Start/Sit Chart - Week 13 Fantasy Football Matchups for Thanksgiving Day Football

Fantasy football starts/sits for Thanksgiving Day, expert advice for all Thanksgiving Thursday Week 13 matchups. Our start em, sit em picks for Javonte Williams, Romeo Doubs, Jameson Williams, Xavier Worthy, Joe Burrow, more.

Welcome to our start/sit chart for the Thanksgiving Day slate of Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season. Below you will find our start/sit matchups chart for all players in on the slate from the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Josh Jacobs, Jameson Williams, Romeo Doubs, Kareem Hunt, Xavier Worthy, Jake Ferguson, Javonte Williams, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, Chase Brown, and Andrei Iosivas. Which Packers, Lions, Chiefs, Cowboys, Ravens and Bengals players should you start or sit in Week 13?

Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 13, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 13, RotoBallers!

Green Bay Packers Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Josh Jacobs, RB, Packers

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (knee) has no injury designation for Thursday's divisional clash against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and is good to go, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Jacobs was held out of the Week 12 win over the Minnesota Vikings after suffering a minor knee contusion in the Week 11 win over the New York Giants.

The 27-year-old star RB is back after a one-game absence and will be looking to start a new touchdown streak. He has 11 rushing touchdowns in 10 games played this year and entered Week 11 with touchdowns in six straight games before injuring his knee. In the Week 1 win over Detroit, Jacobs had 19 carries for 66 yards and one touchdown.

Even though backup Emanuel Wilson had over 100 rushing yards and two scores last week, all signs point to Jacobs returning to his workhorse role in Detroit.

Matthew Golden, WR, Packers

The Green Bay Packers are listing rookie first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden (wrist) as questionable for Thursday's game against the division-rival Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Golden missed last week's win over the Minnesota Vikings with shoulder and wrist injuries. The 22-year-old is past his shoulder injury, but he's still up in the air to play in Week 13 after being limited in practice this week.

The Packers will not welcome Jayden Reed (foot, shoulder) back from Injured Reserve this week, but even if Golden is cleared to play against the Lions, he'll be hard to trust in a WR4/flex spot by fantasy managers. Golden has yet to display the form he showed in training camp and the preseason, and he has only 24 catches for 286 yards and no touchdowns in his first nine games in a crowded Packers' receiving corps.

Detroit Lions Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Jameson Williams, WR, Lions

Heading into Week 12, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams had recorded at least 66 receiving yards and a touchdown in three straight contests. However, the 24-year-old put up a massive dud in Week 12 against the New York Giants, failing to record a single catch on three targets. Williams has increased target opportunity in Detroit with tight end Sam LaPorta (back) on Injured Reserve, and the wideout's big-play ability gives him explosive upside on a week-to-week basis.

However, Week 12 was a stark reminder that Williams' production floor is as low as any player in the league. So far this season, he's recorded three games with fewer than 10 receiving yards and two without a single reception. The Lions have a difficult matchup in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers, who held Williams to four catches for 23 yards back in Week 1.

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 15 carries for 219 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 12 overtime victory over the New York Giants. He also caught 11 of 12 targets for an additional 45 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. The 23-year-old enjoyed one of the most memorable games of his young career, amassing more than 55 fantasy points in PPR leagues and helping Detroit secure an overtime victory.

The highlights of Gibbs' games were a 49-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter and a 69-yard rushing touchdown in overtime. He will remain a spectacular high-end RB1 option against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day in Week 13.

Kansas City Chiefs Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Rashee Rice, WR, Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was a limited participant in Monday's practice with a hamstring injury, but followed that up with back-to-back full practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rice does not have an injury designation heading into Thursday and should continue being a target hog in the Chiefs offense. Rice is coming off a great game in Week 11, where he caught eight passes for 141 yards in their win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The 25-year-old was the only player on the Chiefs to earn double-digit targets in last week's contest. Rice's success should continue on Thursday against the Cowboys, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. Rice should feast in this week's matchup, and he has a good chance of finding the endzone because he's scored four times in five games this season.

Rice is ranked WR3 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him one of the best options at the position this week.

Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was listed on the injury report this week with an ankle injury, but logged two full practices before being removed from the report ahead of Thursday's game. Worthy was second in the receiving pecking order, behind Rashee Rice, in last week's win over the Indianapolis Colts. Worthy caught four passes for 59 yards on eight targets in Week 12.

Despite his solid performance last week, Worthy has been a difficult player for fantasy managers to trust this season. In Weeks 10 and 11, Worthy failed to catch more than three passes and did not eclipse 30 receiving yards in either game. With Rice dominating targets and Kelce remaining heavily involved, Worthy has often been relegated to third or fourth in targets. Worthy will have a chance to have a boom game this week against the Cowboys, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.

