Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Play or Bench Tips for Fantasy Football Managers

It's an exciting time for fantasy managers. The NFL season has reached Week 13, which means two things. The fantasy playoffs are right around the corner, and the Thanksgiving slate is upon us.

The good news is that no teams will be on bye this week. The bad news is that injuries may still leave a few fantasy stars unavailable. Difficult matchups will further require some careful lineup decisions.

Here, we'll examine some of the tougher matchups of Week 13 and provide start/sit recommendations based on past production and projected roles.

Don't forget that the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs will be in action on Thursday or Friday this week. Be sure to set lineups early.

All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Managers may be quick to bench Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner after an underwhelming Week 12 workload. The Cardinals, curiously, opted not to lean on their ground game against the rival Seattle Seahawks.

Conner finished Week 12 with only seven carries for eight yards. This week, he'll face a Minnesota Vikings defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.

So why trust Conner in a difficult matchup? Managers can bank on his role in the passing game.

While the 29-year-old didn't do much on the ground against Seattle, he caught five passes for 49 yards. He finished with just under 10 fantasy points, which isn't ideal, but that should be his absolute floor against the Vikings.

Conner isn't a must-start for managers with better options, but he shouldn't be sent to the bench for a backup or waiver pickup.

The Atlanta Falcons are set to host the Los Angeles Chargers and have had two weeks to prepare for the matchup. They likely watched the Baltimore Ravens run over and through the Chargers on Monday night and may be eager to use a run-heavy approach in Week 13.

That might entice managers to play Tyler Allgeier this week. Bijan Robinson is the top back in Atlanta, but Allgeier has seen substantial work in the running game on occasion. The problem is that he offers little in the way of PPR upside.

Allgeier has caught just one pass in his last four games. He's topped 50 rushing yards only four times this season and has only found the end zone twice.

While there have been times to insert the popular handcuff into the flex slot in 2024, this isn't one of them. Baltimore racked up 212 rushing yards on Monday night, but Los Angeles has been stout against the run for most of the season. They've allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase has essentially become a must-star, regardless of matchup, in fantasy. He'll face a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week—Pittsburgh has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers—but managers shouldn't sit him.

Managers may have bigger questions about Bengals No. 2 receiver Tee Higgins, however. He's likely to draw a matchup with No. 2 corner Donte Jackson, who has been excellent in coverage this season.

Jackson has allowed an opposing passer rating of just 53.1, according to Pro Football Reference.

Higgins should deliver often enough to justify a start, though. The 6'4" wideout has a substantial size advantage against the 5'10" Jackson, and while he may only have a handful of receptions, they could be chunk plays.

Jackson has allowed only 25 receptions this season, but he's allowed an average of 15.8 yards per catch. Higgins is coming off a nine-catch, 148-yard game and should have another solid outing against the rival Steelers.

Jayden Reed has, at times, looked like a clear-cut No. 1 option for the Packers. He may be a focal point of the passing attack in Week 13, as fellow wideout Romeo Doubs suffered a concussion in Week 12 and is unlikely to play on a short week.

However, Reed has also started to command defensive attention, which has limited his production significantly. The 24-year-old came through with a touchdown in Week 11 but finished with only two catches for 23 yards on two targets. Against the San Francisco 49eers last week, he caught three of three targets for just 26 yards.

This week, the Packers will host the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers. Green Bay should look to attack Miami's defense with the running game and a heavy dose of tight end Tucker Kraft.

While some teams will force-feed the ball to their top receiver, Green Bay isn't one of those teams. Reed is a very risky play who can be sat this week.

*Fantasy scoring information via FantasyPros.