Week 13 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Candidates: Wide Receivers
Wondering whom to start and sit at wide receiver this week? Below are two top-notch start and two sit options at the wide receiver position for Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season.
Week 12 Review – half-PPR scoring
Starts
- WR Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders) vs. Atlanta Falcons – 7.3 fantasy points (T-WR57)
- WR Gabe Davis (Buffalo Bills) @ Detroit Lions – 5.8 fantasy points (T-WR65)
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – 15.6 fantasy points (WR14)
Sits
- WR Diontae Johnson (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Indianapolis Colts – 7.4 fantasy points (T-WR55)
Wide Receiver – Starts
Garrett Wilson (New York Jets) @ Minnesota Vikings
The New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings game features a moderate 44.5-point over/under.
Rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson had been a fantasy-difference maker in two of New York’s last three games, entering Week 13, only slowed by a Zach Wilson performance so poor that it cost Wilson his job. Wilson, the wide receiver, exploded with replacement quarterback Mike White under center, catching five-of-eight targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns. The table below ranks Wilson's advanced metrics in parentheses among 30 NFL wide receivers with at least eight targets in Week 13.
| NFL WR Receiving - Week 12 | Per Routes Run%: Tgt. - Yards | Target Share | End Zone Tgt. Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Wilson | 29.0% (T-No. 9) - 3.39 (No. 6) | 28.6% (T-No. 14) | 100.0% (T-No. 1) |
Minnesota is fantasy football’s most wide receiver-friendly defense, allowing 32.7 half-PPR points per game. Their 273.1 pass yards per game allowed lead the league and their 10.9% explosive pass plays rate allowed trails only the Detroit Lions (11.2%).
A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 13 brings league-wrecking potential for Philadelphia’s No. 1 wide receiver, A.J. Brown. While Brown was already a high-upside play, a date with his former team, the Tennessee Titans, calls for celebration.
Brown has been a monster this year, producing top-10 numbers in both targets (28.0%) and yards per route run (2.71), yards after catch per reception (6.2), and team target share (28.4%).
Tennessee’s undermanned defense has performed admirably but the unit is routinely gouged by opposing wide receivers. Their 30.9 half-PPR points allowed per game are tied for the third most in the NFL and their 265.6 passing yards allowed per game sit one spot higher as the league’s second-most passing-attack-friendly bunch.
Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers) vs. Miami Dolphins
The San Francisco 49ers vs. Miami Dolphins game offers an intriguing 46.5-point implied team total. Head coach Kyle Shanahan will be eager to trounce his former pupil Mike McDaniel, which adds narrative-driven explosive potential to this matchup.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has hogged a team-high 34.6% air yards share since the team’s Week 9 bye and his 1.97 yards per route run leads all San Franciscans with at least five targets during that span.
Opposing passing games have averaged 231.6 passing yards against Miami, the 12th most in the league. Aiyuk and Co. should be able to take advantage of Miami’s mid-tier 26.0 half-PPR points allowed per game to opposing wide receivers.
*Check out the full WR rankings here.
Wide Receiver – Sits
Brandin Cooks (Houston Texans) vs. Cleveland Browns
Since the Houston Texans’ Week 6 bye, Brandin Cooks has taken a backseat to second-year wide receiver Nico Collins. Cook’s 16.3% target share trails Collins’ by a 3.3% margin. Cooks owns fantasy-unfriendly 4.8-reception and 43.5-receiving-yard per-game averages during that span.
The Cleveland Browns’ defense has performed well under expectation this year but has managed to limit opposing wide receivers to just 23.6 half-PPR points per game, the seventh-fewest in the league.
Houston’s 20.0-point implied team total offers little consolation.
