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Week 13 Sits and Starts - Recommended Lineup Targets and Avoids

This week is arguably the most crucial for fantasy football team owners. For a lot, this is the week that will decide your playoff destiny. Does a team make the playoffs or are they destined to participate in the consolation bracket?

Where do most teams start in their creation? The running backs. With a lot of predicted RBs from the offseason failing to meet expectations, there have been a lot of surprise names that have climbed the ranks. For example, Melvin Gordon and DeMarco Murray, both giant busts from last season, have each been top-five RBs for most of the season. Aged veterans Matt Forte and Frank Gore have continue to their run as RB1s for the struggling Jets and Colts once again. Do any non-RB1s have a chance of climbing the ranks this week?

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

It's Week 13 - Who Should You Start

Remember: These columns do not include your every-week starters. For this week, players like David Johnson, Melvin Gordon and LeSean McCoy are not considered. This article goes deeper than that.

 

Best Start Possible – Jordan Howard vs. SF

On the season, the San Francisco 49ers DEF have held three teams below 130 yards rushing. The Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are those three teams. Combined, RBs have totalled 2,032 yards from scrimmage with 17 total TDs. T

his week, the 49ers go against the one rookie sensation this year that should finish as an RB1 this season. In the past four games, Howard has averaged 132 yards from scrimmage on 21 touches with 0.5 TDs. When given the full workload, Howard has proven that he can produce (see game against MIN). This should be that type of game as well.

 

Quality Start – Theo Riddick @ NO

This game has the making of a shoot out. Neither team plays a lot of defense. Who benefits the most in this type of games for a balanced offense? The RBs. For a RB such as Riddick, he should see plenty of touches and opportunities to produce and get into the endzone.

Against the Saints, RBs average 138 yards from scrimmage with roughly 1.5 TDs per game. With already four receiving TDs on the season, he should have no issues getting another one or two. The Saints have already given up receiving TDs to Devonta Freeman, Spencer Ware and DuJaun Harris. Riddick should join this list by Sunday.

 

Worst Start Possible – Rob Kelley @ ARZ

While Arizona has had a hard time winning games this season, there DEF has still been an elite force. The team is only allowing 12.5 fantasy points per game to RBs on the season, the third-fewest in the league. While Arizona has allowed 10 rushing TDs to RBs on the season, only the Buffalo Bills have been able to top the 100-yard marker against them, a statement on how good ARZ has been against running backs.

Not to take anything away from Kelley, but it is hard to expect him to get a big workload against ARZ. Carson Palmer Wilson should be expected to jump the Cardinals to a big lead in this game. This game has the expectations for Chris Thompson to see an increase in touches as Kirk Cousins should be ready to throw the ball.

 

Not a Good Start – Kenneth Dixon vs. MIA

This game is a little confusing. Dixon is beginning to take over the lead back role from Terrance West, but the Ravens offense is a baffling group. Some weeks, they stick to the running game. Others, they abandon the run and keep the ball in Joe Flacco’s hands. It is hard to predict.

While the Dolphins DEF has surrendered some big RB performances to the likes of DeMarco Murray, Matt Forte and Todd Gurley, they have only surrendered 99 rushing yards per game to RBs and only four rushing TDs on the season. With the outcome of this game a complete mystery to experts and fans, Dixon just seems like a start to avoid, at least until it is evident how the Ravens will use him on offense.

 

Have a player or position question you would like me to talk about? Follow me on Twitter @JSorensen119 and let me know.




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