Fantasy Football Week 13 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em: Breakout Alex Collins will deliver against Lions

More Week 13: Waiver Wire — Trade Values — Streaming Options — Rankings — Start 'Em and Sit 'Em — Cheat Sheet — Sleepers — DFS Values

It's Week 13. The Fantasy playoffs start in most leagues next week, and you have to know who to trust.

This is crunch time.

Can you trust Jameis Winston coming back from a three-game absence with a shoulder injury, and what does that mean for Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson? Can you trust Devonta Freeman coming back from a two-game absence with a concussion, and now what happens with Tevin Coleman?

Can you trust Kareem Hunt, who has been struggling the past month? And can you trust any of the Giants now that Eli Manning has been benched for Geno Smith?

This isn't the time of year to be dealing with uncertainties, but we have a lot of them, unfortunately. It's been that kind of year.

But hopefully we'll give you some answers -- and some players to trust --  to help you win in this all-important week. So good luck, and we hope your Fantasy season will continue into Week 14 with a trip to the playoffs.

Editor's Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg.

Start of the Week

It started around Week 3. That's when you could see that Alex Collins was clearly the best running back for the Ravens. From that point on, we were practically begging the Baltimore coaching staff to give him more work.

Slowly but surely his touches increased, and his breakout performance came in Week 8 against Miami during a Thursday night game. He had 18 carries for 113 yards and two catches for 30 yards, and there was no turning back then.

He finally found the end zone the past two games against the Packers and Texans, and he now has at least 12 Fantasy points in a standard league in three of his past four outings. He's also been much more involved in the passing game with nine catches for 52 yards on 12 targets over that span.

I'm expecting another strong performance from Collins this week against the Lions, who are No. 6 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. I expect Collins to be a top-10 running back in Week 13 against Detroit at home.

There is a great track record of running backs who have gotten at least 13 carries against the Lions this year, and Collins has at least 13 carries in four games in a row. Nine running backs have at least 13 carries against Detroit this year, and seven of them have scored double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league, including one in each of the past three games.

Collins will continue to share touches with Danny Woodhead and Javorius Allen, but he's been the best running back in Baltimore this year. And Collins will be among the best Fantasy running backs in any format this week.

It took a while, but the Ravens finally found their man. And Fantasy owners have reaped the benefits.

I'm starting Collins over: Mark Ingram (vs. CAR), Kareem Hunt (at NYJ), Devonta Freeman (vs. MIN), Joe Mixon (vs. PIT) and Latavius Murray (at ATL)

Quarterbacks

Sleepers

• Case Keenum (at ATL): It's not an easy matchup against the Falcons, although Atlanta is dealing with injuries in the secondary to cornerbacks Desmond Trufant (concussion) and Brian Poole (hand). If both are out, that will help Keenum, who has four games in a row with at least 19 Fantasy points, including two games with at least 31 points. It's time to trust Keenum as a starting Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
  
• Josh McCown (vs. KC): McCown has a better matchup than Keenum in Week 13 against the Chiefs, who are allowing an average of 19.6 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. And like Keenum, McCown has played well recently with at least 18 Fantasy points in five of his past six games, including 30 points against Carolina in Week 12. McCown also has proven himself trustworthy as a Fantasy quarterback in all formats.
  
• Brett Hundley (vs. TB): Hundley is worth using as a low-end starting option this week, especially in two-quarterback leagues. He just had the best game of his career against the Steelers in Week 12 with 27 Fantasy points, and this is a great matchup in Week 13 against the Buccaneers, who have allowed three of the past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 18 Fantasy points.
  

Bust Alert

Ryan has played well of late, but he's had a difficult time stringing together 20-point Fantasy games this season. He's averaging 19.2 Fantasy points a game over his past six outings, but he's scored 20 points just twice over that span, with a high of 22. That's unfortunately his high for the season, and he hasn't scored more than 18 Fantasy points at home this year. The Vikings have only allowed two quarterbacks to score 20 Fantasy points this season, which were Ben Roethlisberger in Week 2 and Cousins in Week 10. But in the past two weeks, Minnesota has shut down Goff and Stafford for an average of 13.5 Fantasy points. And for the season, opposing quarterbacks are averaging just 15.0 Fantasy points against the Vikings this year. Ryan is just a No. 2 Fantasy quarterback at best this week.

Running Backs

Sleepers

• Jerick McKinnon (at ATL): Even though Latavius Murray has outplayed McKinnon over the past three games, I like McKinnon better this week because of his role in the passing game. The Falcons have struggled against pass-catching running backs for the past two years, and they are tied for third this season for receptions to running backs with 68. McKinnon has at least five catches in four of his past seven games.
  
• Alfred Morris (vs. WAS): Revenge game? If the Cowboys can get their offensive line going, and Morris can get more work than Rod Smith, then he's worth the risk as at least a flex option in standard leagues. Morris has yet to score since taking over as the starter for Elliott, but the Redskins have allowed three touchdowns to running backs over the past three games.
  
