In all the years that I've been writing this Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column, it's the first time that I've been doing it with a game happening. I'm currently watching the Ravens-Steelers game as I'm writing this sentence, and it's kind of cool. Maybe we'll get more Wednesday games in the future? Probably not.
While the 2020 season has been wacky because of COVID-19, the good thing is the NFL has been flexible in making sure every game gets played. It hasn't always been easy, and Fantasy managers have had to juggle a lot of things in setting your lineups. The final stretch of the season will likely have more twists and turns, but we're near the end. In fact, this is the final week of the regular season in many Fantasy leagues.
Hopefully, this is the week you will clinch a playoff berth or lock up a potential bye week. We know that's not the case for everyone, but it would be great if several teams are alive fighting for a postseason spot in your league to make it competitive.
So let's get to why you're here with the starts and sits that you need for Week 13. I know many of you will stop reading this column after this week if you miss the Fantasy playoffs, but I appreciate you coming here during the season. We'll still be here until the end of the year, and hopefully help those of you still in contention come away with a Fantasy title.
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em
Start of the Week
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It was great to see David Montgomery have a breakout game in Week 12 at Green Bay, and I expect that to carry over to this week. He should have another outstanding performance in Week 13 against the Lions.
Detroit allows the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs. The Lions are fifth in rushing yards allowed in the NFL at 1,467 and first in touchdowns allowed to running backs with 14 rushing and 21 total. In the past five weeks alone, seven running backs have scored at least 15 PPR points against Detroit, with 12 total touchdowns allowed. That bodes well for Montgomery, especially with the way he looked against the Packers.
He missed Week 10 against Minnesota with a concussion, but he returned after Chicago's bye with 11 carries for 103 yards at Green Bay, along with five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on six targets for a season-high 25 PPR points. It was also the first 100-yard game of the season for Montgomery.
Now, it's been an up-and-down season for Montgomery. With Tarik Cohen (ACL) out, he's established career highs in targets (47), receptions (35), receiving yards (252) and receiving touchdowns (two). He has at least three catches in six of his past seven games, which has given him a nice floor in PPR. But he also has just one rushing touchdown on the season and just three games with more than 12 PPR points.
However, this should be a great week for Montgomery against the Lions, and I expect him to be a top-15 running back in all leagues -- if not higher.
More Week 13 help: Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: RB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: WR | Trade Values Chart | FFT Newsletter | RB Preview | QB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Waiver Wire | Panic About Struggling Stars? | Winners and Losers | Believe It Or Not
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Quarterbacks
Start 'Em
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Do we still have to worry about Cousins and his volume? He's attempted at least 30 passes in three games in a row, including two outings with at least 36 attempts. He's averaging 26.5 Fantasy points per game in his past four outings, including 28.3 Fantasy points per game in his past three at home. And he gets Adam Thielen back this week after he missed Week 12 against Carolina because he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Jaguars have allowed five quarterbacks in a row to pass for at least 258 yards and two touchdowns, and Cousins should be in that range this week -- if not better. He's a top 10 Fantasy quarterback for Week 13 and was in consideration for Start of the Week.
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Tannehill rallied the past two weeks against tough opponents on the road at Baltimore and Indianapolis with at least 20 Fantasy points in both outings. Now, he benefited with key guys missing on defense in both of those matchups, and the Browns will be without cornerback Denzel Ward (calf) and safety Ronnie Harrison (shoulder). Myles Garrett (illness) is back to cause problems up front, but I still like Tannehill as a starter in all leagues. He's averaging 25.7 Fantasy points per game at home, and Cleveland just allowed Mike Glennon to pass for 235 yards and two touchdowns and score 21 Fantasy points. Tannehill should do better than that this week.
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Hopefully, Roethlisberger is fine in Wednesday's game against Baltimore, and he should be considered a top-10 quarterback for Week 13 against Washington. Prior to Week 13, he had scored at least 20 Fantasy points in three games in a row, and he's attempted at least 42 passes in each outing. Also, in Roethlisberger's first five home games, he was averaging 24.2 Fantasy points per game. This should be a game where the Steelers offense has its way with the Washington defense, and the passing game is the reason why. I can't imagine Washington stopping JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and Eric Ebron, and Roethlisberger has the chance for a big outing in this spot.
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Carr was an absolute disaster in Week 12 at Atlanta with zero Fantasy points. That's not a misprint. He passed for 215 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, and he also lost three fumbles. What better way to cure his woes then facing the Jets this week. That secondary is a mess, and the Jets have allowed 623 passing yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions the past two games against Justin Herbert and Fitzpatrick. Carr should rebound this week, potentially in a big way, and he's worth trusting again in Week 13 despite his poor outing in Week 12.
