Fantasy Football Week 13: Stars Worth Benching This Weekend

Anybody who has ever played poker knows one of the hardest things to do is to fold excellent hole cards. When you see those pocket queens, or that suited ace-jack pair, the urge to play those cards, opponent be damned, is hard to ignore.

Or maybe I just stink at poker. That's possible, too.

But the point is, every card player has stubbornly stuck to what they thought was a great hand and been punished because they didn't pay attention to the players around them. Tunnel vision in cards is dangerous and can blind you to the clues found in an opponent's betting approach or general demeanor that would suggest they have the better hand than you.

Fantasy football is no different. Some stars are matchup proof, sure, but most aren't, and stubbornly sticking them in your lineup even when the matchup is brutal can be the difference between winning and losing. 

That's why below I've listed four players that you should fold—er, bench—this week. It won't be easy, sure, but you'll be glad you lived to play another hand.

Notes: All point totals for standard-scoring leagues. Points against stats via ESPN.

Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

While Russell Wilson has been extremely consistent for fantasy owners this season, a matchup against a revitalized New Orleans Saints pass defense is one to avoid.

The Saints give up just 11.9 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, third in the NFL, and have held opposing quarterbacks to 13 or fewer fantasy points in all but two games. They are currently third in passing yards allowed per contest and are tied for first in the NFL with 37 sacks. 

If the Seahawks are going to have success against New Orleans, it will be on the ground. Wilson is a low-end QB1 to begin with, and you would be advised to find another option at the position this week.

Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

While Le'Veon Bell has been steady enough this year to make him a weekly RB2—he's scored at least eight fantasy points in six straight games—you may want to think about keeping him on your bench on Thanksgiving. 

While the Baltimore Ravens allow 102.6 rushing yards per game, 11th in the NFL, they give up just 11 fantasy points per week to opposing running backs, third in the NFL. The Steelers have also become quite infatuated with the passing game, and they may find less resistance testing the Baltimore secondary.

Yes, Bell rushed 19 times for 94 yards the last time these teams met (in Pittsburgh, mind you), but that was his highest rushing total of the season. His upside is tied to receiving yards and rushing touchdowns, and the Ravens have allowed just one touchdown to running backs on the season. 

He's a risky flex at best this week and worth sitting unless you are extremely thin at running back.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

T.Y. Hilton was an absolute dynamo after Indianapolis' Week 8 bye, with 14 receptions for 251 yards and three touchdowns in two games. But since then he's cooled down significantly, with just 10 receptions for 82 yards in his next two contests.

This week, he faces a Tennessee Titans team that allows just 11.8 fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, easily the best mark in the NFL, and only sacrifices 217.4 passing yards (eighth in the league). The Titans held Hilton to a measly five receptions for 44 yards two weeks ago, so there is plenty of precedent for sitting Hilton in this matchup.

Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

In the three games between Week 2 and Week 4, Antonio Gates exploded for 40 total fantasy points, turning him back into a fantasy star after many folks thought he was washed up. 

But perhaps it was fool's gold. Gates has accumulated just 40 points in the other eight games, and has exceeded six fantasy points just once in the past six weeks. Suffice to say, he may still be a TE1, but he isn't a must-start option each week.

This would probably be a good weekend to sit him. He faces a Cincinnati Bengals defense allowing a paltry 5.7 fantasy points to opposing tight ends per week (seventh in the NFL), which is actually slightly more than Gates has averaged in his past seven contests. 

With the Bengals coming off a bye, you can bet they'll have a plan in place to limit Gates' opportunities. You can do better this week.

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy lineup questions, tweet random fantasy musings and propose theories for how Antonio Brown overcame Joe Haden's fantasy kryptonite.