Brutal Bye Week
Every week of the NFL season, fantasy gamers juggle players to insert into lineups at each position. Are you questioning which players face easy matchups and which players face tougher paths to production? You are in the right place – Start Sit Week 13!
We come out of Thanksgiving with a brutal Bye Week as the Ravens, Bills, Bears, Raiders, Vikings, and Giants are all out. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Saquon Barkley, Davante Adams, and more notable players will be resting, nuking fantasy teams trying to make a playoff push. For seasonal leagues, DFS, and more, this week’s must start and sit picks can give you some guidance on setting your lineups. Good luck!
Quarterback Start/Sit Week 13
Start: Derek Carr
The Saints offense has worked slowly, with Derek Carr averaging 12.6 (No. 24) Fantasy Points Per Game. The team averages 38.2 (No. 3) pass plays per game, though Carr averages 6.8 (No. 23) Yards Per Attempt. While he has not been pushing the ball downfield, Carr has three top-12 and three more top-24 finishes. In Week 13, he gets a Lions defense that has allowed eight passing touchdowns over their last three games. Detroit yields the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, setting up Carr to have a serviceable week. With several fantasy-relevant quarterbacks on Bye, fantasy managers are scrambling to find a brief plug-in, or a consistent QB2 in SuperFlex leagues. While his offense isn’t the prettiest, Carr fits both profiles and is a start for Week 13.
Sit: Kyler Murray
In three games since returning from injury, Kyler Murray is averaging 20.5 Fantasy Points Per Game. His rushing production has boosted his fantasy output, as he has scored a rushing touchdown in each game. As a passer, Murray has just two passing TDs to two interceptions.
Facing a tough Steelers defense in Week 13, Murray’s startability comes into question. The Steelers are grabbing one interception for every passing touchdown they allow. They have also limited rushing output, allowing less than 16 QB rushing yards per game this season. Pittsburgh yields the third-lowest rushing fantasy points to QBs and has already contained an elite rusher in Lamar Jackson to 45 rushing yards in Week 5. With a rushing ceiling capped against T.J. Watt and company, Murray is a sit in Week 13.
Running Back Start/Sit Week 13
Start: Najee Harris
In tandem with Jaylen Warren, Najee Harris has a career-high 4.2 yards per carry. That’s not saying much, given his inefficient career, but Harris has been a serviceable back with five double-digit fantasy point games since Week 7. He has a 7.0-percent (No. 6) Breakaway Run Rate, hitting on a few big plays this season. The Steelers face a stumbling Cardinals defense in Week 13. Arizona allows 120 rushing yards per game and just under 4.5 yards per carry. Kyren Williams and Royce Freeman just ran all over them in Week 12. A similar game is set up for Harris and Warren. Harris still sees over 50-percent of the backfield’s snaps, making him a good start this Week 13 against the Cardinals.
Sit: Jerome Ford
While he was a start last week, Jerome Ford is a sit this week against the Rams defense. The Rams allow 87 rushing yards per game. Teams tend to attack them via the air more than the ground. While the Browns (with a shaky quarterback situation) are likely to run the ball a lot, the Rams matchup yields a middling 20th-best fantasy points to running backs via the rush and 30th-best via RB receptions. Ford has three straight weeks of 11.9 fantasy points, seeing 12 targets over his last two games. However, Kareem Hunt is still involved in a lesser role and the Cleveland offense has limited scoring opportunities with subpar quarterback play. Expect the Rams to limit Ford’s receiving and scoring chances, making him a sit for Week 13.
Wide Receiver Start/Sit Week 13
Start: Josh Downs
Colts rookie Josh Downs has put together a high-volume season. He has earned a 20.2-percent (No. 43) Target Share, a number brought down by Weeks 9 and 10 when he was nursing a knee injury and ran just 20 total routes. Working primarily out of the slot, Downs boasts a 55.8-percent (No. 10) Route Win Rate and gets heavy utilization from Gardner Minshew.
Josh Downs has been quietly great.
He was finally healthy in Week 12 and earned a season-high 12 targets.
Downs now ranks 5th at beating man coverage this year.
This week he faces the Titans who allow the 6th most receptions to WRs…
— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) November 29, 2023
The Colts play a Titans defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. Tennessee has just three interceptions on the season, giving up 175 yards to wide receivers per game. Michael Pittman is an auto-start, but Downs is also a good start in an Indy offense that just lost Jonathan Taylor for a couple of weeks.
Sit: Drake London
The Falcons’ usage of their best players has varied this season, with Drake London having four finishes outside the top-36 in 10 games. London is Atlanta’s top receiver, but the team uses its running backs, tight ends, and all offensive options to rack up yardage.
Against a tough Jets defense, London is going to have a hard time getting his slice of pie. The Jets secondary, led by Sauce Gardner, is allowing the third-least fantasy points to receivers this season. The defense is the only thing going right for New York, and that won’t change. Expect Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to see increased usage. London is a sit in a tough wide receiver matchup in Week 13.
Tight End Start/Sit Week 13
Start: Evan Engram
The Jaguars have been humming in recent games, scoring 58 combined points over the last two games. Evan Engram has consistently seen five targets in each game this season, including six games with at least eight targets. However, his lack of touchdowns has kept him at 10.4 (No. 7) Fantasy Points Per Game. Facing the Bengals in Week 13, Engram has a chance to capitalize for fantasy managers. The Bengals allowed four TE touchdowns this season, albeit all before Week 6. Since then, they have allowed at least 11 TE targets in three out of six games. Engram will have the chance to rack up yardage and sneak into the end zone. He is already a back-end TE1 this season and worth a start in a good Week 13 matchup against Cincy.
Sit: Gerald Everett
The Chargers have had a season to forget, despite Justin Herbert humming along. Amidst the offensive injuries, Gerald Everett has played in nine games, ranking as a back-end TE2 most of the season. His best fantasy output came against the Ravens in Week 12, primarily because of a touchdown score.
Everett has scored a touchdown in all his double-digit fantasy games, making him a heavy touchdown-dependent play. In Week 13, Everett faces a Patriots team yielding the 24th-most fantasy points to tight ends. They have allowed just one tight end touchdown this season, locking up the position most weeks. With Josh Palmer eligible to return in Week 13, Everett’s fantasy outlook is grimmer. Sit Everett this week.
Final Playoff Push
The fantasy playoffs are coming for most leagues in Week 15. With just two weeks left to make a playoff push, Week 13 start sit decisions are a crucial part of fantasy roster management. Look ahead to players on Bye for Weeks 13 and 14 and prepare accordingly. Championship season is coming soon.
