Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings: WR

Adam Thielen returns from the COVID-19 list to a golden matchup in the Jaguars while A.J. Brown looks to stay scorching vs. Cleveland. 

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Tight End/Kickers/Defense

Updated 12/6 at 12:00 PM ET. Removed Isaiah Coulter. 

Week 13 Receivers 

WR Notes: Tyreek Hill’s 269 yards against the Bucs were the 14th most all time. His 55-yard effort against the Broncos earlier this season can be thrown out. Non-offensive dominance in bad weather conditions limited the Chiefs’ passing plays. … DK Metcalf feels increasingly unguardable, though Jalen Ramsey got him good three weeks ago. New York’s James Bradberry is a stiff Week 13 test. … This feels too high for Adam Thielen in his return from COVID-19, it’s just that … there literally is not a single concerning thing about his matchup. Already truly terrible, injury is aligning to make the Jaguars’ defense historically bad down the stretch. … Calvin Ridley’s final rankings resting place will depend on Julio Jones’ (hamstring) status, as usual. Jones seemed somewhat close to suiting up last Sunday. He will probably be out there against New Orleans. If so, he will mix in on the WR1/2 borderline as he once again works to prove his health. Ridley will be in the WR8-10 range. Without Julio, the volume would be voluminous to get Ridley into the top five even in a bad matchup. … Playing like a tight end from the year 2055, A.J. Brown is simply impossible to bring down. He lacks true WR1 volume, but his Week 13 matchup is where it’s at. The air is where you beat the Browns. The 53.5 over/under is also the week’s highest.    

Editor's Note:  By using the Composite Rankings feature in our exclusive Season Tools, you can see how RotoPat's rankings compare to our other experts and see which WRs he is lower on (Keenan Allen) or higher on (Michael Thomas) this week. Subscribe to EDGE+ PRO now for as low as $7.99/month!

The Patriots’ defense is bad, yet it has not been a bonanza for enemy wideouts. Lack of volume has something to do with it, as the Pats’ sluggish style has led to a league low 316 passing attempts against. Stephon Gilmore is also back. This isn’t a layup for Keenan Allen. The floor is just so high. … Stefon Diggs’ usage has been coming more underneath the past few weeks. He’s also been less productive whenever John Brown (ankle) has been sidelined this season. Throw in some Week 13 showdowns with Richard Sherman, and you get a lower-floor, lower-ceiling WR1 than usual. … 5/75 is practically a guarantee for Terry McLaurin. 7/90 usually isn’t far behind. The former seems more likely vs. the Steelers. It’s not a great individual matchup for McLaurin, but he can win any. The real problem is how daunting it is for Alex Smith. … Is this too high for Justin Jefferson? Maybe. I simply have no interest in missing out on his stratospheric upside against a J.V. defense. Even 5-6 targets might be enough for a WR1 effort. … Quiet for most of the past month, DeAndre Hopkins now catches Jalen Ramsey. 5/50 happens in Nuk’s sleep. We take that baseline on the WR1/2 borderline.          

There hasn’t been any real difference between A.J. Brown and Allen Robinson’s usage. If Robinson had more scores, he would be in the WR5-6 range. But he’s in an offense that doesn’t do much scoring. The Lions are a “nice price” matchup. … Even as Taysom Hill turned Week 12 invisible, Michael Thomas still managed 4/50. Hill will be needed to complete more than nine passes vs. a Falcons D Thomas went 9/104 on two weeks ago. … Diontae Johnson isn’t always easy on the eyes. His fantasy case rests on compiling with theoretical big-play potential. Week 12’s 8/46 wouldn’t be out of place against the Football Team’s feisty defense. … Brandin Cooks is now the only show in town for would-be MVP candidate Deshaun Watson. 10-12 targets could be his new weekly baseline instead of 8-10. Behind Cooks, Keke Coutee should almost immediately slot into 5-6 looks. Fifth-round rookie Isaiah Coulter offers DFS punt play intrigue on the outside. … DeVante Parker’s Ryan Fitzpatrick chemistry picked up where it left off in Week 12. He’s close to the lone reliable option in Miami’s depleted skill corps. Parker will fade to lower-end WR2 status if Tua Tagovailoa (thumb) is cleared.

Tyler Lockett had 200 yards in Week 7 and 229 yards in five games since. With the Seahawks not cooking as much in the passing game, Lockett is feeling like a high-floor, low-ceiling WR2 behind all-worlder DK Metcalf. … You’re not alone if you’re getting whiplash from the Rams’ receiver usage. Despite unimposing talent, the Cardinals have remained stout against the pass. Robert Woods has traditionally had success vs. Patrick Peterson. He’s also averaging nine targets over the past month. He gets the nod over Cooper Kupp, who is nevertheless a no-shame WR2. … Amari Cooper has predictably stabilized his WR2 floor with Andy Dalton under center. That is probably the most he can hope for vs. the Ravens’ COVID-staggered-but-still-effective defense. … Deebo Samuel has -41 air yards over his past three games but 238 receiving yards. Lol. Now Brandon Aiyuk, who has gone at least 6/75 over his past three games, is off the COVID-19 list. This offense might not feel big enough for the two of them, but it really is. Where else is there for coach Kyle Shanahan to funnel the ball? No play-caller is better at manufacturing touches. He will for both his YAC monster wideouts. 

Jarvis Landry blew his previous 2020 highs out of the water in Week 12. Although not quite the Jaguars, the Titans are another all-systems-go matchup, one with a 53.5 over/under. … A disastrous Week 12 for Michael Pittman still featured nine targets. The Texans are a get-right spot if there ever was one. … Kenny Golladay (hip) still isn’t practicing. Marvin Jones’ volume has been creeping up. Now interim coach Darrell Bevell is talking pushing the pace. This is the safest Jones has been as a WR3 in some time. … The Seahawks seem to be tightening up on defense. The sky is still the limit for Sterling Shepard’s cheap compiling with Colt McCoy under center. McCoy’s presence all but nukes Darius Slayton’s deep game. … Jerry Jeudy has a zero-point floor. This is a ceiling bet in a contest where 14-point ‘dogs Denver will never stop throwing. ... Jakobi Meyers has five receptions in 4-of-5 games. I guess we have to keep the faith for a potential shootout with the Chargers. … Nelson Agholor is finally pushing into real-deal WR4 territory with 15 targets over his past two appearances. … It might be time to stop waiting on Sammy Watkins’ 2020 upside to arrive. … Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims are both hitting on big plays. They are awful floor bets, though, in this derailed offense. No need to chase Jets points.