Fantasy Football Week 13 WR Rankings and Picks feat. A.J. Brown, Nico Collins, and more
The wide receiver position has been the most challenging for fantasy football managers this season. Even the most experienced players are tested weekly with injuries to star fantasy wideouts. Playing the matchups could be a viable option for winning your all-important matchup before the stretch run to the playoffs.
Let's dive into the best half-PPR options for Week 13 and rank every fantasy-relevant wideout into three categories: WR1s, WR2s, and WR3s for your tough lineup decisions for season-long and DFS action.
Fantasy Football WR Rankings for Week 13
Fantasy Football Best WR Matchups for Week 13
1] A.J. Brown vs. Baltimore Ravens
A.J. Brown is a fantastic option in any format. We all know this. He'll be locked into Week 13 and DFS lineups with his 19.3 Fanasty points per game and 90.3 receiving yards per game. The two-time All-Pro receiver is healthy and coming off his third 100-plus receiving yards game of the season in primetime against the Rams last week. His 3.35 yards per route run leads all receivers in the NFL, while Brown's 727 receiving yards this season is 10th in the league despite only playing in eight games.
Baltimore's secondary has been surprisingly vulnerable in pass defense, and NFL offenses have exploited it throughout the fantasy season. The Ravens had experienced quite a downfall compared to 2023 when they finished first in pass defense DVOA with a -28.8 % matchup rating. So far, in 2024, Baltimore is 19th in pass defense DVOA with an 8.1% matchup rating.
Baltimore has allowed a league-most 3,569 passing yards this season — 377 more than the second-most (Jacksonville). The Ravens have also allowed the third-most receiving touchdowns (22) and the second-most Fantasy points to wideouts per game this season (112.2).
The trio of Brandon Stephens, Marlon Humphrey, and Nate Wiggins will line up across Brown, with Stephens being the worst defender for Baltimore. The fourth-year veteran has allowed the fifth-highest air yards per target this season (15.2) and a team-worst 1.17 yards per route covered. Brown has averaged 13.9 air yards per target while posting 13 yards per target (2nd) and 18.6 yards per reception (5th).
Watch the injury report released Friday to monitor the status of wideout DeVonta Smith. If Smith trends toward not playing for the second consecutive week due to a hamstring injury, don't be surprised if Brown challenges for the overall WR1 spot, as he has recorded at least 89 receiving yards and scored in each game with Smith inactive.
2] Nico Collins vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Fantasy managers missed Nico Collins this year. Can you imagine how his quarterback, C.J. Stroud, feels having his breakout star back from a hamstring issue that has kept him out since Week 5? Stroud averaged 277 passing yards before Collins' injury while catching three of his seven touchdowns in the season's first five games. Without Collins in Week 6-10, Stroud averaged 197 passing yards per game with a 5:3 TD:INT ratio during that span.
Collins returned to the lineup in Week 11 and regained his role as Houston's top pass catcher, with a 22% target share in two games. He accumulated a team-high 16 targets and turned them into nine catches for 146 receiving yards and a touchdown. Returning to the rhythm of the NFL season, he only played 59.2% of the offensive snaps as he gained more confidence in his hamstring. Collins should continue to ramp up his snaps and will get one of the best matchups for wideouts in fantasy football this weekend.
It's been a year to forget for the Jacksonville pass defense. Only Baltimore has given up more passing yards than the Jaguars (3,192) while allowing the second-most receiving touchdowns (23) and the most yards per target (8.1) this season. Tyson Campbell, Ronald Darby, and Jarrian Jones allowed huge receiving yards to Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown (170) and Jameson Williams (117) while allowing three touchdowns combined through the air.
Collins is the only receiver to average over 100 yards per game in the NFL this season (101.9) and is second in yards per route run (3.32). His 19.5 Fantasy points per game are 10th in the league, and his 713 receiving yards are 10th most despite only playing seven games this season.
3] George Pickens vs Cincinnati Bengals
When you look at George Pickens' stats, you might not see eye-popping WR1 numbers. The second-year pass catcher is just 35th in Fantasy points per game (13.8), 24th in yards per target (9.2), and 13th in receiving yards per game (70.2) this season.
But that's precisely how he has been performing with a 2.43 yards per route run (7th) and seventh in the NFL with 772 receiving yards this year. Since veteran quarterback Russell Wilson was inserted into the starting lineup in Week 7, Pickens has increased his receiving yards per game to 82.6 while his Fantasy points jumped to 18.2 per game.
He'll get an enticing matchup with a Cincinnati Bengals secondary who just allowed 123 yards to Los Angeles' Ladd McConkey and a touchdown reception to Quentin Johnston in Week 12. The Bengals have allowed the 12th-most passing yards (2,597) this season with the fourth-most Fantasy points to wideouts per game (110.3).
Pickens lines up 49.2% of his snaps as the left wide receiver and will get most of his opportunities against cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. who operates the right cornerback spot at 79.4% for Cincinnati. Taylor-Britt should be targeted by sharp fantasy managers as he has allowed the third-most yards per route covered this year (1.58) with 13.6 air yards per target allowed in his coverage. Look for more Wilson moonballs, and hopefully, Pickens can cash in on his fifth-most air yards per game (104.6).