Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13: Rounding Up Latest Expert Advice on the Web

We're in fantasy crunch time, folks. You can't afford to start the wrong player or keep a potential breakthrough performer on the bench. Doing so could be the difference between a playoff spot and another season of heartbreak.

Below, we'll break down some of this week's most intriguing start 'em, sit 'em options, relying on the analysis of fantasy writers around the Internet to support those claims.

Matt Camp's Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Advice

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers may not be very good, but Colin Kaepernick has been excellent for fantasy owners since being named the team's starter. Following the team's Week 8 bye, Kaepernick has averaged 23.7 fantasy points over the past four weeks.

Just as importantly, he faces a Chicago Bears defense this week that has given up 17 or more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in six of their past nine games.

And the Bears aren't at full strength, as Nick Mensio of Rotoworld (via Yahoo Sports) noted:

"

Coming off yet another monster game where he put up over 30 fantasy points in a narrow road loss to the Dolphins, Kaepernick gets another plum spot against a Bears defense that has been depleted by injuries and suspensions. Last week at this time, ILB Jerrell Freeman was handed a four-game suspension. And in the loss to the Titans, the Bears lost their other starting ILB, Danny Trevathan, to a torn patellar tendon. Those two are the anchors of the defense. 

"

Any way you slice it, Kaepernick is a great start this week.

Sit 'Em: Eli Manning, New York Giants

Eli Manning has been very solid over the past four weeks, averaging 18.7 fantasy points during that duration. But Manning has never been elite this season, making him very tough to trust in any tough matchup since his ceiling isn't very high to begin with in 2016.

The Pittsburgh Steelers represent a tough matchup.

The Steelers are giving up 14.2 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks per week, sixth in the NFL, have allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for two touchdowns just four times this year (and haven't given up more passing touchdowns in a game than that) and have given up over 300 passing yards just once in their last eight games.

And even during Manning's "hot streak," some of his stats are concerning.

As Michael Beller of SI.com wrote: "He has had fewer than 260 yards in all four games while totaling 6.42 YPA. There is some hope that this could be a high-scoring game with the Steelers’ offense playing at home, but Manning’s lack of efficiency is hard to trust in an environment like Heinz Field. He’s no more than a mid-tier QB2."

In other words, sit him.

Running Back

Start 'Em: Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Jordan Howard is a possible entry on articles like this as a start 'em contender this week, and for good reason. The fact that the 49ers have given up the most fantasy points to opposing running backs per week (25.2) is indication enough you should start him, but Howard has also been incredibly consistent, as Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Sports noted:

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Alshon Jeffery is suspended for two more games, the offensive line is banged up and Jay Cutler (shoulder) could miss the rest of the season. But Howard has at least 99 total yards in each of his past three games, and he's scored at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in eight of his past nine outings.

This week is a dream matchup for Howard against the 49ers, who are playing their second consecutive road game. A running back has scored double digits in Fantasy points against San Francisco in 10 games in a row, and the only team without a running back hitting that mark was the Rams in Week 1. Poor Gurley.

"

Not surprisingly, Howard is Eisenberg's "Start of the Week." He is Mensio's top option at the position as well, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a safer option in Week 13.

Sit 'Em: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers

Jonathan Stewart is a tough call this week. If you are weak at the position or dealing with injuries, it's tough to sit a player like Stewart. If you have that luxury, however, you should do so.

As Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News noted: "Stewart has come through of late with some short score efforts to build on limited yardage, but he’s touchdown and game-flow dependent. Those are not in his favor against a nasty Seattle front seven on the road this week."

It's a fair point. The Seahawks are giving up just 13.8 fantasy points to opposing running back per week, seventh in the NFL, and haven't given up a touchdown to the position in two straight weeks. They've also given up just three touchdowns in five home games to opposing running backs this year.

Stewart has been feast-or-famine, meanwhile, scoring 20 or more fantasy points in three of the past six games but also scoring four or less points in two of those contests. If he doesn't get into the end zone, his fantasy value tanks. Trusting him against a tough Seattle defense isn't ideal.

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em: Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit Lions

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Remember when Marvin Jones looked like the breakout start at wide receiver in fantasy football this year? 

Well, that's been a thing of the past since Week 8. Jones has a whopping total of nine fantasy points in his last four games, hasn't logged a 100-yard receiving game since Week 3 and hasn't reached the end zone since Week 6.

So why in the world would you start him?

Mensio makes a strong case: 

"

He was targeted a team-high 11 times in the win over the Vikings on Thanksgiving, and Matthew Stafford seemed to look his way more on a couple of deep balls. Jones has been really close to finding the end zone in recent games, and this Sunday looks like a strong opportunity for him to snap his scoreless streak. These two offenses are going to put up points. (At least the Saints will, and the Lions are going to have to match them.) New Orleans has played better all-around defense of late, but Jared Goff just ripped this unit up for three touchdown passes in the first half last week before flaming out after the break. The Saints are 25th in pass-defense DVOA.

"

Yes, Jones is probably the riskiest "start 'em" on this list. But it's not as though Jones hasn't flashed huge potential at points this year. Over the first three weeks of the year, he caught 18 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns, remember. The ability for a big game is there.

And as Mensio noted, the potential for a shootout between these teams is high. Jones isn't a "start 'em" for the feint of heart, but his ceiling is very high this week.

Sit 'Em: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

Seeing the trend here?

No, you don't want to start players against Seattle if possible. But in the case of Benjamin, it runs even deeper than that. Quite frankly, he simply hasn't been that good this year.

Cam Newton's top wideout finally found the end zone last week, ending a touchdown drought that had dated back to Week 4. Because he hasn't been hitting paydirt, Benjamin has managed just three performances with double-digit fantasy points this year. 

More importantly, he's been devalued somewhat in Carolina's offense.

As Beller wrote: "With Ted Ginn’s recent emergence, Greg Olsen’s constant presence, and the dual threats of Newton and Stewart on the ground, Benjamin simply doesn’t command the looks in Carolina’s offense that he might elsewhere."

And, yes, the Seahawks are giving up the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wideouts this year (19.4 per game). If you can afford to sit Benjamin, do it.

Tight End

Start 'Em: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Sit 'Em: Hunter Henry, San Diego Chargers

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

Let's compare Antonio Gates vs. Hunter Henry in San Diego's offense since Week 8:

Player	Catches	Yards	TD	Fantasy Points
Antonio Gates	13	171	3	34
Hunter Henry	6	45	2	16

Henry's usage, quite simply, is incredibly concerning. As Beller noted, "It’s impossible to ignore, however, Henry's decrease in targets since Gates has reclaimed his role as the Chargers primary tight end. Henry has 12 targets in his last four games, and while he has converted two of those into touchdowns, he simply isn’t getting enough of a chance to make a fantasy-relevant impact."

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have given up double-digit fantasy points to opposing tight ends in four of the last seven weeks and are 20th in the NFL in fantasy points given up to the position this season. But while the Buccaneers have given up 75 or more receiving yards to the position four times, they've given up just three touchdowns to opposing tight ends.

That makes trusting Henry risky, while Gates should have success as the team's primary option at the position. When in doubt, trust usage over touchdown production. That means you should trust Gates and sit Henry this week.

All fantasy stats and points-against totals via ESPN standard leagues. You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.