With a healthy offense, it will be worth noting how the Pittsburgh Steelers’ skill position players finish out the season.
Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell were all top-tier options in week 12, with Brown leading all receivers in fantasy points with his three touchdown receptions.
If you’ve made it this far with one of those three options on your team, it may start paying the ultimate dividends. The remaining schedule doesn’t have any dominating defenses, other than Baltimore’s rush defense, so all three can be big-time fantasy players who can carry a roster through the playoffs.
I’m starting all three of those players as top-level talent in fantasy football for the remainder of the season. For the rest of the best starts/sits, here’s the week 13 wide receivers start ’em, sit ’em guide.
Start
Davante Adams vs. Houston Texans
I don’t expect Aaron Rodgers to go crazy once again in fantasy, but I’m still starting Adams for the rest of the season.
There’s something to be said about a quarterback/receiver relationship. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don’t. With Adams, that relationship is working and now executing at a high level.
Adams finished week 12 with 23.30 fantasy points, going for two touchdowns and 113 yards receiving. He was targeted only six times, but he’s starting to make big plays with those catches, which is a boon to any fantasy owner who picked him up this year.
And frankly, I’m an idiot for not picking him up on my fantasy roster this year. Last year it was evident that Rodgers liked Adams. The Green Bay quarterback kept targeting Adams only to see the young wide receiver drop a ton of balls.
But Adams got better, which for some reason fantasy experts just don’t allow players to do anymore, and now he’s gone for more than 100 yards receiving in three of six games. The Texans own a solid passing defense, but Adams will produce once again in fantasy.
Tyrell Williams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Williams is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver for Philip Rivers in a plus-matchup. If he’s healthy, which it appears he is after leaving the week 12 win against Houston, then he should be considered a borderline WR1.
Williams is a big-play threat, who also keeps getting targeted by Rivers. He’s been targeted 25 times in the last two games, turning those targets into 13 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He’s scored in three straight games and has at least six targets in the last five games.
All signs point to Williams based on his past production and Tampa Bay’s inefficiency against good fantasy quarterbacks. San Diego ranks fifth in passing offense in the NFL. Tampa Bay has played four games against top-10 passing offenses. The fantasy outputs of quarterbacks in those games were 24.36, 24.16, 35.82 and 27.76.
Get ready for plenty of passes and a big day for Rivers. And that big day for Rivers should turn into a solid fantasy performance by his favorite wide receiver.
Quincy Enunwa vs. Indianapolis Colts
If he’s still sitting on your fantasy football league’s waiver wire, now would be a good time to pick him up.
Enunwa tallied 109 yards and one touchdown in week 12 against New England. It was his first 100-yard receiving game of his career and it makes me more confident in recommending him for week 13. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t exactly the most consistent quarterback, unless it has to do with turning the ball over.
But he can still sling it and against Indianapolis, there will be plenty of slinging the ball all around. And that helps Enunwa’s value.
He’s been targeted at least five times in three of the last four games and he’s playing more snaps each week. Fitzpatrick has shown in the past to support two wide receivers, so there’s no reason to believe Enunwa can’t be productive, even if Brandon Marshall also is a factor.
Sit
DeSean Jackson vs. Arizona Cardinals
Washington may be one of the most prolific passing teams in the NFL, but I can’t give the go-ahead to multiple receivers against Arizona.
The Cardinals are the biggest disappointment of 2016, but that doesn’t mean they can’t stop the pass. They still own the second-best passing defense, stopping teams from gaining more than 200 yards per game through the air.
Arizona regularly holds down opposing receivers from having big games, so I can’t imagine that Jackson, who will likely receive a decent amount of attention can cut one loose.
Last week was the first time he had more than 60 yards receiving since week 3. Some may think that will happen once again. Don’t drink that Kool-Aid.
Demaryius Thomas vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville has a bottom-10 rush defense and a top-three pass defense. The Broncos showed the ability to pass last week, so they will likely return back to the run against another tough pass defense.
And with that increased attention on the pass, Thomas will get left out in the cold. Emmanuel Sanders has shifted to the top option of late for the Broncos, thanks likely to drawing the opposing team’s second-best cornerback.
Thomas will have another tough assignment this week. And while his targets have still been good enough to start each week, his production level isn’t.
He’s getting double-digit targets, but turning those into generally only five catches per game. I don’t trust the Broncos with two receivers in week 13, so I’m benching Thomas in favor of a better option.
Kelvin Benjamin vs. Seattle Seahawks
While Thomas is still generating plenty of volume in terms of targets, Benjamin isn’t having that kind of year.
Cam Newton hasn’t been an efficient passer and that has hindered any of his receivers from being a productive fantasy player. That includes Benjamin, who has five or fewer catches in four of the past five games.
He has only one touchdown since week 4 and his targets have reached 22 in four of the last five games.
Without the volume, he likely won’t do much against Seattle. The Seahawks own a top-10 defense and Benjamin will likely be lined up against Richard Sherman for most of the game.
Without an efficient passer, don’t expect much from Benjamin.
