Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Fantasy Football

We're finally through bye week season, and that means you'll be facing even more decisions around who to play in fantasy football every week.

Who to Start in Fantasy Football

Having so many options at your disposal make it especially important to stay on the ball with the top fantasy football plays in Week 13.

If you need some help with your Week 13 lineup, here's some start 'em, sit 'em advice.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, Week 13 Quarterbacks

Start Sam Darnold (NYJ at CIN): Sam Darnold is coming off three straight 20-plus fantasy point games, and since Week 10 he ranks fifth among QBs in fantasy points per game. His string of soft matchups continues in Week 13, as he finds himself up against the Cincinnati Bengals, who rank 31st against the pass by Football Outsiders' DVOA metrics, and who have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing passers.

Sit Deshaun Watson (HOU vs NE): Deshaun Watson has been great this season, but he also showed that he's not completely matchup-proof when he only managed single-digit fantasy points against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. This week brings him the toughest matchup you can find for a QB, as the Patriots have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to the position (by a big margin) and check in first against the pass by DVOA.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13 Running Backs

Start Miles Sanders (PHI at MIA): Jordan Howard is still questionable this week, having yet to be cleared for contact (as of Thursday afternoon), but Miles Sanders will be a great play whether Howard is out or not. The Miami Dolphins make for a dreamy matchup, allowing the fourth-most PPR fantasy points per game to RBs, and Sanders had already been involved when Howard was healthy, recording at least three targets in each of the last five games they played together. He's an especially great play if Howard sits though, having seen a combined 23 rushes and nine targets while playing over 80 percent of the Eagles' offensive snaps in the last two weeks.

Sit Carlos Hyde (HOU vs NE): This matchup isn't just tough for Watson and the passing game. The Pats also rank top-10 in run defense DVOA and have held RBs to the leagues fewest fantasy points per game. Carlos Hyde doesn't contribute much in the passing game, and so has seen his role fall to just 10.8 rush attempts per game in losses, compared to 15.8 per game overall on the year. The potential for limited volume in a nightmare matchup makes him really hard to count on in Week 13.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13 Wide Receivers

Start DeVante Parker (MIA vs PHI): The Dolphins' offense doesn't give us a ton to get excited about, but DeVante Parker is an exception. He hasn't posted fewer than 11 PPR fantasy points in a game since Week 3, and across those last eight game he ranks 16th among wideouts in PPR fantasy scoring. His numbers have been especially good with Preston Williams on IR, seeing double-digit targets in each of the last three games, and that volume should turn into plenty of production against Philly, who has allowed top-10 fantasy numbers to wideouts.

Sit Marquise Brown (BAL vs SF): Hollywood Brown offers no shortage of upside, as he showed with two TDs in Week 12. He's still only seen more than four targets in one of four games since returning from injury in Week 8 though, and this week he gets a nightmare matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, who are second in pass defense DVOA and who hold opposing WRs to bottom-six fantasy production. As a boom-or-bust play, this is the kind of spot that will likely lead to a "bust" week.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.