Fantasy Football Week 13 Quarterback Start/Sit: Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, and More

While quarterback is the most important position in football, it sometimes falls through the cracks a bit in fantasy because of the number of guys who can put up reasonable fantasy scores. Streaming is easiest when more players score more points, giving you plenty of options.

There are also no byes in Week 13 (the final four teams sit out next week), so we have every active QB available and every bad defensive team able to be targeted. These are the weeks we take for granted until byes start, and the best players start missing random weeks.

Let's look at three quarterbacks to start and three to sit in Week 13 of the NFL season. There won't be any obvious names below, like Josh Allen. Instead, we have six guys who are good fantasy players some weeks but better left on the bench other times. Most stats are from NFL.com.

Use FantasySP's weekly projections to find the players expected to perform best and help make your toughest lineup decisions!

Start

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Brissett has started six games in relief of Kyler Murray this season. He has put up big numbers, averaging 314.5 passing yards per game, but that is a product of volume, not efficiency. While he is right around average at 7.2 yards per pass attempt, Brissett has thrown the ball 43.5 times per game, more than any other player.

From Weeks 6 through 12 (the time Brissett has been starting), he was fantasy QB6, and he even had his bye during that time. He has 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and Brissett has even added 100 rushing yards and another score, reaching 19 yards on the ground in four of the six games.

The matchup here is the real treat, as the Bucs have allowed fifth-most yards per pass attempt and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They have given up over 260 passing yards per game and 19 passing touchdowns (to 10 interceptions). Better running QBs, like Tyrod Taylor, Jalen Hurts, and Josh Allen have also found success on the ground, so Brissett might have a little room to run.

With Brissett putting up numbers and a really good matchup here, the Arizona quarterback is a strong fantasy player. He ventures near a must-start level here unless you already have a top guy at the position.

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans

While the Jaguars have found team success (we can argue about their true level of play later), but the passing game hasn't been part of the good vibes. Trevor Lawrence has thrown every pass for the team, averaging 218.8 yards per game on 6.5 yards per attempt.

After averaging 6.0 per attempt as a rookie, Lawrence has been at 7.0 or better every season until this year. He has 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, not a rate any team would sign up for with such a low yards-per-attempt average. He is averaging 19 rushing yards per game and has found the end zone five times, giving him a nice fantasy boost.

That all has Lawrence at QB13, a decent fantasy performance among a more disappointing real-life reality. The matchup is also in his favor in this one, as the Titans have given up the fourth-most yards per pass attempt and the 13th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

That better fantasy performance is driven by volume more than efficiency, as teams have gotten ahead of the Titans most of the season and have not had to throw as much. Tennessee has faced the 11th-fewest pass attempts this season and are just seven attempts above the seventh-place team.

Don't expect a big performance from Lawrence, but he can be a functional fantasy QB in this one. He's a bit of a low-to-mid-level streamer, so you might be able to find a better option, but there's nothing wrong with putting Lawrence in your lineup this week.

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos @ Washington Commanders

Washington might be the best quarterback fantasy target right now, allowing a full yards per pass attempt more than any other team and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They have given up around 265 passing yards per game with 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Nix has been a below-average passer, something that was also true last year. He has been even worse in 2025, losing about five percentage points off his completion percentage from last year (now 61.2%) and 0.4 yards per pass attempt (now 6.3).

Nix has made up for it in both real and fantasy football by running the ball, totaling 430 yards and four touchdowns last season and on pace for 330 and four or five TDs this year. That's not huge production, but it's enough to move the chains a few times and give a nice fantasy boost.

With a fantastic matchup, Nix is close to a must-start player this week. He should have a good throwing day on top of running it a little, putting him in position to finish among the top 10 at his position.

Sit

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

Let's start here: Jones has a fracture in his fibula and is going to play through the injury. We don't know how bad it is, but it seems like he would be one wrong hit from getting knocked out of the lineup. That's true of every player, but the risk here is higher that Jones might have to leave the game.

That alone isn't enough reason to bench him, but it's something to consider with such a tough matchup this week. Houston might have the best defense in the league, allowing the second-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

Jones has undeniably had a good season, averaging nearly 260 passing yards per game on 8.1 per attempt with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He doesn't run like he did at his best a few years back, but Jones has chipped in 159 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, the latter number giving him a big fantasy boost (he is QB7 entering Week 13).

With the matchup heavily against him here and extra injury risk, this might be a better week to leave Jones on the bench. Some owners will start him simply because he has been so good, but this is likely to be a disappointing performance.

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills

This would also apply to Mason Rudolph if Rodgers were unable to play again, but let's play the optimistic side and proceed as if Rodgers returns (reports say he is likely to play). When we're talking about leaving a player on the bench, it's not as big of a deal if the backup ends up playing; we're benching everyone.

Rodgers has been fine when on the field, but he has a fractured left wrist, so he has some of that same risk of aggravating the injury like we talked about with Jones. Rudolph was under center last week with a great matchup against the Bears but threw for 171 yards on just 5.5 per attempt with a touchdown and an interception. Rudolph has too low of a floor.

The matchup is also a negative one here, as the Bills have allowed the eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. QBs are averaging just 182.8 passing yards against Buffalo with 12 touchdowns in 11 games.

With an old/injured quarterback or a backup going against a tough defense, it's best to skip the Pittsburgh passers this week. Their pass catchers are also at risk of slow games, though the running game should have more success.

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers

At this point, the biggest question around Smith seems to be whether he will finish the season as the starter in Las Vegas. The Raiders are 2-9 and more likely to finish with the top overall pick than winning record over the next six games. That's not all Smith's fault, but he doesn't have the type of ceiling to carry a team alone, and at 35 years old, he's not the future, so keeping him as part of a rebuild doesn't make sense.

Smith is averaging 215 passing yards per game with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 11 games. That INT number is tied with Tua Tagovailoa for the team lead, and Smith has also been sacked the second most behind Cameron Ward. There's not much upside here.

The matchup is also brutal against the Chargers, who have given up the fourth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Only two of 11 teams have thrown for at least 250 yards against LA, and they held seven of those groups under 200 yards.

The Raiders are a dumpster fire. Ashton Jeanty is putting up numbers, and Brock Bowers is among the best tight ends in just his second season, but the offense otherwise is short on talent and unlikely to make much of a fantasy impact. Skip Smith in this one.