December 01, 2018
We're now in Week 13 of the NFL season, and for some, that means the start of fantasy football playoffs. But even if your league's regular season is still going, this week is likely to have a postseason atmosphere as you jockey for one of those last few playoffs spots.
If you've already locked in a spot in the playoffs, what are you doing reading this? Go out and enjoy a Saturday with your family. For the rest of you, here's a look at one player at each position that you should either start and one you should sit.
Start: QB Jameis Winston, TB
Over the past two weeks since taking back the starting role from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jameis Winston has thrown four TDs to just one INT. Those are hardly eye-popping numbers for the Bucs QB, but it appears as though he's finding his rhythm in the offense after a strange first half of the season for a Tampa team that couldn't decide what it wanted to do under center. At home against the Panthers, who are near the bottom of the league in passing TDs and passing yards allowed, look for Winston to have a solid outing on Sunday.
Sit: QB Baker Mayfield, CLE
After an impressive couple of weeks, it might be tempting to start Mayfield on Sunday in Houston, but buyer beware. While he has seven touchdowns to no interceptions over the last two weeks, those performances also came against two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Facing a tough Texans defense that has done well against opposing fantasy quarterbacks this season, look for the Browns rookie to come back down to earth on Sunday.
Start: RB Josh Adams, PHI
Sure, the Eagles could be getting back Darren Sproles on Monday night, but that should hurt Adams' upside against Washington. After establishing himself as the Eagles' feature back in the Birds' win over the Giants, Adams will resume that role this week, and won't see Sproles, who will likely be eased back into the offense and used more on passing downs than anything else, take many of his touches. Considering the Eagles are facing a Redskins team they have a chance to get build a lead on, Adams should be in store for a high-upside, low-risk kind of game.
[UPDATE: Adams was a surprise late addition to the Eagles injury report on Saturday, so that's something worth keeping an eye on.]
Sit: RB Doug Martin, OAK
On paper, facing the Chiefs seems like a good matchup for the Raiders back. But if you own Martin, like I do, you've probably noticed that Oakland falls behind, it has a tendency to avoid the run at all costs. Even without Kareem Hunt the Chiefs boast an incredibly potent offense, so there's a good chance Oakland is playing catchup — and Martin is watching from the bench.
Start: WR Corey Davis, TEN
Corey Davis has looked great in recent weeks — when Marcus Mariota is playing, that is — and has put up the kind of numbers that make him a WR1 in PPR leagues. Assuming the Titans quarterback is healthy, you can feel confident starting Davis this week.
Sit: WR Allen Robinson, CHI
The Bears wideout gets the "Sit" designation largely because of his quarterback situation. Mitchell Trubisky is considered doubtful with a shoulder injury. He's yet to throw in practice this week, so even if he gets a surprise start, I'm not sure you can trust him to pick up where he left off after not having taken a practice rep for a couple of weeks. And if you don't trust the QB, it's awfully hard to trust the receiver.
Start: TE Cameron Brate, TB
Three of his four touchdowns this season have come from Jameis Winston, and after giving the starting nod to Jameis, picking Brate here was an easy choice, especially with O.J. Howard done for the season.
Sit: TE Trey Burton
The former Eagles tight end is getting the same treatment as Robinson. Sorry, but I just don't trust the Bears passing game this week, even if they are going up against the Giants.
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