Scott Engel is in his 14th year as the official Fantasy Football writer and analyst for Seahawks.com. He is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hall of Fame. Scott is a four-time FSWA award winner and a 13-time nominee. You can find more of his fantasy football analysis and weekly fantasy football rankings at RotoBaller.com and he is also a host on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio.

We are just one week from the fantasy playoffs in many leagues, and two weeks away in others. Regardless of your league's exact postseason schedule, the rest of Week 13 looms as a pivotal fantasy football slate of games. Wins are essential in terms of clinching playoff berths or staying in the race for a postseason slot.

As the Seahawks get ready to host the Minnesota Vikings, fantasy players are preparing for the Sunday and Monday games that will decide their win/loss fate for the week. Four games were already played to begin the week on Thursday and Friday, and now upside may be needed to finish off a Week 13 win. We provide some of the best lineup options for optimal PPR points output this week.

There are no teams on byes in Week 13, so lineup decisions might become even tougher. We feature the players to lean to when faced with tight decisions.

NFL Week 13: Running Backs To Start

START Travis Etienne: Heading into last week, there was some talk among fantasy analysts that Etienne could be on the verge of losing his grip on the lead RB duties in Jacksonville. He responded by silencing such talk, totaling 116 yards from scrimmage while catching a TD pass. He might continue to share some work, but will remain a significant part of the Jaguars' offense. Tennessee ranks 25^th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to RBs.

START RJ Harvey: Denver has emerged as one of the best teams in the AFC, and the rookie RB may be ready to deliver the best outing yet. Washington has been a favorable matchup for RBs all season, and the Broncos can display good offensive balance against the Commanders. Harvey is a versatile performer set to face a Commanders team that ranks 28^th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to RBs.

START Devin Neal: The New Orleans RB was the top waiver wire pickup of Week 13, and those who added him can consider Neal right away for flex or even RB2 usage depending on lineup needs. Alvin Kamara is out with a knee injury, and Neal might start for the next few games for New Orleans. This is another rookie to consider for Week 13 as the Saints begin to evaluate him for the future. Neal can help the Saints exhibit some ball control against Miami.

START Tyler Allegier: If you need a deeper RB option to play at a flex position, Allgeier can be used for his TD promise. Bijan Robinson is the clear lead RB in Atlanta, but Allgeier has functioned as a quality complement and a frequent ball carrier in TD situations near the end zone. He has already rushed for a career-best seven TDs and should score at least once against the Jets.

More Fantasy Football RBs To Start In Week 13: Treveyon Henderson vs. Giants, Quinshon Judkins vs. 49ers, Jaylen Warren vs. Bills, Woody Marks vs. Colts.

NFL Week 13: Wide Receivers To Start

START Stefon Diggs: The Patriots surprisingly lead the NFL with 10 wins, and Drake Maye is a prime contender in the NFL MVP race. His top target is Diggs, who still commands a heavy amount of defensive respect.

In Week 11, Diggs caught nine passes on 11 targets for 105 yards, demonstrating his potential to still post big numbers when the matchup is right. The Giants rank 30^th in receiving yards allowed to WRs, and Diggs should play a key role as New England continues to pursue a top playoff seed. New York has also allowed an NFL-high eight TD passes to WRs over the past four weeks.

START Troy Franklin: In his second NFL season, Franklin has become more of a consistent playmaker for Denver. In four of his past five games, Franklin registered 12-plus points in every outing. He was also targeted eight-plus times in every game during that span. Over the past four weeks, Washington has allowed the second-most FFPG allowed to WRs.

START Khalil Shakir: He is coming off a good game against a strong defense. Shakir caught eight passes for 110 yards against Houston last week. This week's matchup against the Steelers is an important one for Buffalo in the AFC playoff picture. Pittsburgh also allows the most Fantasy Points Per Game to WRs among AFC teams. Consider starting Shakir as a fantasy WR3.

START Parker Washington: He has become a key target for Trevor Lawrence, stepping forward as injuries thinned the Jacksonville WR corps. Brian Thomas Jr. might return from an ankle injury, which can help Washington in terms of seeing a bit less defensive attention. He has caught TD passes in two of his last three games, and Tennessee ranks 28^th in FFPG allowed to WRs.

More Fantasy Football WRs To Start In Week 13: Darnell Mooney vs. Jets, Quentin Johnston vs. Raiders, Greg Dortch vs. Buccaneers, Chimere Dike vs. Jaguars.

NFL Week 13: Quarterbacks To Start

START Sam Darnold: It's common knowledge to know that Darnold takes on his former team this week, and he will be facing a Minnesota defense that might spend a lot of time on the field. The Vikings rank 24^th in rushing yards allowed to RBs. A successful Seahawks ground game can set up more play-action success for Darnold. Playing against a former team can always be fun, as Darnold will be squaring off against former friends and teammates.

START Jacoby Brissett: The 10^th-year veteran has injected new life into the Arizona offense and should be considered as a back-end fantasy QB1 for Week 13. Tampa Bay ranks 27^th in FFPG allowed to QBs. Brissett has finished as a top 10 fantasy QB in four of his past five games. He passed for a total of 869 yards in the last two games.

NFL Week 13: Tight Ends To Start

START Oronde Gadsden II: The son of the former Miami Dolphins WR has already flashed considerable promise in his rookie season. Recently, Gadsden finished as a fantasy TE1 in three consecutive games from Weeks 7 through 9. The Chargers are coming off a bye week in a winnable matchup vs. the Raiders. Gadsden may get involved in the flow of the Los Angeles passing game again.

START Juwan Johnson: The Saints TE is actually underrated for fantasy purposes. At a position where reliability is hard to come by, Johnson provides pretty steady fantasy production. He has finished as a fantasy TE1 in four consecutive games. He has also caught two TD passes in his last three games and was targeted seven-plus times in three of his past five. Miami ranks 29^th in FFOG allowed to TEs.

Week 13 Fantasy Football Defenses To Stream: Atlanta Falcons vs. Jets, Miami Dolphins vs. Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Titans, San Francisco 49ers vs. Browns.