Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 13: Quarterbacks

Welcome to Week 13 of the fantasy football season. In many leagues, this is the last week of the regular season with the playoffs starting in the next two weeks. Owners need to make smart plays in order to clinch a postseason appearance or first-round bye.

With the bye weeks pretty much over, it’s time to ride your starting quarterback to the finish line, but some owners don’t have the luxury of setting and forgetting a guy like Aaron Rodgers or Ben Roethlisberger. With that in mind, here are some recommended starting options at QB this week, along with some players you should stay away from.

Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (@ Chicago Bears)

After a slow start since replacing Blaine Gabbert, Kaepernick has quietly been a fantasy stud in recent weeks. He had one of his best performances yet against the Miami Dolphins, throwing for three touchdowns and 296 yards while rushing for 113 yards. Showing flashes of his old self again, Kaepernick will be a legitimate QB1 against the Bears’ hollowed-out defense.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Carolina Panthers)

Last week’s meltdown in Tampa was disappointing, but fantasy owners shouldn’t be quick to yank Wilson out of their lineups. He’s in a perfect bounce-back spot against the Panthers, who have a 29th-ranked pass defense and are still missing Luke Kuechly. Look for Wilson to get back on the saddle and carry you through the fantasy playoffs.

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@ San Diego Chargers)

Winston looked like he was in for a big day against the Seahawks, taking a quick 14-0 lead with two touchdown strikes to Mike Evans. After that the defense held Winston in check, but he still did enough to get his fantasy numbers despite a bad interception late in the game. With just two picks in his last five games, Winston has established a safe fantasy floor. He has juicy upside against the Chargers’ 26th-ranked pass defense, in a game that could easily turn into a shootout.

Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (@ Atlanta Falcons)

It might be tempting to stream Smith against the Falcons’ league-worst pass defense missing Desmond Trufant, but he simply hasn’t been able to take advantage of matchups this season. He’ll also be without Jeremy Maclin for the third-straight game and is seemingly doubling down on his check-down game. Fantasy-wise, he’s been a poor man’s Sam Bradford this year.

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills (@ Oakland Raiders)

The Bills are dangerously low on receiving weapons and Sammy Watkins is still hobbled by a foot injury. Taylor has a beatable matchup in the Raiders’ defense, but it’s likely Buffalo will lean heavily on the run game with LeSean McCoy. Taylor hasn’t cleared 200 passing yards since Week 9 and his fantasy value lives and dies by his scrambling ability. He has a particularly low ceiling this week.

Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos (@ Jacksonville Jaguars)

Lynch is getting another start with Trevor Siemian battling a foot injury. He wasn’t good in his previous start in Week 5, throwing for just 223 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception against a bad Falcons defense. There isn’t much reason to expect he’ll be better when he faces the Jaguars, whose defense is fourth in passing yards allowed per game. Lynch should be hands-off outside of two-QB leagues, and he is also a downgrade for Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.