The Sportsnaut Week 13 fantasy football rankings break down the most important positions in fantasy, evaluating individual matchups, recent performances, and injuries for the best players in the NFL. Bookmark this page for updates leading up to every game.
The Week 13 NFL injury report and bye weeks have a significant impact on fantasy football rankings this time of year. NFL quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields and Matthew Stafford are uncertain for Sunday. As for many of the playmakers who headline weekly fantasy football rankings; Joe Mixon, Mike Williams and Travis Etienne are all dealing with injuries.
With the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers on byes along with Kyle Pitts and Cooper Kupp on injured reserve, the options have further dwindled.
Related: Week 13 NFL schedule
Before diving into our fantasy rankings for Week 13, here are the NFL teams on a bye this week.
NFL bye Week 13
- Carolina Panthers
- Arizona Cardinals
Related: Week 13 waiver wire targets
Now let’s get into our Week 13 fantasy football rankings.
Week 13 fantasy QB rankings
| RANK | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | @ Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2 | Jalen Hurts | vs Tennessee Titans |
| 3 | Joe Burrow | vs Kansas City Chiefs |
| 4 | Justin Herbert | @ Las Vegas Raiders |
| 5 | Josh Allen | @ New England Patriots |
| 6 | Trevor Lawrence | @ Detroit Lions |
| 7 | Dak Prescott | vs Indianapolis Colts |
| 8 | Aaron Rodgers | @ Chicago Bears |
| 9 | Deshaun Watson | @ Houston Texans |
| 10 | Lamar Jackson | vs Denver Broncos |
| 11 | Geno Smith | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 12 | Jimmy Garoppolo | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 13 | Derek Carr | vs Los Angeles Chargers |
| 14 | Tua Tagovailoa | @ San Francisco 49ers |
| 15 | Tom Brady | vs New Orleans Saints |
| 16 | Daniel Jones | vs Washington Commanders |
| 17 | Kenny Pickett | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 18 | Kirk Cousins | vs New York Jets |
| 19 | Jared Goff | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 20 | Marcus Mariota | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
Related: NFL offense rankings
Patrick Mahomes is No. 1 in the Week 13 fantasy football rankings, facing a potential high-scoring battle against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. We love both quarterbacks in this matchup, with Mahomes facing a Bengals’ secondary whose best cornerback is Eli Apple. Meanwhile, Burrow will have Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Ja’Marr Chase vs a secondary with a 22-6 TD-INT ratio and 99.2 QB rating allowed this season (PFR).
Among our favorite quarterback plays on Sunday, Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson are highlighted. Lawrence, who is coming off a career-changing performance, faces a Detroit Lions’ secondary that is still learning on the job and prone to some mistakes in coverage. As for Watson, the Cleveland Browns will certainly let him throw early and often against a Texans’ secondary that was just picked apart by Tua Tagovailoa.
Speaking of Tagovailoa, he is among the quarterbacks we’re hesitant about with our projections. Miami is expected to be without both of its offensive tackles, putting its offensive line in a dire position against the 49ers’ pass rush. With less time in the pocket, throwing deep to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle becomes even more challenging against a 49ers’ secondary that held its last opponents to a 75.7 QB rating with a 2-3 TD-INT mark.
We’re also low on Tom Brady. The future Hall of Famer has struggled in regular-season games against Dennis Allen-coached defenses. Keep in mind, that was when the Bucs’ offense was one of the best in the NFL.
Related: Week 13 NFL QB rankings
Now that Aaron Rodgers expects to play in Week 13, he jumps into the top 10 fantasy QB rankings. Not only does he have a history of owning the Bears, the future Hall of Famer is also facing a Chicago defense that has allowed a 10-1 TD-INT ratio, 9.3 yards per attempt and a 123.7 quarterback rating over the last five games.
