Fantasy Football Week 13: Start/Sit Advice For Packers-Lions ‘Thursday Night Football’

Week 13 of the fantasy football season begins Thursday night with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions squaring off in an NFC North showdown.

It’s a nice change for football fans, because the “Thursday Night Football” matchups have been lacking exciting teams for most of the season. This matchup features plenty of players fantasy owners will be depending on to either win their first playoff round or secure a spot in their league’s postseason.

Here’s some start/sit advice for Packers-Lions:

Detroit Lions
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford has had an underwhelming season, but fantasy owners should start him Thursday night. The veteran QB has played very well at home this season with 13 touchdowns and an 8.03 yards per pass attempt average. Both of them are almost double his road numbers. His play has improved over the last three weeks with seven touchdowns and only one interception in that span, helping the Lions earn a three-game win streak after a 1-7 start.

Running Backs: Theo Riddick only should be started in PPR leagues. He’s totaled just 84 rushing yards through 11 games, but he’s been a reliable target for Stafford out of the backfield with 55 catches for 507 yards and three touchdowns. Ameer Abdullah is not worth starting because he doesn’t make any impact in the passing attack and hasn’t run for more than 65 yards in a single game all season. His only rushing touchdown came in Week 1.

Wide Receivers: Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate are must-starts. Fantasy relevance is all about opportunity, and Johnson averages 10.18 targets per game while Tate has received 30 in the last four contests. This duo combined for four touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving and should be productive again versus a Packers defense that ranks 18th in passing yards allowed per game and lacks a shutdown corner.

Tight End: Eric Ebron has shown signs of promise, but just hasn’t produced on a consistent basis. He caught two passes for 28 yards against the Eagles and hasn’t found the end zone since Week 6. He’s too risky to start unless you have no other options.

Defense: The Lions played the Packers tough and beat them in Lambeau a few weeks ago, but their defense is not very good. It has allowed 18 passing touchdowns and a league-high 15 rushing touchdowns. Starting this unit against a Packers offense led by one of the league’s top three quarterbacks isn’t a safe play.

Green Bay Packers
Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers has thrown nine touchdown passes with just two interceptions in his last four games. That said, his yardage totals in the last two weeks, 212 against the Minnesota Vikings and 202 versus the Chicago Bears, were a bit disappointing for fantasy owners. The Lions’ pass defense has improved during its win streak, but it doesn’t have any playmakers in the second and has intercepted just four passes all season. Rodgers, as always, is a must-start.

Running Backs: Eddie Lacy has been rejuvenated the last two weeks with back-to-back 100-yard game against quality defenses. The Lions have given up 112.5 rushing yards per game and, as mentioned above, a league-high 15 rushing touchdowns. Lacy should have another strong game and is worth starting as a low-end RB1 or a high-end RB2.

Wide Receivers: Randall Cobb is a must-start. He leads Packers receivers in targets, receptions and receiving yards. James Jones, who has a team-high seven scores, also is a good start. He’s a little touchdown-dependent, with just one game of more than two receptions over the last seven weeks, but Rodgers looks for him in the red zone. Davante Adams might be worth a start as a flex play in your league, but his inconsistency and zero touchdowns are concerns.

Tight End: Richard Rodgers is not worth starting, especially if you don’t play in a PPR league. He hasn’t hit the 50-yard mark in any games this season. His five touchdowns are the only stat keeping him fantasy relevant among tight ends, but he’s found the end zone in back-to-back games just once this season.

Defense: The Packers give up 19.5 points per game, the sixth-fewest in the league. They’ve also given up less than 20 points in four straight games. The Lions average 20.9 points per game and haven’t hit the 20-point mark in five straight games. Green Bay’s defense isn’t elite, but it’s good enough not to ruin your fantasy matchup this week.

Thumbnail photo via Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports Images