Fantasy Football: Week 13 2021 NFL Start or Sit Advice

As we inch closer to the fantasy football playoffs, submitting the proper lineup will be vital. Here are the NFL players you should start or sit this week.

Author:
Fischer Smith
Publish date:
Dec 2, 2021 12:19 PM EST

Fantasy Football: Week 13 2021 NFL Start or Sit Advice

As we inch closer to the fantasy football playoffs, submitting the proper lineup will be vital. Here are the NFL players you should start or sit this week.

It is do-or-die time for many fantasy owners as most leagues have just a couple of weeks remaining until the playoffs begin. Injuries are piling up across the league, and the Packers, Browns, Titans, and Panthers all have byes this week, so most fantasy managers will likely have to rely on some under-the-radar sleepers to secure the critical week 13 win. We have got ten of them here whom you can count on to help lead you to victory, and you might even be able to find a few of them on your waiver wire.

Derek Carr (QB, Las Vegas Raiders) vs. Washington Football Team

This season, he has had a few duds of fantasy performances, but Carr has still posted 19 or more standard points in seven of his 11 games. This year, he also leads the league in passing yards (3,414) and passing yards per game (310.4). Carr is coming off of a 373-yard performance where he also tossed for a touchdown and no interceptions, and he will have a very exploitable week 13 matchup. No team in football has allowed more fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks (25.8) and passing touchdowns per game (2.4) than Washington this season. They rank in the league’s bottom five in passing yards allowed per game (266.6) and yards allowed per pass attempt (7.4). Oddsmakers expect plenty of points from the Las Vegas offense as the Raiders currently sit at -115 on BetMGM to score over 25.5 points. DraftKings has Carr at -155 to throw at least two touchdown passes and at -115 to throw for at least 277 yards. It is also worth noting that the Raiders are coming off of a Thursday game, and Washington is coming off of a Monday night game. Look for Carr to put a second straight strong fantasy game together with this matchup.

Taysom Hill (QB, New Orleans Saints) vs. Dallas Cowboys

Finally, Sean Payton is going with Taysom Hill as his starter this Thursday night after dropping four straight games with Trevor Siemian at the helm. Hill was a savior for many fantasy owners last year when he started four games at quarterback late in the season. Over weeks 11 through 14 in 2020, only five signal-callers accumulated more fantasy points than Hill as he averaged 21.57 a game. In those four starts, Hill ran for four touchdowns, threw for four touchdowns, notched 209 rushing yards, and threw only two interceptions. Hill was a force on the ground as a quarterback last season. Expect him to be heavily used in the running game on Thursday night with Alvin Kamara, and Mark Ingram banged up. Dallas is not great against the run as they allow 4.4 yards per carry on the season. Dallas has also struggled mightily versus the pass at times this season as they rank in the league’s bottom seven in passing yards allowed per game (262.3) and yards allowed per pass attempt (7.3), and surrendered 373 passing yards and a touchdown to Derek Carr last week. It would not be surprising to see Hill carry over his fantasy success from last season into his first start at quarterback in 2021. He presents as a very intriguing streaming option for this week and could wind up as a league-winner for fantasy teams as we enter the home stretch of the season.

Taylor Heinicke (QB, Washington Football Team) @ Las Vegas Raiders

Since assuming the starting job in week two, Heinicke has quietly been a top-13 fantasy quarterback in terms of points scored per game - just under 18. He did not have a great fantasy performance in a sloppy Monday night game last week, but Heinicke was able to toss three touchdowns and zero interceptions two weeks ago against a very stingy Carolina secondary. Only five teams have allowed more fantasy points per game this season to opposing quarterbacks than the Raiders this season (19.6), and only three teams have allowed more fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the last five weeks. The Raiders also rank in the bottom five in football this year in passing touchdowns allowed per game (1.8) and have allowed 2.7 passing touchdowns per game over the last three weeks, which is the worst mark in the league by a substantial margin. This week, sportsbooks are high on Heinicke as DraftKings has him at -130 to throw for at least two scores. He projects as a formidable streaming option with an ideal matchup in Vegas.

Jamaal Williams (RB, Detroit Lions) vs. Minnesota Vikings

With D’Andre Swift appearing to be set to miss multiple weeks, Jamaal Williams becomes the clear-cut RB1 for now in Detroit. As Swift exited the game early, Williams was fed 15 carries and had five receptions in week 12. Whether it comes on the ground, through the air, or both, the volume will be there for Williams on Sunday. Williams will have a very favorable week 13 matchup with the Vikings, who are allowing the most yards per rush attempt in the NFL this year (4.8), as well as the third-most rushing yards per game (134.4). Minnesota also ranks in the league’s bottom ten over the last five weeks in terms of PPR fantasy points per game allowed to opposing running backs (25.8). FanDuel has Williams valued as a top-20 running back in the daily fantasy market this week. He figures to be a very solid RB2 play with this Vikings matchup and with Swift out.

