Fantasy Football: Start or Sit Jordan Howard in Week Thirteen?

The Chicago Bears haven’t had the best season on offense, and really have only one fantasy football relevant player because of it. Even then, Jordan Howard’s fantasy football production has been extremely volatile. That’s not too surprising, as the Chicago Bears are building up to something on offense and try to just do enough to not blow it for their already very good defense. This week Jordan Howard takes on the San Francisco 49ers, who are pathetic against the run. Is that enough to start him in your fantasy football lineups this week?

Howard’s volatility is astonishing. He can get the ball in his belly 23 times and rip off over six yards per carry one week, then another week he gets about two feet per carry. Two. Feet. Not yards, feet. He has two separate games this season with fewer than one yard per carry, so that’s barely an exaggeration. He has games where he outright disappears. To be completely honest, that’s mostly a byproduct of the defense across from him knowing that the passing game won’t do anything and they put all 53 men in the box to entirely shut down Howard. In short: Howard has so little around him that he can only go as far as the defensive ineptitude of those across from him will allow him to go.

This week, luckily for Howard owners, he has the absolute best RB matchup in the NFL for nearly thirty straight games. Just like every matchup that the completely inept 49ers have, there are a billion different ways to chop up how bad the game will be for the San Francisco defense. Let’s try it several different ways. First! They allow the most fantasy points to running backs this year and last year. Second! They allow the second-most rush yards to running backs on the year. Third! They allow over a touchdown per game to running backs. Fourth! They have an entire defensive side of the ball on IR. You can go on and on. The 49ers stink on defense and will do nothing to stop Jordan Howard.

Jordan Howard is not only a good play on the week, but he will end up the #1 running back when the dust settles after week thirteen. The opposing defense always schemes to stop just him, and his production is completely based on his opposition. This week he gets the worst rush defense over the last couple of years. They will do little to stop him and there is an extremely short list of running backs to ensure are in your lineups this week.