Who To Start for Fantasy Football in Week 13?

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, out of Arizona, has seen his role decrease over the past few weeks. Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw a season-high 15 carries in Week 11 and ran for a very solid 5.27 YPC. Meanwhile, Croskey-Merritt saw a 27 percent snap share, and although he carried the ball nine times and caught one pass, it all added up to 33 all-purpose yards (3.11 YPC) against the Miami Dolphins in Spain.

The Commanders are on a bye in Week 12, and it appears that this running back room is starting to shape out in a way where Rodriguez will get a bulk of the carries, Croskey-Merrritt will be the change of pace back, and Jeremy McNichols will get mixed in as the pass-catching option. Knowing all of this, it makes Rodriguez the clear running back to own in this backfield, and Croskey-Merritt can be dropped to the waiver wire if your team is in a pinch and you need to fill the roster spot with someone that can help you win now.

In Week 13, the Commanders get the Denver Broncos, where none of the running backs will be a recommended start, as the Broncos' defense ranks top 5 in points allowed against opposing running backs.

Jayden Higgins, WR, Texans

Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins hauled in four of nine targets for 38 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 23-19 win over the Buffalo Bills. The nine targets were a team high, and Higgins has now seen seven or more targets in four of his last five games. While the targets haven't resulted in massive fantasy performances, Higgins is establishing himself as the No. 2 wide receiver in this offense and providing solid target consistency.

It will be interesting to see how things are when C.J. Stroud (concussion) returns, as most of Higgins' production of late has come from Davis Mills. Regardless, Higgins is no longer someone who should remain on the waivers in deeper leagues, given his consistent target share over the last month of the season.

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan recorded a season low two receptions (seven targets) for 35 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 20-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. McMillan and quarterback Bryce Young struggled to connect in this game, with the two often on the wrong page or Young delivering an inaccurate ball. The rookie wideout isn't without blame, however, as he had a bad drop on a third down in the first half. The Panthers ran just 43 plays in the game as a result of their offensive struggles.

McMillan was at least able to connect with Young on a beautiful 29-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to at least salvage a decent fantasy day for managers. It was still a disappointing result for the Panthers' passing attack after a great performance last week against the Atlanta Falcons, when McMillan went for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

McMillan still projects favorably as the Panthers' clear No. 1 target for their Week 13 matchup against the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams.

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. He also caught his lone target for a loss of five yards. Marks led the Texans' backfield in the victory, notably logging 10 more carries than Nick Chubb. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and was productive in short-yardage scenarios, rushing for a handful of first downs.

Although Marks' lack of touchdowns and receptions resulted in him finishing below his fantasy projection in most formats, it was encouraging to see him handle the lead-back role with efficiency once again. He remains a mid-to-low RB2 with high volume heading into Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.