5 must starts in fantasy football for Week 13

Week 13 was already primed to be a stressful lineup week for everyone. It’s easily one of the most important weeks of the fantasy season and you need to make sure your lineup is just right for it. It’s now gonna be even more stressful if you’re someone like me who started a Saints player thinking you were about to get a nice head start on your opponent and take advantage of the Saints’ Thursday night game against the Cowboys. Granted, I accidentally started Tre’Quan Smith again as my WR2, so I was already doomed from the start.

If you started Drew Brees or Alvin Kamara or Mark Ingram or Michael Thomas, chances are you’re stressing right now. You need to make sure the rest of your team rises to the occasion and makes up for another major Saints letdown (get ready for our first back-to-back winner of the You Helped No One award).

With that, here are five players that I am SUPER high on this week and if they’re on your team, they need to be in your starting lineup. I made an effort to pick players that you might be debating on since a “must start” article is kinda dumb if it’s filled with RB1s and WR1s. To make things fun, I’ve including a point total that I think they’ll reach in PPR scoring.

Week 11 picks (didn’t do a Week 12): 0-5

Season’s picks: 6-19

I was dead on with my Sammy Watkins/Alex Collins picks, it just wasn’t them who go you those points. Fantasy football is stupid. Have I mentioned that on this site before?

RB Lamar Miller vs Cleveland Browns

Week 13 points: 17.0

The time has come to trust Lamar Miller with your fantasy football life. Miller has more than found his footing during the Texans’ epic win-streak, posting three games with at least 100 yards and one touchdown in his last five. I’ve already predicted the Texans’ winning to continue vs the Browns Sunday and Miller will be a big factor, going up against the Browns’ eighth ranked defense in terms of points allowed to running backs. They’ve allowed at least 100 yards rushing or a touchdown to each running back they’ve faced five out of their last six games and I’m planning on Miller making it six out of seven.

WR Corey Davis vs New York Jets

Week 13 points: 16.0

A message to Corey Davis: This is your last shot. I’ve put you on this list before (most notably in Week 11) and you let me down terribly. In fact, that was your only bad game of the last four weeks so I’m starting to think that you read this column and are just trying to sabotage me, which seems like an odd thing to do but I respect the moxie.

Davis has recently become that number one receiver we thought he’d be and when Marcus Mariota finishes a game—extra emphasis on FINISHES since that was what led to Davis’ poor performance against the Colts in Week 11—he’s averaging 92 yards per game. It helps to that the Jets’ secondary has given up the third most receptions and fourth most receiving yards this season as well as allowing eight guys to score at least 12 PPR points over their last seven games.

RB Tarik Cohen vs New York Giants

Week 13 points: 15.5

The Giants have been quickly learning that when you trade away your best run stuffing defensive lineman, your run defense will take a big step back. Shocking I know. Since traded Damion Harrison, the Giants have allowed 80 yards and a touchdown to a running back in each game they’ve played. Now, if Jordan Howard were not maddeningly inconsistent and not the leading candidate in the “why Pete is going to go bald at an early age” category, I would say “Hey, start Jordan Howard”. But I won’t. Because of all the reasons I listed above.

Instead it’s Cohen that gets my nod as the smaller back has been much better and far more consistent this season—he’s recorded at least 15 PPR points in five of his last seven games. The Giants are not only struggling against the run, they’re also second in the league this season in passing touchdowns surrendered to running backs, an aspect of the game we’ve seen Cohen thrive at.

RB Chris Carson vs San Francisco 49ers

Week 13 points: 14.0

I know I’m going against the old adage: Never trust a Seahawks’ running back, but I trust Chris Carson to prove it wrong. It’s undeniable that Carson is the Seahawks’ best running back and when healthy, he’s been very productive running the ball. In the last four games he’s played, he’s averaging 70.7 yards and almost a touchdown per game. The 49ers have been average against the run this year but that defense is in the midst of a big transition as the team released Reuben Foster this week, shaking up the linebacker depth chart. I’m planning on Carson and the Seahawks to attack the 49ers new underprepared linebackers early and often.

WR Josh Reynolds vs Detroit Lions

Week 13 points: 13.0

I wrote about Reynolds as a guy who could swing your fantasy playoffs and his playoff hot streak starts this week against the Lions. The Lions have not been good containing wide receivers this year and in the last four weeks have given up the seventh most points to opposing receivers. Reynolds has proven that when he’s in for Cooper Kupp, he makes plays, as evidence by his nine catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns on 13 targets in the last two weeks. This is going to be yet another game of the Rams moving the ball at will and in those games, every receiver on the field eats. Expect Reynolds to join in the feast.