2013 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Take Three

Ryan Lester

Jun 8, 2018

Injuries have hit the wide receiver position hard. Let's take another look at the 2013 fantasy football wide receiver landscape.

1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

Megatron shattered the NFL receiving record with 1,964 yards last year. The only knock is on his touchdown total (five). He had 16 and 12 touchdowns the previous two season respectively, so a return to double-digit scores in highly probable.

2. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

Dez finished with 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, but averaged 109.8 yards per game with 10 touchdowns in the final eight games. He showed incredible toughness and dedication playing through his finger injury. He’s arrived.

3. Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears

Marshall finished with 1,508 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 118 receptions were tied for second with Wes Welker and his 194 targets were tied for second with Reggie Wayne. Megatron led both categories. Marshall is a physical receiver with a quarterback (Jay Cutler) that loves to throw his way.

4. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Green finished with 1,350 yards and 11 touchdowns. He only had one score in the last six weeks and only topped 60 yards in two of the last five weeks. Despite a “slow” finish, Green is a steady performer.

5. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Julio finished with 1,198 and 10 touchdowns. He had five touchdowns in the final six games and a monster game (182 yards, two touchdowns) in the playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

6. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

Johnson stormed back with 1,598 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 147 yards over the last seven games. He’s still a slight injury risk, having missed 12 games in 2010 and 2011, but he’s still a force.

7. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos

Thomas finished with 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had six touchdowns in the final seven games. I would rank him higher if Wes Welker didn’t join Eric Decker in the Broncos’ WR corps.

8. Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

V-Jax finished with 1,384 yards and eight touchdowns. He only had one touchdown in the final six games, but his size (6′ 5″, 230 lbs) gives him an advantage over the opposing secondary.

9. Victor Cruz, New York Giants

Cruz returned to the Giants as expected. His 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns are slightly disappointing compared to 2011′s 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns, but he remains one of the game’s top threats.

10. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

White has averaged 1,295.5 yards and 8.2 touchdowns over the past six seasons. Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez and Steven Jackson will prevent opposing defenses from keying in on Roddy.

11. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts

Wayne finished with 1,355 and five touchdowns. He was one of the most heavily targeted receivers last year. Andrew Luck figures to be even better in 2013.

12. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers

Cobb finished with 1,086 total yards and nine touchdowns. Greg Jennings’ departure to the Minnesota Vikings opens things up for the Packers receivers.

13. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

Nelson dealt with injuries for a lot of last season. Even missing four games, he finished with 745 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s 22 touchdowns in the past 28 games.

14. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

OK, I’ll bite. With Carson Palmer on board, Fitz could return to form. He was limited to 798 yards and four touchdowns last year, but averaged 1,296 yards in the prior five seasons. My only concern is Palmer’s ability to remain upright behind their offensive line. They allowed at least 50 sacks in each of the past three years.

15. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints

Colston finished with 1,154 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has had at least 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in six of his seven seasons.

16. Mike Wallace, Miami Dolphins

Wallace got paid. He had just 836 yards last year, but has scored 26 touchdowns over the past three seasons.

17. Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco really got paid. Anquan Boldin is gone. The Ravens are making the transition to a more pass-happy team. Smith, who had 855 yards and eight touchdowns last year, is ready to take the next step in his third season.

18. Eric Decker, Denver Broncos

Decker had 1,064 yard and 13 touchdowns. Welker will cannibalize some of that production, but there should still be plenty for Decker.

19. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs

Bowe was limited to 13 games last year and finished with 801 yards and three touchdowns. They have lacked competence from the quarterback position in the past few years. The arrival of Alex Smith and Andy Reid should benefit Bowe.

20. James Jones, Green Bay Packers

Jones caught a ridiculous 14 touchdown passes last year. While Greg Jennings has left, Jordy Nelson will likely be a much bigger factor. There is plenty of room for all three (including Cobb) to be fantasy forces.

21. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants

Nicks has a lengthy injury history, but he had been able to remain productive prior to last year. Nicks finished with 692 yards and three touchdowns, but 199 yards came in Week 2. He was a shell of himself the rest of the year. He has a ton of upside, but the injury risk will always be there.

