Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em: Get this potential league-winning RB in your lineup for Week 13

Only two weeks remain in the 2023 fantasy football regular season and several surprising players are emerging as potential league winners. Here's what to do about a few players who you may be on the fence about locking into your lineup in Week 13 to maximize your chances of reaching the playoffs.

Quarterbacks

Start: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

Broncos at Texans / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Wilson and the Broncos have turned their season around, winning their last five games. While it'll be difficult to extend their streak on Sunday, the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback is worth starting. With Denver listed as a 3.5-point underdog, Wilson should throw the ball often, which could be beneficial since Houston has struggled against quarterbacks, allowing the seventh-most passing yards (2,927) and eighth-most fantasy points per game to the position (18.3). Additionally, this could be a golden opportunity for Wilson to use his legs, as Houston has surrendered the most rushing touchdowns to quarterbacks (five). 

Other starts: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints; Sam Howell, Washington Commanders

Sit: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Chiefs at Packers / 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday

Because we've reached the final "bye-pocalypse" of the season and Love has thrown multiple touchdown passes in each of his last three games, the Packers signal-caller will be a popular streaming option this week. However, Kansas City boasts one of the NFL's top secondaries and isn't a matchup that suggests Love's productive stretch continues. No team has surrendered fewer passing yards over their last six games than the Chiefs (1,059), who allow 14 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, the eighth-fewest in the league. 

Other sits: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams 

Running backs

Start: Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts 

Colts at Titans / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

If you’ve held onto Moss, you might be on the verge of a championship now that starter Jonathan Taylor is set to miss extended time with a thumb injury. Moss flashed elite upside when given a high workload earlier this season, averaging 20.7 PPR points over his first five games, the third-most for a running back in that span. He may not post 33.5 PPR points against the Titans as he did in Week 5, but Moss should finish as a top-10 back. 

Other starts: Pittsburgh Steelers backfield; Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots 

Sit: D’Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles 

49ers at Eagles / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday

The RB8 overall in PPR scoring formats is amidst a resurgent season, but his 84 all-purpose yards last week didn't make him a worthwhile fantasy option (9.4 points) and it's unlikely that he'll rebound against the 49ers. San Francisco has conceded the fewest rushing yards in the NFL this season (902) and is only allowing running backs to score 12.2 fantasy points per game on its defense, the second-lowest mark. And taking QB Jalen Hurts' seemingly inevitable "tush push" touchdown into account, Swift seems destined for a second consecutive underwhelming fantasy performance. 

Other sits: Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks; James Conner, Arizona Cardinals 

Wide Receivers

Start: Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers

Panthers at Buccaneers / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday

Despite his one-catch, two-yard outing last week and Carolina's recent coaching change, Thielen is well-positioned for a bounce-back performance. Over the last seven games, Tampa Bay has allowed the most receiving yards in the NFL (2,180), along with 12 touchdowns. If Thielen has another game with double-digit targets, he may be in line for another 20-point outburst. 

Other starts: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders; Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

Sit: Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns

Browns at Rams / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday

It appears QB Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder injury has ruined Cooper's fantasy value, with the wideout racking up six receptions for 50 yards across his last two games. In addition to terrible quarterbacking hindering his potential, Cooper is dealing with a rib injury suffered in this past Sunday's 29-12 loss to Denver and hasn't practiced this week. Perhaps Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco would improve Cooper's outlook if he receives the starting nod, but that still might not even put the 29-year-old in WR2 territory.