• Devontae Booker (at MIA): Booker came so close to having a quality Fantasy performance in Week 12 at Oakland when his 19-yard reception, which was initially ruled a touchdown, was called down at the 1-yard line in the second quarter. Instead, Booker had just six carries for 11 yards and two catches for 22 yards, but he's worth using as a flex option this week. The Dolphins have allowed seven running backs to score a touchdown or gain 100 rushing yards in their past five games.
  
• Duke Johnson (at LAC): I expect the Browns to be chasing points this week, and Johnson should be heavily involved in the passing game. He has at least four catches in each of the past five games, and he's scored at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in two of his past three outings. The Chargers have allowed eight running backs to catch at least four passes in a game this season and are tied for first in receptions allowed to running backs this year.
  
• Tarik Cohen (vs. SF): I'm expecting Jordan Howard to have a big game this week because the 49ers are terrible against opposing running backs, and Cohen could also get in on the action. He has at least seven Fantasy points in a standard league in four of six home games this season, and San Francisco is among the league leaders in receptions allowed to running backs with 67. Six running backs have scored at least seven Fantasy points in a standard league with their receiving stats alone against the 49ers this year.
  

Bust Alert

Murray scored a touchdown in Week 12 at Indianapolis, but he's been bad of late and could struggle again this week against the Texans. He's been under 20 rushing yards in three of his past four games and hasn't rushed for more than 60 yards in eight games in a row. He struggled at Houston in Week 4 with seven carries for 31 yards and two catches for 4 yards, and the Texans are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. I'd rather start Derrick Henry over Murray in standard leagues, but Murray still has some value in PPR since he has 12 catches in his past three games. Still, based on his recent level of play, Murray is just a flex option at best in most formats.

Wide Receivers

Sleepers

• Marqise Lee (vs. IND): Don't look at Lee's past two games and judge him on that production, which was a combined five Fantasy points in a standard league. He played in horrible weather in Week 11 at Cleveland and then had to deal with Peterson in Week 12 at Arizona. Prior to that, he scored at least nine Fantasy points in 3-of-4 games, and the Colts are without cornerback Rashaan Melvin (hand) this week. Lee has top-20 upside in Week 13.
  
• Zay Jones (vs. NE): Jones still has a hard time catching the ball, but he has played well of late and benefits with Benjamin (knee) out. He also has a favorable matchup against the Patriots in Week 13. In his past three games, Jones has 13 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 24 targets. It would be nice if he had a better catch rate, but clearly Taylor is leaning on him.
  
• DeVante Parker (vs. DEN): Jay Cutler is back after missing one game with a concussion, and that's good news for Parker. This stat is courtesy of our podcast host, Adam Aizer, but in the five games started and finished by Cutler, Parker has averaged 74.4 yards per game, which would have put him on pace for 1,190 yards over 16 games. That excludes the Tennessee game in Week 5 when Parker left with an injury, but it's clear Parker and Cutler have good rapport. And with Aqib Talib (suspension) out, the Broncos secondary isn't as intimidating. Parker is a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.
  
• Dontrelle Inman (vs. SF): Inman has emerged as the No. 1 receiver for the Bears, and he's done a nice job in two of his past three games, with a good matchup on tap in Week 13 against the 49ers. In Week 10, Inman had six catches for 88 yards on eight targets, and he had four catches for 64 yards on nine targets in Week 12 at Philadelphia. The 49ers have allowed a receiver to score in five of their past six games, and Inman could get his first touchdown of the season in Week 13.
  
• Marquise Goodwin (at CHI): Like Inman with the Bears, Goodwin has emerged as the No. 1 receiver for the 49ers, and he's been productive in each of his past three games. He has seven catches for 229 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets over that span, and hopefully we'll see Garoppolo lean on him as much if not more than C.J. Beathard did. Goodwin is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in Week 13 at Chicago.
  

Bust Alert

Watkins will likely get plenty of attention from Peterson this week, which is why he's in this category. It was good to see him get plenty of targets last week against the Saints with Woods out. He had a season-best nine targets, and he finished with four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, which was the third time he's scored in the past four games. Peterson should make life tough on Watkins on Sunday, and Watkins only had three catches for 42 yards on five targets in Week 7 against the Cardinals in London. Watkins is just a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in the majority of leagues.

Tight Ends

Sleepers

• Charles Clay (vs. NE): The Bills should be chasing point this week, and Clay will likely see plenty of targets. He had a solid game in Week 12 at Kansas City with four catches for 60 yards on four targets, and he should continue to be a go-to guy for Taylor, especially with Benjamin out. New England has allowed five tight ends to score this year.
  
• Ricky Seals-Jones (vs. LAR): In two games since becoming a featured part of the offense, especially with Blaine Gabbert under center, Seals-Jones has seven catches for 126 yards and three touchdowns on 11 targets. He's become the second-best receiving threat for the Cardinals behind Larry Fitzgerald, and Seals-Jones should be considered a low-end starting option in Week 13 against the Rams.
  
