Week 13 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers Who Could Emerge
Week 13 is upon us, which means the fantasy football playoffs aren't far away. Managers are likely to face several tough matchups this week, and a foursome of short-week games could further complicate the fantasy landscape.
The Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers will be in action on Thanksgiving. The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders will face off on Friday.
Fortunately, there are no byes this week, which means most managers will have a full complement of lineup options. For those who need to find reinforcements on the waiver wire, though, there will be options.
Here, you'll find a look at some deep sleepers who may still be available on the wire, along with updated point-per-reception (PPR) flex rankings for Week 13.
Week 13 PPR Flex Rankings
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1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
2. Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans
3. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
5. De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
6. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
7. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
8. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
9. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
10. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
11. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
12. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
13. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Buffalo Bills
14. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
15. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
16. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
17. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
19. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
20. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
21. Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
22. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
23. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
24. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
25. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
26. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
27. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
28. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
29. David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
30. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
31. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
32. George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
33. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
34. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
35. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
36. Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
37. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
38. Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
39. Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings
40. Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Managers probably won't need a QB fill-in this week, but byes are lurking again in Week 14—Lamar Jackson, Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels will be among the quarterbacks off next week.
Now is a great time to scoop up Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. He's had his ups and downs but has played well enough to justify Mike Tomlin's decision to switch from Justin Fields earlier in the season.
"I thought his experience could be an asset to our unit and our team. And that's played out," Tomlin said earlier this month, per Jarrett Bell of USA Today.
Wilson has a strong matchup this week against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. He's worth a start for managers streaming at the position, and he'll be a reasonable start in Week 14 too.
Wilson and the Steelers will have a rematch with the Cleveland Browns next week. While Cleveland won the Week 12 game, snowy conditions played a role. Wilson still finished that one with 270 passing yards and a touchdown. He's still available in roughly 50 percent of ESPN leagues and more than 70 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Other QBs to consider on the wire include:
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
- Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys
Gus Edwards, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
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It's rare to find a starting-caliber running back on the wire this late in the year. However, managers may be able to nab a starter for this week.
Los Angeles Chargers standout running back J.K. Dobbins exited Monday's game with a knee injury and did not return. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, it's a sprain for Dobbins that will sideline him for at least this week.
"He's out this week against the Falcons and up in the air after that. Gus Edwards is his backup," Rapoport posted on X on Wednesday.
Gus Edwards hasn't been nearly as Dobbins as efficient in L.A.'s offense this season. He is, however, likely to get the start against Atlanta. He had just 11 yards on nine carries against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday but did find the end zone.
Expectations for Edwards should be tempered this week, as the Falcons have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. However, he should see enough of a volume to warrant flex consideration.
Edwards is still available in over 70 percent of ESPN leagues and over 80 percent of Yahoo leagues. Other RBs to consider on the wire include:
- Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders
- Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
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Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen has missed much of the 2024 season with a hamstring injury that he suffered in Week 3. However, Thielen did return to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, and his presence was felt immediately.
Thielen caught three of four targets for 57 yards. He should have a stronger rapport with quarterback Bryce Young in his second game back, and Young has been playing very well as of late.
Young threw for 263 yards and posted a 02.9 passer rating against a very good Chiefs defense. This week, he and Thielen will face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has struggled against the pass.
Tampa has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2024. Thielen should have a solid floor in Week 13 and carries an enticing amount of upside. He's also still available in roughly 70 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
Other wide receivers to consider on this week's wire include:
- Noah Brown, Washington Commanders
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, New Orleans Saints
Noah Gray, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
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With all 32 teams in action, managers shouldn't need to grab a tight end off the wire this week. For those looking, though, Kansas City's Noah Gray has some intriguing matchup-based potential.
Travis Kelce is TE1 in Kansas City, obviously, but Gray has started to break out as a complementary pass-catcher. He's caught four touchdown passes over his last two games and has caught at least four passes in each of them.
This week, the Chiefs will host the Las Vegas Raiders, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. While Gray's touchdowns stand out, his increasing role in the offense makes him more than just a touchdown-dependent option.
Gray should have a solid PPR floor this week with three or more catches against the Raiders. He's still available in over 90 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
Other tight ends who may be available include:
- Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys
- Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
- Austin Hooper, New England Patriots
*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros.
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