Week 13 Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Running Backs That Should Warm Your Bench

Next to wide receiver, no position requires as much mixing and matching in fantasy football as the running back position.

The reason for this is that there just aren't that many sure things when it comes to running backs. Even guys with big names can struggle in a given week, and your chances of winning can be crippled as a result.

The best you can do is try to anticipate bad performances. If you do, you can save yourself a whole bunch of trouble by moving select players to your bench.

If you don't feel like doing some research, allow me to help you out. Below is a short list of four running backs that I think are going to fall flat in Week 13. If you have one of them, you should consider moving him to the bench.

Be warned: There are some heavy hitters on the list this week.

Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals

Credit where credit is due, Cedric Benson has generally been as solid as a rock this season. With so much attention in Cincinnati being paid to Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, Benson has managed to fly under the radar while having a very good season.

However, I'm skeptical about Benson's outlook against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. They handled him pretty well the first time they squared off with the Bengals back in Week 10, and the key difference this time around is that the Bengals will be playing in Pittsburgh. 

It's a really tough matchup for the Bengals, and one that could get away from them in a hurry. If it does, there's not going to be much work for Benson. He's a very risky play.

Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns

Playing for the first time in several weeks thanks to an injured hamstring, Peyton Hillis looked surprisingly good against the Bengals in Week 12.

But he didn't look great. Totaling 65 yards on 19 carries is nothing to write home about. Hillis may be back, but he's not "back."

I don't expect Hillis to be all the way back against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. The Ravens have the league's No. 3 rush defense, and they're going to be very well-rested by the time Sunday's game rolls around. They just stymied Frank Gore, so they should be able to handle Hillis.

The curse shall live on.

Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams

Steven Jackson was dynamite for a stretch of three weeks, but he's fallen on hard times the last two weeks. He's healthy, but yards have been hard to come by and he hasn't been able to find the end zone.

Things are going to be even worse for Jackson against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The 49ers have the league's No. 1 rush defense, and they've been death on running backs from a fantasy perspective. They haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher in something like a decade, and they've only allowed one touchdown to a running back this season.

Expect Jackson to fail where all of his comrades have failed.

Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals

I've got to be crazy, right? Didn't Beanie Wells just rush for over 200 yards?

Yes he did, but he did so against a Rams defense that has a tendency to stand aside whenever the ball is handed off. Exploding against them is something any running back can do.

Besides, Wells is a true feast-or-famine back. When he's not piling up tons of points, he's leaving a lot out on the field. He's also been handled by some of the better rush defenses around the league.

The Dallas Cowboys just so happen to have one of the better rush defenses, and they'll be tasked with stopping Wells on Sunday. The Cowboys went through a stretch where they were very generous against opposing running backs, but they've righted the ship recently. They've really clamped down, and they haven't allowed a touchdown to a running back since Week 9.

I'll forgive you if you want to ignore my advice here, but I will ask that you at least consider benching Wells. Especially if you have other options.