Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Play-or-Bench Tips for Fantasy Football Owners
The last thing a fantasy football owner wants to do is bench a superstar this time of year.
With so much at stake, it isn't fun to turn to a guy you drafted highly or acquired via a big trade or gigantic waiver-wire win and tell him to have a seat.
Unfortunately, so goes life in the fantasy realm. As a brief example, look back to Week 12 with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who posted one of his worst fantasy performances of his career with 10 points.
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Now look ahead. Working through matchup comparisons, owners can find the players to start and avoid based on various factors. Let's take a look.
Quarterback
| Drew Brees (vs. DET) vs. Ben Roethlisberger (vs. NYG) | Drew Brees |
| Colin Kaepernick (at CHI) vs. Kirk Cousins (at ARI) | Colin Kaepernick |
| Tom Brady (vs. LA) vs. Cam Newton (at SEA) | Tom Brady |
| Tyrod Taylor (at OAK) vs. Derek Carr (vs. BUF) | Tyrod Taylor |
| Matt Ryan (vs. KC) vs. Jameis Winston (at SD) | Matt Ryan |
Star to Know: Matthew Stafford, DET (at NO)
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the top team in the NFC North and has made a habit of fourth-quarter comebacks, but those feats don't necessarily translate to fantasy production.
Indeed, Stafford has scored more than 17 points in a game just once over his past five outings. But it's important to keep in mind that he has three of 25 or more, making him an incredible matchup play.
And talk about an incredible matchupāStafford gets the New Orleans Saints, who have coughed up eight passing touchdowns over their last four games and are widely known as a soft defense.
In a dome, look for Stafford to have one of his best games of the year during a shootout.
Star to Sit: Cam Newton, CAR (at SEA)
Injuries and an iffy team have made Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton a sit option most days this year.
Newton scored 19 points in Week 12, but it was only his fifth time at that mark or higher. He has five other games at no more than 15 points, making it almost a coin flip as to whether he produces.
Owners shouldn't bank on the coin hinting at production in Week 13 against the Seahawks, who allow the fifth-fewest points to quarterbacks on average.
Only three opposing quarterbacks have hit 20 or more points against the Seahawks. Asking Newton to do so on the road is asking for trouble.
Running Back
| Mark Ingram (vs. DET) vs. LeSean McCoy (at OAK) | LeSean McCoy |
| Ezekiel Elliott (at MIN) vs. Le'Veon Bell (vs. NYG) | Ezekiel Elliott |
| Jonathan Stewart (at SEA) vs. Devonta Freeman (vs. KC) | Devonta Freeman |
| Carlos Hyde (at CHI) vs. Jordan Howard (vs. SF) | Jordan Howard |
| Jay Ajayi (at BAL) vs. LeGarrette Blount (vs. LA) | Jay Ajayi |
Star to Know: Carlos Hyde, SF (at CHI)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Carlos Hyde hasn't been the best producer for owners this year.Ā
When Hyde is in a good matchup, he manages 15 or more points, something he has done four times. The trick is finding those good matchupsālike the one in Week 13.
Scratch thatāa game against the Chicago Bears is a great matchup. Chicago has allowed a rushing score in three straight games and more than 100 yards in two. The unit will be without both starting linebackers, Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman.
If Hyde receives carries, he's going to post one of the top lines of the week.Ā
Star to Sit: Todd Gurley, LA (at NE)
It stinks benching a hyped young player such as Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley.
Oh well, right?
Owners will make it happen if they want to wināGurley has only three trips to double digits this year. While he sees the opportunities, with 13 or more carries in every game except one this year, he hasn't made it happen for owners and won't against the New England Patriots. Those Patriots have allowed just four rushing scores to backs all year, and just two sets of backs have broken the 100-yard mark.
Given the borderline fact that the Rams will fall behind, Gurley might not even see his normal usage.
Wide Receiver
| Antonio Brown (vs. NYG) vs. Emmanuel Sanders (at JAX) | Antonio Brown |
| Mike Evans (at SD) vs. DeSean Jackson (at ARI) | Mike Evans |
| Odell Beckham Jr. (at PIT) vs. Michael Crabtree (vs. BUF) | Odell Beckham Jr. |
| Julian Edelman (vs. LA) vs. DeAndre Hopkins (at GB) | Julian Edelman |
| Brandon Marshall (vs. IND) vs. Ted Ginn Jr. (at SEA) | Brandon Marshall |
Star to Know: Brandon Marshall, NYJ (vs. IND)
New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall is back.
Or at least his 97.6 percent of owners better hope he is. Marshall scored a touchdown and double-digit fantasy points in Week 12, both for the first time since Week 5. He now has just four double-digit outings on the year, mostly due to the shoddy quarterback situation in the Big Apple.
Even so, owners have to bank on Marshall to hit on a streak. He gets the Indianapolis Colts, who have coughed up nine receiving touchdowns to wideouts over their last four outings and 29 or more points to opposing wideout corps five times.
As the No. 1 wideout on the Jets, Marshall seems assured to have a great day, especially after a bit of reassurance the week prior.
Star to Sit: DeSean Jackson, WAS (at ARI)
Speaking of disappointing wideouts, as a whole, Washington Redskins wideoutĀ DeSean Jackson wears the crown.
Jackson, who is owned in 75.7 percent of leagues, has four double-digit outings on the year. Granted, two of those have come in back-to-back weeks, with consecutive touchdowns to bootābut those who still have him shouldn't get too excited.
The streak seems over for Jackson as he heads to the desert for an encounter with the Arizona Cardinals. He'll find little room to operate against a defense that allows the 11th-fewest points to opposing wideouts and has given up only nine touchdowns to receivers all year.
In what could be a defensive battle, Jackson won't make much noise on the road against Patrick Peterson and others.
Tight End
| Jordan Reed (at ARI) vs. Lance Kendricks (at NE) | Jordan Reed |
| Tyler Eifert (vs. PHI) vs. Hunter Henry (vs. TB) | Tyler Eifert |
| Travis Kelce (at ATL) vs. Kyle Rudolph (vs. DAL) | Travis Kelce |
| Greg Olsen (at SEA) vs. Jimmy Graham (vs. CAR) | Jimmy Graham |
| Cameron Brate (at SD) vs. Dennis Pitta (vs. MIA) | Cameron Brate |
Star to Know: Cameron Brate, TB (at SD)
Fantasy owners know the deal with Cameron Brate, who took over at tight end when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers parted with Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Brate has gone on to post quality production in good matchups; he has four outings with eight or more points and five touchdowns since Week 3.
The San Diego Chargers offer Brate another good outing in Week 13, considering the unit has allowed seven or more points to opposing tight ends six times this year.
Even better, a showdown between Jameis Winston and Philip Rivers featuring two iffy defenses figures to offer plenty of points.Ā
Star to Sit: Jason Witten, DAL (at MIN)
Even with exciting rookie Dak Prescott under center, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten isn't what he used to be.
Witten isn't even a valuable commodity in points-per-reception leagues anymore, as he has five games with three or fewer catches. He has scored only two touchdowns on the year and in each of his past two outings has tallied just three points.
Although he is still owned in 82.1 percent of leagues, Witten's owners need to look away in Week 13. He has to deal with the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed only two scores to the position. In addition, only two sets of tight ends have hit 100 receiving yards against them.
Dallas figures to score as usual, but as in the past, Witten might look more like a decoy than anything else.
All scoring info and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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