Fantasy Football Week 13 Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Aaron Rodgers vs Shedeur Sanders
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We ate so much turkey and trimmings on Thanksgiving. Some feasted in fantasy football among quarterbacks but unfortunately some are downright desperate. Expect things to take an uglier turn here. Today, we will evaluate a Start 'Em, Sit 'Em of Aaron Rodgers vs Shedeur Sanders. Let's dive into more numbers. Do not forget to check out projections from the esteemed Shawn Childs.
The Case For Aaron Rodgers
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 13 Ranking: QB38
With the updated status of Rodgers now starting for Pittsburgh, he likely moves up to Mason Rudolph's spot which was 29th. This news was ultimately confirmed by the usual reporters and NFL experts.
Interesting to hear that Aaron Rodgers has (at least) 3 fractures. Some of these may be hairline fractures and are not significant factors. I am curious to know what type of fracture the "more consequential" one is...most likely distal radius. https://t.co/grfZi0tbuI
— Melanie Friedlander (@Girlsurgeon) November 30, 2025
There are a lot of things at play here. For one, it seems all but one fracture is more significant than hairline. Even when Rodgers was healthy, things were far from rosy. His best fantasy game was probably Week 1 against the New York Jets. Even the first meeting against Cincinnati featured two interceptions. Those were top efforts.
Rodgers' point total from a fantasy standpoint was inflated by those two games. Take them out and the picture gets much uglier. The past three starts progressively got worse and worse. When Mason Rudolph came in for him in meeting number two against the Bengals, the Pittsburgh offense looked more dynamic and less stuck in the mud.
Rodgers has not topped 250 yards once this season. Expecting anything close to that Sunday would be crazy. The weather forecast for Buffalo is not good. Projected winds are supposed to be in the 25 to 40 mph range with higher gusts (50+ possibly). Add in occasional snow late in the afternoon and you have been warned.
Pain tolerance is the issue here and the elements as much as the Buffalo defense may determine the Week 13 Rodgers has.
The Case For Shedeur Sanders
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 13 Ranking: QB28
Do not get mad at us! Shedeur Sanders won a pretty nasty game against the Las Vegas Raiders this week. The Cleveland Browns exhausted options previously not thought to exist before turning to Sanders. Sanders got tossed into the pit the week before against Baltimore and the results were frightening. (25% completion rate, an interception, and a fumble).
Again, the bounce back was nice last week against Las Vegas. However, San Francisco is desperate for a playoff spot. With Detroit losing and Dallas winning, the 49ers still need a victory massively. Unfortunately, guess what factors into this game too? Yes, the lake effect weather. Cleveland could also see 50 mph wind gusts or greater on Sunday afternoon.
Sanders probably did see this playing for Colorado once or twice but in the NFL, it is different. Anyone who has been to Cleveland, Buffalo, etc. can attest to this.
"I feel like this is the Browns realizing what the rest of us have been saying..."
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) November 30, 2025
🚨 @VulinecJake and @NickPedone12 react to @AdamSchefter's report that the #Browns are open to an extended look at Shedeur Sanders as the starter 🏈 pic.twitter.com/UpUAAjiDKn
Regardless, this is a quarterback who threw a hail mary in a monsoon! He is the younger and healthier quarterback. Frankly, he is probably more hungry at this juncture and less crazy. Sanders may have to manage his throws a bit and use his legs more in this weather. The good news is that San Francisco is coming east to play in this smorgasbord of weather.
Despite the success the last two weeks for the 49ers against the run, this team is fighting it defensively with a bye week looming. Sanders has a chance of taking some advantage against this scenario.
Cue Up That Verdict
Between the two, the better player to start here is Shedeur Sanders. Do not laugh. It may not be pretty but his flashes of upside are better than a quarterback approaching 42 who will be in pain just handing the ball off.
Going against the wind err grain with Sanders is the play.
