Fantasy Football Week 13 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em QB rankings: Sam Howell and Russell Wilson keep rolling

Week 13 of the 2023 fantasy football season will be one of the most challenging this year when navigating the quarterback position. In addition to all of the injuries to starting quarterbacks this season, this week also includes the maximum of six teams serving their bye weeks. This means fewer lineup options exist as well as a dip in the usual quality of those options.

This unique situation will force managers to pay extra attention to their usual analysis of the position this week.

With the fantasy football playoffs just a couple of weeks away, the importance of these decisions will be magnified even more. Quarterbacks are often the highest-scoring players in fantasy football, so starting the wrong player this time of the year can cost a manager a potential championship.

With a few rare exceptions, no quarterbacks should blindly be plugged into fantasy lineups. This often results in a failure to maximize weekly scores as it's much more beneficial to capitalize on favorable situations. Determining which quarterbacks to target can be determined by considering a wide range of different variables each week.

Some of the most important factors to weigh before choosing a quarterback include direct weekly matchups, recent individual performances, injury situations to relevant players, projected team score, expected offensive roles and potential game scripts. Taking all of them into consideration produces the most accurate projections in fantasy football.

Using the Start/Sit Optimizer is one of the best ways to streamline this complicated process. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable on any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. Managers who take advantage of it will often gain an edge over the rest of their opponents.

With the help of the Optimizer, the following list of targets and fades, as well as the complete Week 13 quarterback rankings, can help managers when finalizing their lineups. This can be a useful tool for bye week and injury replacements, or to simply make lineup improvements.

Fantasy Football Week 13 Start 'Em: Quarterbacks

Howell vs Stafford

Sam Howell

Sam Howell has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 fantasy football season. He went unselected in many fantasy drafts this year but has emerged as a QB1 on many fantasy rosters. He has done so by finishing among the top 10 weekly quarterbacks in each of his past five games.

Howell also surprisingly leads all players in passing yards this season, further validating his fantasy value. His incredible streak, paired with an extremely favorable potential game script in Week 13, makes him an elite lineup option. He will likely need to pass the ball often to help the Washington Commanders keep up with the high-powered Miami Dolphins offense.

Brock Purdy

Brock Purdy is having a consistently solid 2023 fantasy football season with the San Francisco 49ers, drastically improving his passing output as compared to last year. This season, he has finished among the top 12 quarterbacks six times in 11 games, making him a borderline QB1.

Purdy will have a deceptively favorable matchup in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. While they have a solid defense, they are much better against the run than they are against the pass. This includes surprisingly allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson has completely turned things around for the Denver Broncos in recent weeks. He hasn't thrown an interception in any of his past five games, which has translated to a five-game winning streak. This makes them one of the NFL's hottest teams entering an important matchup against the Houston Texans for the playoff picture.

Wilson is also having a solid fantasy football season, ranking among the top 12 quarterbacks five times in 11 games, making him a solid streamer in the right matchups. Week 13 could be one of them as the Texans are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

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For managers looking to acquire any of these Week 13 targets, make sure to consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.

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Fantasy Football Week 13 Sit 'Em: Quarterbacks

Wilson vs Mayfield

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield has far exceeded his expectations during the 2023 fantasy football season so far. After battling with Kyle Trask for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' starting quarterback role, he has now emerged as a solid streamer in certain matchups this year. This is proven by him finishing among the top 12 quarterbacks five times in his 12 games this year.

However, Week 13 is not a scenario where Mayfield makes for a desirable streaming option. While the Carolina Panthers have been one of the worst overall teams in the NFL this season, one of their few strengths is limiting production to fantasy football quarterbacks. They are allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position.

Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford turned in his best performance of the 2023 fantasy football season last week by finishing as the QB7. This also marks the fifth time he has finished among the top 15 fantasy quarterbacks, giving him decent value this season.

Despite Stafford's strong performance last week, he should be faded when the Los Angeles Rams face off against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. They have featured one of the best defenses this season in many areas, including elite numbers in defending fantasy quarterbacks. They are allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to the position.

Jordan Love

Jordan Love has been putting together a strong fantasy performance in his first season as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He has finished among the top 12 weekly quarterbacks in seven of his eleven games, making him a borderline QB1 on many fantasy rosters.

A matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 creates a fade scenario for Love this week. While they are usually known for their high-powered offense, the Chiefs' defense has been among the elite units this season. This includes allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

Week 13 QB rankings for 2023 fantasy football

1. Jalen Hurts
2. Dak Prescott
3. Patrick Mahomes
4. Trevor Lawrence
5. Tua Tagovailoa
6. Sam Howell
7. CJ Stroud
8. Brock Purdy
9. Kyler Murray
10. Justin Herbert
11. Russell Wilson
12. Derek Carr
13. Gardner Minshew
14. Jared Goff
15. Jordan Love
16. Geno Smith
17. Kenny Pickett
18. Matthew Stafford
19. Baker Mayfield
20. Will Levis
21. Bryce Young
22. Jake Browning
23. Desmond Ridder
24. Tim Boyle
25. Mac Jones
26. PJ Walker