Week 13 Fantasy Football Start Em' & Sit 'Em: Joe Burrow Vs. Lamar Jackson
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Week 13 of the NFL season will feature a highly anticipated AFC North battle between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving Day. Two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, will square off as both teams look to make up ground in the divisional standings. The two quarterbacks could raise a crucial decision among fantasy football owners this week, as both offer compelling cases to start among Week 13 lineups. But who makes the better case to start at quarterback this week between Jackson and Burrow?
The Case For Lamar Jackson
Since returning from injury, Jackson has strung together a few notable performances in fantasy football. In his first game back in Week 9 following a four-week absence, Jackson broke out with a 25.6-point showing and a QB9 finish in fantasy, throwing for 204 yards and four touchdowns. He followed that up with a 16.6-point outing in Week 10, prior to a quiet two-game stretch for the multiple-time MVP.
Week 13 presents an ideal bounce-back opportunity for Jackson in fantasy, matched up against one of the worst defensive units in the NFL. Through 12 weeks of action, Cincinnati’s defense ranks last in the league in both yards and points allowed, and will have its hands full with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL on Thanksgiving.
The Case Against Jackson
Jackson’s recent two-game stretch has raised concerns among fantasy owners, as the Ravens’ signal caller is coming off the lowest-scoring two games of his season thus far. In Baltimore’s Week 11 win over the Cleveland Browns, Jackson posted just 6.7 fantasy points, marking a season-low effort. In Week 12, his struggles continued, managing just 7.2 points versus the New York Jets despite a victory.
While Baltimore has emerged as one of the hottest teams in the league, winning each of their last five games, Jackson has struggled at times. Though Cleveland and New York’s respective defenses are far improved compared to Cincinnati’s, the two defenses remain among the bottom-half of units in the NFL.
The Case For Joe Burrow
Expectations are elevated for a struggling Bengals squad looking to make a late-season surge to squeak into the playoffs. With Burrow set to return following an extended absence due to toe surgery, every game becomes a playoff game for Cincinnati down the stretch of the season. Burrow has flashed in practice, showing off his accuracy, leading one of the best offenses in the NFL this season.
Like his own defense, Baltimore’s defense has struggled at times this season, presenting a favorable matchup in his first game back from injury. Lining up against the 24th-ranked pass defense in the league should allow the star quarterback to find his stride rather quickly on Thursday.
The Case Against Burrow
It’s easy to build a case against a quarterback who hasn’t suited up since Week 2, unless it's Burrow. Still, the 3-8 Bengals haven’t shown much promise despite boasting one of the top offenses in the NFL this season. With a red-hot Ravens squad looking to continue its recent dominance, it's quite possible the speed of the game could lap Burrow in his first game back in 11 weeks.
The Ravens’ defense hasn’t allowed 20 points since Week 5 of the season, building confidence at the right time entering a crucial Thanksgiving Day showdown. With star wideout Tee Higgins sidelined due to concussion, Baltimore’s dominance could continue versus its division rivals.
The Final Verdict
Given Baltimore’s recent success, paired with the knowledge that Burrow is set to take the field in a must-win game for the first time in two months, I’m going to pick Jackson for this divisional clash. Cincinnati’s defense has been no better than last in the league for much of the season, presenting an immensely favorable matchup to one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the league. Jackson and the Ravens’ surge projects to continue against a lowly Bengals defense on Thanksgiving.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.