Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13: Flex, PPR Advice for Fringe Fantasy Football Stars

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As we approach Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season, many larger fantasy leagues are set to begin their postseasons. In other season-long leagues, the playoffs are right around the corner.

Now is not the time for managers to trust their key centerpieces and high draft selections. However, few lineups feature bona fide stars at every position. More often than not, managers will have tough decisions to make in the flex and on the fringes of their starting teams.

We're here to help by examining five fringe stars—players rostered in between 30 and 80 percent of Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues—and determine who is worth starting in Week 13 and who should sit out the week.

Factors such as projected role, past performances and matchup were all considered here, and all picks are based on points-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

As a reminder, the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers are on bye this week.

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Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine can make for a tricky call in Week 13.

The 27-year-old has been a reliable starter over the past two weeks—he has 175 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns in that span—but there's a chance Joe Mixon (concussion) will return to the starting lineup.

For now, though, the 2021 Pro Bowler remains in the concussion protocol.

"He's still in it, he's not through it yet, but making progress," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

With Perine playing well, our guess is that the Bengals won't rush Mixon back into action against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City has been a middle-of-the-pack team against the run, allowing the 16th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

With a decent PPR floor (eight catches over the past two weeks), Perine should be a relatively safe start this week.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards returned from a hamstring injury last week and had a decent outing in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 27-year-old carried 16 times for 52 yards and a touchdown, though he did lose one fumble.

However, Edwards doesn't provide any PPR upside, as he hasn't caught a pass yet this season and had only nine receptions when last healthy in 2020. This makes him extremely touchdown-dependent, and that's a problem this week against the Denver Broncos.

Denver has surrendered a mere six rushing touchdowns all season. It has also allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs, which means the floor here is very low.

Another factor to consider is that quarterback Lamar Jackson will likely handle much of the running work, while other Ravens backs such as Devin Duvernay and Kenyan Drake could see action as well.

While Edwards' workload was relatively large for someone returning from injury, it accounted for less than half of Baltimore's total carries (35) in Week 12.

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Los Angeles Chargers receiver Mike Williams is still nursing an ankle injury and did not see the field against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12. Instead, the Chargers relied heavily on No. 3 receiver Joshua Palmer.

The 23-year-old has emerged as a fine flex play in PPR leagues this season. Though he missed Week 7 with a concussion, he's caught at least three passes in every game since Week 5. He had five catches for 56 yards against the Cardinals and eight catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns the previous week.

Expect Palmer to provide a floor in the three-catch, 40-yard range this week with the potential for much more.

The Chargers will face a familiar opponent in the Las Vegas Raiders, which have allowed the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.

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Parris Campbell is another receiver who has provided a strong PPR in recent weeks, as he's averaged five catches over his last seven games.

The problem is that the 25-year-old's production is heavily dependent on Matt Ryan and a shaky Indianapolis Colts offensive line.

Against the Pittsburgh Steelers—which feature a soft secondary but a strong pass rush—Campbell had just two catches for 14 yards. This came after he caught 12 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown over the previous two weeks.

Things won't get any easier for Ryan this week against the Cowboys. Dallas has already racked up 45 sacks this season.

In a vacuum, the Cowboys aren't a dire matchup. They have surrendered the 13th-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers, and that alone shouldn't scare Campbell managers. However, it's difficult to see Ryan getting the time in the pocket needed to push the ball down the field.

The upside for Campbell is simply too low to warrant a start in Week 13.

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We have a bonus start here for managers who may be struggling at the tight end position.

With players such as Darren Waller, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert injured, Raiders tight end Foster Moreau could serve as a fill-in.

The Raiders have both Waller and slot specialist Hunter Renfrow on injured reserve. This has opened up an opportunity for the 25-year-old, who caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown last week.

Moreau doesn't have a particularly high ceiling, but his floor should be solid. He has been targeted 28 times over his last five games and has 15 catches in that span. This week, he'll face a Chargers team that has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing TEs in 2022.

Not only is Moreau a fringe starter, but he should also be a viable waiver-wire target in most leagues. He is rostered in only 39 percent of Yahoo leagues and 36 percent of ESPN leagues.

*Fantasy roster and scoring information via FantasyPros.