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Sleepers
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It wasn't pretty, but Trubisky scored 24 Fantasy points at Green Bay in Week 12 as the starter in place of Nick Foles (hip), who is likely out again. And Trubisky faces Detroit this week, which is a team he typically has success against. In his past four meetings with the Lions, Trubisky has scored 29, 24, 29 and 41 Fantasy points. He's worth using as a streaming option in all leagues.
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The Browns finally played in decent weather for the first time since Week 7 in their game at Jacksonville last week, and it showed in their passing game with Mayfield scoring 22 Fantasy points. Hopefully that continues in what could be a fun game at Tennessee this week. The Titans are No. 4 in Fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, and the past two games that Mayfield attempted more than 28 passes he scored at least 22 points. Only Cousins in Week 3 had fewer than 29 pass attempts against the Titans this year.
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Rivers has scored at least 21 Fantasy points in four of his past six games, including two outings in a row. He's attempted at least 36 passes in four games in a row, and we'll see if he's forced to throw again this week at Houston. The Texans haven't allowed multiple passing touchdowns in a game since Week 7, but three of their past four opposing quarterbacks have at least 295 passing yards. It also helps that Houston cornerback Bradley Roby (suspension) is out.
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Sit 'Em
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Once again it appears like Kenny Golladay (hip) will be out against the Bears, and that's been bad news for Stafford all season. Golladay missed six games prior to Week 13, and Stafford has one game with more than 19 Fantasy points over that span. He faced the Bears in Week 1 without Golladay and scored 17 Fantasy points. We'll see if Darrell Bevell taking over as the interim head coach for the fired Matt Patricia inspires Stafford, but I don't trust him against the Bears. In his past five trips to Chicago, Stafford is averaging 265.4 passing yards per game with seven total touchdowns, six interceptions and a lost fumble.
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Goff has been extremely inconsistent this season, and I don't want to trust him this week against the Cardinals. He has one game with more than 12 Fantasy points in his past four outings, and he's been turnover prone with six interceptions and four fumbles over that span. The Cardinals have struggled with quarterbacks of late, but it's been mostly mobile ones like Russell Wilson, Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Allen. Goff isn't going to hurt the Cardinals with his legs, and he should be considered a low-end starter at best this week.
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Wentz got lucky with 22 Fantasy points in Week 12 against Seattle thanks in part to a 33-yard Hail Mary at the end of the game to Richard Rodgers. While he did run for 42 yards, he still finished with 215 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He was also sacked six times in the game, and he's been taking a beating all season. It's hard to trust Wentz in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues at this point, and prior to his 22-point outing against the Seahawks, he had 18 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row. This could be another week where Wentz is getting hit often against the Packers, and he shouldn't be started in most formats.
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Newton struggled against the Cardinals in Week 12 with just 9-of-18 passing for 84 yards and two interceptions, and he also added nine carries for 46 yards. He could rebound this week since the matchup looks OK on paper against the Chargers, but Los Angeles got Chris Harris back in Week 12 against Buffalo, as well as a monster game from Joey Bosa. If Bosa is able to harass Newton, as well as Harris and Casey Hayward causing problems in the secondary, it could be another rough game for Newton. And remember, he only has two games with more than 20 Fantasy points since Week 2, so he's an easy quarterback to replace in most leagues.
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Bust Alert
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Hill had a solid game in the first meeting with the Falcons in Week 11, scoring 24 Fantasy points with 233 passing yards, 49 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He followed that up with 17 Fantasy points behind just 78 passing yards, 44 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Denver in Week 12, but he didn't have to do much in that game since the Broncos offense was so inept. I'm expecting his production to fall in the middle of those two outings, so he's a low-end starting option at best this week at Atlanta. It's hard to count on him scoring two touchdowns on the ground, but hopefully he can throw his first passing touchdown this year. Hill should be good, but I don't expect him to be great, which is why he's in this spot.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
Start 'Em
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Sanders is typically a must-start Fantasy running back in all leagues, but we're getting many questions about sitting him after what happened in Week 12 against Seattle when he had just eight total touches and was outplayed by Boston Scott. He has also scored a combined 13 PPR points in his past two games against the Browns and Seahawks, but I'm going right back to Sanders this week against the Packers. It helps that Green Bay has allowed a running back to score or gain over 100 total yards in every game this season. But Sanders also had at least 17 total touches in consecutive games prior to Week 12. The Eagles offensive line is a mess, but Sanders should still be fine this week against the Packers.
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Taylor was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, and hopefully he resumes his role as the lead running back for the Colts. Prior to missing Week 12 against Tennessee, Taylor had arguably his best game of the season against Green Bay in Week 11 with 22 carries for 90 yards, along with four catches for 24 yards on four targets. He'll still share touches with Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins, and Hines should be considered a sleeper this week since Houston has allowed seven running backs to catch at least four passes in a game this season. But this should be a game where Taylor goes off since the Texans are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs, and Houston has allowed a running back to score in six games in a row, with eight touchdowns allowed over that span.
