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Week 13 of the 2023 fantasy football season kicks off with a Thursday Night Football clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks. This is one of the premier matchups of the week, as both teams have plenty to play for. While they are both in a great position to return to the NFL Playoffs, division titles and NFC seedings are still up for grabs.
This particular game is also enticing from a fantasy football perspective, as both offenses are loaded with potential lineup options. With the fantasy playoffs right around the corner, it will be crucial for managers to get off to a good start this week. Starting with the most favorable players and avoiding the most challenging matchups is often the best way to do so.
The following breakdown can help managers navigate which players to target and fade in week 13 TNF for fantasy football.
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Thursday Night Football Week 13 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football
Blindly starting fantasy players solely based on their name value alone is often a recipe for missing out on maximized lineup scores. Instead, managers should focus on weighing all of their potential options and analyzing each of their weekly situations. Fantasy football isn't always about starting the "best" players, but rather the best options in the most favorable situations.
When determining which players to target each week, a large number of variables should be taken into careful consideration. Some of these include recent individual performances, injuries to relevant players, potential game scripts, expected offensive roles, direct weekly matchups and projected team totals.
Weighing up all of these and many more plays an important role when finalizing lineup decisions. This process can be complicated, but the Start/Sit Optimizer makes it much easier. This useful tool considers all of the variables for any player in a given week to generate lineup suggestions and fantasy projections. Managers who take advantage of it often gain an edge over the rest of their league.
Official injury reports are always another important factor when making lineup decisions for fantasy players in any game. For this particular showdown on Thursday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys are expected to have all of their usual offensive weapons available.
The Seattle Seahawks will reportedly have most of theirs as well, except for one major anticipated absence. Star running back Kenneth Walker III is officially listed as doubtful, so he is not expected to play. If he does miss his second consecutive game, rookie Zach Charbonnet is likely to fill in as the starter again.
Taking all of this and much more into careful consideration, here is a list of potential players to target and avoid in fantasy football on Thursday Night Football in Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season.
TNF Week 13 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks
Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott is on a scorching hot streak in fantasy football entering Week 13. He has ranked among the top three quarterbacks in five of his past six games after failing to finish better than QB17 in his first games. He has become a weekly must-start, at least for as long as he continues to play at this elite level.
Tony Pollard
Tony Pollard got off to a slow start to the 2023 fantasy football season, but has been heating up in recent weeks. He has scored a touchdown in each of the past two weeks, marking the first time this season he has found the endzone in consecutive games. His six yards per carry in his most recent game are also a season-high. Pollard should keep rolling against the Seahawks, who allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
DK Metcalf
DK Metcalf has been the only Seahawks wide receiver this season with reliable weekly volume. He has recorded at least nine targets in five of his past six games and has also totaled three touchdowns. Despite the Cowboys allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, Metcalf's floor this week is safe enough to trust.
CeeDee Lamb
CeeDee Lamb is one of the few wide receivers in the rare class of players that should be started every week, regardless of their matchup. He has dominated the target share for the Cowboys this year, especially after their earlier bye week, recording at least nine targets in every game since then, with six touchdowns in his past five games.
Jake Ferguson
Jake Ferguson is quietly having a solid 2023 fantasy football season in his first year, replacing Dalton Schultz as the Cowboys' starting tight end. He has ranked among the top 12 players in his position six times in 11 games this year, making him a back-end TE1 on most rosters. He is one of the most reliable options in a position that lacks depth.
Managers looking to acquire any of these Week 13 targets should consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.
TNF Week 13 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks
Geno Smith
Geno Smith has been having a disappointing encore to his breakout season last year. He impressively finished last season as the overall QB7, but has struggled this year, recording just one weekly top-ten finish. He will be difficult to trust in lineups this week against the Cowboys' elite defense that ranks in the top ten in almost every possible category, including limiting fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Zach Charbonnet
Zach Charbonnet is expected to make the second start of his rookie season, with Kenneth Walker III officially listed as doubtful to play on Thursday Night Football. While he has averaged 20 touches per game over the past two weeks, the Cowboys allow the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. This makes Charbonnet a fade candidate.
Tyler Lockett
Tyler Lockett has struggled to find consistency during the 2023 fantasy football season as his usage continues to drop. He has been sharing his usually high volume of targets with rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, decreasing his overall output. This has resulted in Lockett finishing outside of the top 36 wide receivers in three of his past four games, making him an unreliable Flex option in Week 13.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as one of the top overall targets in Dynasty leagues as he continues to increase his role in the Seahawks' offense. For much of the same reasons as Lockett, he is still difficult to trust in weekly lineups until his workload becomes more reliable. He has exceeded four receptions just once this year.
Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks has finally established a role for himself within the Cowboys' offense, exceeding 40 yards in four of his past five games after failing to do so in any of his first six weeks. His touchdown dependency still makes him a risky option this week, as he has yet to finish inside of the top 50 wide receivers in any week that he has been held out of the endzone.
