Fantasy Football WR Rankings Week 13: Who to start, best sleepers at wide receiver

Nick Musial

Fantasy Football WR Rankings Week 13: Who to start, best sleepers at wide receiver image

Over 85 percent of the fantasy football regular season is in the books, and we've officially reached crunch time. With little to no margin for error in the final two weeks of the regular season, our Week 13 fantasy WR rankings for standard leagues are your go-to source for sleepers at the all-important wide receiver spot.

Whether you're trying to settle your start-sit debates, looking for this week's top streamers, or trying to steer clear of potential busts, we've got you covered in a tricky week with six teams on bye and several more key WR injuries. 

With all that in mind, let's break down our Week 13 rankings and find the best receivers ahead of your crucial matchups.

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Which WRs are on bye in Week 13?

A brutal six-team bye sees the Ravens, Bills, Vikings, Raiders, Giants, and Bears idle in Week 13. As a result, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, Justin Jefferson, DJ Moore, Zay Flowers, Jakobi Meyers, and Jordan Addison are among the most notable wideouts omitted from our rankings.

WEEK 13 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

In deeper leagues, fantasy owners will be without the services of Odell Beckham Jr., K.J. Osborn, Gabe Davis, Jalin Hyatt, and Khalil Shakir.

WEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Who are the best fantasy WRs in Week 13?

Tyreek Hill (@ Commanders in Week 1) showed out despite a tough matchup in Week 12, prompting a return to the top spot against a reeling Washington stop unit. Close behind is CeeDee Lamb (vs. Seahawks), who will look to continue his strong play with another sweat-free win over Seattle.

All Amon-Ra St. Brown (@ Saints) does is put up numbers on reliable volume, seeing at least nine targets in each of his past six games. Expect another steady fantasy day for the Lions following a disappointing loss on Thanksgiving. Keenan Allen (@ Patriots) will undoubtedly be one of the focal points of the Patriots' defensive game plan, but that won't stop Justin Herbert from potentially targeting him 10-plus times.

A.J. Brown (vs. 49ers) isn't in the best spot in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game, but Philadelphia's WR1 is always a threat to reach paydirt while racking up several receptions. Mike Evans (vs. Panthers) has totaled four TDs over the past three weeks, and Baker Mayfield's go-to target is routinely a threat to finish as a top-five wideout.

Brandon Aiyuk (@ Eagles) faces an exploitable Eagles pass defense, putting San Francisco's WR1 in a prime position to ball out. Philadelphia's defense entered Week 12 allowing the second most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to WRs, so both Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel could pop off. We also still have faith in Ja'Marr Chase (@ Jaguars), as Cincinnati's WR1 averaged over 20 yards per reception in Week 12. His steady target share with Jake Browning under center still makes him a set-it-and-forget-it WR1.

Jaylen Waddle (@ Commanders) sees a sizeable rankings boost after his 114-yard effort in Week 12, and with Miami facing a struggling Washington pass defense, Waddle could one-up his performance. Tank Dell (vs. Broncos) rounds out our top 10, as the rookie continues to produce as a key cog in the surging Texans' offense.

WEEK 13 FANTASY ADVICE: Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit

Who are the best fantasy WR sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 13?

DeVante Parker (vs. Chargers), Jayden Reed (vs. Chiefs), Curtis Samuel (vs. Dolphins), Jonathan Mingo (@ Buccaneers), Lynn Bowden Jr. (vs. Lions), Cedric Tillman (@ Rams), and Justin Watson (@ Packers) make up some of the most notable WR waiver wire adds for Week 13.

Parker should see the bulk of the targets for the Patriots with Demario Douglas (concussion) placed in the league's concussion protocol, and against the Chargers' league-worst pass defense, that could result in a solid day. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton also have some boom-or-bust upside in that matchup. Bowden Jr., A.T. Perry, and Keith Kirkwood are in similar situations in New Orleans with Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (thigh) hurting. A favorable matchup against Detroit means at least one of them will come through, and we like Bowden Jr. the best.

Reed continues to be an undervalued commodity, scoring in three straight games while logging high snap share numbers. He's involved in the running game most games, so he doesn't have quite as much PPR value, but he's still a potential flex against the Chiefs.

Samuel saw 12 targets in a negative game script last week, and with Washington passing at an extremely high clip, Samuel profiles as a volume-based flex against Miami this Sunday. Similarly, Mingo draws a plus matchup against a reeling Buccaneers secondary, and a potential negative game script figures to boost his Week 13 fantasy prospects.

Tillman is another talented rookie who's starting to emerge as a trusted option for Cleveland, and although P.J. Walker doesn't give us much hope for a strong offensive day for the Browns, with Amari Cooper (ribs) banged-up, Tillman's set up for a high-usage day against the Rams.

Watson (three targets in Week 12) didn't see nearly the same type of usage as he did in Week 11 (11 targets), but the Chiefs' WR still reached paydirt, hauling in a TD reception on his only catch in Week 12. If you want to invest in one of the league's most consistent offenses, take a flier on Watson against the Packers.

WEEK 13 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best stacks | Best values

Who are the biggest potential WR busts in Week 13?

It's hard for us to trust Terry McLaurin (vs. Dolphins), Puka Nacua/Tutu Atwell (vs. Browns), and Drake London (@ Jets) this week, as these wideouts could end up underperforming relative to their projections in tough matchups.

