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

It's Thanksgiving week, football fans! That means, of course, that fantasy lineups need to be set much earlier than usual. The Detroit Lions will host the Green Bay Packers at 1 p.m. ET to kick off Thursday's slate, and the week will be off and running from there.

The good news is that all 32 teams will be in action this week, so rosters won't be impacted by the bye-week blues. The bad news is that several standout players are sidelined by injuries.

Managers will still need to rely on some fringe starters this week, but they should be serviceable in the right matchups. Here, we'll dive into some of the best and worst flex matchups for Week 13 point-per-reception (PPR) play.

Running Back

(Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini

Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson

Start: TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

While Rhamondre Stevenson returned to the lineup for the New England Patriots in Week 12, rookie TreVeyon Henderson remained the leading rusher. His 11 fantasy points weren't eye-popping compared to the 30 points he averaged over the previous two weeks. However, managers should feel good about Henderson's workload going forward.

This week, Henderson will face a New York Giants team that has surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Other fringe starts this week include:

RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Sit: Devin Singletary, New York Giants

Conversely, managers should look to avoid Devin Singletary in the Giants-Patriots matchup. New York has found a functional backfield in the wake of Cam Skattebo's injury by using Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. in tandem. However, Tracy is separating himself as the top receiving back, which lowers Singletary's floor significantly.

Singletary provided just 4.7 fantasy points against a stout Detroit Lions run defense this past week. He's unlikely to fare better against a Patriots defense that has surrendered fewer fantasy points to opposing RBs than any other team.

Other fringe starters to avoid this week include:

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings

Wide Receiver

AP Photo

Start: Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs wideout Xavier Worthy has topped 10 fantasy points four times this season but hasn't reached that mark in any of his last three games. He has a good chance to reward managers this week, though, against an average Dallas Cowboys defense.

Dallas' defense has been better in recent weeks, but it has still surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing WRs. Should the Cowboys focus on limiting Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce—and they should—Worthy will get frequent big-play opportunities.

Other fringe starters to consider this week include:

Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos

Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville Jaguars

Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills

Sit: Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts' offense wasn't humming at its usual pace against the Chiefs in Week 12. While No. 1 receiver Michael Pittman Jr. came through with five receptions and a touchdown, he had a paltry 27 receiving yards. Big-play threat Alec Pierce was even more disappointing, finishing with one 26-yard catch.

Pittman and Pierce are both risky against a Houston Texans defense that has surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs. However, Pittman may still get the volume needed to warrant a start. Pierce will not. Other Week 13 sits include:

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders

Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions

Cooper Kupp, Seattle Seahawks

Tight End

AP Photo/Rusty Jones

Saints TE Juwan Johnson

Start: Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints offense has dealt with two young quarterbacks and plenty of underwhelming play this season. This has left tight end Juwan Johnson out of the fantasy spotlight for much of the year. However, he's been a fairly steady performer.

Johnson has yielded double-digit fantasy points in five straight games and will probably hit the mark again in Week 13. The Saints will face the Miami Dolphins, who have surrendered the third-most fantasy points to opposing TEs.

Other fringe tight ends to start this week include:

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans

Sit: Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers

Aaron Rodgers (wrist) may return to face the Buffalo Bills this week. However, that doesn't mean that tight end Jonnu Smith will be a viable fantasy option. Though he's had a couple of solid outings in 2025, Smith hasn't reached double-digit fantasy points since Week 7.

The problem is that Pittsburgh also uses tight ends Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth regularly, which leaves Smith as a low-volume target. The other issue this week is that the Steelers will face the Buffalo Bills, who have surrendered the fewest fantasy points to opposing TEs. Other fringe tight ends to sit this week include:

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.