Welcome back to our Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em series for 2020, we are about to enter Week 13! It’s a strange week, with the last game of the Week 12 being played on Wednesday. That has pushed everything back, both in the league and in our coverage. However, we are here now!
If you have a particular start/ sit question then you can always check out our weekly rankings page, or reach out to us on any of our social media channels. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I answered all of you that reached out last week, I will always try to get to every single one of you.
Slam dunk starts (the likes of Patrick Mahomes) and sits (pretty much anyone in New York) aren’t going to be included. You should always be starting or avoiding those guys. These are players that I have seen on social media being considered with some mixed answers.
Start ‘Em
Kirk Cousins v JAX
Cousins led his team to a great comeback victory over Carolina last week. This week he faces a Jacksonville defense that is among the worst in the league. Of course, there is always the worry that Dalvin Cook has another blow-up game. But I’m not that worried. There should be plenty to go around in this game.
Ryan Tannehill v CLE
Tannehill has been fine the past few weeks, not great, but decent enough that you’d be ok starting him. The Titans offense has been ticking all season, and even with Derrick Henry balling out this offense has moved the ball through the air too. Cleveland’s secondary has been a weak spot all season- put him in with confidence.
Taysom Hill @ATL
Welcome back to the next installment of ‘will this week be the week Hill throws his first ever TD pass?’ Despite leading an offense full of weapons, Hill has been used in extended gadget plays. Despite that, we have seen Hill do well against the Falcons. Don’t over think it.
Derek Carr @NYJ
Carr well and truly suffered last week on a stalling offense. However, if there was a defense to play to get you back on track this would be it. I would be happy staying in the flames this week. He can’t have another bad week, can he?
David Montgomery v DET
Montgomery is really the heartbeat of this offense. Sure, the team has Allen Robinson out wide, but it needs Montgomery to rush the ball. This week there should be plenty of opportunity for him to move the ball, as he faces up against a Detriot unit who are the worst in the league against the position.
Miles Sanders v GB
Sanders is worth a start, as one of the only (fit) weapons on the Eagles offense. The Packers defense is much improved from last year, but continues to struggle at stopping the running game. You could see Scott come in at times and look good, but Sanders will be given the first crack at it.
Duke Johnson v IND
Johnson hasn’t been great since being announced as the starter for Houston, and on the face of it this is not the matchup to target. However, with the news of Will Fulller being suspended, this offense has a bunch of targets up for grabs. I could see a decent number going to Johnson this week.
Update: Johnson has fallen significantly in my rankings, as the team have activated David Johnson from IR. At this point, he is a only worth a start in deep PPR leagues.
Frank Gore v LV
This might be one of my favorite starts, just because I love that Frank Gore is still going. Gore has been given all of the opportunity out of the backfield, and matches up against the Raiders who have given up an average of 22.3 points this season to the position. It’s not a home run hit, but it’s worth considering.
Wayne Gallman @SEA
Gallman has really taken his opportunity to step up in the Giants offense, and I have to admit I didn’t see it happening at the time. He has now scored a TD in each of his last five games, and matches up against Seattle who have struggled to defend the position recently.
Cooper Kupp @ARI
Kupp hasn’t had the best of seasons, but he has had some strong games against Arizona. The Cardinals secondary is middle of the road against the position, so that doesn’t make him an auto-start. The thing that does, for me, is that Kupp is the player that Goff looks to when things break down, or he is under pressure.
Sterling Shepard @SEA
This is a start I’m a little worried about, as despite Seattle being the worst in the league, they have been improving recently. That being said, they can obviously still be attacked through the air. The Giants are going to be without Daniel Jones at QB, which suits Shepard who will be the slot target for Colt McCoy.
DeVante Parker v CIN
Parker is a good start regardless of who the QB is this week. However, if Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter, then he becomes a great start. Fitzpatrick knows who he likes on any offense, and in this one he likes Parker. Combine that with Bengals secondary, and you should have him in your lineup this week.
Update: It seems like the Dolphins will have Tua Tagovailoa as their starter. The impact of that is that Parker falls in my rankings, but he is a good start.
Corey Davis v CLE
This week, there was a bit of a viral picture that A.J. Brown isn’t an automatic starter for fantasy. That’s not the case. He definitely is. Sure there are matchups that he might struggle in, but he has constant big-play ability. In this matchup, against Cleveland, you can also start Corey Davis. Davis has been great this season, he just hasn’t scored TDs. That could change in this matchup.
Darren Waller @NYJ
I said it with Carr, and I’ll say it with Waller. The offense stalled against Atlanta, but should get back ontrack against New York. The Jets have given up an average of 10.1 points on average to the position. Waller is also one of the few TE options who isn’t as TD dependent as others in the league.
Kyle Rudolph v JAX
Confidence in this start is slightly reliant on how much you believe the Vikings are going to throw the ball. Adam Thielen should be back into the mix and will get the majority of targets in the offense, but there could be enough for Rudolph to succeed too- especially against one of the worst units in the league.
