Kate Magdziuk shares her Week 13 wide receiver rankings for standard scoring leagues and highlights several streaming options.
Week 12 was not for the faint of heart (or for those without depth) with a whopping six teams on bye. There were several key wide receivers out last week, from Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to Drake London, Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. Now, they’re all back in action for a busy Week 13 game slate, filled to the brim with four days of football, including the Thanksgiving games, Black Friday, the Sunday slate and Monday Night Football.
The good news? A full slate of games means a full list of potential fantasy assets at the waiting. To help you set those lineups, we’re here with several WR sleepers and our Week 13 WR rankings for standard-scoring league formats.
Rostership percentages in Yahoo! Fantasy leagues are indicated in parentheses.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling joined up with the New Orleans Saints this season, suiting up for the first time in Week 9 after his release from the Buffalo Bills. However, in the past two weeks, he’s amassed a 5-196-3 line that is good for WR6 dating back to Week 9 in standard-scoring leagues.
In each of his games with the Saints, he’s seen an increase in his offensive snap percentage, from 41% in Week 9 to 55% in Week 10 and 65% in Week 11. Now having had their bye, the coaching staff has had a greater opportunity to integrate himself into the offense. He’s averaging 33.5 yards per reception with the Saints this year — a big-play merchant with the same number of touchdowns as Amari Cooper, Sam LaPorta, DK Metcalf, Malik Nabers, Tyreek Hill and Calvin Ridley, among others.
MVS may not be an outstanding NFL player, but his role within the Saints’ offense is outstanding. It’s a boom or bust role, no doubt, but it’s one that’s been conducive to fantasy (and touchdown) production, specifically.
There’s no doubt that Courtland Sutton is the Denver Broncos’ bonafide WR1, but 26-year-old seventh-round rookie (yes, 26 years old; he turns 27 in December) has made quite the impact with rookie Bo Nix under center.
This Browns’ secondary isn’t the same old Cleveland secondary of old; it’s one that has yielded plenty of yards (157.2 per game, eighth-most), TDs (13, tied for fifth-most) and efficiency to opposing wide receivers (15.9 yards per reception — a league-high). Vele had a season-best 6-80-0 line on nine targets last week, with 4+ targets (and receptions) in each of the ascending Broncos offense’s last three games. He’s certainly a risk in lineups, but if you’re in need of a WR sleeper, you could do worse than an up-and-coming WR2 on an ascending offense with a favorable matchup. Vele is tied for the second-most targets this season despite playing just eight games, ranked second on the team in yards per route run (1.81) only behind Sutton while leading the team in passer rating when targeted (112.6, min. 15 targets).
It’s a risky bet to invest in the Carolina Panthers’ offense any given week for your fantasy football teams. However, if you’re going to have even marginal faith in this team’s passing game, a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be the trick.
Second-year QB Bryce Young has looked improved as a passer since his benching, and they’ll get a matchup against the Bucs, who have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to WRs this season, including the ninth-most receiving yards (1,749) to the position. The Buccaneers should be able to score some points early on, which will force a pass-heavy game script from the Panthers from the jump in Week 13. That will force the Panthers into a position to throw early and often, in particular to rookie Legette, who currently leads the team by a decent margin with 48 total targets (33 receptions, 340 receiving yards, 4 TD — all team-highs).
