Eagles vs. 49ers: Fantasy start, sit options for Week 13 of the NFL season

Start: Deebo Samuel, WR (San Francisco 49ers)

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel made headlines this past week due to some trash talk regarding Philly cornerback James Bradberry. It's causing a stir between two passionate fan bases. However, Fantasy managers should have no worries about the San Francisco playmaker ahead of an amazing matchup.

Samuel is fresh off a game where he saw a team-high nine targets and now faces an Eagles defense that has given up the third-most yards to opposing wide receivers (2,157). He also scored a rushing touchdown in that game for the second time in three weeks. That versatility is rare in Fantasy football.

A yardage trend isn't the only one working in Samuel's favor as Philadelphia has allowed the second-most touchdowns (17) and the most overall Fantasy points to opposing wideouts. This is the best chance Samuel will have across the rest of the 2023 campaign to put together a top-10 performance.

Sit: Philadelphia Eagles D/ST

Although Philadelphia's defense certainly knows how to step up with the game on the line, it has not been able to produce great Fantasy scores. One main reason why is that the team is struggling to put pressure on the opposing quarterback, averaging only 2.0 sacks per contest over the last four weeks.

That is not ideal when an elite offense like San Francisco is traveling to Lincoln Financial Field. The 49ers' offensive line is giving up just 1.8 sacks per away game, which is tied for the fifth-best mark in the league. That protection has helped them give up the fewest Fantasy points to opposing defenses.

There is no room to breathe in this one, so the best strategy would be to stream a defense that has a far more favorable matchup in Week 13. Stash the Eagles D/ST on the bench instead of dropping ties completely, though, as better clashes against the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals are coming.

Sit: Jake Moody, K (San Francisco 49ers)

San Francisco is loaded with weapons that Fantasy managers cannot afford to sit with the playoffs looming. Jake Moody is not one of those weapons. At the time of this story's release, he checks in as the 16th-highest-scoring kicker. He has now failed to reach double-digit Fantasy points in seven of his last eight outings.

There's a reason why the rookie's production has been average. The 49ers score a touchdown on 61.4% of its red zone drives, and that means Moody isn't getting a ton of chances to knock down short-range field goals. He hasn't attempted more than two field goals in a game since Week 6, either.

It's worth noting Philadelphia allows the fifth-fewest Fantasy points to opposing kickers as well as only 1.0 made field goal per home game. It even blocked a field goal thanks to rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter in Week 12. There's no way around it, Moody is in a tough spot ahead of Sunday evening.

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