Start 'Em, Sit 'Em quarterbacks: Week 13 fantasy football

Fantasy football managers are getting a Thanksgiving treat in Week 13. All 32 NFL teams will play, so the league's full complement of healthy quarterbacks will be available for fantasy lineups as the playoff push approaches.

The catch? The NFL will be hosting its usual three Thanksgiving games and its relatively new Black Friday game on Amazon Prime. That means eight teams will play before the weekend begins, pushing up some difficult start 'em, sit 'em decisions, especially for fantasy owners awaiting news about injured stars.

For example, Caleb Williams and Tua Tagovailoa might not fall into the category of must-starts every week. However, if you're a Brock Purdy or Trevor Lawrence owner who doesn't know whether your quarterback will suit up on Sunday, the safest route may be to trust a fringe QB1 playing on Thanksgiving.

Fortunately, many of the quarterbacks playing on Thursday and Friday either fall into the category of lineup staples, like Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes, or eternal sit 'ems, like Cooper Rush.

Who are the best quarterbacks to start and sit in Week 13? Here's a breakdown of the signal-callers to trust and fade.

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Fantasy football start 'em: Week 13 QBs

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Stroud has been inconsistent during the 2024 NFL season, but he gets a great matchup in Week 13 against a Jaguars defense that has allowed the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this year. Jacksonville has surrendered 23 passing touchdowns to the position, second-most in the NFL behind only Houston itself, and Stroud threw for 345 yards and two scores in the first matchup against the Jaguars this season.

Stroud has also generally been better when Nico Collins has been healthy, so as long as his No. 1 target remains available, the Texans starter should be a threat to log multiple touchdowns.

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

Richardson has been much sharper as a passer in his two starts since he returned to the Colts' lineup. He has a great-looking matchup in Week 13 against a Patriots defense that has surrendered four passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks.

Richardson may not have the same level of consistency as Matthew Stafford and Tua Tagovailoa, but his explosive playmaking ability could allow him to get a couple of long scores against the Patriots. His rushing ability only raises his floor, so that makes him a safe play with a high ceiling in Week 13.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are one of five NFL teams to have allowed at least 21 passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks during the 2024 season. Mayfield hasn't yet had a chance to play Carolina this year, but he has logged multiple touchdown passes in 7 of his 11 starts in Liam Coen's offense.

Mayfield is also averaging 20.1 rushing yards per game and has three touchdowns on the ground this season. The Panthers have allowed the 11th-most rushing attempts to quarterbacks this season (55), so this seems like an all-around strong matchup for Mayfield, who could post numbers similar to the ones Patrick Mahomes generated in Week 12 (269 passing yards, 60 rushing yards, three total touchdowns).

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints

Since Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua both returned to the Rams' lineup in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings, Stafford has averaged 281.6 passing yards and 2.4 touchdowns per game. He has accounted for multiple touchdowns in four of those five games and figures to challenge a New Orleans secondary that allowed 377 yards and two touchdowns to Jameis Winston in its last game.

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Fantasy football sit 'em: Week 13 QBs

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers

Tagovailoa is on a hot streak, but that may come to an end amid cold weather in Green Bay. Temperatures are expected to be below freezing during the Thanksgiving night matchup, per Weather.com, and Tagovailoa has a 0-7 career record in games played at a temperature below 40 degrees.

Given Tagovailoa's poor track record, it's hard to recommend trusting him against a Packers defense that has allowed just one team to throw for multiple touchdowns over their last seven games.

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills

This does not seem like a good spot in which to back Purdy. Sure, the Bills have allowed seven passing touchdowns to quarterbacks over their last three games, but if Purdy plays, he'll be coming off a shoulder injury that sidelined him last week and potentially playing behind a banged-up 49ers offensive line that badly missed Trent Williams last week.

The Bills have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season and will be well-rested coming off their Week 12 bye. As such, it's probably best to pivot off Purdy in this spot if you have another quality quarterback option.

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets

Smith has generally played well and passed the eye test during the 2024 NFL season, but it hasn't translated to tangible fantasy production. He leads the NFL in passing yards with 3,035 but also has thrown a league-leading 12 interceptions compared to just 12 touchdowns.

In Week 13, Smith is facing a Jets team that has allowed just eight passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season. Given that Smith has thrown more than one touchdown in just two of his starts this year, it's probably best to leave him on the bench this week.

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Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'ems, Week 13

Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:

→ Kickers are people, too: Here are some of the most clutch kickers to have on your fantasy team in Week 13.

→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here's who to start and who to sit in Week 13.

→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 13 with start 'em, sit 'em advice for wideouts.

→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here's who you should start and sit in Week 13.

→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent's offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 13.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13: 7 QBs to start or sit