Early Week 13 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Decisions: Zach Charbonnet, Brandin Cooks, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf

The Thursday night game between the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys is just a couple hours away, and fantasy owners are trying to make final decisions on players involved in that game.

The FantasySP start/sit tool has several trending decisions involving Seattle Seahawks’ Zach Charbonnet, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf and Dallas Cowboys’ Brandin Cooks. Instead of doing individual stories for each position, let’s knock things out in this one story.

The full fantasy outlooks for the Seahawks and Cowboys were published on Wednesday.

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Running Back Debate

Charbonnet is a part of several trending decisions for a second consecutive week. He’s likely going to start and be the workhorse for the Seahawks with Kenneth Walker listed as doubtful for the game. Even if Walker plays, Charbonnet should get a majority of the work.

Starting for Walker last week, Charbonnet got 18 touches across 49 offensive snaps. He rushed 14 times for 47 yards and caught all four of his targets for 11 yards.

The matchup against Dallas is a tough one for the rookie back, as Dallas only allows 16 fantasy points per week. Backs average 100 total yards, so if Charbonnet is the workhorse, he could put up a pretty solid fantasy number. Seattle would likely need to keep the game close for that to happen, and I’m not so sure they can.

Charbonnet is currently in trending decisions with Cleveland Browns’ Jerome Ford, Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Mixon, Detroit Lions’ David Montgomery, Washington Commanders’ Brian Robinson, Houston Texans’ Devin Singletary and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Jaylen Warren.

While Charbonnet is part of those decisions, fantasy owners are going with the other back in every instance - and most of the matchups are not that close. The closest matchup is Charbonnet and Singletary, which was separated by less than 2% as of this publication. 

In the weekly projections, Charbonnet is currently ranked 23rd. Montgomery is the highest ranked (15th), while Ford is the lowest ranked (26th).

The rankings are all pretty close, but the big difference is the opponent the backs are facing. While Charbonnet is facing an elite Cowboys’ defense, the other backs all have easier matchups on paper. 

It’s great that Charbonnet could be the workhorse, but I’d side with what fantasy owners are doing and take all the other backs over Charbonnet. This matchup is brutal and unless he makes a big difference as a pass catcher, I don’t see him outscoring anyone he is part of trending decisions with.

Wide Receiver Debate

Cooks, Lockett and Metcalf are all over the trending decisions at the wide receiver position. 

Cooks has 19 targets over the past three games as teams try to take away CeeDee Lamb. For the season, Cooks has 33 catches on 48 targets, going for 452 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his scores have come across the past three games.

Metcalf leads the Seahawks’ pass catchers in most numbers, but Lockett - and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for that matter - have each turned in solid seasons as well. Metcalf has 30 targets over the past three games, while Lockett is at that number over the past four games.

Metcalf has 678 yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches and 81 targets for the season. Lockett is up to 54 catches on 79 catches, going for 575 yards and four scores.

This is a tougher matchup for Lockett and Metcalf, as the Cowboys defense allows only 27 fantasy points to opposing receivers. Seattle allows 36 fantasy points to the position. 

Fantasy owners prefer Metcalf and Lockett over Cooks this week, and Metcalf is winning the battle between the two Seattle receivers (43-4%).

Other receivers in trending decisions with Cooks are Washington Commanders’ Curtis Samuel, Green Bay Packers’ Jayden Reed, Indianapolis Colts’ Josh Downs, Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Diontae Johnson. Metcalf is part of decisions against Johnson, Rams’ Puka Nacua, Commanders’ Terry McLaurin and Kansas City Chiefs’ Rashee Rice.

Cooks is the favorite over Samuel, but is picked against when Reed, Downs, Kupp and Johnson are the other receivers. Metcalf is preferred over Johnson, McLaurin and Rice, while Nacua is being started over Metcalf in more cases than not.

Of all the receivers, McLaurin is the top-ranked in the projections at 15th, while Samuel is the lowest at 43rd. Metcalf is 25th, Lockett is 30th and Cooks is 37th.

Instead of breaking down the different matchups, I’ll just give my preferred order for all these wideouts.

I’d follow the projections and go with McLaurin first. I’d then take Downs and his favorable matchup, followed up with Johnson. 

I like Cooks’ matchup the best of any guy left, but don’t trust him enough to take over some of the other options, who have shots to be their team’s leading receivers.

I’d take Reed fourth, followed by Reed. I’d then go with a surprise and take Samuel sixth. Give me Nacua next.

The last four guys are all pretty close in my book, but in order I’d go: Metcalf, Lockett, Cooks and Kupp. The matchup for Cooks is better than the one for Metcalf and Lockett, but I still think the Seattle receivers have higher ceilings as their team’s top options. Kupp would go quite a bit higher on this list if he wasn’t banged up, but considering the injury and tough matchup, I’d avoid him if I could.

Best of luck in week 13!