The Houston Texans will travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13. Here’s the final injury report and start-sit advice for every skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy football impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 13 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
And if you’re looking for all the latest injury updates around the league, our Final Week 13 Injury Report is live and updated with the very latest for all 32 teams.
C.J. Stroud, QB | HOU
Stroud’s Injury Status for Week 13
Stroud is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Stroud
C.J. Stroud was QB7 twice in September and seemed to be in position to light the fantasy world on fire. Those hopes have since been extinguished as he hasn’t produced a top-12 week since the strong start.
I thought he left a few plays on the field last week and, for a second consecutive game, he had a long Nico Collins touchdown taken off the board. The breakout seems to be more of a matter of “when” and not “if,” so why not this spot?
The Jaguars own the seventh-worst red zone defense in the league and the Texans are averaging 17.6% more red zone trips per game since Collins’ return than through 10 weeks. Stroud currently sits at QB7 in my Week 13 rankings.
Joe Mixon, RB | HOU
Mixon’s Injury Status for Week 13
Mixon is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Mixon
Joe Mixon has finished each of his past seven games as a fantasy starter, a run of production that includes five top-eight finishes. His volume on the ground is as reliable as anyone this side of Derrick Henry, but how about a spike in passing-game usage last week with the game on the line?
C.J. Stroud clearly has unwavering trust in his bell-cow back, and that makes him a script-proof RB1 that you can take to the bank weekly. You got a great bargain on draft day in Mixon — it’s now on you to finish the deal with a championship!
Nico Collins, WR | HOU
Collins’ Injury Status for Week 13
Collins was given rest on Wednesday and was listed as limited. He is not injured and did not appear on the final injury report.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Collins
That’s consecutive weeks with a long touchdown called back (a 33-yarder last week and a 77-yarder to kick off Week 11) for Nico Collins, a run of poor luck that his fantasy managers didn’t need after treading water without their WR1 for five games.
Even with those spike plays wiped off the board, Collins has produced 9.3% over expectations since his return to action, the five-yard touchdown in traffic against the Titans being another example of how well-rounded Houston’s star is.
The big plays are going nowhere due to the physical gifts and elite YAC abilities, something we’ve seen on full display recently via those two called-back scores. There are six receivers who I think have a chance to lead the position in points per game the rest of the way and Collins is a part of that list.
Tank Dell, WR | HOU
Dell’s Injury Status for Week 13
Dell is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Dell
Tank Dell has scored 8.3-10.2 PPR points in three straight games and I worry that there is more downward trajectory than reason for optimism.
With Nico Collins operating at close to full strength, Dell was able to carve out only a 14.3% on-field target share, something that creates a low floor and could be predictive given that he was at a sub-15.5% in Weeks 2-3, the last time we saw Collins used as a true WR1.
On Sunday, his aDOT was 21.0 yards, further widening the range of potential outcomes. There are going to be weeks where Dell wins vertically like he did in the first half last week for a 39-yard gain. Sometimes, those looks may take place in the end zone. You do, however, need to be aware of the downside that comes with such a role (Weeks 2-3: 59 yards and zero touchdowns on 72 routes).
The Jaguars allow the second most yards per deep pass this season and that has Dell firmly in my Flex rankings, something that might not be the case long-term.
Dalton Schultz, TE | HOU
Schultz’s Injury Status for Week 13
Schultz is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Schultz
If you were holding out hope on Dalton Schultz, it’s time to move on. To be honest, it’s well beyond that time, but if you’re reading this section, that means that you’ve yet to pull the trigger.
Schultz’s 5.4% on-field target share last week was a career low (minimum 10 routes run) and ranked sixth on this team in a script that was reasonably slanted toward the passing game.
I don’t think we get a game flow that looks anything like that this week. Even if we do, it’s clear that C.J. Stroud is more comfortable looking elsewhere (Cade Stover posted season highs in receptions and targets last week with his first touchdown of the year).
Mac Jones, QB | JAX
Jones’ Injury Status for Week 13
Jones is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Jones
This is a lost season for the Jaguars, and without Mac Jones being labeled as the long-term solution, there’s no reason to think that Jacksonville extends him in a way that would be meaningful for our game.
Jones hasn’t been a top-25 quarterback in either of his starts this season — the only fantasy impact is his ability (or inability) to support two pass catchers who we are starting. Can he do that (249 passing yards on 51 attempts over the past two games)? I’m worried. Keep reading, and you’ll see where I stand on both Brian Thomas Jr. and Evan Engram.
Trevor Lawrence, QB | JAX
Lawrence’s Injury Status for Week 13
After missing the Jacksonville Jaguars’ two games before their Week 12 bye, quarterback Trevor Lawrence returned to practice this week. He was limited in all three practices this week as he returns from a severe AC joint sprain in his left shoulder.
NFL Network reported that there is a “good possibility” that Lawerence will start against in Week 13, assuming he suffers no setbacks. On Friday morning, head coach Doug Pederson said that Lawrence should be ready to suit up, despite the questionable tag he received on the final injury report.
Backup quarterback Mac Jones threw for just 249 total yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions in his two starts, both Jacksonville losses. He ranked dead last in passing success rate (31%) and next-to-last in EPA per dropback (-0.30) from Weeks 10 to 11.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence has returned to practice after missing two games with a shoulder injury and while he is a recognizable name, there’s no reason for this to interest fantasy managers as we come down the stretch of 2023.
Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton are just two of the quarterbacks with a higher peak positional finish than Lawrence this season and with various injuries to his playmakers, I’m not confident that what we see post-injury is much different than what we saw prior.
With Brian Thomas as his primary weapon for most of his games this season, Lawrence has sacrificed some efficiency for deep shots (aDOT up 11% from last season), but he’s been unable to reach a ceiling performance as a result.
Perhaps the biggest flaw in his 2024 profile is the lack of rushing. Lawrence has one game this season with 20 yards on the ground, and if he is going to be a glorified pocket passer, he’s going to have to be near-perfect to work his way into the starting conversation in most fantasy leagues – not just this season, but for the foreseeable future.
Tank Bigsby, RB | JAX
Bigsby’s Injury Status for Week 13
Tank Bigsby (ankle) fully practiced all week and did not carry any injury designation on the final report of the week.
The second-year running back missed Week 11 but was able to rest during Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye. Now Bigsby will return in Week 13, creating a frustrating — at least, for fantasy managers — running back committee with Travis Etienne Jr.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Bigsby
Tank Bigsby was inactive in Week 11 before the bye, and this is a health situation to monitor. He’s shown well for himself in his second season (15.1% production over expectation), and that’s enough for me to shift the majority of RB carries in Jacksonville his way should he suit up.
That role is nice to have, but in this low-octane offense, the ceiling is only so high for a one-dimensional option (19 carries for every target this year). Fantasy championships aren’t usually won by banking on a committee back in an offense that ranks in the 25th percentile in most metrics — that’s what we have here, even if Bigsby is technically the starter.
Travis Etienne, RB | JAX
Etienne’s Injury Status for Week 13
Etienne is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Etienne
Travis Etienne Jr.’s name is on the list of most disappointing early-round picks this season, and I’m not sure there’s a path to him salvaging much given the state of this offense if Tank Bigsby can shake off his ankle injury.
Etienne’s production rates by season:
- 2023: 8.5% production over expectations
- 2024: 21.1% production under expectations
His metrics have declined across the board, most glaringly a 19.9% dip in yards per carry after contact; while I favor him in the passing game over Bigsby, I’m not sure there’s enough meat on this bone to start him with confidence.
If you’re confident that the goal line is Etienne’s to lose, you could talk yourself into a score saving your bacon (HOU: third worst red-zone defense), but if Bigsby is good to go, you’re grasping for straws.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR | JAX
Thomas’ Injury Status for Week 13
Thomas is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Thomas
Splash plays and volume were the calling cards of Brian Thomas Jr. to open this season, but September’s success won’t pay the bills during the winter months.
- Thomas had three straight games with at least eight targets early on — he hasn’t had a single game like that since
- Thomas had two 55+ yard receptions during a three-week stretch — he doesn’t have a 30-yard grab in over a month
Accepted logic for rookie receivers is that they take time to assimilate to the speed of the professional game and offer more production as their first season wears on. That sounds great as a blanket statement, but when we are talking about an entirely different situation now than two months ago in terms of the surrounding pieces, struggles like this aren’t all that surprising.
I’m holding my dynasty shares of Thomas without question, but we are trying to win Week 13 in this article, and I don’t think there’s a path to doing that. We know the quarterback play is a problem, and facing the defense that ranks third in non-blitz sack rate isn’t exactly the recipe for fixing that.
I’d rather take the assumed quantity of looks, even if the quality is in question, of a player like Jakobi Meyers this week and until proven unwise to do so.
Parker Washington, WR | JAX
Washington’s Injury Status for Week 13
Washington is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Washington
The Jaguars started Parker Washington in Week 9 and left him on the field for 84.3% of the snaps in that loss to the Eagles, but they’ve dialed back his role since (54.4% snap share) and he’s managed just one reception on those 36 routes.
The idea of capitalizing on the Christian Kirk injury was sound, but it didn’t work out and you owe it to your roster to continue cycling through options to fill out the back end of your roster.
It’s easy to ignore your reserves until you need them, but successful fantasy managers are consistently tweaking things in an effort to optimize their roster. In that vein, move on from Washington for a player either attached to a more potent offense or one with a more clear path to volume.
If you’re really trying to get creative for a DFS lineup, it’s worth noting that the Texans allow a touchdown on a league-high 13.5% of slot passes.
Evan Engram, TE | JAX
Engram’s Injury Status for Week 13
Engram is not listed on the injury report this week.
Week 13 Start-Sit Advice for Engram
These backup QB situations create projection chaos, so it’s nice when a player like Evan Engram emerges.
With Mac Jones (2024):
- 30.6% on-field target share
- 73.3% catch rate
- 7.1 aDOT
With Trevor Lawrence (2024):
- 25.6% on-field target share
- 73.5% catch rate
- 6.2 aDOT
Engram is the only Jaguar I’m confident in these days, and I like his chances to catch at least five passes for the sixth time in seven games. With an implied team total of under 20 points, I’m not chasing Engram in a DFS setting where ceilings are rewarded. However, in any redraft league where I roster Engram, I’m starting him with confidence.