Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 13: Packers vs. Lions
The Packers and Lions kick off Thanksgiving with huge NFC North implications on the line. We look at the fantasy angle for this game.
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The Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers in their annual Thanksgiving game on Thursday. Playoff hopes are on the line here with both teams fighting for first place in the NFC North. The Lions lost their second game in a row and dropped to 6-5, while the Packers tied the Vikings and sit at 5-5-1. This game might clear up the logjam in the division and there are plenty of fantasy stars on tap. Let's look at the fantasy angle here.
Lions
Start in every league: Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush, Matthew Stafford, Nate Burleson
Only start if you're desperate: Joique Bell, Brandon Pettigrew
Bench: Joseph Fauria, Kris Durham, defense/special teams
Megatron had another strong game last week and remains one of the biggest no-brainer starts in fantasy. He had his sixth game with more than 100 yards against the Bucs. Stafford had a poor performance with four interceptions, but he continues to fill up the box score every week and is a solid QB1. Bush remains a perfect fit in Detroit’s offense. Burleson came back from a broken arm in a big way, grabbing seven catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, putting him on the WR3 radar.
Joique Bell had just seven touches last week. He’s still an intriguing talent but will struggle to find snaps when Bush is healthy. He’s a weak flex player. Pettigrew has just two touchdowns on the season and doesn’t see enough targets to gain TE1 value. Joseph Fauria is more valuable for touchdown dances than fantasy stats, and Durham is irrelevant with Burleson back.
Packers
Start in every league: Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Jarrett Boykin
Only start if you’re desperate: James Starks
Bench: Matt Flynn, Scott Tolzien, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, defense/special teams
Lacy has been Green Bay's rock with Aaron Rodgers out. He had another strong performance against the Vikings, recording 110 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Lacy was forced to miss snaps when his asthma acted up in the cold weather, but that shouldn't be a concern in Detroit's dome. He's an easy RB1. Nelson hasn't skipped a beat despite the quarterback carousel, but he's more of a WR2 with Rodgers out and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8. Jones continued his fine season with 80 yards on seven catches. Boykin is another quality fantasy play and a testament to the Packers' depth at wide receiver.
James Starks did well as a starter when Lacy went down earlier in the season with a concussion, but he's now relegated to handcuff status. The Packers named Flynn their starter over Tolzien, but neither is worth starting outside of the deepest of leagues. Green Bay has all but abandoned the tight end position when Jermichael Finley went down, making Quarless and Bostick useless in fantasy.
