Week 12 of the NFL season is officially in the books! The NFL landscape has been riddled with injuries and the fantasy playoffs are on the horizon. If you’re facing tough lineup decisions, I’ve got you covered.
Let’s break down my start/sit fantasy football picks for Week 13.
Quarterback
Start ‘Em: Sam Darnold (Vikings) vs. Cardinals
No real rushing upside? No problem for Sam Darnold.
The biggest surprise of the year at quarterback has been incredibly solid, helping guide the Vikings to a 9-2 record. Darnold doesn’t necessarily attempt a lot of passes, but he makes the most of them with a talented supporting cast. The journeyman has now racked up at least 21 fantasy points in three of his last four outings, and I expect him to keep the momentum rolling this week against Arizona.
Sit ‘Em: Jared Goff (Lions) vs. Bears
Goff either delivers unbelievable stat lines, or looks like he wasn’t involved whatsoever in the game. To be fair, sometimes that is the case, as Detroit’s rushing attack is a nightmare for defenses.
Ben Johnson wants to run the ball. Then run it again. Then run it again… you get where I’m going with this.
The 30-year-old is capable of producing elite fantasy numbers, but he’s failed to eclipse the 13-point mark in three of his last four contests. While it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with his individual “success”, I would sit Goff against a Bears defense that allows the second-fewest points to quarterbacks.
Running Back
Start ‘Em: Bucky Irving (Buccaneers) at Panthers
The rookie is a force to be reckoned with.
Fresh off a 27.1 point outing against the Giants, Irving has now scored at least 15 points in five of Tampa Bay’s last six games. He’s easily surpassing five yards per carry, and surprised everyone by taking the receiving work from Rachaad White last week, catching all six targets for 64 yards.
Bucky has RB1 upside against a Panthers defense that allows the most fantasy points to running backs.
Sit ‘Em: Jonathan Taylor (Colts) at Patriots
It’s been an ugly few weeks for Taylor.
Indy’s superstar has failed to score nine points in three of the Colts’ last four games despite seeing significant volume on the ground. His receiving upside has been nonexistent, which unfortunately will likely remain the case with Anthony Richardson under center.
As difficult as it is to justify sitting Taylor, I would recommend it against a Patriots defense that has allowed just 81.7 rushing yards per game over the last three weeks.
Check out my full Week 13 running back start/sit picks here!
Wide Receiver
Start ‘Em: D.J. Moore (Bears) at Lions
Don’t look now, but D.J Moore may be… fantasy relevant again?!
After an immensely frustrating start to the season, Chicago’s most-talented receiver has put it all together over the last two weeks. Moore was especially productive in his last outing against the Vikings, racking up 26.9 PPR points on seven receptions for 106 yards and a touchdowns.
While the matchup looks tough on paper for Chicago, the Lions actually allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. Fire up Moore as a WR2.
Sit ‘Em: Jayden Reed (Packers) vs. Dolphins
For the second straight time, Reed is my sit of the week at receiver.
Despite holding the PPR WR13 spot on the season, Green Bay’s speedster has been infuriatingly inconsistent as of late. Reed has scored double-digit points just once over his last five outings, and is now tasked with beating a Dolphins secondary that allows the second-fewest fantasy points to receiving corps. While the big play upside will always be there, I’m not trusting Reed until he shows some consistent production.
Check out my full Week 13 wide receiver start/sit picks here!
Tight End
Start ‘Em: Zach Ertz (Commanders) vs. Titans
At 34 years old, Ertz has been a beacon of consistency for the Commanders.
While it’s been a struggle for Jayden Daniels as of late, that hasn’t affected the veteran, who has scored at least 14 points in four of his last six games. It’s not like Ertz is touchdown-or-bust either, he sees a legitimate target share on a week-to-week basis. Start Daniels’ safety blanket with confidence against Tennessee.
Sit ‘Em: Kyle Pitts (Falcons) vs. Chargers
Just when it looked like Pitts had finally turned a corner, he came back down to earth.
The 24-year-old followed up four straight weeks of double-digit fantasy points by… failing to hit that mark in each of Atlanta’s last three games. The target share has been ugly too, with Pitts only receiving 10 over that three-game span.
It’s best to leave the former fourth overall pick on your bench until he reestablishes his rapport with Kirk Cousins.
Check out my full Week 13 tight end start/sit picks here!
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 13 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice next week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