Devonta Freeman (RB, Baltimore Ravens) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

It appears that Freeman has established himself as the lead dog in the Ravens’ backfield. He was fed 16 carries in each of the last two weeks and has led all Baltimore running backs in snaps in each of the last five weeks. Freeman will be looking forward to a clash with a Pittsburgh defense that has allowed the third-most PPR fantasy points per game to opposing running backs over the last five weeks (30.2), the fifth-most rushing yards per game in the league this season (133.1), by far the most rushing yards per game over the last three weeks (195.3), the most yards per rush attempt in football this year (4.8), and the most rushing touchdowns per game over the last three weeks (2.3). It is safe to say that Pittsburgh is abysmal against the run and has been even worse as of late. With the volume he has been getting, you can trust Freeman as a strong RB2 play this week against the Steelers.

J.D McKissic (RB, Washington Football Team) @ Las Vegas Raiders

As one of the most productive running backs in the receiving game over the last several weeks, McKissic has four or more receptions in five of his last six games. He comes off of a week 12 showing where he had five receptions, a receiving touchdown, seven carries, and a rushing touchdown. McKissic saw seven carries in week 11 as well. He has had a prominent role in the Washington offense for most of the season and will enjoy an advantageous week 13 matchup. Only three teams have allowed more PPR fantasy points per game to opposing running backs than the Raiders this season (27). Washington currently sits as 2.5 point underdogs to the Raiders, which also bodes well for the receiving back McKissic. He is questionable with a concussion, but McKissic looks like a decent RB2 play and a reliable flex option if he suits up.

Russell Gage (WR, Atlanta Falcons) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This might come as a surprise, but Gage has been one of the more targeted wide receivers in football this season. He has seen six or more targets in five out of the seven games he has played. He enters Week 13 fresh off of his best fantasy performance of the season in which he reeled in six of seven targets for 62 yards and a score. Only two teams have allowed more receiving touchdowns per game than the Buccaneers this season (1.9), and only seven teams have allowed more PPR fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers (37.4). The Falcons also currently sit as 11 point underdogs in this contest which should favor Gage and the passing game for fantasy purposes. Expect Gage to carry over his week 12 success into this matchup. He projects as a sneaky-good flex play.

Van Jefferson (WR, Los Angeles Rams) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Finally, Jefferson was able to turn his high target volume into a strong fantasy performance last week as he was able to take a deep ball to the endzone. Jefferson has been one of the more targeted receivers in football over the last several weeks, as he has seen 36 targets in his last five contests. Jefferson will have a solid shot to turn his high target volume into many fantasy points again in week 13 as he faces a Jacksonville defense that has allowed the sixth-most PPR fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers over this season (38.8) and the fifth most in that regard over the last five weeks (39.5). This week, he presents as a back-end WR2 or a high-end WR3 and could put up WR1 numbers if he can secure another deep score.

Christian Kirk (WR, Arizona Cardinals) @ Chicago Bears

Kirk has had a bit of an up-and-down fantasy season, but he has still seen five or more targets in nine of his 11 games this season. He can also explode for huge outputs as he has recorded 15 or more PPR fantasy points in five games in 2021. With DeAndre Hopkins expected back this week, it is reasonable to expect that Hopkins will open up deep ball opportunities for Kirk, which could lead to one of those big fantasy numbers for Kirk. This year, the Bears also rank in the league’s bottom ten in terms of PPR fantasy points per game allowed to opposing wide receivers (37.1). With the return of Hopkins hopefully opening things up, Kirk looks to be a solid WR3/flex option this week with the potential to break out for a huge game.

Foster Moreau (TE, Las Vegas Raiders) vs. Washington Football Team

With Darren Waller doubtful to suit up this Sunday, Foster Moreau becomes the streaming option of the week at tight end. In the last game that Waller missed, Moreau went for six receptions, 60 yards, and a touchdown. He will have an awesome matchup too. We already went over how friendly the Washington defense is to quarterbacks and pass catchers (see Derek Carr). Carr loves to lean on his tight ends, and with Waller out, Moreau becomes a fine start in the tight end slot in any league this week with this exploitable matchup.