This week's matchup is also tied for the highest total of the week, meaning there should be a lot of points scored for both teams. Worthy is ranked WR43 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, putting him deep-league flex territory mainly due to his inconsistency. That said, fantasy managers could roll the dice with Worthy this week since the passing volume should be high for the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day.

Dallas Cowboys Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 23 of 36 pass attempts for 354 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 12 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He also had nine rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. The Cowboys were held scoreless until the final seconds of the first half, when Dallas finally started to chip into its 21-0 deficit.

From there, Prescott led three touchdown drives and ultimately got the Cowboys in position to kick a game-winning field goal in overtime. The 32-year-old has seven total touchdowns over his last two games and ranks as the overall QB5 in fantasy scoring so far. He should continue to be started in all leagues ahead of an intriguing showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day in Week 13.

George Pickens, WR, Cowboys

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports on Wednesday that, despite being limited by calf and knee injuries in practice this week, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (calf, knee) is expected to play on Thanksgiving against the Kansas City Chiefs, per a source. Pickens popped up on the injury report earlier this week, which caused some stress for Cowboy fans and Pickens' fantasy owners.

Still, leading up to the Thanksgiving matchup against the Chiefs, it appears that Pickens will be good to go and can be started confidently as a WR1. Pickens has been spectacular in 2025, heading for career highs, and currently has 1,054 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 67 receptions through 11 games. Even with CeeDee Lamb returning from injury after missing three weeks earlier in the season, Pickens has continued to produce at an extremely high level and has now scored more than 10 fantasy points in half PPR leagues in all but one game this season, which was Week 1 in his first game as a Cowboy.

That puts him at the WR2 overall on the season in fantasy points scored in half PPR leagues, only behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Cincinnati Bengals Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Mike Gesicki, TE, Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki returned from a five-week absence to record season-highs in targets, receptions, and yards in a Week 12 loss to the Patriots. While his final stat line of four receptions for 35 yards was only good enough for TE16 on the week, it was clear early on Sunday that the Bengals had a plan to feature their athletic tight end in a game that All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase missed due to suspension.

Heading into a Week 13 Thanksgiving matchup with the Ravens, receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) has already been ruled out, giving Gesicki another opportunity for an increased workload. With quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) in line to return this week, it should also be noted that Gesicki's three redzone targets in Burrow's two starts this year are tied with Chase for the team lead.

Gesicki is RotoBaller's TE19 this Week, but he offers enough upside to make him a matchup-dependent streaming candidate.

Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals announced on Wednesday that they officially activated quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) from Injured Reserve, and he will make his return on Thursday against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Day. Burrow has finally recovered from surgery to fix a turf-toe injury that he suffered in Week 2. The 28-year-old franchise QB was very close to returning last weekend, but he was held out of the Week 12 loss to the New England Patriots.

Cincy's offense will receive a big boost as they look to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Burrow has been practicing in full and will take on a Ravens defense that has been much better of late as they have gotten healthier. He will be without receiver Tee Higgins (concussion), but All-Pro wideout Ja'Marr Chase is returning from a one-game suspension. Even with the long layoff, Burrow will be in play as at least a low-end QB1 option for fantasy managers in his return.

Baltimore Ravens Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Derrick Henry, RB, Ravens

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry struggled to find much room to run during Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Luckily for fantasy managers, Henry was able to find the end zone a few times, or it would've been an ugly outing. Henry rushed the ball 21 times for 64 yards with two touchdowns in the win over the Jets.

His 3.0 yard-per-carry mark wasn't ideal, but the volume of carries and his ability to find the end zone kept him in RB1 territory. The veteran back will get an excellent matchup against the horrible Cincinnati Bengals run defense next week.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (toe) returned to practice on Tuesday after missing Monday's walkthrough with a toe injury. With the Ravens facing a shortened week before a Thanksgiving matchup with the Bengals, this follows the same timeline Jackson has seen in each of the previous two weeks. Jackson has started the last four games after missing the previous three with an ankle injury, but he has finished as a QB1 in only one of those weeks, while finishing as QB29 and QB24 in his last two outings.

Jackson represents a level of upside that's nearly impossible to keep on the bench, but it's clear he is currently hampered by injury, so fantasy managers should temper expectations in what would normally be a dream matchup against a porous Bengals defense.

Who Should I Start Tool

Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:

Who Should I Start for 13?

PPR Half-PPR STD

Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...

Who To Start?

Reset

Choose From The Top Ranked Players

Overall

QB

RB

WR

TE

K

DST

Rookies

Popular Searches

Overall

QB

RB

WR

TE

K

DST

Rookies

Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 13 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Josh Jacobs, Jameson Williams, Romeo Doubs, Kareem Hunt, Xavier Worthy, Jake Ferguson, Javonte Williams, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, Chase Brown, and Andrei Iosivas. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12.

Week 13 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.

Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.

Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.

Popular Week 13 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 13 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.

Popular Week 13 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons

Below are some popular Week 13 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:

More Fantasy Football Analysis