Sit/Start Week 13: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, December 4th, 4025 PM ET

Location: Levi Stadium, Santa Clara

Betting Odds: SF -4.0, 46.5 total via PFF.com

Network: FOX

Writer: Estevão Maximo (@estevao_maximo on Twitter)

Miami Dolphins

Quarterback

Tua Tagovailoa (Start, QB1)

Tua Tagovailoa has an 82.9 QBR in 2022. That’s QBR, not your regular rating that goes all the way until 158.3. For some context, Jalen Hurts is fourth in that ranking at 68.2. The Dolphins’ QB is simply playing at an elite level under Mike McDaniel, and with the addition of Tyreek Hill, should be garnering serious consideration for the Most Valuable Player award.

First of all, it’s insanely hypocritical to be bringing up the addition of Hill as often as many do to belittle what the former number five overall pick is doing. Allen doesn’t get that with Diggs, and Mahomes never got it while arguably throwing to the best WR-TE tandem in NFL history, so what Tua is doing and what McDaniel has done holds water on their own.

Tagovailoa leads one of the most explosive offenses in the sport, and leads the league in net yards per passing attempt, touchdown percentage, the aforementioned QBR and countless other stats. Yes, the Niners’ D is amazing, but this offense and Tua in particular has done more than enough to be looked at as a QB1 regardless of matchup.

Running Backs

Jeff Wilson (Start, RB2, flex if Mostert plays) Raheem Mostert (Sit)

What Jeff Wilson are we getting, the one that immediately overtook Raheem Mostert as the better option for this offense while coming over from San Francisco, or the one that just went 13 for 39 against the lowly Texans? If that weren’t enough to keep us guessing, there is the looming giant that is this Niners’ defense, and the implications of a possible Mostert return.

In case Mostert doesn’t play, it’s ok to look at Wilson as a low-end RB2, because at the end of the day, the Niners will have their hands full with this Dolphins passing attack, and it’s bound to open up at least some holes for the running game, which should probably not be totally shut down.

If Mostert plays, it makes things a bit trickier, leaving Wilson probably as a high-end flex given that although he’s outplayed Mostert, they both have received decent workloads. Coming off an injury, even if it only kept him out for a small amount of time, the former Dolphins’ lead back is a clear sit in my opinion, even if he is likely to take some of the value away from Wilson Jr.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Tyreek Hill (Start, WR1), Jaylen Waddle (Start WR1), Trent Sherfield (Sit), Mike Gesicki (Start, TE2)

Remember the world in which there were concerns about what sort of production would we be getting from Hill with no more Mahomes? What a time of naive men, including yours truly. Hill is the WR4 and has as many touchdowns on the year, only four. The former Chief is the odds-on favorite for offensive player of the year and has, in Waddle, hands down the best number two wideout in all of football.

It’s insanity to think we have two legitimate WR1s on the same team, but not really when they’re both in the top 5 for scoring in their position (Hill 4th, and Waddle at 5th). As a football fan, it’s simply a joy to see this offense work off of these two superstars.

I’d like to be able to say forget about Gesicki, it’s not worth the frustration of seeing him completely misused because frankly this offense doesn’t need him, but then I look and see he is the TE14 on the season, and the truth is that even if he doesn’t get a lot of looks, it’s really a two-fold approach. Gesicki is the Dolphins top tight end, and more importantly, he is one of the few in the sport capable of making big plays, so even if his team mostly ignores him, you want to be there for when he inevitably gets even the tiniest bit of volume.

Thus, making Gesicki a borderline playable TE2, even if he gave you literally zero points last week against the Texans, and for whatever is worth, you can pretty much ignore any non-Waddle or Hill wideouts.

San Francisco 49ers

Quarterbacks

Jimmy Garoppolo (Start, QB2)

The 49ers starting QB is the oatmeal of fantasy quarterback plays. Is he going to give you that matchup-winning week, like ever? Probably not, but he’ll give you those 230 passing yards, one TD, maybe two, and let the rest of your roster win you games, much like he does with the Niners’ offense.

Garoppolo is good enough to start, especially against a Dolphins D that’s middle of the pack against the pass (17th in net yards per passing attempt), but don’t expect anything more than just solid dependable production if you go with him here in Week 13

Running Backs

Christian McCaffrey (Start, RB1)

Injuries stink. That being said, the Elijah Mitchell absence should change CMC’s outlook to a certain extent. The former Panther is awesome, and would still remain an RB1 even with Mitchell in there getting consistent work, but looking back at this somewhat limited track record of McCaffrey in San Fran, he did have an 82% snap share against the Rams with no Mitchell in there. That was the famous one passing score, rushing score, and receiving score game.

After that week, CMC’s snap share got down to the mid 60’s with Mitchell back in there. 80+ is a lofty expectation, but something in the mid 70’s is definitely in play, and with the arsenal of weapons preventing any defense from completely zeroing in on CMC, the sky is the ceiling for him down the stretch, and I personally am looking forward to a matchup-winning week.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Deebo Samuel (Start, WR2), Brandon Aiyuk (Start, WR2), Jauan Jennings (Sit), George Kittle (Start, TE1)

Deebo Samuel is not rushing the ball a whole lot in 2022, and that was the case even before Christian McCaffrey came into the fold, so it’s not plausible to expect a big change with Elijah Mitchell out. Nevertheless, the Niners’ top receiver has gotten it done through the air, getting seven or more targets in all but one game since Week 2 (and he did get six in that particular one).

Aiyuk is bound to get overlooked to a certain extent in this Niners offense, but his five receptions for 65 yards last week against the Saints was actually his worst performance from a fantasy standpoint since Week 6. The reality is that even by instinct, I started to put down Aiyuk as a WR3, but his production says otherwise, and in a game with very little to no possibility of a ton of negative game script, he is more of a WR2.

Jennings actually stole the spotlight with his first touchdown of the year against the Saints, but remains a sit, and in a world where tight end production is scarce, George Kittle is king among mortals, with Kelce and Andrews in a separate group, the latter which has struggled with health all year long.