Fantasy Football Week 13: Start or Sit Kyle Rudolph, Gerald Everett, or Cameron Brate?
Week 13 is upon us and those of us on the cusp of making the fantasy playoffs are looking at all of our options to salvage our desperate hopes of fantasy greatness. In order to make the playoffs, we will need to optimize our rosters. That is where we come in. Every week, we at Football Absurdity like to highlight players with marginal matchups that you might get a wild hair about. We hope to provide you with some basic facts to help you inform your start or sit decisions. These tight ends have emerged from crowded TE rooms to have an opportunity to take advantage of plus matchups this week.
Start or Sit Kyle Rudolph at New England
Kyle Rudolph has been, without a doubt, one of the biggest disappointments of the 2018 fantasy football season. Last year, he ended the season with 57 catches, 532 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He is on pace to match his totals with catches and yards. The problem is he only has 2 touchdowns on the season. It is easy to be frustrated with Kyle Rudolph, but he has also had one of the hardest schedules against a tight end on the season. I am saying Kyle Rudolph, it’s not your fault. Rudolph has had zero match-ups against defenses that are in the top ten for points allowed to tight ends. Kyle Rudolph has also only had one match-up in the top fifteen for points allowed to tight ends. What he has faced are six defenses that were in the top-five in fewest points allowed to tight ends and nine defenses in the top ten for that same category. Kyle Rudolph, it’s not your fault for making wrong “start or sit Kyle Rudolph” decisions. This week, for the first time all season, Kyle Rudolph faces a New England defense in the top-five for points allowed to a tight end. So if you were ever going to start Kyle Rudolph, this is the week to do so.
Start or Sit Gerald Everett at Detroit
When Sean McVay drafted Gerald Everett in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL draft, there were a lot of comparisons to Jordan Reed. Over the last two weeks, Gerald Everett has definitely shown flashes of the potential that got him drafted so high. He has 8 catches, 112 yards and 3 touchdowns in his last three games. It’s time to give weekly consideration whether to start or sit Gerald Everett. In his last three games, he has finished the week as a TE1. In week 13, Gerald Everett will be facing off against a Detroit Lions defense that looks hopelessly outmatched. With his increased usage in the Los Angeles Rams offense and his recent productivity, Gerald Everett is someone you definitely want to start.
Start or Sit Cameron Brate at Carolina
With O.J. Howard dead to all fantasy owners, Cameron Brate has emerged as the clear-cut number one tight end in Tampa Bay. This is good because, in week thirteen, the Bucs are facing a Carolina Panthers team that has given up the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. The Panthers have given up the most touchdowns in the NFL to opposing tight ends. Moreover, Tampa Bay is probably going to have to air it out, since their defense is not going to be able to stop the Carolina Panthers. Forget deciding whether to start or sit Brate: Cameron Brate is a no-brainer start in week thirteen.
These three tight ends this week are all likely to be good options for you, but if you’re trying to decide who to start or sit, I would go with:
- Cameron Brate
- Gerald Everett
- Kyle Rudolph
