Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Exploit and Avoid These Sunday Matchups

In many fantasy football leagues, Week 13 represents the last game of the regular season and a final chance to make a push for the playoffs. You better make sure you have the best possible lineup heading into the weekend.

While it is often a good idea to stick with the players who got you to this point, there are some stars who simply aren't worth the risk due to tough matchups or other factors. As much as you want to hope for a big showing, they are better off on your bench in favor of better options.

Here is a look at some prominent players to keep on your bench in Week 13 as well as some sleeper options if you need help at the positions.

Sit 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp
QB	Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints	CAR
QB	Tyrod Taylor	Buffalo Bills	HOU
RB	Lamar Miller	Miami Dolphins	BAL
RB	Frank Gore	Indianapolis Colts	PIT
RB	Latavius Murray	Oakland Raiders	KC
WR	Brandin Cooks	New Orleans Saints	CAR
WR	Stevie Johnson	San Diego Chargers	DEN
WR	Travis Benjamin	Cleveland Browns	CIN
TE	Jason Witten	Dallas Cowboys	WAS

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have struggled all season long, but for the most part it was the defense that was to blame. Unfortunately, the problems have moved to the offensive side of the ball as well.

After a few huge performances in Weeks 8 and 9, Drew Brees has slowed down tremendously with just 19 fantasy points over the last two weeks combined in standard leagues. Last week he failed to record a touchdown pass for the first time all year and the result was just six points scored for the Saints in a loss to the Houston Texans.

It won't get any easier in Week 13 either, with a tough matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The undefeated squad has been led by a great defensive that can stop both the run and the pass, with cornerback Josh Norman emerging as one of the top players in the league at his position.

Brees was highly complimentary of Norman this week, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer:

"

In my opinion, he deserves to be in consideration for defensive MVP, along with some other pretty big names out there. [...]

He’s had a great year. He’s as complete a corner as there is. When you think of a corner, you think of man coverage. He’s as good in zone as he is in man. And he’s as good making tackles and doing things in the run game as he is at covering. I think that’s rare to see in a top-flight corner, but he’s got all those traits.

"

The cornerback will likely take Brandin Cooks out of the game, leaving Brees with few dependable options in the passing game. With the way he has already struggled in recent weeks, this could be another quiet game for the Pro Bowl quarterback.

Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins

Brad Penner/Associated Press

With Zac Taylor replacing Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator, we might see an increased focus on the rushing attack, but we simply don't know. What we do know is Lamar Miller has had just 12 carries over the last two games combined and barely saw the field last game, as noted by Raymond Summerlin of Rotoworld:

Jay Ajayi certainly has a lot of potential and could continue to see playing time going forward. Of course, we still just don't know.

Meanwhile, this might not be the week to really focus on the rushing attack. The Baltimore Ravens are currently No. 8 in the NFL in run defense but just No. 24 against the pass. Only three teams allow fewer rushing yards per attempt than the Ravens' 3.7.

By putting Miller in your lineup, you would be betting on a dramatic offensive shift in one week that goes against the best strategy to beat the upcoming opponent. In your biggest fantasy week of the year, that might not be a smart plan.

Start 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp
QB	Marcus Mariota	Tennessee Titans	JAX
QB	Alex Smith	Kansas City Chiefs	OAK
RB	David Johnson	Arizona Cardinals	STL
RB	Giovani Bernard	Cincinnati Bengals	CLE
RB	Shaun Draughn	San Francisco 49ers	CHI
WR	Kamar Aiken	Baltimore Ravens	MIA
WR	Donte Moncrief	Indianapolis Colts	PIT
WR	Devin Funchess	Carolina Panthers	NO
TE	Julius Thomas	Jacksonville Jaguars	TEN

David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

With Chris Johnson placed on injured reserve and Andre Ellington banged up, David Johnson will finally get a chance to show what he can do in the Cardinals backfield. 

Fans have been begging for Johnson to get more playing time this year as he continued to show flashes of brilliance during his rookie campaign. The 6'1", 224-pound running back has great speed and has turned that into eight touchdowns in limiting playing time this season.

Head coach Bruce Arians noted that even if Ellington does play, Johnson will remain the lead back, per Alex Marvez of Fox Sports:

This is important because there is a lot of opportunity for anyone in this backfield. The offensive line—which was once a huge weakness—has done a good job of clearing space this year to help the run game complement an elite passing attack. There will also be plenty of scoring opportunities in this high-powered offense.

With the St. Louis Rams struggling defensively as of late, Johnson is worth an immediate start.

Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Although Donte Moncrief has certainly quietened down after a red-hot start to the season, his effort in Week 12 showed he still has the ability to put up big numbers. He didn't get into the end zone, but finished with an impressive eight catches for 114 yards to lead the Indianapolis Colts in both categories.

Bob Kravitz of WTHR noted the receiver especially coming through on third downs:

While there have been questions about how this receiving corps would fare with Matt Hasselbeck at the helm, it turns out the 40-year-old quarterback is still capable of making good throws. He finished with 315 passing yards last game and clearly now trusts Moncrief to make plays in key situations.

This week the Colts will play the Pittsburgh Steelers, which just allowed a combined five touchdowns to Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse. T.Y Hilton and Moncrief could both be in for big games against this struggling secondary.

Fantasy scoring information courtesy of ESPN. 

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