Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: DeSean Jackson and Others To Bench

Nothing is more infuriating to a fantasy GM than benching the wrong player. Mastering the matchups can certainly help you, but no one wants to lose their week because of over-thinking.

So let me help take some of the pressure off of you, as we're just one week away from the fantasy playoffs. A win or a loss in Week 13 could define your season, making a single mistake even that much more costly.

With that in mind, here are four players that I recommend you should bench for this week.

WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles (at Seattle Seahawks)

A short week and a road trip out west is difficult for any team, and it should prove even more so this week for the Philadelphia Eagles, as they take on the Seattle Seahawks without the aid of quarterback Michael Vick.

But it wasn't Vick's absence that held down receiver DeSean Jackson's production in Week 12 and it's not what will continue to hold him down this Thursday—that's solely on Jackson himself.

Head coach Andy Reid chose to bench Jackson in the fourth quarter of the team's Week 12 loss against the New England Patriots, citing his desire to give other players a chance to contribute. Considering that Jackson caught just four passes in 10 targets for 73 yards and had two big drops, it's no wonder why Reid chose to go with another option.

This isn't the first time this season that Jackson has been benched, which has surely been frustrating for his fantasy owners who had stars in their eyes upon drafting him this year considering his impressive 2009 and 2010 performances.

But that performance has gone unrewarded, at least in Jackson's eyes—he still hasn't gotten the new contract he's been hoping for—and whether this inconvenience has affected the quality of his play is unknown.

What is known is that Jackson has certainly dipped from his last two years, catching 39 passes for 664 yards and just two scores. He's inconsistent, prone to drawing the ire of his head coach and is being done few favors with Vince Young under center.

Save yourself the frustration and keep Jackson on your bench in Week 13.

RB Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants (vs. Green Bay Packers)

While fellow New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw has been out with a foot injury, the bulk of the team's running duties has fallen to Brandon Jacobs. Though this made him more valuable from a fantasy viewpoint, he's failed to produce even with increased playing time.

The reason for this is twofold: First, he's just not the same kind of speedy, elusive back as Bradshaw. Jacobs is more suited for the straightforward run, plowing through defenders up the middle.

More often than not, however, he dances around and just runs into the defenders and into a tackle, too indecisive to make a real impact.

Also, the Giants have struggled in their last three games, failing to produce on offense either on the ground or in the air. They've been forced to play from behind, which means less focus on the run and more on the passing game.

These two issues will hold down Jacobs' production in Week 14 against the high-scoring Green Bay Packers, and he's not worth starting even if Bradshaw misses yet another game.

On the year, Jacobs has 103 rushes for 320 yards and four touchdowns and 14 receptions for 115 additional yards and another score. He managed only 36 yards on 13 carries against the New Orleans Saints in Week 12, though he did net a touchdown.

Jacobs shouldn't be good for more than 36 or 40 yards considering that the Packers defense is solid against the run and the Giants are likely to be playing catch-up most of the game. Keep him on your bench.

RB Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns (vs. Baltimore Ravens)

It's never a wise idea to start a running back against the Baltimore Ravens defense if it can be helped, and this week, that's reason No. 1 that you should keep the Cleveland Browns' Peyton Hillis on your bench, but not the only one.

There's also the issue of that recurring hamstring injury, the issues surrounding him not receiving the contract extension he's been angling for and the simple fact that Cleveland's offense is overall a very unproductive bunch.

Hillis saw more playing time than initially anticipated against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12, with Montario Hardesty's calf injury bothering him, but he didn't do much with it. He had 19 carries for 65 yards and two receptions for minus-four yards in the team's loss, another disappointing outing in a disappointing season.

He shouldn't likely reach that many yards against the No. 3 rushing defense in the league this Sunday. In the five games for which he has been active, Hillis has just 79 rushes for 276 yards and two touchdowns and has caught 17 passes for 72 yards.

Hillis hasn't been able to follow up his successful 2010 season, in which he rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns, and has been nothing but an albatross hanging about his fantasy owners' necks.

Though it's tempting to start him and hope he looks more like the Hillis that you drafted in the first place, resist that urge and keep him out of your starting lineup in Week 13.

QB Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is having quite the rookie year, slowly building a case for himself as a viable fantasy starter. However, Dalton should only be considered a QB1 based on strength of matchup, and this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers is not one of those times.

There are a lot of reasons why he may seem like an attractive starting option: His favorite target, wide receiver A.J. Green, should be fully healthy for this contest; he threw 21 completions in 31 attempts for 270 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions last week against the Cleveland Browns; over his last four games, he's averaged 257.5 yards per game with seven scores to five interceptions.

All are impressive statistics, to be sure, but now he's got the Steelers' third-ranked passing defense ahead (for the second time this season), one that allowed him just 170 yards in the air and picked him off twice in Week 10.

Yes, he managed two touchdowns in that contest as well, but it wasn't enough to lead his team to a win and it wasn't enough to make him a strong fantasy starter. Expect similar—or worse—numbers from Dalton this week as he faces Pittsburgh again, this time in Heinz Field.

There are too many disadvantages in Dalton's matchup this week to make him worth starting. Find another option, because he's only guaranteed to disappoint.