Week 13 fantasy sleepers – Quarterbacks
- Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers vs Miami Dolphins
- Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons
Bust candidates in Week 13
- Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins vs San Francisco 49ers
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens vs Denver Broncos
- Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints
Week 13 fantasy football rankings – Running Backs
| RANK | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Nick Chubb | @ Houston Texans |
| 2 | Derrick Henry | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 3 | Josh Jacobs | @ Los Angeles Chargers |
| 4 | Austin Ekeler | @ Las Vegas Raiders |
| 5 | Jonathan Taylor | @ Dallas Cowboys |
| 6 | Travis Etienne Jr | @ Detroit Lions |
| 7 | Aaron Jones | @ Chicago Bears |
| 8 | Saquon Barkley | vs Washington Commanders |
| 9 | Christian McCaffrey | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 10 | Dalvin Cook | vs New York Jets |
| 11 | Rhamondre Stevenson | vs Buffalo Bills |
| 12 | David Montgomery | vs Green Bay Packers |
| 13 | Kenneth Walker III | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 14 | Jamaal Williams | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 15 | Dameon Pierce | vs Cleveland Browns |
| 16 | Alvin Kamara | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 17 | Tony Pollard | vs Indianapolis Colts |
| 18 | Gus Edwards | vs Denver Broncos |
| 19 | Isiah Pacheco | @ Cincinnati Bengals |
| 20 | Miles Sanders | vs Tennessee Titans |
| 21 | Rachaad White | vs New Orleans Saints |
| 22 | Brian Robinson Jr | @ New York Giants |
| 23 | Jeff Wilson Jr | @ San Francisco 49ers |
| 24 | Ezekiel Elliott | vs Indianapolis Colts |
| 25 | Najee Harris | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 26 | Antonio Gibson | @ New York Giants |
| 27 | Cam Akers | vs Seattle Seahawks |
| 28 | Devin Singletary | @ New England Patriots |
| 29 | Cordarrelle Patterson | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 30 | D’Andre Swift | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 31 | Samaje Perine | vs Kansas City Chiefs |
| 32 | Latavius Murray | @ Baltimore Ravens |
| 33 | Zonovan Knight | @ Minnesota Vikings |
| 34 | Tyler Allgeier | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 35 | Leonard Fournette | vs New Orleans Saints |
| 36 | AJ Dillon | @ Chicago Bears |
| 37 | JaMycal Hasty | @ Detroit Lions |
| 38 | Kyren Williams | vs Seattle Seahawks |
| 39 | Tevin Coleman | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 40 | Jaylen Warren | @ Atlanta Falcons |
Josh Jacobs is the best RB in fantasy right now and comes in at No. 3 in the fantasy football rankings at running back. He’s not going to repeat the level of performance we saw against the Seattle Seahawks, but 110-plus scrimmage yards against a Chargers’ front allowing 183 rush ypg and 5.4 ypc in the last five weeks is doable.
However, he does fall below Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry in Week 13. The Houston Texans have allowed 169.9 rushing ypg with 14 touchdowns in the last nine games. As for Henry, he will get 20-plus carries vs an Eagles’ run defense allowing 132.4 rushing ypg in the last seven weeks.
There are quite a few names sliding down the Week 13 fantasy running back rankings. Saquon Barkley has averaged just 3.28 yards per carry and 66.5 rush ypg over the last month. He’s not saving you with touchdowns either, scoring three in that span.
Miles Sanders, Alvin Kamara and Jeff Wilson Jr. are all gambles. Tennessee is holding opponents to 61.9 rush ypg and 3 ypc with only two rushing touchdowns allowed in the last two months. As for Kamara, he averaged five receptions per game since Week 8 but it comes with 173 rushing yards combined, 3.2 ypc and three total touchdowns.
Finally, Week 13 will likely be a brick wall for Wilson Jr. The revenge game narrative doesn’t hold up when you’re facing a defense that allows fewer than 80 rushing yards per game.
With Najee Harris trending toward missing Sunday’s game, Jaylen Warren becomes a high-end RB2. Fully recovered from a hamstring injury, he steps in as the Steelers’ primary ball carrier against an Atlanta Falcons defense allowing 165.6 rushing yards per game, 4.5 yards per carry and eight touchdowns in the last five games. If Harris plays, notably telling reporters on Friday that he is good to go, he becomes an RB2 with some risk for a reduced workload.
