Believe it or not, we have reached the end of the fantasy football regular season. Time really flies, huh?
The 2018 NFL season has seen its fair share of ups and downs, and after three months of grueling play, we have finally come to the final week before the start of the fantasy playoffs.
Some of you are still fighting for a playoff spot. Others have already clinched and are working towards that first round bye. Regardless of the position you are in, it never hurts to get a second opinion on your lineup.
Sweet & Sour is back for Week 13 to offer up some start/sit recommendations, along with a few sleeper picks at each position.
Players who look poised for a big week will fall under the "Sweet" category, while guys who might be in for a tough matchup will fall in the "Sour" section. In addition, I'll add a couple of sleeper picks at each position for those in need of a streaming option.
Let me preface this article by saying I won't be telling you the obvious. You don't need me to tell you to start Todd Gurley or Antonio Brown each week. And a player falling in the "Sour" section doesn't necessarily mean you should bench him; it means you should lower your expectations for that player given the circumstances that week (matchup, injuries, etc.). While I want these recommendations to help you make lineup decisions, at the end of the day, you have to go with your gut.
Good luck in making the fantasy postseason!
Sweet
Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams- Goff has been better than any fantasy owner could have hoped for this season, currently ranking as QB6 while only six points behind Drew Brees, who comes in at QB2. The Lions have been torn apart by Chase Daniel, Cam Newton and Mitch Trubisky over the last three weeks, and Goff is likely going to add to Detroit's misery. With the Rams competing with the Saints for the top seed in the NFC, expect Sean McVay to keep his foot on the pedal when his offense is on the field. Goff has a great chance of finishing as a top 3 QB this week.
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The rollercoaster season continues for Jameis Winston. Upon being named Tampa Bay's starting QB for the second time this season, Winston looked sharp against the 49ers, finishing with almost 23 fantasy points and more importantly, played a full game of turnover-free football. He has now topped 300 passing yards in three of his last four starts, and with a matchup against the Panthers this week, he should be able to make it four of five. Winston is a solid QB1 in Week 13.
Sour
Tom Brady, New England Patriots- Oh how the mighty have fallen... not really, but for fantasy purposes, Brady is a shell of his old self. The veteran quarterback has had a down year, finishing with over 20 fantasy points in only four contests. The Vikings defense is doing an amazing job of limiting opposing quarterbacks. If Xavier Rhodes sits this one out, Brady gets a small bump, but even at home, this is shaping up to be a tough one for the former Super Bowl MVP. With so much on the line in fantasy this week, I would not trust Brady in my lineup.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys- Prescott has looked like a new man since the arrival of Amari Cooper, but with a tough Week 13 matchup against the Saints, I'm not feeling great about the young QB. The Cowboys may be playing this Thursday night game without their top offensive lineman (Tyron Smith), and considering how successful New Orleans' pass rush has been over the last few weeks, this is very bad news for Prescott. Despite Dallas' recent play, this game could quickly turn into a lopsided affair. I'm staying away from Prescott this week.
Sleepers
Case Keenum, Denver Broncos- Denver is definitely a run-first team, but the Bengals have allowed four of the last five quarterbacks they have faced throw for at least three touchdowns. It's a gamble, but if you're desperate, Keenum should have himself a solid game.
Chase Daniel, Chicago Bears- Daniel played well on Thanksgiving in place of Mitch Trubisky, scoring 19 fantasy points, and with the Giants' slim playoff hopes now crushed, the journeyman QB should have himself yet another good outing.
Sweet
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers- Do you know who leads all running backs in yards per carry over the last two seasons? If you guessed Aaron Jones, you would be correct. The young back has averaged an impressive 5.79 ypc over the last two years and has an amazing matchup in Week 13. Arizona is surrendering the most rushing fantasy points to opposing running backs on the year. With Green Bay favored by 14 points, game script should play in Jones' favor, and the young back should run wild on a helpless Cardinals defense.
Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos- Lindsay has been one of the surprise fantasy football darlings this season, ranking third among running backs with 5.8 ypc. Even with Royce Freeman back over the last two weeks, Lindsay has continued to dominate touches, maintaining 64% of the team's touches out of the backfield. The Bengals have been atrocious against opposing running backs, allowing them to average a whopping 32.1 fantasy points per game. Fire Lindsay up with confidence this week.
Sour
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings- If you have Cook, it may be tough to bench him completely. But I would certainly lower my expectations for the second-year back this week. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, Cook has failed to top 10 carries since Week 1. On top of that, since Week 4, the young back is averaging just 2.5 targets per game. The volume is simply not there, and although the matchup against the Patriots is not bad, Cook is hard to trust for consistent production.
Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons- Similar to Cook, Coleman has not gotten the touches you would like to see from a starting running back over the last two weeks. Coleman has touched the ball just 22 times over that span, and things are unlikely to improve in Week 13. The Falcons take on the Ravens, whose defense is allowing a mere 3.5 ypc. Coleman is at best a fringe-flex play this week.
Sleepers
T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Fournette is suspended for Week 13, and with the Jaguars likely playing from behind against a surging Colts team, Yeldon could receive a significant share of the targets from Cody Kessler.
Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears- Howard has been as unreliable as they come this year, but with game script likely playing in Chicago's favor against a bad Giants team, the back should receive plenty of touches against this crumbling rush defense.
Sweet
Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans- Davis has finally started to look like the breakout receiver that many expected him to be coming into this season. In the last three games that Marcus Mariota has been able to finish, the young receiver is averaging almost 20 fantasy points per game, including catching two touchdowns. This week the Titans face a Jets' secondary that has allowed eight different receivers to score at least 12 PPR points over their last seven games. Davis' breakout second-half should continue in Week 13.
Josh Reynolds, Los Angeles Rams- The buzz surrounding Reynolds seemed to die down during the Rams' bye week, but let's not forget that he caught six passes for 80 yards and a score in the marathon shootout against the Chiefs two weeks ago. He may not be quite on the same level as Cooper Kupp, but Reynolds has done a great job of filling in for him, registering nine catches (on 13 targets) for 122 yards and three touchdowns in the past two games with Kupp out. The Rams offense is going to explode in this one, and Reynolds could be one of the biggest beneficiaries.
MORE: Report: Eli Manning Could Return As Giants' Starting QB Next Season
Sour
Alshon Jeffrey, Philadelphia Eagles- Since the Eagles acquired Golden Tate, Jeffery has struggled, totaling just seven catches for 120 yards while being held out of the end zone. In a Week 13 matchup against the Redskins on Monday night, Jeffrey is likely to see his fair share of shadow coverage from Josh Norman. Until he can show more consistency in the Eagles' somewhat new look offense, I'm keeping Jeffrey on my bench.
Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns- Speaking of recent disappointments, what happened to Jarvis Landry? Despite Baker Mayfield looking significantly better under center, the veteran receiver has failed to put up good fantasy numbers lately. Landry has only one touchdown over his last seven games, and has only 10 total PPR points over the last two weeks against Atlanta and Cincinnati, two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. The Texans have surrendered only one touchdown to an opposing WR over the last five weeks, meaning Landry is unlikely to bust out of his slump in Week 13.
Sleepers
Adam Humphries, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Humphries is one of the fastest-rising receivers in fantasy over the last month. With O.J. Howard out for the year and DeSean Jackson banged up, Humphries should continue to play a large role in the Bucs' passing game.
Bruce Ellington, Detroit Lions- Ellington is one of the last men standing in Detroit after Marvin Jones Jr. was placed on IR this week. In two games with the Lions, Ellington has 12 catches for 80 yards on 16 targets, making him a solid PPR play.
Sweet
Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The connection between Winston and Brate is real. In their first game back as Tampa Bay's starting QB and TE, Brate was able to once again find the end zone, finishing with three catches for 26 yards and the score. The Panthers allow the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, with Howard catching two touchdowns against them in Week 9. Brate is a strong TE1 in this matchup.
Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons- While the Ravens defense has been great all year, their one weakness has been against tight ends. Baltimore's defense has given up 27 percent of their total receiving fantasy points allowed to the tight end position this season, an incredible stat given the lack of depth at the position this year. While he hasn't been amazing lately, Hooper should be in for a good game in Week 13.
Sour
Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers- Graham has been a huge disappointment over the last five weeks. Since Green Bay's Week 7 bye, the tight end is averaging less than two receptions per game, under 30 yards per game and less than six fantasy points per game. His thumb injury hasn't helped, and when you throw in his knee injury as well, the veteran tight end does not shape up to be a good fantasy play. Graham is even droppable if you are in need of an extra roster spot.
Trey Burton, Chicago Bears- Say what you want about the Giants, but one of the only things they have been able to do well this season is cover opposing tight ends. The Giants' defense has kept every opposing tight end, besides Zach Ertz, out of the end zone this year, allowing just two scores to the position. Burton has not topped 40 yards in his past five games, and it does not look like he will be able to buck that trend in Week 13.
Sleepers
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams- In the Rams' last game, the first since Kupp was lost for the year, Everett managed to score two touchdowns. He splits time with Tyler Higbee, and both are sleeper picks this week, but I'm giving the edge to Everett due to his ability to make big plays.
Matt LaCosse, Denver Broncos- LaCosse will now take the place of the injured Jeff Heuerman, who was averaging six targets per game on the year. Keenum loves throwing to his tight ends, and the Bengals are among the league's worst at defending the position. LaCosse is my deep sleeper pick of the week.