Week 13 of the fantasy football season has a great slate of games, with some strong playoff contenders going head-to-head. Hopefully, your carefully curated roster is in good shape after the devastating slew of injuries that have affected the NFL. You’re in the right place if you’re in a tough situation with your start/sit questions.
Week 13 Fantasy Football Start ’ems
We’ve dug through the latest roster percentages to identify fantasy football players who you must either start or sit. Our two start options are currently being started in around 40% or fewer of leagues, whereas our two sit players are at around 70% or more. We’re also looking at players owned in a majority of leagues.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
What a run that we are seeing for Packers rookie wide receiver Christian Watson. Since Week 10, Watson has become the WR1 in Green Bay‘s office. He has three straight games of four receptions but has made the most of them by totaling 265 yards and six touchdowns.
It’s possible Watson wins Offensive Rookie of the Year despite not being a factor for the first nine weeks of the season. Even with the Packers being concerned over quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ rib injury, Watson has a favorable matchup entering Week 13.
MORE: Week 13 Fantasy Football Rest-of-Season Rankings
His foe, the Chicago Bears, does not possess a good enough defense to sit Watson even if backup quarterback Jordan Love has to play.
The Bears have been close to average against wide receivers, allowing 10.3 receptions for 144 yards and just under one touchdown per game. Instead of attacking their young secondary, most of their foes have destroyed them on the ground. The Packers could certainly follow suit with their two-headed running back system of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
But Rogers or Love will certainly have to take chances, and there’s no reason to think that Watson won’t be receiving the most high-value targets within this offense. He’s earned over 100 yards or two touchdowns in each of the last three weeks. There’s no question this passing game runs through the rookie.
While it’s a bit of a dicey and nontraditional decision, especially if Love plays, I think we need to continue to ride the hot hand against this defense. Chicago’s offense could also offer Green Bay advantageous field position if quarterback Justin Fields cannot play.
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Was it really a surprise to see Jets rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson enjoy a breakout as soon as Zach Wilson was benched?
Backup quarterback Mike White fed Wilson regularly throughout New York’s 31-10 blowout win against Chicago in Week 12. Wilson responded to his eight targets from White by catching five passes for 95 yards in two touchdowns.
There’s no question that Wilson has been the most impressive rookie receiver since the start of the season. His movement ability is as advertised, as he often looks like Stefon Diggs has throughout his career. Wilson’s inconsistent production hasn’t been due to a talent issue but rather stems from Zach Wilson’s inability to consistently provide catchable passes for his receivers.
The pass-catching Wilson (not the QB) will continue to be a matchup nightmare for defenses. His speed and route running makes him an excellent chess piece for offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Wilson can win in the slot or outside with ease.
New York’s willingness to move him all over the field and ability to confuse defenses with a solid receiving corps that provides several other mismatches make Wilson even more dangerous.
Though you wouldn’t expect any receiver to have an especially good matchup against a defense that belongs to a team with a 9-2 mark, this Vikings team is very unique. Their wins are far from dominant, and they have several talent limitations throughout their defense. It’s not that they’re not good, but they’re also prone to allowing big performances to opposing teams’ offensive stars.
I’m expecting more of the same this week. You can even consider taking the higher on Wilson’s receiving categories on Underdog Fantasy because the Jets will surely be relying on the rookie.
The Vikings have been dreadful against receivers despite Patrick Peterson’s resurgence. Only three teams are giving up more fantasy points per game to the position on average. Through 11 games, Minnesota is allowing 197.5 yards and 0.8 touchdowns per game to pass catchers.
Our PFN expert WR Fantasy Rankings for Week 13 have Wilson as the WR52 against the Vikings, and I think he’ll easily outperform those expectations. Look for another big game from the first-round playmaker.
Week 13 Fantasy Football Sit ’ems
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Sitting at RB15 in PPR leagues this season, Kamara hasn’t been the booming fantasy presence we had hoped for in the summer. We thought he’d be a massive steal in the second or third round of drafts, but he’s instead played to his draft position. We’d rather have taken Rhamondre Stevenson two rounds later and benefited from similar production.
Marked as questionable for Week 13 against Tampa Bay due to an undisclosed illness, Kamara has two big strikes against him for this matchup. We don’t want to see a limited Kamara in our fantasy lineups, as he touched the ball only 13 times for 50 yards last week. He could see a repeat performance this week.
The Buccaneers have been excellent at slowing running backs this season, with only New England and San Francisco ahead of them. Though they’re allowing 95 yards per game on the ground, they’re the best in the league at limiting receiving yards to backs, averaging 17.6 yards. This is especially bad news for Kamara.
Better days are coming for Kamara, as games against Atlanta and Cleveland await the Saints soon. But he should spend Week 13 on your bench unless you have no other options.
Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Betting on Sanders to buck the trends of the last two seasons as a rotational back with limited fantasy upside has been my biggest hit of the year. He’s been the bell cow for the Eagles, producing 900 yards and eight scores on the ground. Sitting at RB13 in PPR leagues, Sanders has paid off for his managers.
MORE: Fantasy Football Cut List Week 13
This isn’t a good matchup for the slashing back, though. Tennessee has the third-best run defense in the NFL, giving up only 66.2 yards per game and two touchdowns over the entire season to backs. Last week, Cincinnati became the first team since Week 2 to total more than 96 rushing yards on them.
The Eagles may get there as a team, but it’s not a guarantee, and Sanders is less likely than the passing game to be the catalyst for this offense. Instead, watch for quarterback Jalen Hurts to eviscerate the Titans’ woeful passing defense. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith should feast while Sanders takes a backseat in the gameplan.
