Lowdown:

d1 center, health is at 79, durability 35. 17.6ppg/6.3rpg/1.1bpg in 23.7mpg

my team rpi=52, 6-6 overall
opponent (at home) rpi=75, 7-6 overall, D homecourt. starts 3 big men including defensive beasts at SF/PF, hcp/zone D

without my C, just lost in double-OT game on the road to a team w/ rpi=37 and A homecourt. however i have lost games on the road to teams with rpi's of 14, 15, 132, 63, 3 and the aforementioned 37.

should i start him? more specifically, what are the chances he gets hurt worse (i have an easier game after this one before hosting the #13 team) and how badly do i hurt my chances of winning if i sit him?

I would play him as a backup but not a starter. It is too early in the season to risk injuring him more. Also, he will not be playing at 100% of his abilitiy. There is not a direct correlation but for planning purposes, you should consider him only at 79% of his skill levels.