Fantasy Football 2024: One player I’m fading vs. starting in Week 13 for each position

Welcome to the confusing part of the NFL season. Up until now, the schedule made sense, with a Thursday game and a Monday game, and then everything else on Sunday.

But this week, we have four games before Sunday even arrives, with three Thanksgiving Day games and a Black Friday game.

For the sake of giving you the timeliest fantasy advice I can, I'm only going to talk about the Sunday and Monday games this week in this article. Hopefully you can figure out your start/sit decisions on Thursday yourself?

Here is one player to fade and one player to start at each position in fantasy football for Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season.

Week 13 quarterbacks to fade and start

Fade: Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals

Look, I get it. Fading Joe Burrow seems like a bad idea because, well...because he's Joe Burrow. You gotta start Joe Burrow, right?

And I mean, probably! I'm still playing Burrow over guys like Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith...but Burrow is ranked as the consensus QB8 this week at FantasyPros and there's guys ranked under him that I strongly prefer. Bo Nix? C.J. Stroud? Anthony Richardson? I'm playing them over Burrow.

I get you might be reticent to follow me. Burrow has finished as the overall QB1 or QB2 in three straight games, just repeatedly posting huge numbers, but this week he runs into the buzzsaw that is the Steelers defense, which gives up just 12.8 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, the lowest number in the NFL.

This advice is probably better for DFS than for season-long, because I'd still consider Burrow to be somewhere around the 12th-best option in season-long this week. In DFS lineups, I'm going with zero exposure.

Start: Baker Mayfield - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield is a top-eight option at quarterback this week against one of the league's worst pass defense.

Mayfield is coming off a strong showing against the Giants, throwing for 294 yards and rushing for a score in a 30-7 victory. He finished as the overall QB9, marking the eighth time in 11 games that Mayfield finished as a top 10 fantasy quarterback.

Now, he gets a chance to show out against a Panthers defense that allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position.

Week 13 running backs to fade and start

Fade: James Conner - Arizona Cardinals

Is this a bounce back week for James Conner, who averaged 1.1 yards per attempt against Seattle last week?

I don't think so, because that game wasn't a complete anomaly. Conner has under three yards per carry in three of the past four games and is struggling to get much going.

Now, he has to face a Vikings defense that allows the second-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs and the second-lowest yards per carry mark in the league. I'm fully fading Conner this week.

Start: Kyren Williams - Los Angeles Rams

Over the first six games of the season, Los Angeles Rams running back scored eight rushing touchdowns. He wasn't necessarily running the ball well, but he was getting high-value touches for Los Angeles.

In the five games since, Williams has come down to earth, scoring just one rushing touchdown. His stock has definitely dropped.

But a Week 13 matchup with a Saints defense that ranks second-to-last in defensive run DVOA is a great spot for Williams to have another strong game. New Orleans has allowed 14 rushing score this season.

Week 13 wide receivers to fade and start

Fade: Jerry Jeudy - Cleveland Browns

I've been all aboard the Jerry Jeudy train since the Browns traded Amari Cooper, but if there's ever a week to fade him, it's this week against the Denver Broncos.

Jeudy has been a bright spot for the Browns, with over 70 receiving yards in four consecutive games, including finishing with six catches for 85 yards in the Snow Globe game last Thursday night.

But this week, Jeudy faces a tough test against the Broncos, a team that allows the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

Start: Ladd McConkey - Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey has assumed the mantle as the best receiver. He has over 40 receiving yards in nine consecutive games and 50 or more yards in five straight.

Last week against the Ravens, McConkey caught six passes for 83 yards, the fifth time in the past six games that the first-year receiver had at least five catches.

Now, he gets a juicy matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, who allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the wide receiver position.

Week 13 tight ends to fade and start

Fade: Mark Andrews - Baltimore Ravens

It's been an up and down season for Mark Andrews. Look at the last four weeks, for example. Andrews has finished as the overall TE30, TE1, TE28 and TE9 in that span. Two very good games. Two games where he averaged two catches for 24 yards.

This week against the Eagles has a chance to be one of those dud weeks. The Eagles allow the third-fewest fantasy points to the tight end position. This is the toughest matchup Andrews has had yet this season. If I have a safer play at tight end, I'm benching the veteran Raven.

Start: Taysom Hill - New Orleans Saints

This feels a bit like cheating, but isn't the very existence of Taysom Hill really a cheat code? He's listed at tight end but the way New Orleans uses him really makes him more like a quarter-running-wide-tight-end-receiver-back.

For much of the season, he hasn't gotten enough touches for him to really be that much of an advantage, but injuries to the Saints receiving group led the a monster Hill game before the bye. He was targeted 10 times, catching eight passes for 50 yards, and also came up big in the run game with seven carries for 138 yards and three touchdowns.

Maybe it was a one off, but fantasy managers almost have to play Hill this week, because if the Saints give him even close to as many touches again this week, he's got a great chance to finis as the overall No. 1 tight end for the third time this season.