22. Wes Welker, Denver Broncos

It’s unusual to leave Tom Brady and not see a decline at quarterback, but that’s what happened when Welker joined forces with Peyton Manning. There are plenty of mouths to feed in Denver, but Welker is a precise route-runner. That trait will work well with Peyton. Welker averaged 112 catches per season with the New England Patriots.

23. Danny Amendola, New England Patriots

Amendola is a bigger, faster version of Wes Welker, but he lacks Welker’s durability. If he can stay healthy, he could be in for quite a ride. The injury risk makes him a low-end WR2 with plenty of upside.

24. Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins

Garcon would be ranked higher if you didn’t have to worry about his troublesome foot and Robert Griffin III’s knee. One thing you don’t have to worry about is Garcon’s toughness. He played through pain to finish with 633 yards and four touchdowns despite missing six games.

25. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers

Smith had 1,174 yards last year, but was held to just four touchdowns. He also turned 34 in March, which brings some concern. With his speed and strength, he still is a quality fantasy option.

26. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

Brown missed three games last year and finished with 787 yards and five touchdowns. While his yardage dropped from 1,108, it was nice to see him score an additional three touchdowns last year. With Wallace taking his talents to South Beach, Brown will be the primary target.

27. Greg Jennings, Minnesota Vikings

Jennings has missed 11 games in the past two years, but the bigger risk comes in his transition from Aaron Rodgers to Christian Ponder. There are fewer capable mouths to feed, which offsets some of the QB disparity.

28. Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills

Johnson has averaged 1,043 yards the past three seasons but his touchdown total has decreased from ten to seven to six. Kevin Kolb or E.J. Manuel at quarterback aren't the most reliable of options for the 28-year-old wideout.

29. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles

With Jeremy Maclin out of commission, suddenly Jackson is the only real threat at wide receiver for the Eagles. He has been on the decline the past three years, but he should reverse that trend this year in Chip Kelly’s offense.

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30. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Williams returned to form with 996 yards and nine touchdowns on 63 receptions. In three seasons he has averaged 64.3 catches for 910.3 yards and 7.7 scores. He only topped 70 yards in four games last year, but he is highly effective in the red zone.

31. Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars

Shorts had 979 yards and seven touchdowns last year despite being limited to 14 games last year. He could easily be ranked higher, but a concussion history and quarterbacking deflates his value.

32. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys

Austin caught 66 passes for 943 yards and six touchdowns last year. He is clearly the third option behind Dez and Jason Witten. If he can stay healthy, he should have another solid year.

33. Sidney Rice, Seattle Seahawks

With Percy Harvin missing a good chunk of the season, Rice gets a boost. He had 50 receptions last year with 748 yards and seven touchdowns. Look for the Seahawks to open things up in Russell Wilson’s second year.

34. Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans

Britt is full of potential, but needs to stay healthy. He also needs to get better quarterback play from Jake Locker. If both occur, he could top his 2010 numbers when he had 775 yards and nine touchdowns.

35. Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers

Boldin had 65 catches last year for 921 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 95 yards and a touchdown in four playoff games. He moved on to San Francisco, and will get more looks with Michael Crabtree out.

36. Danario Alexander, San Diego Chargers

DX exploded on the scene for the Chargers last year, catching 37 passes for 658 yards and seven touchdowns in San Diego’s last nine games. He’s 6’5″, 217 pounds and dripping with athleticism. Only a lengthy injury history keeps him from being ranked higher.

37. Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns

Gordon caught 50 passes for 805 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. He’ll miss the first two games of the year to serve a drug suspension. If he can stay focused on football, he has big time potential, but be aware there is plenty of risk that comes with it.

38. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Hilton had 50 receptions for 861 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. The Colts aren’t going to rely on the big play as frequently this season. Plus, they brought in Darrius Heyward-Bey. With his 4.34 speed, Hilton should still carve out a nice fantasy role.

39. Tavon Austin, St. Louis Rams

Austin has 4.34 speed and the Rams will be creative in getting him the football. He will have the most value in leagues that offer points for return yards. He will also be valuable in PPR leagues.

40. Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints

Moore had 65 catches for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns last year. It was his first time topping 800 yards since 2008. I expect his yards to go down, but he should still be productive. He has a nose for the end zone.

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