Start vs. Sit: Who to Play, Who to Bench Week 13

Welcome into our final installment of Start vs. Sit for this season. I'd like to begin by thanking you all for reading this column every week; writing this article is one of my favorite parts of the week and I really enjoy interacting with you all in the comments section and giving you the best advice that I can (to varying degrees of success). With it being championship week for fantasy leagues, I am wishing you all the best of luck in your matchups. Without further adieu, let's jump into this week's Start vs. Sit decisions.

START

AAC

Ryquell Armstead, RB, Temple (at Connecticut)

Last week's dud against South Florida was one of the more disappointing individual performances of Week 12. Luckily, there's no better team to bounce back against than Connecticut, which has literally the worst run defense in the country by far. The Huskies give up 338 rushing yards per game -- that's 58 yards per game more than the 129th ranked run defense! A little further down the list, I wouldn't hesitate to use East Carolina's Holton Ahlers against the stout Cincinnati defense.

ACC

Daniel Jones, QB, Duke (vs. Wake Forest)

Jones is in a great spot for what could be his final home game as a Blue Devil with Wake Forest coming to town. He was uneven against Clemson this past weekend, but the Tigers can make almost anyone look pedestrian. Jones is still averaging 23.9 fantasy points per game and Wake Forest gives up the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks among ACC teams (28.4). Look for Jones to capitalize on the soft matchup and deliver Duke its eighth win of the season. I'm also bullish on the Virginia offense going against a reeling Virginia Tech defense.

BIG 12

Tyron Johnson, WR, Oklahoma State (at TCU)

Though his volume took a dip against West Virginia, he still saw eight targets and reeled in a touchdown. Johnson has seen 36 targets over his last three games and has posted 267 yards and two scores. Tylan Wallace is obviously the headliner of Oklahoma State's offense, but Johnson is talented and is seeing enough volume to post starter-worthy production against TCU's banged up defense.

BIG TEN

Karan Higdon, RB, Michigan (at Ohio State)

Last week confirmed one of my season-long suspicions: that Ohio State struggles to stop the run. Maryland's Anthony McFarland shredded the Buckeyes for 298 yards and two scores, and while McFarland deserves plenty of credit himself, it showed that Ohio State's run defense is shaky. Higdon is the Big Ten's second-leading rusher with 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging a strong 5.29 YPC. He also has a bankable workload, seeing 20.9 carries per game. With a playoff berth possibly on the line, look for Higdon to get plenty of work against the Wolverine's biggest rival. And on the other side of this game, I'd still stick with Dwayne Haskins.

CONFERENCE USA

Blake LaRussa, QB, Old Dominion (at Rice)

LaRussa's stat line suffered a bit this past weekend with Old Dominion taking on VMI from the FCS ranks. He still managed to throw two touchdowns for the third straight game and the sixth time in seven weeks. Now he gets to finish his regular season against Rice, which ranks 124th overall in defensive S&P+. Outside of the VMI game, LaRussa has averaged 341 yards and over 2.0 touchdowns in his last seven games.

MAC

Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo (at Bowling Green)

Paterson's eight carries for 23 yards against Ohio was one of the more head-scratching stat lines of the final month of the season given his recent hot streak and the Bobcats' mediocre defense. A long week to prepare for a bottom tier defense will be more than enough for Patterson to get back on track and return to the form where he was ripping off 6.1 yards per carry in October and early November.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Darwin Thompson, RB, Utah State (at Boise State)

The Aggies are, on paper, the better team than the Broncos. However, we all know the road to Mountain West supremacy runs through that blue field. Thompson did have a bit of a muted outing in the Week 12 nailbiter against Colorado State with 13 carries for just 48 yards, but he had posted over 100 yards in three of his last four games coming into that contest. This week he faces a Boise State defense that has been susceptible to the run this season and ranks 58th in S&P+. I'll bet on Thompson and the Utah State offense despite being road underdogs.

PAC-12

Gardner Minshew, QB, Washington State (vs. Washington)

An Apple Cup where Washington State is the favored team with playoff aspirations is certainly a change of pace from recent years. A huge reason behind it is Minshew, who has established himself as one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in all of college football with 4,325 yards and 36 touchdown passes. Yes, Washington has the 9th-rated overall defense by S&P+, but they're not unbeatable through the air (33rd in S&P+). It's a tough(ish) matchup, but Minshew remains a top-five quarterback play this week.

SEC

Jordan Ta'amu, QB, Mississippi (vs. Mississippi State)

The Egg Bowl is one of my favorite rivalry games as its intensity is always top-notch regardless of how both teams are playing. Ole Miss won't be heading to a bowl, so this is their championship for all intents and purposes. Ta'amu has a tough matchup here against a Mississippi State defense that's relentless up front and dynamic in the back end. Still, Ta'amu is up for the challenge and is seemingly healthy after looking banged up against South Carolina and Texas A&M.

