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

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, December 4 at 1:00 PM ET

Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

Betting Odds: PHI -5, 44.5 Total on Oddshark

Network: FOX

Writer: Drew DeLuca (@DrewDeLaware on Twitter)

Tennessee Titans

Quarterbacks

Ryan Tannehill (Sit)

Ryan Tannehill entered the 2022 season while riding high on the crest of back-t0-back Top 12 performances in 2020-2021. These finishes were buoyed by noteworthy rushing production: Tannehill averaged 268 yards rushing and seven rushing scores in those two seasons. Through 12 weeks of this season, Tannehill has rushed for only 47 yards and a single touchdown, and only the Atlanta Falcons (23.0) and Chicago Bears (21.2) are attempting fewer passes per game than the Titans (25.0).

Unsurprisingly, this formula isn’t yielding fantasy football production. Tannehill is the QB25 so far this year, so he’s not even a worthwhile QB2 in 12-team superflex or 2QB leagues. This week, the former eighth-overall pick of the Miami Dolphins squares up against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are currently the league’s toughest defense in terms of fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Tannehill shouldn’t be rostered in single quarterback formats, and he shouldn’t be appearing in lineups in any league in Week 13.

Running Backs

Derrick Henry (Start, RB1), Dontrell Hilliard (Sit), Hassan Haskins (Sit)

Derrick Henry‘s rushing line last week was quite disappointing; the former Alabama standout managed only 38 yards on the ground despite 17 carries and failed to cross the stripe. However, he uncharacteristically had a day in the passing game, hauling in all three targets for 79 yards. In a “down week,” Henry finished as the RB19, meaning few were sad they started him, even if his performance didn’t meet expectations. Expect Henry to bounce back with a Top 5 RB effort against an Eagles run defense that has been the league’s seventh-worst over the past three weeks. Oh, and while we’re contractually obligated to mention Dontrell Hilliard and Hassan Haskins, neither should see enough volume to be worth your time in Week 13.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Treylon Burks (Start, Flex), Robert Woods (Sit), Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (Sit), Austin Hooper (Sit), Geoff Swaim (Sit), Chigoziem Okonkwo (Sit)

Only three Tennessee Titans wide receivers have been targeted over the past three weeks: Treylon Burks, Robert Woods, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Burks, the former first-round selection and heir-apparent to A.J. Brown, is in the midst of a midseason breakout thanks to back-t0-back Top 20 WR finishes in Weeks 11-12. He’s the only member of this trio we can recommend this week against one of the league’s tougher secondaries.

Woods has seen a total of 20 targets over the past three weeks but finished better than WR79 only once during this span (Week 11 at Green Bay). At age 30, “Bobby Trees” just doesn’t seem to have the same burst that made him a fantasy star just a couple of years ago. Meanwhile, Westbrook-Ikhine has exactly one finish as a Top 36 WR or better so far this year, but has seen six or more targets in two of his last three games.

Titans’ tight ends are even less enticing. Austin Hooper has played 61 percent or more of his team’s snaps in three of their last four games. Curiously, his best finish was during the one week he took the field the least. Since Week 2, Hooper has drawn five or more targets only once (Week 11 at Green Bay). We can’t recommend Hooper, and while are enamored with Chigoziem Okonkwo‘s speed and athleticism, we need to see more usage before we can start getting excited about his fantasy prospects. The rookie out of Maryland did draw a career-high five targets last week, so he bears watching as a name to remember for the future.

Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts (Start, QB1)

Over the last five weeks of the 2022 season, Jalen Hurts is the QB3 overall in fantasy points per game. The reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week leads all NFL quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (8), and only Justin Fields and Lamar Jackson have run for more yards this season at the position. Going into last week, only two other teams allowed fewer rushing yards per attempt to opposing quarterbacks than the Packers, yet Hurts gashed Green Bay for 157 yards on the ground. Only five teams have allowed more fantasy points per game to quarterbacks than the Titans, so Hurts remains locked in as a high-end QB1 this week. Start him in all formats.

Running Back

Miles Sanders (Start, RB2), Kenny Gainwell (Sit), Boston Scott (Sit)

Miles Sanders finally had the kind of game that his fantasy managers have been waiting for, amassing a career-high 143 rushing yards on 21 carries. Sanders also caught three passes for 17 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns in the process. Incredibly, he wasn’t even the Eagles’ leading rusher on a night that saw Hurts put up 157 rushing yards. Sanders did manage to commandeer 65.6 percent (21 of 32) of all red zone touches, once again entrenching himself as the team’s undisputed lead running back. Sanders will have a more challenging time against a much less porous Titans run defense but is a sure-fire starter nonetheless. Expect RB2 numbers with Top 10 upside.

Kenny Gainwell tied for the team lead in red zone touches (3) in Week 12, crossing the stripe once. He’ll have a tough time repeating that feat against a Titans defense that weighs in as one of the league’s three toughest against opposing fantasy running backs. Boston Scott got a bit more run as well last week, but we don’t expect him to see the ball enough to make a fantasy impact. Continue to leave them both on your waiver wire where they belong.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

A.J. Brown (Start, WR1), DeVonta Smith (Start, WR2), Quez Watkins (Sit), Zach Pascal (Sit), Jack Stoll (Sit), Grant Calcaterra (Sit), Tyree Jackson (Sit)  

A.J. Brown played on Sunday night despite being violently ill just days before. The former Titans standout lost seven pounds on Thanksgiving while the rest of us were operating in reverse; he ruptured a blood vessel in his eye in the process. Expect Brown to bounce back in a big way: Pro Football Focus gave Brown a 100 rating (out of 100) for his upcoming WR/CB matchup this week, meaning he should feast against lesser defensive backs Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary, and Elijah Molden. Brown should finish as a Top 10 wide receiver this week.

Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith has actually out-targeted Brown 26-17 over the past three weeks. Despite a pedestrian 9-point performance in Week 12, Smith continues to raise his floor in PPR leagues. The former Heisman Trophy winner makes a solid low-end WR2 in Week 13 with upside for more, as only the Pittsburgh Steelers (27.3) are allowing more points per game to wide receivers than the Titans (26.2) this season.

Quez Watkins has the breakaway speed to score from anywhere on the field, and his hands are better than advertised. He is no longer an afterthought in the offense and has scored touchdowns in back-to-back games.  While his target volume is on the rise, it’s still too low to consider Watkins as a worthy starter in Week 13. Meanwhile, Zach Pascal is a great blocker and a decent route runner, but he likewise won’t see enough targets to be fantasy relevant.

Meanwhile, Dallas Goedert‘s absence (shoulder) continues to be felt. Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, and Tyree Jackson combined for 1 catch for -2 yards on Sunday night. Mercifully for Eagles fans, Goedert is due back in Week 15. In the meantime, no other Eagles’ tight end is worthy of a roster spot right now.