The Biggest Start/Sit Decisions for Week 13 (Fantasy Football)
Aloha, Footclan! Welcome to Week 13 of the Start/Sit series, where we’ll identify and discuss your most commonly asked “Who should I start?” questions for the week.
The projections between any two players on your roster may appear similar, but this “simple” choice could be the difference between your team’s victory or defeat. Luckily, the Fantasy Footballers have created an amazing Start/Sit tool to easily compare any two (or more) players with insight from the Ballers themselves, and trust me — it’s an extremely valuable asset that will help you make these crucial lineup decisions that could ultimately lead you to your #FootClanTitle.
In this article, you’ll find your most popular Start/Sit questions of the week, along with the Ballers’ projections and my personal opinions on the matter. Please note that the Footballers’ rankings are constantly being updated as news breaks, so make sure you check out the tool for yourself to catch any last-second changes.
So, without further ado, let’s kick things off with the biggest Start/Sit questions for Week 13:
Featured Matchup
QB:
Trevor Lawrence (JAX) or Justin Fields (CHI)?
| EXPERT PROJECTIONS | ||
| Proj. Points | 19.3 | 14.1 |
| Andy Rank | QB #8 | QB #21 |
| Mike Rank | QB #8 | QB #22 |
| Jason Rank | QB #6 | QB #21 |
| MATCHUP DETAILS | ||
| Opp. Rank | 32 | 10 |
| Home/Away | Away | Home |
| Over/Under | 51 | 44 |
| Line | -1 | +3.5 |
Did you know that WD-40, everyone’s favorite multi-purpose lubricant, failed 39 times before the company finally figured out the right formula and became a massive international success? That comes to mind whenever I think about Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, two 2021 draftees who are enjoying something of a renaissance after blunderous starts to their NFL careers. But unlike WD-40, these two only needed 20-some-odd games before emerging as the superstars they were drafted to be.
Lawrence has been awesome lately, ranking as fantasy’s overall QB6 since Week 6, which includes his Week 11 bye and a poor showing against the Broncos in Week 8. He’s been a QB1 seven times already this season, and now he gets the EASIEST matchup for opposing QBs in both fantasy points allowed and schedule-adjusted points above expectation. There’s a reason why we keep talking about him as a smash DFS play, a rock-solid buy-low QB1, a top QB Streamer, and Jason’s QB Start of the Week.
We already know the story with Fields: great for fantasy when he’s schemed in the run game and can utilize his legs, but we don’t know if he’s fully healthy. Sure, he’s expected to return after hurting his shoulder, but the coaching staff may limit his rushing attempts as he continues to heal. To make matters worse, his depleted arsenal is now virtually abandoned after losing WR Darnell Mooney for the season. We know Green Bay is extremely weak against the run, so Fields could make do with just a few carries, but it’s best to wait and see before trusting him in your lineups.
The Verdict
Trevor Lawrence
RB:
D’Andre Swift (DET) or Rachaad White (TB)?
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|
||
|---|---|---|
| EXPERT PROJECTIONS | ||
| Proj. Points | 10.7 | 12.5 |
| Andy Rank | RB #27 | RB #15 |
| Mike Rank | RB #26 | RB #20 |
| Jason Rank | RB #27 | RB #20 |
| MATCHUP DETAILS | ||
| Opp. Rank | 16 | 13 |
| Home/Away | Home | Home |
| Over/Under | 51 | 40.5 |
| Line | +1 | -3.5 |
All three Ballers have Rachaad White as their unanimous favorite over D’Andre Swift. If Leonard Fournette is out, then I’m inclined to agree as White looked great last week sans Fournette, hogging 90% of snaps and seeing 14 carries and nine targets (21% target share). His increased involvement in the passing game was definitely encouraging to see, lifting his floor in PPR leagues. White could certainly take over the backfield even with Fournette present, but it’ll likely end up being an annoying committee.
However, I think this decision is closer than it seems on paper, particularly in PPR. Swift saw nearly the same amount of targets (eight) as White did last week, and we can only assume that he’ll continue to see more involvement as he regains health. He also had five red zone attempts, which is more than White has ever had in a game. Jacksonville is 20th against RBs in schedule-adjusted fantasy points above expectation, so Swift has the clear advantage in matchups. Jamaal Williams will definitely get his, but I think there’s room for both in what Vegas projects to be a much higher-scoring affair. He’s Andy’s RB Start of the Week.
The Verdict
Rachaad White if Fournette is out, otherwise I’d roll the dice with D’Andre Swift.
WR:
Christian Watson (GB) or Garrett Wilson (NYJ)?
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| EXPERT PROJECTIONS | ||
| Proj. Points | 11.5 | 12.5 |
| Andy Rank | WR #25 | WR #17 |
| Mike Rank | WR #25 | WR #15 |
| Jason Rank | WR #17 | WR #13 |
| MATCHUP DETAILS | ||
| Opp. Rank | 14 | 28 |
| Home/Away | Away | Away |
| Over/Under | 44 | 44.5 |
| Line | -3.5 | +3 |
Like the other questions, this one is also contingent on the status of their teammates. Christian Watson has emerged as Aaron Rodgers‘ trusty speedster who can be relied on for a splash play or three on any given Sunday. Since Week 10, he’s scored six times and is THE WR1 in fantasy during that timespan. But with Rodgers nursing a fractured thumb and new rib injury yet insisting on playing, Watson may not see the same opportunities and accuracy that allowed him to erupt.
Meanwhile, Garrett Wilson looked absolutely phenomenal with Mike White at the helm, and he now gets a juicy matchup against a vulnerable Vikings secondary that just allowed Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker of all people to total 145 combined yards and a score. That may not sound like much, but considering that came from the Mac Jones-led, Matt Patricia-directed Patriots, it’s practically a miracle. As long as Zach Wilson remains on the bench, the sky’s the limit for the rookie wideout. Wilson is Jason’s WR Start of the Week.
The Verdict
Garrett Wilson
TE:
Hayden Hurst (CIN) or Gerald Everett (LAC)?
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| EXPERT PROJECTIONS | ||
| Proj. Points | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Andy Rank | TE #8 | TE #9 |
| Mike Rank | TE #8 | TE #9 |
| Jason Rank | TE #9 | TE #7 |
| MATCHUP DETAILS | ||
| Opp. Rank | 18 | 27 |
| Home/Away | Home | Away |
| Over/Under | 53 | 50.5 |
| Line | +2 | +1 |
This one is as close as it gets. As we all know, TEs have been a wasteland for fantasy unless you have Travis Kelce or sometimes Mark Andrews. The Footballers have these guys nearly dead even, with Andy and Mike preferring Hayden Hurst while Jason’s rocking with Gerald Everett. Both should be involved in projected shootouts but will be third or possibly fourth (if Ja’Maar Chase returns) in their team’s pecking order.
Hurst saw nine targets last week, a number Everett hasn’t seen in over a month, making him a recommended DFS pick in FanDuel and DraftKings lineups as well as Andy’s TE Start of the Week. And while Everett appears to have a substantially better matchup, they’re practically equal in the schedule-adjusted rankings. We can excuse Everett’s recent downslide if we assume he’s still dealing with a lingering groin injury, but he’s had a sizeable opportunity with Keenan Allen’s and Mike Williams‘ inconsistent availabilities. If you believe he’s finally 100%, then it’s hard to sit him. But until he proves it, we just can’t trust him in our lineups, especially this late in the season.
The Verdict
Hayden Hurst
Good luck with your matchups this week Footclan! And don’t forget to check out the Hitman’s Sunday Live stream one hour before kickoff for any last-second Start/Sit advice!