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Quarterback
Start of the Week: Bo Nix (@ WAS)
Nix has been inconsistent for fantasy purposes, but he was outstanding in the win over the Chiefs before the bye with 295 passing yards—and the lack of touchdowns isn’t the norm (before Week 12, he had one of the longest streaks in the league with a touchdown pass at 18 consecutive games). I’d count on the momentum from the huge victory last time out carrying over to a primetime matchup on Sunday night, and even with Jayden Daniels (elbow) out, Sean Payton may want to showcase his choice from the 2024 quarterback class versus a defense that has allowed the most passing yards per attempt in the NFL (8.8).
Start: Joe Burrow (@ BAL)
Burrow (toe) might not move at the level he typically does in his return on Thanksgiving Night, and the Bengals being without Tee Higgins (concussion) limits the firepower. However, the Ravens have a bottom-10 pass defense, and Burrow torched them last season with 392 yards and five touchdowns (one interception) in the first meeting, and that was followed up by 428 yards and four touchdowns in the rematch. With a shootout expected as Cincinnati tries to keep their season alive, Burrow is a clear QB1.
Start: Jared Goff (v GB)
I have concerns about the Detroit offensive line holding up versus Green Bay’s front, and the Week 1 outing didn’t go well for Goff and the offense in a 27-13 loss. But at the time, the opener was chalked up as an off day for the Lions, and Goff had much better luck versus the Packers in 2024 by completing 79.4% of his passes across both meetings and throwing for 283 yards and three touchdowns (one interception) in a shootout win at home. Look for the offense to have more balance and the tackles to hopefully hold up to make Goff a low-end QB1.
Start: Tua Tagovailoa (v NO)
Tagovailoa has cooled off from a fantasy perspective with 201.7 passing yards per game and a 2:3 touchdown-interception ratio since a four-score performance to beat the Falcons—but we’ll see if he can catch fire again with his two best outings of the year coming against the NFC South (256 yards and three touchdowns versus Carolina). The Saints rank in the bottom-quarter of the league in passing yards per attempt allowed (7.4), and I don’t think they will fare well in containing De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle this weekend. Coming out of the bye, Tua can be a strong QB2.
Sit of the Week: Daniel Jones (v HOU)
Quarterbacks have not fared well versus the Houston defense this year, and Jones is next up on the schedule with DeMeco Ryans’ squad having a) extra time to prepare with a mini bye, and b) added motivation with the AFC South firmly in play with both games still to come against the Colts. Being at home should help Jones (who has shown a high floor), but zero quarterbacks have reached 20.0 fantasy points against the Texans through 12 weeks, and you’ll probably need rushing production for him to pay off as a start on Sunday.
Sit: Aaron Rodgers (v BUF)
Bills-Steelers being a shootout this week if both offenses are “on” is possible, but this feels like a spot where Pittsburgh’s lack of wideouts behind DK Metcalf could hurt them. Last season, Rodgers had 294 passing yards and two touchdowns (one interception) in the first matchup versus Buffalo, but he was limited to 112 yards and two interceptions in the rematch—and the added uncertainty playing through a broken wrist makes him a low-end QB2.
Sit: Brock Purdy (@ CLE)
Purdy didn’t have the best game on Monday night with three interceptions, and the Browns won’t be an easy opponent to bounce back against this week. On the season, Purdy has totaled seven interceptions in four starts, so San Francisco might tone down the aggressiveness on the road before getting a chance to reset with a Week 14 bye. With options like Jacoby Brissett putting up QB1 numbers and Sam Darnold hoping to torch his former team, Purdy is lower than usual in the QB2 ranks.
Sit: Marcus Mariota (v DEN)
Mariota is set to draw what could be his final start this week, and he’d be boosted by Pat Surtain II (pectoral) being out again for Denver. The possibility of a shootout would also be a positive for his outlook, but I’m worried about Washington simply being overmatched both up front and for their roster as a whole. Similar to Daniel Jones, you might need Mariota to do damage as a runner to hit as a streaming option on Thanksgiving weekend.
Running Back
Start of the Week: Quinshon Judkins (v SF)
At first glance, fantasy owners might be hesitant about using Judkins this week based on a matchup versus San Francisco—and most have him ranked as a low-end RB2/FLEX option. In my opinion, the Browns rolling with Shedeur Sanders under center helps out Judkins (who had two wildcat touchdowns last week), and his intensity as a player could match what the 49ers will bring. Despite the matchup, I like the rookie as a top-12 play at running back.
Start: David Montgomery (v GB)
Montgomery has been less involved recently with Jahmyr Gibbs being completely unleashed, but as stated, I think he’ll see more balance from Detroit this week—and the Packers have been run on more over the past few games with 107.8 yards per game allowed on the ground since Week 8. In two years with the Lions, we’ve seen Montgomery thrive playing on Thanksgiving with 24 touches for 124 total yards last year and 15 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown in 2023 (which came against Green Bay), so I’m higher on “Knuckles” than most as an RB2 option.
