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<div>Week 13 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Play or Bench Tips for Fantasy Football Owners</div>

Fantasy Football
December 3, 2015

Like the week before it, Week 13 start ’em, sit ’em decisions offer plenty of tough questions.

Such as: Is Russell Wilson a fluke after a 34-point outburst? How about C.J. Anderson and his 27? What in the world to do at tight end without Rob Gronkowski?

Long story short, it’s just another week of fantasy football. The good news, at least, is that as the season enters the home stretch, owners have plenty of data and background to work with when making decisions. 

Using what’s available, here’s a look at player comparisons and start-sit decisions.

 

QB

Start: Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (vs. JAC)

Rookies are always a tough proposition at quarterback, but Marcus Mariota makes it easy each week—start him without stress when he’s in a good matchup. 

There’s a reason Mariota has six performances of 15 or more points. He’s a sure thing against an iffy defense, hence the reason he posted 17 points on the Jacksonville Jaguars back in Week 11 despite not throwing a touchdown.

Mariota gets those Jaguars, who allow the third-most points to the position, again this week. Expect nothing short of big things from the rookie.

 

Sit: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (at MIN)

About Wilson. 

It’s great he has 25 or more points in each of his past two outings, but that’s him hitting a ceiling, which he certainly hasn’t done every week this year. In fact, the Seattle Seahawks leader has just three trips above 20 points this season.

For a guy 94.4 percent owned, that’s not enough consistency. It’s not a good idea, then, to trot him out against a Minnesota Vikings defense allowing the sixth-fewest points to the position. Only five teams have mustered a pair of scoring passes on the defense, the names ranging from Matthew Stafford to Philip Rivers to Aaron Rodgers.

Wilson cannot be expected to do the same, recent good outings or not.

 

RB

Start: Javorius Allen, Baltimore Ravens (at MIA)

Look, Javorius Allen of the Baltimore Ravens hasn’t put up the sexiest numbers just yet, but he’s the team’s entire offense.

It certainly counts for something in fake football. Allen managed 10 points in Week 11 against a stingy St. Louis defense before 13 on 10 fewer rushing attempts against Cleveland the week after.

Now Allen gets to go against a defense that ranks worse than Cleveland against the rush. The Miami Dolphins permit the third-most points to backs this season with every backfield over the team’s past six outings reaching at least 17 points.

Allen seems due to reach pay dirt. Owners would be wise to gamble on it happening this week in such a favorable situation.

 

Sit: Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers (at DET)

Owners might be high on Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy right now, which makes a bit of sense considering he’s scraped together consecutive performances of 10 or more points. 

But the outbursts are his first trip to double digits since Week 1. Lacy missed his team’s Week 10 battle with Detroit, where backup James Starks managed 42 yards on 15 carries.

Folks will point out Detroit’s iffy rank against running backs, but it’s important to understand the Lions have tightened up the defense in a massive way as of late. In fact, over the unit’s past three outings, it has allowed just one touchdown and double-digit outing to entire backfields.

Inconsistent and in the face of a suddenly elite run defense, this would be a week to avoid Lacy.

 

WR

Start: T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts (at PIT)

Everyone seems to decry the fall of T.Y. Hilton this year, but the Indianapolis Colts’ top wideout has done just fine with Andrew Luck injured and Matt Hasselbeck in the lineup. 

Hilton, at the least, has a strong floor each week with four catches in all but two games. Given the fact he averages 16.1 yards per catch, that’s not so bad. Rotoworld’s Raymond Summerlin provided some season-long context: 

Last week, Hilton proved what his ceiling can be with Hasselbeck under center, scoring two touchdowns on the way to 21 points.

Now Hilton gets the Pittsburgh Steelers, a defense letting up the fourth-most points to wideouts, including five touchdowns as Wilson torched the unit last week. Expect Hilton to really hit on an impressive streak with no signs of slowing.

 

Sit: Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints (vs. CAR)

Josh Norman. The End.

In all seriousness, it’s going to be a long day at the office for New Orleans Saints wideout Brandin Cooks against the best cornerback in football.

Cooks had just three points his last time out to break a string of three double-digit outings. If folks will recall, Cooks mustered seven points in Week 3, the last time he lined up against the Carolina Panthers.

In large part thanks to Norman, the Panthers allow the seventh-fewest points to wideouts this year and have yet to allow an opposing receiving corps to score multiple touchdowns in a game.

Cooks won’t be the first.

 

TE

Start: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans (vs. JAC)

Most don’t realize Mariota‘s favorite target, tight end Delanie Walker, is fantasy’s fifth-highest scorer at the position. That’s better than Travis Kelce, Antonio Gates, Jason Witten and many other names.

Walker’s been a consistent producer for years whether he gets the credit or not, but even more so this year with a rookie leaning on him. He has seven occurrences of six or more points, giving him a solid floor for owners at an unstable position.

The upshot, though, is the impressive ceiling, such as a 23-point outburst in Week 9. Or the 10-point showing against the Jaguars in Week 11.

Walker gets the Jaguars again this week, a team ranked miserably against the position and have allowed four total touchdowns and at least 10 points to the position over their past three outings.

 

Sit: Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears (vs. SF)

Outside of three double-digit showings this year, Martellus Bennett of the Chicago Bears has struggled to perform like his usual self, much to the chagrin of his 83.4 percent of owners.

Over his past three games, Bennett has a total of three points while the offense focuses on Alshon Jeffery through the air and the Matt Forte-Jeremy Langford tandem on the ground.

This trend will only continue against the San Francisco 49ers. One of the league’s biggest disappointments does a lot wrong, but defending tight ends isn’t one of them—the 49ers allow the ninth-fewest points to the position and have coughed up just three touchdowns to it this year, the last one coming in Week 5.

  

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of December 3. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.

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