| # | Player (team) | Matchup | ECR | vs. ECR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A.J. Brown (PHI) | at BAL | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Nico Collins (HOU) | at JAC | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Puka Nacua (LAR) | at NO | 4 | +1 |
| 4 | Justin Jefferson (MIN) | vs. ARI | 5 | +1 |
| 5 | Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) | vs. CHI | 6 | +1 |
| 6 | Mike Evans (TB) | at CAR | 7 | +1 |
| 7 | Ja'Marr Chase (CIN) | vs. PIT | 3 | -4 |
| 8 | CeeDee Lamb (DAL) | vs. NYG | 10 | +2 |
| 9 | George Pickens (PIT) | at CIN | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | Tyreek Hill (MIA) | at GB | 11 | +1 |
| 11 | Tee Higgins (CIN) | vs. PIT | 13 | +2 |
| 12 | Cooper Kupp (LAR) | at NO | 8 | -4 |
| 13 | Courtland Sutton (DEN) | vs. CLE | 12 | -1 |
| 14 | Malik Nabers (NYG) | at DAL | 16 | +2 |
| 15 | Terry McLaurin (WAS) | vs. TEN | 14 | -1 |
| 16 | Calvin Ridley (TEN) | at WAS | 15 | -1 |
| 17 | Drake London (ATL) | vs. LAC | 17 | 0 |
| 18 | DK Metcalf (SEA) | at NYJ | 18 | 0 |
| 19 | Zay Flowers (BAL) | vs. PHI | 19 | 0 |
| 20 | Khalil Shakir (BUF) | vs. SF | 25 | +5 |
| 21 | Jameson Williams (DET) | vs. CHI | 20 | -1 |
| 22 | Jayden Reed (GB) | vs. MIA | 23 | +1 |
| 23 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA) | at NYJ | 22 | -1 |
| 24 | Darnell Mooney (ATL) | vs. LAC | 28 | +4 |
| 25 | Garrett Wilson (NYJ) | vs. SEA | 21 | -4 |
| 26 | Deebo Samuel Sr. (SF) | at BUF | 29 | +3 |
| 27 | Ladd McConkey (LAC) | at ATL | 24 | -3 |
| 28 | Davante Adams (NYJ) | vs. SEA | 27 | -1 |
| 29 | Jaylen Waddle (MIA) | at GB | 32 | +3 |
| 30 | Jauan Jennings (SF) | at BUF | 31 | +1 |
| 31 | DJ Moore (CHI) | at DET | 26 | -5 |
| 32 | Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI) | at MIN | 30 | -2 |
| 33 | Josh Downs (IND) | at NE | 68 | +35 |
| 34 | Amari Cooper (BUF) | vs. SF | 39 | +5 |
| 35 | Jakobi Meyers (LV) | at KC | 35 | 0 |
| 36 | DeAndre Hopkins (KC) | vs. LV | 33 | -3 |
| 37 | DeVonta Smith (PHI) | at BAL | 41 | +4 |
| 38 | Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC) | vs. HOU | 34 | -4 |
| 39 | Tank Dell (HOU) | at JAC | 37 | -2 |
| 40 | Jordan Addison (MIN) | vs. ARI | 36 | -4 |
| 41 | Jerry Jeudy (CLE) | at DEN | 38 | -3 |
| 42 | Quentin Johnston (LAC) | at ATL | 40 | -2 |
| 43 | Keenan Allen (CHI) | at DET | 42 | -1 |
| 44 | Rome Odunze (CHI) | at DET | 43 | -1 |
| 45 | Cedric Tillman (CLE) | at DEN | 44 | -1 |
| 46 | Michael Pittman Jr. (IND) | at NE | 45 | -1 |
| 47 | Noah Brown (WAS) | vs. TEN | 51 | +4 |
| 48 | Xavier Worthy (KC) | vs. LV | 47 | -1 |
| 49 | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (TEN) | at WAS | 49 | 0 |
| 50 | Christian Watson (GB) | vs. MIA | 46 | -4 |
| 51 | Keon Coleman (BUF) | vs. SF | 57 | +6 |
| 52 | Xavier Legette (CAR) | vs. TB | 50 | -2 |
| 53 | Elijah Moore (CLE) | at DEN | 52 | -1 |
| 54 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling (NO) | vs. LAR | 48 | -6 |
| 55 | Wan'Dale Robinson (NYG) | at DAL | 54 | -1 |
| 56 | Romeo Doubs (GB) | vs. MIA | 67 | +11 |
| 57 | DeMario Douglas (NE) | vs. IND | 55 | -2 |
| 58 | Ricky Pearsall (SF) | at BUF | 65 | +7 |
| 59 | Adam Thielen (CAR) | vs. TB | 58 | -1 |
| 60 | Jalen Coker (CAR) | vs. TB | 72 | +12 |
| 61 | Kayshon Boutte (NE) | vs. IND | 61 | 0 |
| 62 | Adonai Mitchell (IND) | at NE | 74 | +12 |
| 63 | Joshua Palmer (LAC) | at ATL | 60 | -3 |
| 64 | Rashod Bateman (BAL) | vs. PHI | 56 | -8 |
| 65 | Alec Pierce (IND) | at NE | 53 | -12 |
| 66 | Mike Williams (PIT) | at CIN | 77 | +11 |
| 67 | Michael Wilson (ARI) | at MIN | 62 | -5 |
| 68 | Devaughn Vele (DEN) | vs. CLE | 59 | -9 |
| 69 | Tyler Lockett (SEA) | at NYJ | 64 | -5 |
| 70 | Kendrick Bourne (NE) | vs. IND | 66 | -4 |
| 71 | Jalen McMillan (TB) | at CAR | 76 | +5 |
| 72 | Darius Slayton (NYG) | at DAL | 73 | +1 |
| 73 | Jalen Tolbert (DAL) | vs. NYG | 70 | -3 |
| 74 | Calvin Austin III (PIT) | at CIN | 69 | -5 |
| 75 | Tre Tucker (LV) | at KC | 71 | -4 |
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
