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.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 13: Running backs
We examine the top plays at running back this week, along with some players you should avoid.
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
With the bye weeks pretty much over, it’s time to ride your starting running back to the finish line, but some owners don’t have the luxury of setting and forgetting a guy like Le’Veon Bell or David Johnson. With that in mind, here are some recommended starting options at RB this week, along with some players you should stay away from.
Start
Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears (vs. San Francisco 49ers)
The Bears may be a tire fire this year, but Howard is one of their few bright spots. In 10 games, he already has over 1,000 total yards, becoming a big-play machine and keeping the Bears competitive even as the losses pile up. Howard should feast on a 49ers run defense that went from bad to embarrassing after losing NaVorro Bowman.
Matt Forte, New York Jets (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
It’s getting harder to trust Forte with the Jets falling out of playoff contention. He couldn’t get anything going against the New England Patriots, recording just 50 total yards on 16 touches. Still, Forte has 20 or more carries in three of his last five games, so the Jets are still keeping him involved in the offense. He’s in a good bounce-back spot against the Colts’ 23rd-ranked run defense.
Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Carolina Panthers)
Rawls still wasn’t 100 percent last week and it showed. He managed just 38 rushing yards on 12 carries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s extremely tempting to sit Rawls against the Panthers, but their defense is way more vulnerable without Luke Kuechly. Look for Rawls to get back on the RB2 map with no competition left in the backfield.
Sit
Rob Kelley, Washington (@ Arizona Cardinals)
Kelley was the talk of the fantasy world after blowing up for 137 yards and three touchdowns in Week 11. So naturally, he face-planted on Thanksgiving, plodding to 37 yards on 14 carries against the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cardinals allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points to running backs, Kelley is hard to trust as a flex play this week.
T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Denver Broncos)
Yeldon will get the start with Chris Ivory battling a hamstring injury, and he has an appealing matchup on paper against the Broncos’ poor run defense. However, Yeldon is dealing with a groin injury of his own and could be a game-time decision. Even if he plays, he figures to lose touches to Denard Robinson. Yeldon has been a disappointment all year, simply failing to take advantage of opportunities.
Rashad Jennings, New York Giants (@ Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Steelers’ run defense isn’t a huge concern, but game flow could be bad for Jennings. With Pittsburgh’s high-flying offense operating at full strength, New York could be forced to abandon the run game early in a potential shootout. That obviously limits Jennings’ fantasy ceiling and owners might want to look for a higher-upside option in their RB2 spot this week.
