Washington Commanders vs. Denver Broncos: Week 13 fantasy start/sit

The Washington Commanders return from their bye this week to host the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football from Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

In a game where Jayden Daniels will not play again, Marcus Mariota once again gets the start. The player who lines up under center matters in fantasy football. Not all quarterbacks are created equal, and every quarterback has that one receiver they are most comfortable with on their team. Because of that, deciding which players to start and sit in your fantasy league can change based on who is playing quarterback.

With Mariota starting, it changes the dynamic of the Commanders' offense, and they are facing one of the top defenses in the league this week. That said, let's take a peek at which players to start and which ones to sit in your fantasy football league.

Start: QB Bo Nix

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos are quietly having a really good season. He struggled a bit ahead of their bye week, throwing three interceptions and three touchdowns in the three games leading up to the bye. However, the Commanders rank 25th in fantasy points allowed by quarterbacks, and their secondary has taken some serious hits over the last few weeks. Nix has enough weapons to target that he should not have a problem putting up some decent fantasy numbers this week.

Sit: WR Terry McLaurin

McLaurin does not have an injury designation coming out of the bye, which is positive, but that doesn't mean he's worth playing in fantasy football. He's appeared in just four games this season, and with Mariota lining up under center, it's hard to tell how many targets McLaurin will get. When McLaurin returned briefly in Week 8, he caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown with Mariota under center. The Broncos' pass defense ranks sixth in the league and has allowed just nine passing touchdowns in 2025, the fewest in the league.

Start: WR Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel has been the healthiest and most consistent wide receiver the Commanders have had this season. He's scored in back-to-back games and will remain a top target for Marcus Mariota. He will likely be shadowed by Patrick Surtain, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but Samuel is a veteran receiver who knows how to get open. As indicated above, the Broncos have allowed just nine passing touchdowns this season, but that doesn't mean none. And with the Commanders' run game not up to par right now, Samuel remains their top offensive weapon.

Sit: WR Courtland Sutton

Troy Franklin has emerged as Bo Nix's go-to target, and Sutton's target volume was already dwindling ahead of the bye. He's had six or fewer targets in four of his last six games. He does have big-play potential, and he could break out in Week 13 against a Commanders' secondary that ranks 30th in points per game allowed to wide receivers. However, even if he's on the field and has some big plays, he will be splitting targets with Franklin, who will likely get more targets than Sutton.

Sleeper: RB R.J. Harvey

Broncos starting running back J.K. Dobbins was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury after Week 10. Harvey didn't play as well as he hoped in the first game without Dobbins, which was also his first career NFL start. He recorded just 50 scrimmage yards on 14 touches, but he is going to have a significant role without Dobbins. He needs to have a breakout game against the Commanders to avoid being replaced by Jaleel McLaughlin in Sean Payton's run-friendly offense. He has scored six total touchdowns in his first 11 NFL games, and he's facing a Commanders' defense that ranks 26th in points per game allowed to running backs.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Week 13 fantasy start/sit vs. Broncos