Mike Gesicki v CIN
As I mentioned with Parker, but to a stronger degree, this is reliant on the choice of QB. If Miami go with Tagovailoa, then don’t start him. However, if the team opt to stick with Fitzpatrick, then he is worth a start against a team that struggles to defend the position.
Update: I would now not start Gesicki, with how the position is trending for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa hasn’t looked towards Gesicki on offense. Given the importance of this week for your season, I’d look for a different option.
Younghoe Koo v NO
Koo has been really consistent this season and is one of the few parts of the Atlanta offense can say that. Atlanta have a decent schedule for the rest of the season, so if he is available in your league you should definitely be picking him up. Either way, he faces a team in a dome that should give him plenty of kicking opportunities.
Rodrigo Blankenship @HOU
Blankenship had a bad time last time out, with just two points, but that wasn’t really down to him. The Colts offense struggled to get anything going against Tennessee, and that meant they had to abandon their rookie kicker. Against Houston, they will be able to turn the screw- meaning more FG attempts.
Green Bay Packers v PHI
I’ve written it several times this season, but the Eagles are a great target for fantasy. Wentz has clocked up sacks all season and mixed in turnovers too. The Packers are also a great defense, which makes them an easy selection.
Miami Dolphins v CIN
The Miami defense have been great this year. Combining the ability to get to the QB and great coverage in the secondary, they have caused offenses trouble this season. Against the Bengals offensive line and a backup QB, this is a great play.
Sit ‘Em
Baker Mayfield @TEN
Mayfield might be facing up against a poor defense, but this isn’t a game to slot him in. There just isn’t the volume. Infact, this season Mayfield has only attempted 30 of more passes in 3 games this season. The way this team has rushed the ball, I would look elsewhere.
Matt Ryan v NO
Ryan, if you watch him, isn’t playing badly. There is only just so much that he can do. His offensive line aren’t protecting him for long enough for him to wait for the right pass to be available. The Saints defense caused him issues the last time they played, and have been getting stronger week to week.
Todd Gurley v NO
Even if Gurley was healthy I’d avoid him in this matchup. The fact that he has struggled with injury means that I’m definitely looking elsewhere. Infact, just sit all of the Falcons backfield in this game. The Saints defense is the best unit in the league at defending the RB position, only 3 TDs on the ground this season.
Latavius Murray @ATL
Murray had a fantastic time last week, ending with 124 yards and 2 TDs. Just don’t expect that this week against Atlanta. The Falcons might be a poor defense, but they have frustrated offenses on the ground. Don’t be tempted to chase the points- the Saints are going to move the ball through the air.
JuJu Smith-Schuster v WAS
Washington have performed well in limiting WR production this season. This isn’t good news for Smith-Schuster, he has seen his involvement in the offense decrease in recent weeks. I wouldn’t be confident in starting the Steelers receivers, but Smith-Schuster is a definite sit.
Marvin Jones @CHI
Jones might be the lead receiver for Detroit, but that’s not great for this matchup. The Chicago Bears one of the best teams against the position, giving up just 18.6 points to the position.
Logan Thomas @PIT
Thomas has been inconsistent this season, but this feels like a game that you should avoid him. Washington’s offense isn’t a potent one by any stretch, infact it is one of the lowest scoring in the league. Combine that with the matchup against the Steelers, a team that has given up just 4.1 points on average to the position and you should look elsewhere.
Austin Hooper @TEN
It’s hard to make a justification to put Hooper into my lineups, unless I’m just needing a dart throw. Cleveland don’t throw the ball that often, due to the effectiveness of their run game. I’d steer clear, even in a matchup against Tennessee that have struggled to defend the position.
Matt Prater @CHI
Prater is going to be part of a Detroit offense that I worry about this week. An away trip to Chicago isn’t ideal, and for a kicker it’s a tough ask in December. The Lions should have a lot of kicking plays, the issue is that they will be punt attempts, rather than Prater attempting FGs.
Daniel Carlson v NYJ
Don’t hear what I’m not saying. Carlson is a great kicker, just not for your fantasy lineup this week. The Raiders were hurt last week on offense, but they are going to look to make a statement this week on offense. That means I could see Carlson limited to just PATs, which limits his fantasy relevance.
Washington Football Team @PIT
Washington are a good, but not great unit. To me that means they are matchup dependent, and this isn’t one to target. Pittsburgh’s offense is one of the most potent in the league, with a good offensive line. Sit them and find a better choice.
Cleveland Browns @TEN
The Browns will have value down the stretch with games against both New York teams, but that doesn’t mean you should start them this week. The Titans offense is able to keep hold of the ball, protect their QB and score points. All of which are bad for your DST options.
So that’s it for our 2020 Week 13 edition of Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em. Remember, you can always reach out to us for help in setting your lineup. Check out our weekly rankings page, or reach out to us on any of our social media channels. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And, as always, if you want something more specific to your league- reach out!
Image Credit: Daniel Bartel – USA TODAY Sports
