Can I get personal for a minute?
We need to talk about the Chicago Bears. My Chicago Bears.
We need to talk about their four wins in a row. And their 8-3 record. And the fact that they sit atop the NFC North. And the impending Black Friday clash with the reigning Super Bowl Champs.
But most importantly for the sake of this discussion, we’re talking two Start ‘Ems and no Sit ‘Ems here in Week 13.
So it’s time to bear down, y’all. It’s time to bear down.
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NFL Week 13 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Here’s who to consider throwing into your lineup or parking on the bench.
Bears QB Caleb Williams: Start ‘Em
Bears @ Eagles - 3:00 p.m. ET (Black Friday Football)
Okay, he’s not generational yet, but the second-year man out of USC has evolved into a damn good quarterback…and he’s not anywhere close to hitting his ceiling.
It’s not his numbers, so much as his leadership and presence that have catapulted the Bears into relevancy. Thing is, unless you have some weird-ass scoring in your fantasy league, that doesn’t translate into fantasy dubs. So why start him?
Simple: Dude’s finished as a top-ten fantasy QB in three of the last four weeks, and he’s currently fantasy’s QB8, tied with Indy’s Daniel Jones, ahead of Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (QB12), Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield (QB16), and Seattle’s Sam Darnold (QB23)
But Alan, you might be thinking, Caleb is playing the Eagles, and their defense is, like, awesome.
Welp, that awesome defense allowed Dallas’ Dak Prescott to rack up 28.1 fantasy points (QB3) last Sunday, so do the math.
Caleb Williams PrizePicks Projection: 212.5 Pass Yards, 21.5 Rush Yards
Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett: Start ‘Em
Cardinals @ Buccaneers - 1:00 p.m. ET
Since taking over the Cards’ starting gig in Week 9, the 32-year-old journeyman has posted four, count ‘em, four consecutive top-ten fantasy finishes, averaging 21.7 fantasy points along the way, an elite number that would have him wrapping up the season as QB4.
He’ll be staring down a Bucs D that allowed Rams signal caller Matthew Stafford a healthy 22.9 points last Sunday night. Now granted, Stafford is an MVP candidate playing behind one of the league’s scariest O-lines, but Brissett’s balling, and it’s never a bad thing to ride a hot hand.
Jacoby Brissett PrizePicks Projection: 1.5 Pass TDs
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy: Sit ‘Em
Vikings @ Seahawks - 4:05 p.m. ET
Here in his first season as a starter, the University of Michigan product has been, in a word, hot garbage. (Yeah, that’s two words, but you get the point.) He hit his low point in Minny’s embarrassing 23-6 Sunday loss, when he managed an anemic 2.5 (not a typo) fantasy points.
As of this writing, McCarthy is in concussion protocol, but even if he’s healthy enough to deal with Seattle’s seventh-ranked defense, you leave him on your bench.
For that matter, leave him on your bench until next season.
For that matter, leave him on the waiver wire.
Panthers QB Bryce Young: Sit ‘Em
Panthers vs. Rams - 1:00 p.m. ET
Three problems here:
- The former Crimson Tider is coming off of a short week.
- In terms of fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, the Rams are the fifth-stingiest team in the league.
- Young is still, like, four feet tall.
Those problems are what we in the industry like to call “insurmountable.” Hard pass.
Bengals RB Chase Brown: Start ‘Em
Bengals @ Ravens - 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday Night Football)
Listen, I’m as disappointed in Chase Brown as anybody. After a stellar 2024 in which he was fantasy’s RB12, it stood to reason that he came into 2025 with an ADP of RB11.
Right now, he’s fantasy’s RB18. But there are signs of hope.
Over his last four games, he’s averaged 14.5 fantasy points — eighth-best in that stretch — and Cincy’s stud QB Joe Burrow is returning to the field after missing three months with a messed up toe.
As goes Burrow, so goes the Bengals offense, so facing a Ravens defense that allows 16.6 fantasy points to opposing running backs, Brown might do some going of his own.
Chase Brown PrizePicks Projection: 59.5 Rush Yards
Bears RB Kyle Monangai: Start ‘Em
Bears @ Eagles - 3:00 p.m. ET (Black Friday Football)
Hey, another Bear! Yay!!!!!
The rookie out of Rutgers has found paydirt in each of his last three games, and, anecdotally speaking, the Eagles might be reeling from Sunday’s ridiculous 24-21 loss to Dallas, so it’s possible — just possible — that Philly’s D is ripe for the picking.
For the sake of this article’s usefulness — not to mention my fantasy credibility — I sure hope that’s the case.
Kyle Monangai PrizePicks Projection: 36.5 Rush Yards
Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.: Sit ‘Em
Giants @ Patriots - 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday Night Football)
The Jints’ de facto RB1 has had a nice little fantasy stretch, finishing RB12 in Week 11 (13.9 fantasy points) and RB14 in Week 10 (13).
Thing is, he wasn’t playing the New England Patriots.
Now the Pats defense isn’t the 1985 Bears or the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, but they’re fifth-best in stopping the run, and it’s not like Tracy is Walter Payton or Jamal Lewis, so don’t get your hopes up.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. PrizePicks Projection: 46.5 Rush Yards
Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty: Sit ‘Em
Raiders @ Chargers - 4:25 p.m. ET
It’s also not like Ashton Jeanty is Christian McCaffrey, so in terms of daily fantasy, I’m out on the rookie. (I’m stuck with him in two of my season-long leagues, something I’d rather not discuss.)