Fantasy Football RB sleepers – Week 13
- Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks
- Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons
- Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans vs Cleveland Browns
- David Montgomery, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
Fantasy WR rankings – Week 13
| RANK | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | A.J. Brown | vs Tennessee Titans |
| 2 | Ja’Marr Chase | vs Kansas City Chiefs |
| 3 | CeeDee Lamb | vs Indianapolis Colts |
| 4 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 5 | Stefon Diggs | @ New England Patriots |
| 6 | Justin Jefferson | vs New York Jets |
| 7 | Davante Adams | vs Los Angeles Chargers |
| 8 | Amari Cooper | @ Houston Texans |
| 9 | Tyreek Hill | @ San Francisco 49ers |
| 10 | Tee Higgins | vs Kansas City Chiefs |
| 11 | Jaylen Waddle | @ San Francisco 49ers |
| 12 | Gabe Davis | @ New England Patriots |
| 13 | Brandon Aiyuk | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 14 | Christian Kirk | @ Detroit Lions |
| 15 | Deebo Samuel | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 16 | Chris Godwin | vs New Orleans Saints |
| 17 | Garrett Wilson | @ Minnesota Vikings |
| 18 | Deebo Samuel | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 19 | Mike Evans | vs New Orleans Saints |
| 20 | Terry McLaurin | @ New York Giants |
| 21 | Chris Olave | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 22 | Keenan Allen | @ Las Vegas Raiders |
| 23 | DK Metcalf | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 24 | Tyler Lockett | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 25 | Christian Watson | @ Chicago Bears |
| 26 | George Pickens | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 27 | Michael Pittman Jr | @ Dallas Cowboys |
| 28 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | @ Cincinnati Bengals |
| 29 | DeVonta Smith | vs Tennessee Titans |
| 30 | Courtland Sutton | @ Baltimore Ravens |
| 31 | Adam Thielen | vs New York Jets |
| 32 | Michael Gallup | vs Indianapolis Colts |
| 33 | Darius Slayton | vs Washington Commanders |
| 34 | Mack Hollins | vs Los Angeles Chargers |
| 35 | Treylon Burks | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
There might be a few surprises in Sportsnaut’s Week 13 fantasy rankings. Justin Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in football, but he draws a tough matchup. Sauce Gardner, even in his rookie season, is a true shutdown cornerback. While Minnesota could move Jefferson into the slot, this is a deep Jets’ secondary allowing just 197.8 pass ypg this season.
We also have hesitations regarding the Dolphins’ receivers. As mentioned above, Tagovailoa’s time to throw will be cut down significantly on Sunday, Far fewer deep shots limit the explosive plays, relying on missed tackles by the 49ers’ secondary or Tagovailoa to have a high volume of completions. Fantasy managers need to temper their expectations.
As for our favorite plays in the NFL fantasy rankings, Brandon Aiyuk (averaging 70 ypg since Week 6), Christian Watson (265 yards, 6 TDs in last three games) and George Pickens (12 targets, 140 yards in last two games) draw favorable matchups.
Week 13 sleeper wide receivers
- Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears
- George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons
- Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers vs Las Vegas Raiders
- Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns vs Houston Texans
Bust candidates at wide receiver
- Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins vs San Francisco 49ers
- Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints
- Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos vs Baltimore Ravens
- Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins vs San Francisco 49ers
Week 13 fantasy TE rankings
| RANK | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Travis Kelce | @ Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2 | T.J. Hockenson | vs New York Jets |
| 3 | George Kittle | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 4 | Mark Andrews | vs Denver Broncos |
| 5 | Pat Freiermuth | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 6 | Dalton Schultz | vs Indianapolis Colts |
| 7 | Hayden Hurst | vs Kansas City Chiefs |
| 8 | Tyler Higbee | vs Seattle Seahawks |
| 9 | Foster Moreau | vs Los Angeles Chargers |
| 10 | Gerald Everett | @ Las Vegas Raiders |
| 11 | Juwan Johnson | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 12 | Taysom Hill | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 13 | Tyler Conklin | @ Minnesota Vikings |
| 14 | Robert Tonyan | @ Chicago Bears |
| 15 | Evan Engram | @ Detroit Lions |
Injuries at tight end – Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert – have further depleted a position that wasn’t especially strong to begin with. With T.J. Hockenson, he is averaging 8.5 targets per game and turning that attention into nearly 50 receiving yards on average in the last four weeks.
We’d normally stream tight ends against the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals – the two worst defenses vs TE in the NFL. However, the Cardinals are on their bye week. As for Tyler Higbee, he’s a massive risk. He saw minimal snaps in Week 12 after coming into the game questionable. Even if he does play 45-plus snaps, backup quarterback Bryce Perkins greatly diminishes the fantasy appeal of every Rams player.
Dawson Knox draws a favorable matchup, but his production varies wildly from week to week. He has four games this season with three targets or fewer, including last Sunday. There’s always the chance he goes for 50-plus yards with at least four receptions, something he’s done four times in 2022, but fantasy managers need to prepare for disappointment.
As for two streaming plays at tight end this week, Foster Moreau is playing well in the absence of Darren Waller and there will be plenty of passing against the Los Angeles Chargers. Hayden Hurst – 5.8 targets and 42 receiving yards per game average since Week 7 – is another matchup play.
Fantasy kicker rankings – Week 13
- Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens vs Denver Broncos
- Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs @ Cincinnati Bengals
- Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers
- Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys vs Indianapolis Colts
- Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
- Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams
- Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders
- Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles vs Tennessee Titans
- Graham Gano, New York Giants vs Washington Commanders
- Greg Zuerlein, New York Jets @ Minnesota Vikings
- Nick Folk, New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills
- Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints
- Cairo Santos, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
