Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13: Quarterbacks - Sleepers, Fades, Matchups, DFS Bargains
Week 13 Start ‘Em: Quarterbacks
Byes: Buccaneers, Panthers
Start of the Week
Ryan Tannehill vs. Browns (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tannehill is back on track after a few stinkers, scoring 19-plus fantasy points in wins over the Colts and Ravens. He should be in your starting lineup this week too, as the Titans host the Browns. Their defense has been terrible on the road, allowing 13 touchdowns and an average of more than 25 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Tannehill will be considered a potential top-12 fantasy field general this weekend.
Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
Be sure to check out my Week 13 rankings before finalizing any lineup decisions or if your league has special scoring rules, sign up for SI Fantasy+ for customized rankings.
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Start ‘Em
Taysom Hill at Falcons (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Hill has started the last two games for the Saints, and he’s scored a combined 41.7 fantasy points. One of those games came against the Falcons, who surrendered more than 24 points to Hill in Week 11. As luck would have it, the running quarterback gets to face Atlanta for the second time in three weeks. Seven different quarterbacks, including Hill, have scored more than 20 fantasy points against the Falcons this season.
Kirk Cousins vs. Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Cousins has been slinging the ball around of late, scoring 20-plus fantasy points in three of his last four games. And while the threat of decreased pass attempts always looms in a run-based system, he’s still a nice option this week when the Vikings host Jacksonville. Their defense is all messed up due to injuries, and home quarterbacks have averaged the most fantasy points (26.1 PPG) against them in 2020. Start Cousins where needed.
Ben Roethlisberger vs. Football Team (Mon. 5 p.m. ET, FOX): Washington’s defense has been tough on quarterbacks overall, but home field generals have put up an average of more than 19 fantasy points against them. That’s good news for Roethlisberger, who has scored 18-plus fantasy points in all but one of his first five home games. What’s more, no offense in the league has averaged more points (33.2 PPG) on their home field this season than Pittsburgh.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Fantasy fans were hoping for another Ryan Fitzpatrick start, but it's Tua who gets the call this week. While he's not as valuable as his veteran teammate, I do like the rookie in multi-quarterback formats. The Bengals have allowed 20-plus fantasy points to quarterbacks five times this season, including big games from non-elite players such as Baker Mayfield, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Gardner Minshew.
More Starts
- Derek Carr at Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Mitchell Trubisky vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, FOX)
- Philip Rivers at Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Bargains
- Philip Rivers at Texans (DraftKings: $5,900)
- Derek Carr at Jets (DraftKings: $5,800)
- Mitchell Trubisky vs. Lions (DraftKings: $5,400)
Week 13 Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks
Sit of the Week
Matt Ryan vs. Saints (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Ryan has been dreadful in recent weeks, scoring fewer than 18 fantasy points in four of his last five games. The offensive line is partially to blame, allowing the fourth-most sacks and 34 QB pressures, and Ryan has struggled in games without Julio Jones. Next up is a date with the Saints, who held Ryan to 5.3 fantasy points in Week 11 and haven’t allowed an opposing quarterback to score 17-plus fantasy points since Week 7.
Sit ‘Em
Carson Wentz at Packers (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Wentz scored a respectable 18.8 fantasy points last week, but he lucked out with a long Hail Mary touchdown at the end of the game that salvaged his otherwise awful stat line. He’s playing behind a beaten-up offensive line, and his decision making has been awful most of the year. I’d keep Wentz on the sidelines against the Packers, who have surrendered fewer than 17 fantasy points a game to enemy quarterbacks.
Matthew Stafford at Bears (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Stafford's numbers have taken a dip in recent weeks, as he's failed to score more than 16.1 fantasy points in three of his last four games. He's struggled to produce without Kenny Golladay, and a matchup in Chicago isn't at all favorable. Their defense has been tough on quarterbacks at Soldier Field, allowing just six touchdown passes and an average of 16.9 fantasy points per game. I'd keep Stafford sidelined this weekend.
Jared Goff at Cardinals (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX): Goff’s struggles continued in Week 12, as he scored a meager three fantasy points against the 49ers. He’s now failed to put up 17 fantasy points in five of his last six games, and he’s been anything but reliable even when the matchup is positive. So, while the Cardinals have struggled against enemy quarterbacks this season, Goff is still no more than a No. 2 fantasy option in super flex and multi-quarterback leagues.
Baker Mayfield at Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Mayfield put up a respectable stat line last week, throwing for multiple touchdowns in a win over the Jaguars. However, it was only his second game with more than 16 fantasy points, and it came against a team with just one win. Next up is a much tougher opponent, the Titans, who have held quarterbacks to fewer than 18 fantasy points in each of their last three games. Mayfield is a multi-quarterback option at best.
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More Sits
- Andy Dalton at Ravens (Tues. 8:05 p.m. ET, FOX)
- Alex Smith at Steelers (Mon. 5 p.m. ET, FOX)
- Sam Darnold vs. Raiders (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Fades
- Kyler Murray vs. Rams (DraftKings: $7,600)
- Justin Herbert vs. Patriots (DraftKings: $6,900)
- Jared Goff at Cardinals (DraftKings: $5,800)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all of the latest breaking fantasy football news and the best analysis in the business!
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