2 with WR1 upside.
Week 13 Wide Receiver Sits Of The Week
DJ Moore, CHI @ PHI
Coming off his season-best performance, DJ Moore put up 23.4 fantasy points in PPR formats and had his first multi-touchdown game of the year. Rather than this being a sign of things to come for the veteran, this seems like a fluke performance. He’s only had three other games all year where he’s had double-digit points. The last time he had a 20+ point performance, he followed that up with a complete dud and then a 3.1 point performance. Moore is a very high-risk play in week 13.
Jordan Addison, MIN @ SEA
It was a complete dud for Jordan Addison as he finished with 0 receptions for 0 yards. Since JJ McCarthy has been back, the Vikings’ offense has looked horrid. Addison is near unstartable right now. McCarthy may miss this week, in which we will see rookie Max Brosmer get the nod. I have little hope for Brosmer to do any better. I’m not touching Addison regardless of the matchup right now.
Week 13 Tight End Starts Of The Week:
Mark Andrews, BUF vs. CIN
It doesn’t matter who the Cincinnati Bengals are playing; tight ends thrive against their defense. It’s a nice confidence booster playing them, especially after coming off a poor outing or having been in a slump. That was the case for Hunter Henry last week as he broke out for 10 receptions and 100+ yards, putting him as the TE1 for the week. This week, the lucky benefactor is Mark Andrews. Andrews is coming off a pathetic 2.1 point performance against the New York Jets. The entire Baltimore pass offense is elevated, but Mark Andrews specifically is going to have a monster bounce-back performance against the team that allows the most points to the tight end position.
Brenton Strange, JAX @ TEN
It was a great return for Brenton Strange after missing the last 2 months with a quadriceps injury. Strange had a season-best performance with 5 receptions for 93 yards, which put him in the top-5 fantasy tight ends for the week. With Travis Hunter on season-ending IR and Brian Thomas Jr likely to be out or playing in limited fashion, Brenton Strange elevates to the #1 option for Trevor Lawrence. Strange is a must-start against a Tennessee defense that just let wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba put up 160+ yards.
Week 13 Tight End Sits Of The Week
Hunter Henry, NE vs. NYG
The New England Patriots should take care of business this weekend against the New York Giants. I’m expecting big games from Drake Maye, the running game, and Stefon Diggs. The player I’m fading is Hunter Henry, who actually had a season-high in receiving yards last week. That game last week was against the league’s worst defense. The Giants’ defense isn’t great either, but Henry hasn’t been able to pull together two solid games in a row all year. I’m not banking on changing that trend this week.
Oronde Gadsden II, LAC vs. LV
The matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders is very favorable for Oronde Gadsden II, but I’m still fading him. He was hot in weeks 6-9, but has cooled off since then. That’s the case for almost anyone on the Chargers. Justin Herbert attaches to a different receiving option for a few weeks and then moves on to the next. With Omarion Hampton likely to be back, I expect he’ll get more of Herbert’s attention, along with Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen.
For your final lineup decisions, check out the FSAN Rankings Page or check out our Sit & Start live show every Sunday before kickoff on Spilled Coffee.