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If you need help setting your fantasy football lineups for Week 13, Scott Pianowski offers some assistance.
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Start-sit decisions can be vexing for even the best of fantasy managers, especially as we navigate the bye-week season. Here’s our Week 13 traffic report to help you set those lineups.
Green Light
RB Breece Hall vs. Falcons: His usage has remained strong even when the Jets fall behind in games, and the Atlanta run defense has been exploitable all year. Hall also perked up as a receiver last week, giving him another potential path to success. He’s capable of being a top-five back this week.
RB Travis Etienne Jr. at Titans: He’s probably the most underrated back in fantasy right now, checking in as the RB10, RB11, RB6 and RB7 the last four weeks. Game flow should be his friend at Tennessee, and the Titans are the fourth-best matchup for opposing running backs.
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RB RJ Harvey at Commanders: His usage spiked as expected before the Week 12 bye, and Harvey’s been a highly-efficient receiver all year. Washington’s front seven is also a fantasy giveaway, setting up Harvey for a blow-up spot.
WR Juwan Johnson at Dolphins: With so many key players hurt in New Orleans, Johnson’s profile rises as the possible last man standing. And even if his teammates miraculously heal before Sunday, Johnson stands as the TE8 since Week 7.
WR Michael Wilson at Buccaneers: Even if Marvin Harrison Jr. is able to return, Wilson is probably a genie out of the bottle now (25-303-0 the last two weeks). Jacoby Brissett is clicking with Wilson on a variety of routes, and the Tampa Bay secondary has been leaky all year.
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Yellow Light
RB Bucky Irving vs. Cardinals: All signs point to him returning, but with Baker Mayfield compromised and other key injuries holding the Tampa Bay offense down, I view Irving as a reactive play — not a proactive one — for Week 13.
WR Chimere Dike vs. Jaguars: The rookie has emerged as the preferred option in the Tennessee passing game, beating his fantasy projection in 3-of-5 weeks. And given the cluster injuries the Titans have at receiver, Dike probably has 7-8 targets in his back pocket right now.
RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. vs. Broncos: He’s ascended to the top of the Washington depth chart, but remember Rodriguez is ignored in the passing game (four career catches) and the Commanders could easily fall behind against the favored Broncos. Hope for 10-12 carries, and maybe some goal-line activity.
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WR Wan’Dale Robinson at Patriots: He’s always more of a volume play than a touchdown-equity guy, but the Patriots are weaker against the pass and Robinson has clicked with all three New York quarterbacks this year. If your league has a PPR component to the scoring, I’ll sign off on Robinson.
Red Light
WR Justin Jefferson at Seahawks: It’s likely struggling J.J. McCarthy won’t play this week, but does undrafted rookie QB Max Brosmer have much of a chance at Seattle? Remember fantasy football is a game about numbers, not names. If you like your receiver depth, Jefferson is not an automatic start here.
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WR Ricky Pearsall at Browns: He’s been mostly the clear-out guy for the Niners’ passing game, and Brock Purdy was not sharp in the win against Carolina. San Francisco will probably look to simplify the offense on Sunday, dealing with a nasty defense (and perhaps poor weather) in Cleveland.
TE Kyle Pitts Sr. at Jets: I thought the Kirk Cousins return might be good for him, but it was a 2-25-0 dud last week. Pitts somehow has just 11 touchdowns in 72 NFL games, and we no longer can blame it all on Arthur Smith.