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Mostert returned in Week 12 against the Rams following a four-game absence with an ankle injury and had 16 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown, although he lost a fumble. Mostert should be even better this week against the Bills. Buffalo has allowed a running back to score or gain at least 100 total yards in seven games in a row, with seven touchdowns allowed over that span and three running backs with 100-yards rushing (Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Damien Harris and Kenyan Drake). Mostert is still sharing touches with Jeff Wilson and Jerick McKinnon, but he's a lock for 15-plus touches if healthy, which should give him the chance for an outstanding performance in Week 13.
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Gaskin has been activated from IR and is expected to return this week against the Bengals. And if that happens, consider Gaskin a quality No. 2 running back in all leagues. It would help if Salvon Ahmed (shoulder) remains out, but Gaskin was the No. 1 running back in Miami before hurting his knee in Week 8 against the Rams. He scored at least 12 PPR points in five of his past six games, and he had at least 21 total touches in four of his past five outings. Hopefully his workload and production remains the same when healthy, and the Bengals have allowed a running back to score or gain at least 100 total yards in five of their past six games.
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Sleepers
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Dobbins was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, and he's eligible to play Tuesday against the Cowboys. He should be considered a quality starting option in all leagues. The Cowboys have allowed a running back to score a touchdown or gain at least 100 total yards in four of their past six games. And Dobbins just had 17 total touches for 18 PPR points in his last game in Week 11 against Tennessee.
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We'll see if James Conner remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list for Monday's game against Washington, but if he's out then Snell would be a low-end starter in all leagues. He started in place of Conner in Week 12 against Baltimore and had 16 carries for 60 yards, as well as three catches for 33 yards on four targets. He has the chance for 15-plus touches again this week, and Snell will hopefully get 90-plus total yards again, with maybe finding the end zone.
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White's role in the passing game could be important this week with the Patriots trying to offset the Chargers pass rush with Joey Bosa. It helps that the Chargers are among the league leaders in receptions allowed to running backs with 65, and eight running backs have at least four catches against the Chargers this season. White has at least four catches in two of his past four games.
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With Lamical Perine (ankle) out, Gore has once again been the lead running back for the Jets the past two weeks. He has at least 17 total touches in each game against the Chargers and Dolphins, and Gore has scored at least 11 PPR points in both outings. His workload should remain the same against the Raiders in Week 13, and Las Vegas is among the league leaders with 15 total touchdowns allowed to running backs on the season.
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Antonio Gibson has been awesome the past three games and should remain a starter in all leagues despite the tough matchup with the Steelers, but don't be surprised if McKissic is back as a solid flex play in PPR. While he only had five catches on six targets in his past two games against the Bengals and Cowboys, this should be a game where Washington is chasing points on the road. Look for McKissic's targets -- and receptions -- to be on the rise this week.
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Sit 'Em
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I had Bernard as the bust alert last week in this column, and he struggled against the Giants with eight carries for 32 yards, along with two catches for 17 yards on three targets. He's now gone three games in a row with eight PPR points or less, and he has 13 total touches or less in each game over that span. I'm nervous to trust him with Brandon Allen under center, and hopefully the Bengals will get Joe Mixon (foot) back soon to upgrade their backfield.
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Gurley is not guaranteed to return this week after missing Week 12 with a knee injury, but initial reports indicated he would return in Week 13. However, he might consider taking another week off with this matchup against the Saints. New Orleans hasn't allowed a running back to rush for 100 yards in 49 games in a row in the regular season. Not that it matters much for Gurley, who has one game with more than 100 rushing yards in his past 27 outings in the regular season. Gurley struggled in his first meeting with the Saints in Week 11 with eight carries for 26 yards, along with one catch for 4 yards, and I don't have much optimism for him to improve this week. And if Gurley is out then you can plug Brian Hill in this spot if he's the starter for the Falcons.
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Moss ran well last week against the Chargers at 6.6 yards per carry, but it was disappointing to only see him get nine carries and 11 total touches compared to the workload for Devin Singletary (11 carries and 14 total touches). Maybe that changes this week, but I don't want to trust either Bills running back against the 49ers on the road. Moss will likely need to score to boost his Fantasy value this week, but he only has four total touchdowns on the season. With Josh Allen dominating the offense, the only time to trust Moss or even Singletary is in a very favorable matchup. Since San Francisco is No. 7 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to running backs, that doesn't apply this week.
