Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Fantasy Football Stars to Play and Bench

Week 13 of the NFL season is pivotal for every fantasy league. Some leagues are finishing up the regular season, and owners are making one final push for the playoffs. The postseason is commencing in other leagues, and one bad decision could abruptly end an owner's bid for a championship.

Thankfully, bye weeks are over and done with, and that means every single fantasy football team is at full strength—most for the first time since Week 4.

With so many options at every owner's disposal this week, getting some insight into impending matchups never hurts when trying to figure out which fantasy stars to play and bench. 

So, which players can you count on to notch a win this week? Which ones are best relegated to the bench due to difficult matchups?

Let's take a look at some examples of great Week 13 plays, followed by some not-so-great ones, to help you prevent a lineup debacle.

Start 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opponent
QB	Ryan Tannehill	Miami Dolphins	New York Jets
RB	Jeremy Hill	Cincinnati Bengals	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RB	Fred Jackson	Buffalo Bills	Cleveland Browns
WR	Keenan Allen	San Diego Chargers	Baltimore Ravens
WR	Martavis Bryant	Pittsburgh Steelers	New Orleans Saints
TE	Marcedes Lewis	Jacksonville Jaguars	New York Giants

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been very good against weaker secondaries this season. That was evident by his 26 fantasy points scored in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos.

Expect more of the same this Monday, as he takes on a New York Jets defense that's allowing an average of 19.7 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, the most in the league.

Shane P. Hallam of DraftTV shared his thoughts on the quarterback's recent play:

The Jets have given up over 20 fantasy points to quarterbacks six different times this season, and the way Tannehill has played of late, there's not reason to think it won't be seven upon the conclusion of Week 13.

Jeremy Hill proved he will continue to be a force out of the Cincinnati Bengals backfield despite sharing carries after the return of Giovani Benard. Hill carried one more time than Bernard against the Houston Texans and averaged 4.8 yards per carry, scoring once.

He has a great matchup in Week 13 against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has allowed 22 fantasy points to opposing running backs in each of its last two games.

Fred Jackson is another example of a running back dealing with a committee situation, but like Hill, he's worth a play in Week 13. Jackson carried the ball 10 times and was targeted four times out of the backfield against the Jets Monday night.

Now he's slated to face a porous Cleveland Browns defense that has allowed an average of 17.2 points per game to opposing ball-carriers.

Jackson appears healthier than he's been in a while heading into Week 13. Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweeted the running back was taken off the team's injury report:

Remember Keenan Allen? You probably do after he put up 12 fantasy points on your bench last week. However, he's finally safe to plug into your starting lineup.

He's been garnering more attention from Philip Rivers following the team's bye week, and he's facing a Baltimore Ravens defense that is allowing an average of 25.9 fantasy points per game to wide receivers—the third-most in the league.

Martavis Bryant had a quiet showing against a very good Tennessee Titans secondary prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers' bye week, but expect him to bounce back in Week 13.

Bryant is a big-play wide receiver, and he'll get plenty of chances against a New Orleans Saints team that's allowing an average of 24.0 points per game to opposing wideouts.

Let's give Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis another shot this week.

Sure, he put up a goose egg in Week 12, but rookie quarterback Blake Bortles will keep targeting him. He's worth another shot against a New York Giants defense that has allowed seven touchdowns to tight ends over their last six games.

Sit 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opponent
QB	Josh McCown	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Cincinnati Bengals
RB	Trent Richardson	Indianapolis Colts	Washington Redskins
RB	Steven Jackson	Atlanta Falcons	Arizona Cardinals
WR	Kenny Britt	St. Louis Rams	Oakland Raiders
WR	Pierre Garcon	Washington Redskins	Indianapolis Colts
TE	Scott Chandler	Buffalo Bills	Cleveland Browns

There may not be a reason for most fantasy owners to start Josh McCown this week. However, if you happen to be one of the few considering him as a spot starter, think again.

This matchup against the Bengals is not one you want to mess with.

Cincinnati's secondary has been very good this season. The team has only allowed an average of 13.6 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season and held signal-callers to seven or fewer points in three of its last five games.

Do yourself a favor and don't start Trent Richardson this week. This isn't the time to gamble on the plodding ball-carrier.

While he may have scored a touchdown in Week 12, there's a strong possibility to won't duplicate that again this week against a Washington Redskins defense that has allowed rushing touchdowns in just three games this season.

There's also a matter of Daniel Herron potentially starting over Richardson this week, via Mike Wells of ESPN:

Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson has scored three touchdowns over the last four weeks. Don't expect him to notch a fourth on Sunday.

The Arizona Cardinals have been incredibly stingy against the run this season. They haven't allowed a backfield to eclipse 100 yards or score more than one rushing touchdown in a single game.

That's not a good sign for the ball-carrier. Zac Jackson of FoxSportsOhio.com went as far as creating a new name for Jackson's position during his Week 12 showing:

Kenny Britt saw an immediate increase in production when Brian Quick went down for the season, but he fell back down to earth in Week 12 after catching just two passes against the Chargers.

He's up against a solid Oakland Raiders pass defense this week that is allowing an average of just 17.2 fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, the fifth-fewest in the league.

Pierre Garcon is simply too inconsistent this season to warrant a start this week despite a change at the quarterback position.

Colt McCoy hit Garcon four times for 47 yards against the Dallas Cowboys, and he shouldn't be expected to do much better Sunday, as the Indianapolis Colts are allowing an average of just 17.8 fantasy points per game to wideouts.

Scott Chandler has been in action for the majority of Buffalo's snaps this season, but you wouldn't know it when looking at his stats.

He isn't targeted often in the offense, and while he's coming off a 28-yard, one-touchdown showing, he's facing a Browns team that hasn't allowed more than three fantasy points to opposing tight ends in seven of its 11 games this year.

Fantasy information courtesy of ESPN.com.