Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13: Debating Difficult Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions

Week 13 is well underway due to Thanksgiving, but the trio of holiday games did not reveal much to owners. 

Some stars predictably lit the world on fire. Calvin Johnson scored 26 points. Others fell flat on their faces and hurt owners in the postseason race. Dez Bryant scored just seven. Going by the numbers, Bryant had the better matchup, too.

The weekend promises to be just as kind. When in doubt, go with the gut feeling. But going into the proceedings armed to the teeth with information certainly does not hurt.

Here is a look at some of the week's most difficult remaining decisions.

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Ryan Tannehill, MIA (at NYJ)

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Quietly a top-eight scorer at his position, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has yet to truly gain the respect of owners.

The man is owned in just 66.7 percent of leagues.

What Tannehill has to do to sway owners is hard to say. He has scored in double digits in literally every contest this year. Just last week, he tossed three scores and tallied 26 points. As Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey notes, he has done nothing short of improve this season:

"

Ryan Tannehill is finally being allowed to flourish as a QB. Supporting cast can still improve too. Dolphins are headed in right direction.

— Cian O'Fathaigh (@Cianaf) November 26, 2014"

Now would be the time to get Tannehill in those lineups. Not only has he been trustworthy all season long, but he gets to face the New York Jets Monday.

In other words, he has a matchup with a defense that has surrendered the absolute most points to the position. Tannehill should be in lineups without hesitation.

Sit 'Em: Matt Ryan, ATL (vs. ARI)

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Matt Ryan is a much bigger name than Tannehill at this point, hence his being owned almost 20 percent more. 

Owners have it backwards.

Ryan has now scored just 14 points apiece in each of his past three games. Next up is the Arizona Cardinals, a team that has had its way with him on more than one occasion, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com points out:

It is not just Ryan that Patrick Peterson and Co. have terrorized this season. The unit as a whole has surrendered the ninth-fewest points to quarterbacks this season, although it did just allow 19 points to Seattle. 

Still, Ryan is no Russell Wilson in that he can't create plays with his feet. The Atlanta line is a mess. So is Ryan. Make him ride the pine in Week 13.

Running Back

Start 'Em: Rashad Jennings, NYG (at JAC)

After an injury hiatus and lack of production, New York Giants back Rashad Jennings found room for 11 points last week, his highest total since Week 3. 

Still, owners are right to be wary of Jennings. His team is a mess and his participation has been of the up-and-down variety. Week 13 seems like it will be a massive performance for Jennings thanks to a noteworthy matchup:

The Jacksonville Jaguars have surrendered the 10th-most points to backs this season. The totals for the opposition has been 30, 24 and 17 over the course of the past three weeks. An added bonus is that rookie quarterback Blake Bortles (eight touchdowns, 15 interceptions) cannot help but turn the ball over, so Jennings should see more usage than normal.

Look for Jennings to perhaps have his biggest output of the year now that he is healthy and in a great matchup.

Sit 'Em: Ryan Mathews, SD (at BAL)

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As Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego points out, San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews is already hobbled after his return:

Mathews is quite an appealing target for this postseason stretch now that he is back in the fold—especially after a 16-point outburst last week against St. Louis in which he turned 12 carries into 105 yards and a score.

But Mathews' name is already back on the injury report, no matter how unimportant all involved seem to make it.

Sprinkle in a horrible matchup for good measure. The Baltimore Ravens allow the fewest points to backs this season and have held six entire teams' backfields to less than 10 points.

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em: Martavis Bryant, PIT (vs. NO)

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What, give up on Martavis Bryant already?

Bryant burnt owners in Week 11 before a bye with just a single point, but he was mostly torching secondaries before that. Starting in Week 7, the rookie scored 10 or more points in four straight games.

Now on his way home, Bryant is a must-start commodity regardless of the slight hiccup. The struggling New Orleans Saints have allowed the seventh-most points to wideouts this season.

Do not fret about Antonio Brown soaking up all of the production, either. The Saints have allowed five wideout duos from the same team this year to score a minimum of nine points apiece.

Bryant seems a lock to get in the end zone and post respectable numbers once more.

Sit 'Em: DeSean Jackson, WAS (at IND)

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It may be time to move on from DeSean Jackson.

Already a boom-or-bust option, Jackson now seems about to get lost in what should have been a prolific offensive shootout between Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. With the latter taking a seat on the bench, Jackson's fantasy stock takes a nosedive.

Not that it needs any help—Jackson has scored three points apiece in each of his last two outings.

While Jackson has five double-digit outings on the year, he is downright unreliable. On the road against a Colts defense that has surrendered the sixth-fewest points to the position, all signs point toward another dud performance.

Tight End

Start 'Em: Tim Wright, NE (at GB)

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Last week, New England Patriots tight end Tim Wright scored 15 points, got two touchdowns and 61 snaps—all season-high marks.

Normally, owners would gobble up such an outburst, but coach Bill Belichick is known to be erratic at best when it comes to usage rates at any offensive position not named quarterback.

Still, it is quite difficult to pass up on the odds Wright starts to see regular playing time. A matchup with the Green Bay Packers is not in any way sexy—Mike McCarthy's defense ranks in the middle of the pack against tight ends—but Wright is still a strong start.

What may devolve quickly into a shootout figures to see the efficient Wright score plenty of points to make his owners happy.

Sit 'Em: Heath Miller, PIT (vs. NO)

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While Bryant figures to feast against that New Orleans defense, tight end Heath Miller certainly does not.

Rob Ryan's defense has done a whole lot of bad this season, but defending tight ends is not one of them. Now, whether that is simply because all other positions do so well against the unit is a conversation for a different day.

Miller may be coming off seven points and five grabs, his highest marks since Week 8, but the Saints have allowed the fewest points to tight ends this season. Only one team has reached double digits, and that took two touchdown receptions. Tight ends have scored just three times all year on the unit.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.