It’s not like Jeanty blows or anything — he’s currently ranked at RB13 — but his inconsistency is maddening, i.e., in Week 11, he posted 3.4 fantasy points (again, not a typo), and four weeks prior, he posted, um, 3.4 fantasy points (again, not a typo.)
At this point, I just don’t trust him. And without trust, we have nothing.
Ashton Jeanty PrizePicks Projection: 61.5 Rush Yards
Packers WR Romeo Doubs: Start ‘Em
Packers @ Lions - 1:00 p.m. ET (Thanksgiving Day Football)
Last Sunday, the New York Giants did terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things to the Detroit Lions defense, dropping 395 total yards and 27 points on their butts. Most notably, Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson racked up a career-best 156 yards, which landed him as fantasy’s WR2 (21.6 fantasy points).
On Turkey Day in the Motor City, Doubs will most certainly try to play the role of Robinson…and I’m saying he’ll do it…but I’m not saying he won’t do it.
Me, I’m rolling the dice.
Romeo Doubs PrizePicks Projection: 44.5 Receiving Yards
Bengals WR Andres Iosivas: Start ‘Em
Bengals @ Ravens - 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday Night Football)
Our second Bengal on this list is here for more or less the same reason our first Bengal is here: Because Joe Burrow is back in the house…and Tee Higgins is out of the house, leaving Iosivas as Cincy’s WR2.
Admittedly, Iosivas isn’t, y’know, good — he’s averaging 3.2 fantasy points per game — but sometimes in FantasyLand, opportunity is all you need.
49ers WR Jauan Jennings: Sit ‘Em
49ers @ Browns - 1:00 p.m. ET
Last Sunday, the Browns straight-up abused Vegas QB Geno Smith, sacking him an absurd 10 times. It’s doubtful they’ll get to San Fran QB Brock Purdy nearly as much — in his four games played, Purdy has been sacked just 3 times — but that doesn’t mean I have any interest whatsoever in starting a single player against Myles Garrett and company.
Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr.: Sit ‘Em
Colts vs. Texans - 1:00 p.m. ET
While we’re on the subject of scary-ass defenses, meet the Houston Texans.
Last Thursday, the Texans made reigning MVP Josh Allen look like his Buffalo backup Mitch Trubisky, sacking him 8 times, and holding him to a season-low 67.4 passer rating.
Oh, and Allen managed just 10.1 fantasy points.
In a crucial divisional game that could make or break the Texans’ playoff lives, Houston should be hyped beyond hyped, which won’t bode well for Indy QB Daniel Jones, which won’t bode well for Indy WR Michael Pittman Jr.
Michael Pittman Jr. PrizePicks Projection: 48.5 Receiving Yards
Saints TE Taysom Hill: Start ‘Em
Saints @ Dolphins - 1:00 p.m. ET
Things are weird in the Big Easy, where the Saints are a team in transition. They have a rookie QB in Tyler Shough, they have an aging RB in Alvin Kamara, and they have a lousy team in, well, the whole team.
Their only truly entertaining player on the offensive side of the ball is Hill, who, depending on your fantasy league’s rules, is either a tight end, or a quarterback, or a wide receiver, or a running back, or a lead guitarist. For the sake of this discussion, we’ll dump the 35-year-old at TE, and hope that he tops last week’s 2.2 fantasy point performance.
Seahawks TE A.J. Barner: Start ‘Em
Seahawks vs. Titans - 1:00 p.m. ET
Last week, I started Barner in virtually every one of my fantasy formats — season-long, dynasty, DFS, and everything in between — and he screwed me in each and every one of them, eking out a miserable 1.8 fantasy points.
But I’m not the type to hold a grudge, especially when the grudge-ee in question is playing against the Titans’ 23rd-ranked defense, so Barner gets another shot.
Just one more shot, mind you. But another shot nonetheless.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts Jr.: Sit ‘Em
Falcons @ Jets - 1:00 p.m. ET
Pitts is literally the worst fantasy player ever — although J.J. McCarthy is well on his way to usurping the crown — the kind of guy who poops the bed when you start him, and blows up the box score when you bench him. After five years of dealing with his astounding inconsistency, he’s earned a permanent place in the sit ‘em portion of our program.
I’m so over him that he’ll stay on the bench even if he’s playing the Titans. Now that’s saying something.
Kyle Pitts Jr. PrizePicks Projection: 40.5 Receiving Yards
Commanders TE Zach Ertz: Sit ‘Em
Commanders vs. Broncos - 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday Night Football)
Ertz is the fantasy (and reality) opposite of Pitts, a reliable multi-skilled vet who rarely, if ever, does any bed pooping whatsoever.
I don’t think he’ll befoul his sleeping quarters on Sunday evening, but the Broncos D is awfully good — sixth-best against the pass, and third-best overall — and barring a Thanksgiving miracle that magically heals QB Jayden Daniels’ elbow, he’ll be catching passes from Marcus Mariota, none of which make for a comfortable situation.
Zach Ertz PrizePicks Projection: 28.5 Receiving Yards
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