Week 13 QB Start, Sit Fantasy Strategy: Taysom Hill is Strong Replacement for Brees

Last week was all over the place for NFL quarterbacks. We saw strong performances like Deshaun Watson’s 4 touchdown game on Thanksgiving, but also disastrous games like Derek Carr’s 4 turnover game at Atlanta. Read my list fantasy suggestions for quarterbacks week 13 as I avoid the obvious start/sits

Start

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirk Cousins is coming off back-to-back 3 touchdown, 300+ yard games. His 2 point passing conversion and 19 rushing yards allowed him to do just better last week than the week prior. Cousins will look to use this momentum against a poor Jaguars defense that allows 3rd most points to quarterbacks in fantasy. Cousins is only rostered in 34 percent of leagues, so you may want to look for him in the waiver wire if Bridgewater or Brady are typically your QB1 in fantasy as they rest in their bye week.

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots
Justin Herbert has been nothing short of a star in his rookie season for the Chargers. While his 2+ touchdown streak ended last week, the 22 year old has still thrown a touchdown pass in all 10 of his career starts. He would still need 14 more games with a TD score through the air to break Kurt Warner’s all time record of games with a touchdown pass to start a career, and 8 more games to tie Baker Mayfield for 2nd on the list. I think he gets one game closer this sunday at home against the Patriots. The young quarterback has already showed he can pick apart tough defenses, like his 3 touchdown game against the currently 7th ranked Broncos defense in passing yards allowed per game. New England allows 229.2 passing yards per game, 14th in the league. He’s an easy start for week 13 in my view.

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
Taysom Hill has done well in filling for the big shoes of Drew Brees. His dual threat ability as a pass-run threat has been nauseating for the defenses he’s played. Hill has scored 2 rushing touchdowns in the back-to-back games he has started for the Saints. I doubt he strays far from his 20.87 fantasy point average as a starter against the 2nd worst defense against fantasy quarterbacks in the Atlanta Falcons. His unconventional play style should yield plenty of points for managers. Start Hill if you have him rostered.

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans vs Cleveland Browns
Ryan Tannehill has been a surprise top 10 quarterback in fantasy this year. He has particularly done well in his last two games, with 2 total touchdowns and over 200 passing yards in each game. That includes last week game against an elite Indianapolis Colts defense. Against a much less impressive Browns team this weekend, I like his odds of scoring 20+ points. He’s just over 60% rostered but still look for him in your league’s waiver wire. Tannehill is easily a top 10 start in my opinion in week 13.

Sit

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints
Despite Matt Ryan’s impressive passing yard numbers (5th most in league), he has struggled in fantasy this year. He has scored less than 15 fantasy points in 5 games this year, including last week at home against Las Vegas. He stays in Atlanta again this week to play a Saints team that ranks 4th best against quarterbacks in fantasy. I don’t see a reason Ryan changes his fantasy year this week or any time soon. Look for another quarterback to start in week 13.

Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers
Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles offense are in total collapse right now. The offense’s 322.8 yards (28th), and 21.5 points (25th) both rank near the bottom of the league. Last week in particular Wentz struggled to throw for passing yards against the league’s worst passing defense. His 215 yards through the air were far below 328.8 passing yard average that Seattle allows. Wentz also threw an interception, adding to his season total of 18 (1st in turnovers). This week he will travel to Green Bay to play the 8th best fantasy defense against quarterbacks. I think fantasy managers should avoid starting him for the rest of the season, and in this week especially.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Washington Football Team
Ben Roethlisberger is having a solid return year. His 25 passing touchdowns (5th) and 291 completions (2nd) on the season both rank top 5 in the league. There is no doubt he is largely responsible for the Steelers perfect 11-0 record. But fantasy-wise, he is only QB10 overall. His game last week against Baltimore certainly did not help his fantasy year, with a somewhat uneventful 266 yard, 1 touchdown, 1 interception performance. This week he is playing a Washington defense that allows the 2nd fewest passing yards per game (194.6). Look for another quarterback this week and going into the fantasy playoffs.

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Jared Goff is coming off one of the worst games of his career. His 3 turnovers, (2 interceptions, 1 fumble), only added to his poor turnover numbers this season. Goff’s 12 total turnovers this year rank 5th in the league. He will be playing a Cardinals defense that isn’t especially strong against the pass, (227.2 passing yards allowed per game, 13th), but they have caused a noteworthy 10 interceptions this year (T-10th). It’s very conceivable that Goff’s turnover numbers go up again this week. You should bench the Rams quarterback for someone else week 13.

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders at New York Jets
It is no secret Derek Carr’s last game was a disaster. After a 3 fumble, 1 interception day in Atlanta, no one was looking forward to the plane trip back more than the Raiders’ quarterback. Unable to score a touchdown, his 216 passing yards were not enough for Carr to score more than his total of 0.6 fantasy points. He looks to bounceback on the road against a much less threatening Jets defense, but he’s still a risky start. He’s averaging less than 11 points per game in his last 5 performances, one of which against a below average Cleveland passing defense. I can’t trust Carr to have a bounce-back game on the road. Find another quarterback for your team in week 13.