Start: Devin Neal (@ MIA)
The Saints gave plenty of carries to Taysom Hill last week after Alvin Kamara (knee) went down, but the most encouraging part of Neal’s outlook is that he was targeted as a receiver—catching five-of-seven targets for 43 yards (in addition to the seven carries for 18 yards). Miami has played with more of an edge recently while showing well versus the run, but Neal can still be a volume-based low-end RB2/FLEX option in the starting role.
Start: Keaton Mitchell (v CIN)
Derrick Henry will ideally pay off as a high-end RB1 on Thanksgiving Night, but if you are desperate at running back or in a deeper league, Mitchell might be worth a look considering how much the Bengals have struggled defending the run. So far this season, Mitchell has averaged 5.8 yards per carry and looked more like himself following a lost 2024 campaign—and it might just take one or two touches for him to put up several points (or more) with Cincinnati allowing 5.1 yards per carry and the second-most rushing yards per game in the league (156.0).
Sit of the Week: D’Andre Swift (@ PHI)
The Eagles have been run on at times this season, but the defense has been much stringier with Nakobe Dean back in the lineup—and Swift is coming off a disappointing performance with 1.4 fantasy points and a lost fumble in the win over Pittsburgh. Kyle Monangai handling most of the goal-line work limits Swift’s appeal when he doesn’t do damage in the passing game, so we have him barely inside the top 30 at running back with all 32 teams back in action this week.
Sit: Tony Pollard (v JAX)
Jacksonville is the new leader in run defense this season (83.8 yards per game allowed), so Pollard—who has rushed 21 times for 42 yards over his past two outings—isn’t in a good spot to get going as he continues splitting work with Tyjae Spears. Overall, the Titans have not run the ball well at all versus top units (Seattle and Houston were the opponents over the past two games), and Pollard’s upside being capped as a pass-catcher with zero gains of more than 12 yards since the opener could lead to another quiet day.
Sit: Isiah Pacheco (@ DAL)
Pacheco was finding a groove before going down at the end of last month with 51+ rushing yards in three consecutive games, but Kareem Hunt has since taken over the backfield—including last week with a whopping 33 touches. Although I’d anticipate the hard-charging Pacheco to run with a chip on his shoulder to get the lead role back, Dallas has improved with Quinnen Williams on the defensive front, and Hunt should at least handle goal-line work for the Chiefs considering his success in short-yardage situations.
Sit: Omarion Hampton (v LV)
Hampton (ankle) will make the RB2 ranks if he’s back on Sunday, but he’s not an automatic start with Las Vegas allowing just 3.7 yards per carry with their run defense being one of the lone bright spots for them in 2025. We saw a better version of Hampton as he got more game action under his belt before suffering the ankle injury, but the Raiders notably limited him to nine touches for 25 total yards back in Week 2—so the rookie could be a better option looking ahead to the fantasy playoffs with the Eagles on deck in Week 14 as well.
Wide Receiver
Start of the Week: Ladd McConkey (v LV)
McConkey had a quiet outing before the bye with three receptions for 13 yards, but so did the rest of the Los Angeles offense—and he was heating up before that with lines of 5/39/1, 7/100/1, 9/67, 6/88/1, 4/56, and 4/107/1. The disappointment last time out and all the options for Justin Herbert to hit might lead to some keeping McConkey out of lineups, but I’d view him as a borderline WR1/WR2 with Las Vegas being better attacked through the air than on the ground.
Start: Courtland Sutton (@ WAS)
Sutton is another top wideout coming off the bye, and he’s cooled off in November with a combined 8/113/1 line in three games. That said, Sean Payton has typically gone to Sutton when going away from him in a previous week, so the bye could lead to him being featured versus a Washington defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers (30.8). We’ll need to keep an eye on the weather forecast for possible rain, but Sutton should be a top-15 play.
Start: Romeo Doubs (@ DET)
The Lions are getting healthier on the backend with Terrion Arnold (concussion) looking like he’ll be back, but Doubs has been held out of the end zone in every game since the three-touchdown explosion in Week 4—so I think he’s more than due. Slugfests versus the Eagles (one reception for five yards) and Vikings (two receptions for 23 yards) have held Doubs back, but Packers-Lions being a shootout is at least a possibility; I like him as a low-end WR2/FLEX option.
Start: Xavier Worthy (@ DAL)
Tyquan Thornton is a Hail Mary option to mention, but the thinking is the same for Worthy—who would obviously be the more widely used player in redraft leagues. Basically, the Cowboys improving on defense isn’t enough to feel great about them being able to contain downfield shots versus Kansas City, and there were a couple of them last week to DeVonta Smith that easily could have been a touchdown. Worthy’s production hasn’t matched the hopes fantasy owners had from the end of 2024, but he can come through if Patrick Mahomes sees the shot and can deliver an accurate ball.