SUN BELT

Zac Thomas, QB, Appalachian State (vs. Troy)

After missing time with a concussion, Thomas has come roaring back over his last two games. He has completed 75 percent of his passes for 529 yards and five passing touchdowns in that span. This week he gets Troy in a marquee matchup in the Sun Belt between two teams that are a combined 17-4 and 13-1 in conference play. Troy has one of the Sun Belt's best defenses, but the Trojans are a bit shaky against the pass (53rd in S&P). In a game where Appalachian State will have to keep its foot on the gas offensively to keep up with Troy, Thomas should be in a spot to flourish.

SIT

AAC

Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston (vs. Memphis)

Memphis' defense shouldn't scare anyone, but the loss of D'Eriq King is a devastating blow to what had been one of the nation's most explosive offenses. Whether it's Clayton Tune or grad transfer Quinton Dormady, this Cougar offense will see a dip in efficiency Friday against Houston. For as good as Stevenson has been, his effectiveness could be sapped this weekend.

ACC

Moe Neal, RB, Syracuse (at Boston College)

The Eagles showed some cracks in their run defense last week as they let a shaky Florida State offensive line win the line of scrimmage battle. Will that happen twice in a row? I'm not so sure. Neal might see an increased workload if Eric Dungey is limited, but that means Syracuse has one less run threat to spread out the Boston College front. Look for Boston College to slow the Syracuse run game to the point where Neal doesn't post starter-worthy numbers.

BIG 12

Skylar Thompson, QB, Kansas State (at Iowa State)

Thompson was solid in his return from a concussion against Texas Tech, completing 65 percent of his passes and throwing for a touchdown. The competition gets much tougher this week as the Wildcats travel to Ames to face Iowa State's 20th ranked pass defense in S&P+. Thompson has some rushing upside that bolsters his value to an extent, but he still has just one game with multiple touchdowns in conference play. This is too tough a matchup for a player of Thompson's limited ceiling.

BIG TEN

Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota (at Wisconsin)

Ibrahim has a secure workload, averaging over 19.0 carries per game in conference play. What's more, he'll be facing a Wisconsin defense that looks nothing like the Badger defense we've grown accustomed to over the last few years. Wisconsin ranks 69th against the run in S&P+ and has given up at least 180 rushing yards four times in conference play. That said, there is concern regarding how one-dimensional Minnesota is on offense. If Wisconsin is able to pin its ears back and zero in on stopping the run, it'll be a long day for Ibrahim.

CONFERENCE USA

Brent Stockstill, QB, Middle Tennessee (vs. UAB)

The Blazers are undefeated in conference play and are on the cusp of a 10-win season. Stockstill and the Blue Raiders are standing in their way, however, and certainly present a worthy challenge. That said, Stockstill is in for a tough day in his own right. UAB has the 24th overall defense in S&P+ and is 24th against the pass, too. Stockstill has shown an ability to post strong numbers against tough competition, as evidenced by his 30-for-33 performance for 293 yards and three scores against Kentucky. Still, this week against a motivated UAB is arguably a tougher draw for Stockstill's season finale.

MAC

Woody Barrett, QB, Kent State (vs. Eastern Michigan)

Eastern Michigan presents one of the toughest challenges Barrett will have faced all season. The Eagles hold their opponents to a 55.3 completion percentage and just 5.7 YPA. Barrett himself has accounted for multiple touchdowns in three of the last four games but is completing just 53 percent of his passes in that span. Barrett has struggled against worse defenses than Eastern Michigan's and if he's unable to supplement his stats with a strong rushing game, he could be in for one of his worst games of the season.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Josh Oliver, TE, San Jose State (at Fresno State)

Oliver has quietly been one of the top tight ends in the nation this season with 54 catches for 667 yards and four touchdowns. San Jose State has a banged-up quarterback, however, and a road matchup against Fresno State's elite defense sets this up as one of Oliver's lowest projected outings of the season.

PAC-12

Aaron Fuller, WR, Washington (at Washington State)

Fuller owns a 30 percent target share, which outnumbers the next-most targeted Washington wideout by 13 percent. That said, it's hard to trust the Washington passing game. Jake Browning and the Huskies' passing attack averages just 236.9 yards per game, so even though Fuller is the top target, his ceiling is relatively low. There's also the strong possibility that Washington leans on the run game as Wazzu's defensive weakness is against the run, and running the ball would also help keep the Cougar offense on the sidelines. Fuller is a middling option at best in Power 5-only leagues this week.

SEC

Nick Brossette, RB, LSU (at Texas A&M)

The totality of Brossette's numbers this year look fine with 861 yards and 13 touchdowns. It's not always pretty on a week-to-week basis, however. He has just one game with over 90 yards since Week 2 and he has averaged 4.0 YPC or less on seven separate occasions. Texas A&M is also stout against the run, checking in as S&P+'s seventh-best run defense. Brossette could be in for a highly frustrating Saturday night.

SUN BELT

Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State (vs. Georgia Southern)

The Sun Belt's fifth-leading receiver with 660 yards and two touchdowns heads into the season finale against Georgia Southern and its tough pass defense. The Eagles have more interceptions (14) than passing touchdowns allowed (9) and their 125.0 passer rating allowed ranks third in the Sun Belt. In a game where Southern might dominate the time of possession and a game where Hart is facing a tough defense, this has the makings of a low-volume, low-efficiency outing.