Luka Doncic Headlines Fantasy Basketball Start 'Em Lineup For Week 13

Here are our Start 'Em picks for Week 13 of the NBA season, as fantasy basketball managers look to maximize lineup production.

Jan 12, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after committing a turnover against the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Week 13 of the NBA season is here, kicked off with a six-game slate on Monday night. Fantasy basketball managers will look to optimize lineup output for the week, but will be tasked with making difficult start-sit decisions for the week. Monitoring some of the league’s biggest stars, managers are looking for a notable quantity of games with favorable matchups for starting players, elevating the difficulty of selecting the optimal starting group. Here is a Week 13 Start ‘Em lineup to assist managers this week: 

G - Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

Jan 12, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Week 13 Games: 5

Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers will play five games in Week 13, presenting plenty of opportunity for production from the All-NBA guard. On Monday, Doncic and the Lakers took on the Sacramento Kings, providing a favorable matchup for the superstar guard considering the team’s defensive struggles so far this season. Despite a Kings win, Doncic shined with an efficient 42-point performance, adding seven rebounds and eight assists on 16-for-25 shooting from the field, with four steals on the defensive end. Over the remainder of the week, Los Angeles will square off against the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors, as Doncic looks to carry his momentum down the stretch of Week 13 after a promising start. 

G - Keyonte George, Utah Jazz

Jan 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half at Rocket Arena. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Week 13 Games: 4

Keyonte George and the Utah Jazz started off their Week 13 slate with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. George shined in the win, posting a game-high 32 points, connecting on half of his eight 3-point attempts. He added five rebounds and nine assists to round out a notable performance as he continues to build on a breakout campaign. Utah will face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, followed by two matchups against the Dallas Mavericks to close the week. Fantasy managers will look for George to continue his upward trend of production in three favorable matchups remaining throughout Week 13. 

F - Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers

Jan 7, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) reacts while being interviewed by Brooke Olzendam after Trail Blazers defeating Houston Rockets 103-102 at Moda Center. | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Week 13 Games: 4

Like George, Portland Trail Blazers guard Deni Avdija is in the midst of a career-year as the halfway point of the season approaches. Over 40 games, Avdija is averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists, raising a compelling case to be a first-time All-Star selection this season. Over the course of Week 13, Avdija and the Trail Blazers will suit up against the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Sacramento. His elevated volume and production throughout the season helps him raise a compelling start case with four contests on the schedule this week.

F - Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

Jan 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Scottie Barnes (4) during a break in the action against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Week 13 Games: 4

Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors have emerged as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, posting a 24-17 record to this point of the year. Over 40 games, Barnes is averaging 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists, adding 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game on the defensive end. His versatility has helped him surge as one of the top forwards in fantasy basketball this season, a trend that projects to continue throughout Week 13. Coming off Monday night’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Barnes and Toronto will look ahead to their final three matchups of the week against the Indiana Pacers, Clippers and Lakers. 

C - Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls

Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) looks to pass the ball against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at United Center. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Week 13 Games: 4

Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls kick their Week 13 schedule off on Tuesday night with a matchup against the Houston Rockets. While Houston will provide a tough matchup for the star big man, Chicago’s favor down the stretch of the week provides reason for optimism going forward. On Wednesday, Chicago will take on the Utah Jazz, followed by two matchups against the Brooklyn Nets to close the week. Vucevic, who is averaging 16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over 37 games this season, will offer valuable fantasy production over the course of Week 13.