Although Sam Howell is averaging 40.5 pass attempts per game, McLaurin is averaging just 42 receiving yards over his past three games. It won't get any easier when matched up against lockdown cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Nacua and Atwell face a Cleveland defense that entered Week 12 allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to WRs, making them risky starts in standard scoring leagues. Even Cooper Kupp, who's struggled lately, could disappoint again, but we consider him a "must-start."

London is in just as tough of a spot against a steady Jets coverage unit. He'll likely see a lot of Sauce Gardner, too, lowering his fantasy ceiling.

What are the biggest WR injuries in Week 13?

In Week 12, the most notable WRs to exit their respective games with injuries include Chris Olave (concussion), Amari Cooper (ribs), Demario Douglas (concussion), and Rashid Shaheed (thigh). We've left all four WRs out of our initial Week 13 list but will closely monitor their teams' injury reports to gauge their playing prospects.

Leading into Week 12, Tee Higgins (hamstring), Noah Brown (knee), Treylon Burks (concussion), and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) all failed to suit up due to nagging injuries. For now, we've placed Higgins and Brown in our Week 13 list and omitted Burks and Toney. We'll also be watching the Chargers' Josh Palmer (knee), who's eligible to come off the IR this week but is unlikely to suit up against New England.

As usual, we'll update these standard WR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.

Fantasy WR Rankings Week 13: Who to start, sit at wide receiver

Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring

Rank    Player
1    Tyreek Hill, Dolphins @ Commanders
2    CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys vs. Seahawks
3    Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions @ Saints
4    Keenan Allen, Chargers @ Patriots
5    A.J. Brown, Eagles vs. 49ers
6    Mike Evans, Buccaneers vs. Panthers
7    Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers @ Eagles
8    Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals @ Jaguars
9    Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins @ Commanders
10    Tank Dell, Texans vs. Broncos
11    Calvin Ridley, Jaguars vs. Bengals
12    Michael Pittman Jr., Colts @ Titans
13    DeVonta Smith, Eagles vs. 49ers
14    Garrett Wilson, Jets vs. Falcons
15    Cooper Kupp, Rams vs. Browns
16    DK Metcalf, Seahawks @ Cowboys
17    Chris Olave, Saints vs. Lions
18    Deebo Samuel, 49ers @ Eagles
19    DeAndre Hopkins, Titans vs. Colts
20    Courtland Sutton, Broncos @ Texans
21    Christian Watson, Packers vs. Chiefs
22    Christian Kirk, Jaguars vs. Bengals
23    Terry McLaurin, Commanders vs. Dolphins
24    Nico Collins, Texans vs. Broncos
25    Rashee Rice, Chiefs @ Packers
26    Tee Higgins, Bengals @ Jaguars
27    Marquise Brown, Cardinals @ Steelers
28    Puka Nacua, Rams vs. Browns
29    Chris Godwin, Buccaneers vs. Panthers
30    George Pickens, Steelers vs. Cardinals
31    Romeo Doubs, Packers vs. Chiefs
32    Noah Brown, Texans vs. Broncos
33    Jerry Jeudy, Broncos @ Texans
34    Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Cardinals
35    Brandin Cooks, Cowboys vs. Seahawks
36    Adam Thielen, Panthers @ Buccaneers
37    Tyler Lockett, Seahawks vs. Cowboys
38    Josh Downs, Colts @ Titans
39    Amari Cooper, Browns @ Rams
40    Drake London, Falcons @ Jets
41    DeVante Parker, Patriots vs. Chargers
42    Jahan Dotson, Commanders vs. Dolphins
43    Elijah Moore, Browns @ Rams
44    Jayden Reed, Packers vs. Chiefs
45    Jameson Williams, Lions @ Saints
46    Rondale Moore, Cardinals @ Steelers
47    Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks @ Cowboys
48    Tyler Boyd, Bengals vs. Jaguars
49    Robert Woods, Texans vs. Broncos
50    Zay Jones, Jaguars vs. Bengals
51    Curtis Samuel, Commanders vs. Dolphins
52    Jonathan Mingo, Panthers @ Buccaneers
53    Jalen Guyton, Chargers @ Patriots
54    Tutu Atwell, Rams vs. Browns
55    Treylon Burks, Titans vs. Colts
56    Quentin Johnston, Chargers @ Patriots
57    Justin Watson, Chiefs @ Packers
58    Dontayvion Wicks, Packers vs. Chiefs
59    A.T. Perry, Saints vs. Lions
60    Greg Dortch, Cardinals @ Steelers
61    Lynn Bowden Jr., Saints vs. Lions
62    Trey Palmer, Buccaneers vs. Panthers
63    Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Seahawks
64    Josh Reynolds, Lions @ Saints
65    Keith Kirkwood, Saints vs. Lions
66    Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs @ Packers
67    Cedric Tillman, Browns @ Rams
68    DJ Chark, Panthers @ Buccaneers
69    Alec Pierce, Colts @ Titans
70    JuJu Smith-Schuster, Patriots vs. Chargers
71    Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans vs. Colts
72    Cedrick Wilson, Dolphins @ Commanders
73    Skyy Moore, Chiefs @ Packers
74    Chris Moore, Titans vs. Colts
75    Kalif Raymond, Lions @ Saints
76    Trenton Irwin, Bengals @ Jaguars

Week 13 WR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks

Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week

We're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 13 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for wide receivers -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!

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Nick Musial

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Nick Musial is a Content Producer at The Sporting News. He recently joined the team after studying sport management and journalism at the University of Kansas. Nick’s an avid sports bettor who’s always looking for value.