December 02, 2021
It's crunch time for a lot of fantasy football enthusiasts, many of whom are making a final push for a playoff spot over these last two weeks or are jockeying for a potential bye when the postseason arrives.
Pulling the right levers and putting the correct players in your starting lineup may be as important as ever this week.
As we do every week, we've singled out a non-obvious player at each position we recommend sitting or starting (if you have them on your roster). Hopefully it helps you win your Week 13 matchup:
Start: Jalen Hurts, Eagles (vs. Jets)
The impulse is probably to put Hurts on the bench, following his awful three interception (and touchdown-less) performance against the Giants last week. The fact that he is working through an ankle injury makes it even less appealing to start him, as he may not be able to run as well as usual if he does play. However, with a matchup against the lowly Jets on the docket, Hurts seems to be too good a player to repeat that down performance twice in a row. He will no doubt have extra focus, and the Jets will be an easy foe for him to take his frustration out on. We recommend sticking with him.
Sit: Russell Wilson, Seahawks (vs. 49ers)
Wilson finally had his first respectable fantasy showing in the three games he's played since returning from injury. But the 49ers have a better defense than the ones he's faced, and he's clearly been struggling. Wilson isn't a candidate for a bounce-back like Hurts. Wilson looks like a player who is not himself, and until football fans see the Russ of old, he has to be avoided where possible on fantasy rosters.
Start: Boston Scott, Eagles (vs. Jets)
We're trying to resist giving the Eagles too much love following an ugly loss, but the Jets are dreadful against the run, Miles Sanders is nursing an ankle injury and Jordan Howard remains sidelined. There's a chance Scott has a monster day. Even if Sanders suits up, Scott should get close to half the snaps and is a threat to catch the ball on every play. If he's on your roster, fire him up.
Sit: Matt Breida, Zack Moss, Devin Singletary, RB, Bills (vs. Patriots)
The Bills backfield has been frustrating for fantasy owners, as there is really no rhyme or reason to which of the trio above makes the most impact at running back for Buffalo. Each has had some success, but none of their production has been consistent. With the Patriots as their Week 13 opponent, their run game should probably be avoided if possible against one of the NFL's best defenses.
Start: Hunter Renfrow, Raiders (vs. Washington)
With Darren Waller again looking at missing time (and following Henry Ruggs' unfortunate downfall), Renfrow has been an unexpected fantasy star. In his last four games, he has combined for 31 targets, and last week, he caught eight balls for 134 yards. Against Washington and with some key players missing from the Raiders offense, Renfrow is a great start in Week 13.
Sit: Elijah Moore, Jets (vs. Eagles)
Moore lived up to the rookie hype for a few weeks in the middle of the season but he appears to be cooling off a bit, and the Eagles do have a secondary that has handled star receivers lately. The only reason to start Moore, really, would be if you think the Jets are trailing early and that Moore will get garbage time production, which he's had in several games this season. But he's probably due for a down game and should be avoided if you have other options.
Start: Jack Doyle, Colts (vs. Texans)
With the Texans next for Indianapolis, the entire Colts offense becomes appealing to fantasy owners. Doyle is a player you can likely start too, fresh off six catches for 81 yards and a score last week against the Bucs. He's been targeted most consistently by Carson Wentz and is as good a streaming tight end option as any against Houston this week.
Sit: Mike Gesicki, Dolphins (vs. Giants)
Gesicki is that classic fantasy player who tantalizes with talent and a few high octane performances, but who fails to do it consistently. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 7 and has just 15 catches over the Dolphins last five games combined (three per game). Find a different option at TE if you can.
Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