• Julius Thomas (vs. DEN): Thomas is worth a look in deeper leagues given the matchup with the Broncos, who allow the second-most Fantasy points to opposing tight ends. It's also a revenge game for Thomas, who started his career with the Broncos, and he has two touchdowns in his past four games. It should help Thomas that Cutler is back for this game.
  

Bust Alert

I'm nervous about starting Engram this week with Smith starting in place of Manning. It's a great matchup against the Raiders, but Engram has struggled of late with four catches for 27 yards on 13 targets in his past two games against Kansas City and Washington. Maybe Smith will continue to feature Engram, who could lose some targets with Sterling Shepard (migraines) coming back. Or Engram could continue to post mediocre stats, and it might be risky to start him. If you can find another option that might be the right move to make.

Defense/Special teams

Start 'Em

Chargers (vs. CLE) – 15.0 projected points

The Chargers DST is ranked No. 2 for me this week, and I expect Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram to wreak havoc against the Browns. This defense has feasted on bad offenses recently with 27 Fantasy points against Denver in Week 7, 11 points against Jacksonville in Week 10, 27 points against Buffalo in Week 11 and 24 points against Dallas in Week 12. This week will be the same story, and the Browns have allowed an average of 14.7 Fantasy points a game to opposing DSTs this year. The best part for the Chargers DST is the Browns have allowed at least four sacks in four of their past six games, and the Chargers have 14 sacks in their past five outings. They also have nine interceptions in their past three games, and they should be a dominant unit in Week 13.

Sleepers

• Redskins (at DAL): The Cowboys offense has been a disaster of late, and their past three opponents – Atlanta, Philadelphia and the Chargers – have scored at least 22 Fantasy points. Prescott has been sacked 14 times over that span with five interceptions, and the Redskins DST just dominated the Giants with 18 Fantasy points. 
  
• Titans (vs. HOU): Tom Savage could get benched if he continues to struggle, and he has five interceptions in his past three starts. He's also been sacked six times over that span, and the Texans have been held under 17 points in two of those games. The Titans DST also scored 16 Fantasy points against the Colts in Week 12 with eight sacks.
  
• Raiders (vs. NYG): The Raiders DST is coming off their best game of the season in Week 12 against the Broncos, and they finally got their first interception in that game. That's amazing. They might start a streak this week now that the Giants are starting Geno Smith. It's risky to trust a defense like Oakland that has been mediocre this season, but the matchup with the Giants is worth it. 
  

Sit 'Em

Seahawks (vs. PHI) – 9.8 projected points

The Seahawks are beat up defensively, and they should struggle this week against the Eagles. Carson Wentz hasn't thrown an interception in three games in a row, and he's been sacked just three times over that span. Philadelphia is also scoring an average of 31.9 points a game for the season, and the Eagles have scored at least 31 points in five games in a row. The Seahawks DST was held to five Fantasy points in Week 11 against Atlanta at home, and they will likely be in that range again this week.

Kicker

Start 'Em

Sebastian Janikowski (back) isn't going to return this season, so Tavecchio will remain Oakland's kicker for the rest of the year. He only has two games this season with double digits in Fantasy points, but he's facing a Giants team that allows the sixth-most Fantasy points to opposing kickers. Three of the past four opposing kickers against the Giants have made multiple field goals, and Tavecchio is a great streaming option in Week 13.

Sleepers

• Ka'imi Fairbairn (at TEN): Fairbairn is coming off one of his best games of the season in Week 12 at Baltimore with 10 Fantasy points, and he has a favorable matchup in Week 13 at Tennessee. He had 17 Fantasy points in Week 4 against the Titans with three field goals and six extra points, and Tennessee allows the fourth-most Fantasy points to opposing kickers. Two kickers in a row have made multiple field goals against the Titans.
  
• Josh Lambo (vs. IND): The Colts allow the third-most Fantasy points to opposing kickers, and Lambo had two field goals and three extra points at Indianapolis in Week 7. Lambo is due for a big performance after combining for 19 Fantasy points in his past three games, and this is a get-right spot against the Colts at home.
  
• Robbie Gould (at CHI): It's everyone's favorite, the kicker revenge game, since Gould spent the majority of his career with the Bears. He already played Chicago in 2016 when he was with the Giants and had one field goal and one extra point, but this is his first trip to the Windy City since being cut after the 2015 season. Having Garoppolo starting for the 49ers should help the offense, and Gould is worth using as a streaming option this week.
  

Sit 'Em

Walsh had 11 Fantasy points in his last home game against the Falcons in Week 11, but he only has three games with double digits in Fantasy points this year. The Eagles have only allowed four kickers to make multiple field goals against them, and only two kickers have scored double digits in Fantasy points. I hate sitting kickers at home when they have a good offense, but this could be a tough spot for Seattle, which should be bad for Walsh scoring a lot of points.