Others: Jauan Jennings (@ CLE), Troy Franklin (@ WAS)
Sit of the Week: Deebo Samuel Sr. (v DEN)
Samuel looked good in Spain two weeks ago with seven receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown, and the bye week might lead to the heel issue that caused him to miss a game earlier in the year being completely behind him. On the other hand, Washington is healthier with Terry McLaurin (quad) appearing set to return and Noah Brown (groin) back at practice, so Deebo should be limited to the FLEX ranks versus an elite Denver defense that will be focused on tackling him in space.
Sit: Zay Flowers (v CIN)
Flowers has been extremely steady this season with 8.9+ fantasy points in all but two games, and Bengals-Ravens turning into a track meet would boost his appeal and increase his chances of finding the end zone (which hasn’t happened since the opener). Unfortunately, Flowers perhaps gets the worst draw of anyone in the game with cornerback DJ Turner II having an All-Pro-caliber campaign thus far, and Cincinnati has done a decent job against him with just one game with more than 62 receiving yards in four meetings.
Sit: Michael Pittman Jr. (v HOU)
Pittman is already up to a career-high seven touchdowns this season, and Daniel Jones will give him a better chance of being worth a start than he’s been over the past couple of seasons against Houston—when he’s been held to scoreless yardage totals of 44, 31, and 16. You’re likely counting on a trip to the end zone, though, as the Texans have allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game (172.1) and a 10:12 touchdown-interception ratio on the season. Downgrade him to low-end WR3 status for Week 13.
Sit: DJ Moore (@ PHI)
Moore was a hit last week with two touchdowns as a recommended option versus the Steelers, but Philadelphia will be a tougher matchup on the road—and Moore hasn’t fared very well in either matchup against his hometown team with yardage totals of 29 and 38. Before last week, Moore was ice cold with a combined one reception (on seven targets) for 18 scoreless yards in the previous two outings, and there is always danger of cooling off in a hurry with all the weapons for Chicago’s offense.
Others: Keenan Allen (v LV), Darius Slayton (@ NE)
Tight End
Start: of the Week: Isaiah Likely (v CIN)
Thanksgiving Night has been the game circled on the calendar for Likely with the Bengals allowing the most fantasy points per game to enemy tight ends (19.3), and if he’s going to be unleashed this season, I’d think it will be in the AFC North showdown. For those who don’t know, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh highlighted the All-Pro potential for Likely before the season, and I think he’ll have a very good chance of hitting in scoring territory to finally pay off TE1 expectations.
Start: Mike Gesicki (@ BAL)
Gesicki was immediately involved in his return to the lineup with four receptions for 35 yards last week, and now he’ll be boosted by Joe Burrow’s return. Perhaps more importantly, Gesicki has thrived with Tee Higgins out of the lineup, including lines of 7/91, 7/73, 5/100/2, and 4/30 on the four most recent occurrences last season; the last of those was against Baltimore and maybe he’ll be contained again, but Gesicki brings a nice combination of floor and ceiling on Thanksgiving.
Start: Juwan Johnson (@ MIA)
Even before Rashid Shaheed was traded, Johnson had emerged as the No. 2 target in the passing game—going for lines of 5/79, 5/53, 3/31/1, 4/92/1, and 6/46 over the past five outings. Miami has been torched by tight ends recently (including 32.4 fantasy points against the Ravens earlier this month), so Johnson is in a good spot to stay hot; and Taysom Hill should also draw lineup consideration with an increased role due to the absence of Alvin Kamara.
Sit of the Week: Colston Loveland (@ PHI)
Caleb Williams talked up Loveland this week after he found the end zone in the win over Pittsburgh—and the rookie has been on fire since the start of November with lines of 6/118/2, 4/55, 3/40, and 4/49/1. However, a matchup versus Philadelphia might be one to avoid with the second-fewest fantasy points per game allowed to opposing tight ends (6.3). If you have options, I’d wait a week to use Loveland in lineups.
Sit: Dalton Schultz (@ IND)
The Texans having plenty of options at wide receiver makes Schultz more dependent on finding the end zone to work out as a streaming option, but he’s been held without a touchdown in all six career matchups versus Indy—and has been limited to 33.3 receiving yards per game in those games. Whether it’s C.J. Stroud (concussion) or Davis Mills at quarterback, Schultz is someone to avoid with plenty of options at tight end this week.
Sit: Steelers TEs (v BUF)
Pittsburgh plays through the tight ends at a high level under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but this is a spot—with the Bills allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends (4.5)—where all three of Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington should be avoided. In general, I’d look for the Steelers to lean more on the running backs (including as pass-catchers) as they try to keep pace with Baltimore in the AFC North.