Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) catches a pass during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Nov. 2, 2025.

It's unofficially do-or-die time for fantasy football managers looking to make it into the fantasy playoffs for the 2025 NFL season. Luckily, none of those battling for playoff berths will have to worry about byes in Week 13.

Per usual, no NFL teams will be on bye during the league's annual Thanksgiving slate. The league will play three games on the holiday Thursday and one on Black Friday before concluding the week with a (relatively) regular 11-game Sunday slate ahead of "Monday Night Football."

Because of this, fantasy managers will have all of their non-injured players at their disposal in Week 13. That will create plenty of difficult lineup decisions, especially as a couple more regular fantasy contributors – quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Alvin Kamara – deal with injuries.

Who can you start and sit in fantasy football for Week 13 of the NFL season? USA TODAY Sports outlines eight players to start and eight to sit.

Fantasy football players to start in Week 13

Quarterbacks

  • C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (at Indianapolis Colts)

Stroud had averaged 256 yards and 2.3 touchdowns over a four-game span before suffering a concussion in Week 9 against the Broncos. He seems likely to return to action in Week 13 and may need to score a lot to combat a Colts offense that is averaging a league-high 31 points per game. The Colts have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in five of their last seven games, so Stroud could have a solid day, even if Indianapolis' secondary is looking better with Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner playing together.

  • Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (at Washington Commanders)

Nix has been up and down during his second season, but he has a great matchup against the Commanders in Week 13. Washington just held Tua Tagovailoa without a touchdown before its bye, but had allowed at least three passing touchdowns to the previous four teams it faced. The Commanders rank fourth overall in fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to quarterbacks, so don't be surprised to see Nix pop off in a favorable matchup.

Running backs

  • Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Buffalo Bills)

Jaylen Warren remains the lead back in Pittsburgh, but Gainwell has gotten plenty of work the last two weeks. The 26-year-old has averaged 16 touches and 113.5 yards over that span while scoring twice, working in tandem with Warren. It isn't clear whether this will be a long-term arrangement or if Gainwell is just getting extra touches as Warren deals with a minor ankle injury, but the former Eagles running back should be in line for a nice game against a Bills defense that has allowed a league-high 14 rushing touchdowns to running backs this season.

  • Devin Neal, New Orleans Saints (at Miami Dolphins)

Miami's run defense has been better of late, but it has still allowed the fourth-most rushing yards to running backs this season (1,246 yards). Neal could be in line for a sizable workload if Alvin Kamara (knee) is unable to play in Week 13. Feel free to fire up the rookie as a high-volume runner who could do some damage as a pass-catcher out of the backfield after his five-catch, 43-yard performance against the Falcons.

Wide receivers

  • Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs (at Dallas Cowboys)

Worthy is fresh off posting four catches for 59 yards against the Colts, his second-highest receiving total of the season to date. Now, he gets a matchup against a Cowboys defense that is allowing the most FPPG to wide receivers this season. Dallas figures to focus on trying to stop Rashee Rice, which could allow the speedster to get open often on Thanksgiving.

  • Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

No team has allowed more receiving yards to wide-outs this season than the Steelers (2,029). That bodes well for Shakir, who continues to serve as Buffalo's top receiver and is fresh off an eight-catch, 110-yard outing against the Texans during which Joe Brady found creative ways to get the ball into his hands.

Tight end

  • Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

Andrews is averaging just three catches for 25.9 receiving yards per game this season, but he can still be trusted against the Bengals. Cincinnati allowed Hunter Henry to score twice against it last week, meaning the Bengals have now allowed a whopping 13 receiving touchdowns to the position, six more than any other team in the league. There's little reason to expect the Bengals to improve in this area, so Andrews could help give the Ravens' passing game a much-needed jumpstart.

Defense/special teams

  • San Francisco 49ers (at Cleveland Browns)

The 49ers may rank dead last in the NFL in pressure rate, but they will either be facing off against Shedeur Sanders in Week 13 against the Browns. Sanders, while largely clean in his debut, did toss an interception and take a sack. If the rookie endures a bumpy game, San Francisco could benefit and post a big-time defensive outing.

Fantasy football players to sit in Week 13

Quarterbacks

  • Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (vs. Green Bay Packers)

The Packers have only allowed 13 passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season, tied for the seventh-fewest in the league. They also limited Goff to just one, garbage-time score in their Week 1 meeting, a game during which Detroit couldn't do much offensively. He could be in for a repeat performance on Thanksgiving.

  • Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (at Cleveland Browns)

Purdy is generally consistent, but this matchup looks exceedingly difficult. The Browns have allowed the third-fewest FPPG to quarterbacks this season, while Myles Garrett has racked up a whopping 18 sacks across 11 games. Expect Purdy to be under pressure and for the 49ers to run a bit more than usual to try to slow down Cleveland's elite pass rush.

Running backs

  • Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

Dowdle has been great this season since taking over for Chuba Hubbard as Carolina's lead back. However, he gets a tough matchup in Week 13 against a Rams defense that has allowed just three total touchdowns to running backs this season, tied for the fewest in the NFL with the Patriots.

  • Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings (at Seattle Seahawks)

The Seahawks may focus on stopping the run to force the struggling J.J. McCarthy (or undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, if McCarthy can't clear concussion protocol) to try to beat them in a tough road environment. Seattle has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards to running backs this season, which could prove problematic for Jones, who is averaging 59 rushing yards per game but has scored just once in four games since returning from a hamstring injury.

Wide receivers

  • Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions (vs. Green Bay Packers)

Williams isn't likely to repeat the zero-catch game he had against the Giants, but the Packers aren't a good matchup for him. Green Bay has allowed the sixth-fewest FPPG to receivers this season and limited Williams to 23 yards on four catches in their Week 1 battle. Goff tends to look Amon-Ra St. Brown's way when he is in trouble, or the Lions are trailing, so this could end up being a tough spot for Williams.

  • Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Houston Texans)

Pierce is fine to trust as a boom-or-bust flex in most matchups, given his league-leading average of 21.1 yards per reception. That said, it's hard to justify trusting him against a Texans team that has allowed the fourth-fewest FPPG to wide receivers this season.

Tight end

  • Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (at New York Jets)

Any hope Kirk Cousins returning to the starting lineup could spark Pitts evaporated quickly after the former first-round pick caught just two of five targets for 25 yards against the Saints. Pitts scored his lone touchdown of the season in Week 4, so his ceiling remains not worth chasing, even in a favorable matchup against the Jets (470 receiving yards, seven TDs allowed to tight ends in 2025).

Defense/special teams

  • Baltimore Ravens (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

The Ravens are averaging just 1.6 sacks per game this season, fourth-fewest in the NFL, and will have to face Joe Burrow with the star signal-caller returning to the lineup. The Ravens are merely an iffy start because they are unable to generate consistent pressure.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: 16 players to start or sit in Week 13

Reporting by Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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