Fantasy Football Week 13: Top 40 Wide Receiver Rankings

Injuries to quarterbacks like the Philadelphia Eagles’ Michael Vick and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger have reduced a group of speedy wide receivers from no-brainer starts to almost un-start-able in fantasy football.

Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Jeremy Maclin are all playing in Week 13 but should be avoided in fantasy at all costs. The Steelers are down to third-string QB Charlie Batch (zero TDs, three INTs this season) and Philly is rolling out Nick Foles (one TD, three picks).

In a must-win week like this one, trusting any of those guys is a very difficult thing to do. Maclin barely makes the list below by virtue of being the undisputed top receiving option in Philadelphia—but that can only get him so far.

6. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

7. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts (at Detroit Lions).

8. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans (at Tennessee Titans).

9. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers (vs. Minnesota Vikings).

10. Wes Welker, New England Patriots (at Miami Dolphins).

11. Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears (vs. Seattle Seahawks).

12. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers (vs. Minnesota Vikings).

13. Danario Alexander, San Diego Chargers (vs. Cincinnati Bengals).

14. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers (vs. Minnesota Vikings).

15. Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Buffalo Bills).

16. Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Denver Broncos).

17. Eric Decker, Denver Broncos (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

18. Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers).

19. Denarius Moore, Oakland Raiders (vs. Cleveland Browns).

20. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys (vs. Philadelphia Eagles).

21. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts (at Detroit Lions).

22. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers (at Kansas City Chiefs).

23. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (at New York Jets).

24. Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Buffalo Bills).

25. Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins (vs. New York Giants).

26. Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars).

27. Malcom Floyd, San Diego Chargers (vs. Cincinnati Bengals).

28. Santana Moss, Washington Redskins (vs. New York Giants).

29. Brandon Lloyd, New England Patriots (at Miami Dolphins).

30. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco (at St. Louis Rams).

31. Andre Roberts, Arizona Cardinals (at New York Jets).

32. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots (at Miami Dolphins).

33. Brandon LaFell, Carolina Panthers (at Kansas City Chiefs).

34. Brian Hartline, Miami Dolphins (vs. New England Patriots).

35. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Carolina Panthers).

36. Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans (vs. Houston Texans).

37. Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins (vs. New England Patriots).

38. Chris Givens, St. Louis Rams (vs. San Francisco 49ers).

39. Brandon Stokley, Denver Broncos (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

40. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles (at Dallas Cowboys).

5. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants (at Washington Redskins)

Hakeem Nicks is back. After struggling through injuries and ineffectiveness in the early part of the season, the New York Giants wideout sandwiched his bye week with stat lines including nine catches for 75 yards and five grabs for 77 and a touchdown.

The only two teams that didn’t get the ball to the end zone via a wide receiver against Nicks’ Week 13 opponent play their home games in Pennsylvania. The Washington Redskins have allowed at least one TD to the position in nine games this season.

4. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals (at San Diego Chargers)

Cincinnati Bengals rookie wideout Mohamed Sanu has four TDs in his last three games, scoring two in Week 12, which coincided with the end of A.J. Green’s nine-game touchdown streak. Sanu won’t play Sunday, but quarterback Andy Dalton has been on fire regardless.

Dalton has thrown nine TDs in his last three games without turning the ball over once. Green should be a beneficiary of the production that his QB is manufacturing.

3. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

The Philadelphia Eagles secondary has been flat out terrible since the team fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. It surely doesn’t want to see a streaking Dez Bryant in Week 13, who has totaled 377 yards and four touchdowns on 23 catches in his last three games.

Philadelphia has allowed seven TDs to wideouts in its last five.

2. Victor Cruz, New York Giants (at Washington Redskins)

Victor Cruz’s fantasy slump and subsequent return to relevance matched New York Giants QB Eli Manning’s fantasy performances. Manning is poised to dismantle a Washington Redskins defense that allowed 19 catches, 284 yards and two touchdowns to Dallas Cowboys wideouts on Thanksgiving.

Miles Austin didn’t record a catch in that game.

Cruz grabbed seven passes for 131 yards and a TD the last time he saw the Redskins (Week 7).

1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

Megatron is finally doing what fantasy owners expected when they grabbed him toward the end of the first round: Score touchdowns on a consistent basis. Calvin Johnson has totaled 25 grabs for a ridiculous 490 yards and three touchdowns in just his last three games.

He also reached 140 yards receiving in each one.

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