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Murray was awesome last week at Denver with 19 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns, along with two catches for 36 yards on two targets. He now has 31 carries in two games with Taysom Hill, but I'm not starting him this week as anything more than a flex option in deeper leagues. Alvin Kamara, despite his struggles with Hill, remains a must-start Fantasy running back, but this Falcons run defense is legit. Since Raheem Morris took over as the interim head coach prior to Week 6, only D'Andre Swift in Week 7 has more than 10 PPR points, which includes matchups with Mike Davis, Gordon, Kamara, Murray and Josh Jacobs. And Swift only had 48 total yards against the Falcons, but he scored with four catches. Kamara had 13 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown in Week 11 against Atlanta, and Murray had 12 carries for 49 yards, along with two catches for 36 yards on two targets. I would expect a similar stat line for Murray this week.
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Gallman is more of a bust alert than a must-sit option, but the Giants being without Daniel Jones (hamstring) this week makes me concerned at Seattle. Maybe Colt McCoy will throw more to Gallman, who did have five targets and three catches in Week 12 at Cincinnati, although he managed minus-3 yards on those receptions. The nice thing for Gallman is he had at least 18 carries in two weeks in a row, and he scored a touchdown in six games in a row. He should be the catalyst of this offense with Jones out. But Seattle hasn't allowed a running back to gain more than 58 rushing yards in six games in a row. It will take Gallman scoring to save his production, and luckily for him the Seahawks have given up seven rushing touchdowns and eight total touchdowns to running backs since Week 8. Still, I'm nervous for the Giants offense without Jones, and I would only consider Gallman a flex this week.
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Bust Alert
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You're probably not sitting Elliott in most leagues, and if the Ravens are without standout run stopper Brandon Williams (ankle) again in Week 13, the outlook for Elliott improves. But his offensive line could be a disaster again with Zack Martin (calf) and Cameron Erving (knee) out. Elliott also has two games with more than eight PPR points in six games without Dak Prescott (ankle), and one touchdown over that span. I still have him ranked as a low-end starting option, but there are scenarios where you might consider benching Elliott. Without his quarterback and offensive line healthy, this has been a lost year for one of the best running backs in the NFL.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
Start 'Em
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Fantasy managers seemingly haven't been willing to trust Cooks based on his start percentage on CBS Sports. For example, despite the fact that he's scored at least 12 PPR points in six of his past seven games, he's still at 80 percent started as of Wednesday afternoon. Now, that number will change with Will Fuller (suspended) now out, and hopefully Cooks will continue to succeed as the No. 1 receiver for Deshaun Watson. I like Keke Coutee as a sleeper this week, but Cooks has top-10 upside. In the past two weeks, the No. 1 receiver against the Colts -- Davante Adams in Week 11 and A.J. Brown in Week 12 -- has at least 98 receiving yards and a touchdown and has scored at least 19 PPR points. I could see Cooks doing something similar this week.
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The Bengals have allowed nine receivers to score at least 12 PPR points in their past five games, with eight touchdowns scored over that span. This defense should allow Parker to have a good game, and it could be great if Ryan Fitzpatrick starts again for the injured Tua Tagovailoa (thumb). I would imagine Tagovailoa knows to feature Parker as much as possible, and he has at least seven targets in four games in a row. With Fitzpatrick, Parker is a borderline top-10 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, but he's still a quality starting option even if Tagovailoa does return for Miami.
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Good weather for the Browns finally led to good production for Landry in Week 12 at Jacksonville, and the weather report for Week 13 at Tennessee is favorable. After dealing with wind and rain for three games in Cleveland against Las Vegas, Houston and Philadelphia, Landry went to Florida and torched the Jaguars for eight catches, 143 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. It was his best game since Odell Beckham (ACL) went down in Week 7 at Cincinnati, and Landry should finish the season strong. Against the Titans, in what could be a high-scoring affair, Landry should again have another strong performance.
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We'll see how Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk work together as the top options in the passing game for the 49ers now that Aiyuk is off the reserve/COVID-19 list. We haven't seen that pairing without George Kittle (foot), so this will hopefully work well. I'm confident in both, and both should be considered No. 2 Fantasy receivers this week. Samuel was awesome in Week 12 at the Rams with 11 catches for 133 yards on 13 targets, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in three games in a row. And Aiyuk has scored at least 17 PPR points in his past three games. The Bills have allowed four touchdowns to receivers in their past three games, and it would be great if Samuel and Aiyuk both found the end zone. I like Samuel slightly better than Aiyuk this week, but both should be successful in this matchup.
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Johnson scored 12 PPR points in Week 12 against Baltimore, but he left a lot of production on the field in that game. He had 13 targets, but he only caught eight for 46 yards. He should improve this week against Washington, and Johnson has at least 10 targets in four games in a row. He also scored at least 14 PPR points in the three games prior to Week 12, and I'm expecting all of Pittsburgh's receivers to play well this week, including JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool. All of them have top 20 upside against the Washington Football Team.
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Sleepers
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