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Welcome back RotoBallers! As we head into Week 13 of the NFL season, we are now well into the crucial point in the season that can make or break your fantasy football playoff aspirations.
It's more critical than ever to make the right lineup decisions and start the right players to put out your optimal lineups, as managers need to string some wins together to get in the postseason.
Listed below will be some players who could be in for a disappointing performance relative to their overall expectations. No matter how bad of a matchup some of these players may have, fantasy managers likely aren't in a position to leave them on their bench. Having said that, there are a couple of guys who are by no means a must-start in Week 13.
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Who Should I Bench or Sit in Week 13?
QB - Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Jones will be in for a tough test against the league’s best passing defense up to this point, albeit without their best player Tre’Davious White. The Bills have given up the fewest passing yards, fewest passing touchdowns, and have the second-most interceptions this season. All things considered, this is a nightmare matchup for a rookie quarterback on the road in prime time.
Fantasy managers could be inclined to start the former Alabama star in deeper leagues after he set a career-high in passing yards with 310 in Week 12, but it seems more likely that he regresses to his season average of 237 in Week 13. Jones has been fairly responsible with the ball, as he sports a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio, but he has turned it over 10 times in his 12 starts so far. Jones has been efficient as a passer with a 70.3 completion percentage up to this point, so if he gets the volume, he could put up decent numbers for anyone having to rely on him this week. Still, the Bills defense is a nightmare for quarterbacks to go up against, so he may be someone to avoid altogether this week. For any fantasy managers looking for an Aaron Rodgers replacement this week, some better options might be Tua Tagovailoa, Taylor Heinicke, or Jimmy Garoppolo.
Is James Robinson A Risky Start in Week 13?
Robinson, who has been dealing with heel and knee injuries as of late, faces a Rams defense that is in a great bounce-back spot after getting bullied by A.J. Dillon and shredded by the Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams duo in Week 12. Due to the matchup of the Rams' offense and the Jaguars' generous defensive unit, Robinson could find himself in a less than ideal game script for a running back in this one. We saw Carlos Hyde get some meaningful playing time last week as the Jaguars played from behind against the Falcons, as Hyde played 32 snaps to Robinson’s 38.
This number is less than ideal for the sophomore, but his 17 carries for 86 yards was an encouraging sign after almost splitting snaps with Hyde. We have seen opposing teams run the ball frequently against the Rams in the past couple of games to offset the team’s pass rush, so Robinson is by no means a must-bench in this game. However, the Rams have given up the second-fewest yards per carry this season (3.9), so this coupled with the likely negative game script doesn't seem like an appealing match for fantasy managers. If you have Robinson on your fantasy roster, you likely can’t afford to bench him at this point in the season with so many injuries piling up, but fantasy managers should proceed with caution this week. He can likely salvage a poor day on the ground with a rushing touchdown, so he can still be valued as an RB2 option.
Should I Sit Damien Harris in Week 13?
Harris draws a tough matchup with a Bills defense that has given up the fifth-fewest rushing yards and the second-fewest yards per carry (3.9). Harris has been ineffective against tough matchups this season on three separate occasions, which includes four rushes for negative four yards against Tampa Bay, six rushes for 14 yards against New Orleans, and 15 carries for 30 yards against Carolina. With Rhamondre Stevenson emerging in the backfield, Harris hasn't had much volume on the ground over the past two weeks, as he has carried the ball a total of 21 times. In those two games, Stevenson also has 21 carries, so we could once again be headed for an even split against the Bills' stingy defense.
Harris has an almost nonexistent role in the passing game as well, as his season-high in receptions is just two, and he has caught more than one pass on just four separate occasions this year. With a limited workload on the ground and almost no involvement as a pass-catcher, Harris is an easy fade in PPR leagues. The Patriots likely won’t be afraid to run the ball on the Bills to make life easier for their rookie quarterback, but unless Harris gets a touchdown, it will be hard for him to produce anything better than low-end FLEX numbers in this one.
Should I Sit Tyler Lockett in Week 13?
Lockett has looked like the best receiver on the Seahawks in the past four games, as D.K. Metcalf has had a limited impact since Russell Wilson returned to action. There doesn't seem any reason to bench Lockett based on his production over the past few weeks, but the narrative of the Seahawks getting Metcalf much more involved in the offense seems like a good reason to fade the speedy wideout in this one. The 49ers will almost certainly stick to their run-heavy approach against the Seahawks' abysmal run defense, so the possession numbers could once again be skewed towards the opposing team, leaving limited time for the Seahawks to get to work in this one.
There doesn't seem like a change in offensive philosophy is on the horizon for the Seahawks either, which will be to pound the rock for one and two-yard gains on first down. Lockett has just 10 total targets in the past two games which have turned into some deep ball connections between himself and Wilson, but a lack of volume in this game could turn into a potential dud performance that we have seen many times from Lockett in the past. Historically, it has been rare for Metcalf and Lockett to both have good performances in the same game. Given the fact that all signs point towards a Metcalf-heavy gameplan, Lockett is a high-risk play, but the upside is still there due to his ability to catch the deep ball.
Seahawks OC Shane Waldron: We've got to get D.K. Metcalf the ball. https://t.co/ylHZ1ZpdEW
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 3, 2021
Should I Sit Jerry Jeudy in Week 13?
Jeudy has been disappointing since his return to action after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1, and there is no reason to believe that changes in Week 13 on Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs' defense has been improved over the past few weeks, and the presence of Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Noah Fant limits the upside of Jeudy tremendously. Not to mention, the Broncos have had their most success when they are able to run the ball effectively with Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon III.
The sophomore has seen a notable target share since his return, as he saw eight targets in Week 9 and nine targets in Week 10. Still, those games turned into just 68 and 48 receiving yards. The positive passing game script could help out Jeudy’s outlook for this game, but there just seems like too many viable options in the passing game to count on a highly productive game in this one. In a matchup with a defense allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points to receivers, Jeudy seems like an easy fade and is a FLEX option at best.
Should I Sit Tyler Higbee in Week 13?
Higbee has been pretty underwhelming for most of the season and has seen just five targets in both games that Odell Beckham Jr. has played in for the Rams. Yes, the tight end position is a graveyard, but there seems like other options that have a higher ceiling than Higbee this week. He has gone over 50 receiving yards just twice all season and seems to be fourth in line targets behind Cooper Kupp, Beckham, and Van Jefferson.
Not to mention, Darrell Henderson Jr. has a significant role in the offense as the Rams' pass-heavy offense still likes to establish a solid running game. A potential blowout against a weak Jacksonville team could once again limit Higbee’s volume, so he seems like someone for fantasy managers to fade at the tight end spot. Some better options include Foster Moreau, Tyler Conklin, and Noah Fant.
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