RADIO
Justin's wide receiver start 'em, sit 'em picks for fantasy football Week 13 lineups (2025). Read his expert WR start/sit advice for Khalil Shakir, Alec Pierce, Cooper Kupp, others.
By the time you read this, four NFL games have already happened this week. Thanksgiving is great for casual football fans, but for fantasy diehards, it means many of your lineup decisions are out of the way before Sunday morning.
However, it doesn't mean all of them are! It also adds importance to your Sunday decisions, because you have a pretty clear idea of how things are going. If you started A.J. Brown and Rashee Rice, you can play it safe and hopefully cruise to a win.
If you started Rome Odunze and DeAndre Hopkins this week, you've got some work to do. You might need to really dig deep with the starts or bench a guy you'd usually play because you can't risk him busting in a tough matchup. Below are my Week 13 WR start 'em, sit 'em picks to help you make those decisions this weekend.
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Week 13 Starts - Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
Two games ago, Shakir just completely vanished against the Buccaneers, catching one pass for a loss of three yards. It was a shockingly bad result for a guy who'd finished with under 40 receiving yards just two other times all season.
With the Bills facing the Houston pass rush last week, Josh Allen was forced to get the ball out fast, which played to Shakir's strength. He caught eight of his 10 targets for 110 yards in Buffalo's 23-19 loss.
It’s a shame that this 44 yard catch and run from Khalil Shakir will likely be forgotten because of the result of this game
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) November 21, 2025
This week feels like a similar game situation. The Steelers have the fifth-most sacks in the NFL this season, but have also allowed more yards to receivers than any other NFL team. That suggests another strong week for Shakir as the pass rush will lead to quick throws out into the flat for Shakir, and the lack of speed in the Steelers' secondary will allow Shakir to eat in terms of yards after the catch.
While we're here, you might wonder if there will be a second Bills receiver worth starting, considering how good this matchup is. The answer is "not really." There might be production from another receiver, but determining in advance if it's going to come from Brandin Cooks, Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, or even, surprisingly, from Keon Coleman (if he's not a healthy scratch again) is going to be too much on the "risk" side of "risk or reward."
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Wilson's two-week stint to showcase what he can do as a No. 1 receiver has been impressive, as he's caught 25 passes for 302 yards in games against the 49ers and Jaguars.
Brissett to Michael Wilson!
JAXvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/CqOLlo5LVP
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2025
Up next for Wilson is a meeting with the Buccaneers, continuing a very solid stretch of games — the three teams all rank in the top 14 in fantasy points allowed per game to wide receivers, with the Buccaneers sitting 10th in that stat.
Marvin Harrison Jr.'s two-game absence due to appendicitis played a key role in Wilson's breakout, and that absence could end this weekend. Even if MHJ is back, though, Wilson should continue to see heavy usage. First, Harrison might not be fully up to speed after the bout with appendicitis, which can really sap your stamina. Second, quarterback Jacoby Brissett has the green light to throw a ton of passes, so even with Harrison back, there will be plenty of available targets.
Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos
Both Franklin and fellow Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton should be strong plays this week. In fact, Franklin's name is (mostly) only listed in the subtitle here because I had to pick one. Most of these reasons apply to both guys.
Denver faces Washington, which has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. The Commanders' defense has given up over 300 yards in two of the past three games. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is coming off a huge showing against a good Chiefs pass defense, throwing for 295 yards as the Broncos won their eighth game in a row.
Now for the Franklin-specific argument, which is that he had better numbers than Sutton last week. That's not even that good of an argument, because the two had the same number of opportunities, with both catching four of their eight targets. Like I said, both are strong plays, but recency bias makes me lean slightly toward Franklin.
Week 13 Concerns - Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans
Chimere Dike was the WR9 in half-PPR and faces a Jaguars defense that's not bad, but it's also not really that good either. Surely, that combination of things suggests Dike has deep-league appeal, right?
I get that argument. He's Tennessee's best wide receiver at the moment and deserves more opportunities. I just don't think there's enough consistency in this offense for us to expect a repeat performance from the rookie.
Titans quarterback Cameron Ward has yet to throw multiple touchdown passes in a game, which really limits the ceiling of his pass-catchers. Ward's not the only Titan to show inconsistency: Dike has just two games with over 50 receiving yards.
Jacksonville has really struggled against tight ends, which suggests that Tennessee tight end Chig Okonkwo might be the pass-catcher to play this week. This Titans offense can't support multiple fantasy-relevant pass-catchers.
CHIMERE DIKE 90-YARD PUNT RETURN TD
SEAvsTEN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/x2b3dRBUfO
— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025
(Also, it should go without saying, but don't play Dike in hopes he'll score another punt return touchdown. Yes, he was electric, but special teams touchdowns are impossible to predict, so unless your team also gives fantasy points for return yards, this should play into your thinking.)
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
There's a lot working against the Colts' offense this weekend, beginning with the injury situation at quarterback.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has a fractured fibula but is expected to play against the Texans, which seems like a bad idea. Houston's pass rush is dangerous, with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. both ranking in the top five in sacks. Without the ability to effectively scramble, Jones will be a sitting duck back there, with Houston's defense getting consistent pressure.
There's a way to negate that: Jones can get the ball out quickly. That would be good for Indianapolis, but probably bad for Pierce. Tight ends and slot receivers will benefit the most from a quarterback who has to release the football fast, but Pierce is someone who needs plays to develop.
Much of Pierce's game depends on the big play. He's second in the league in aDOT and ninth in deep targets while playing just 12.3 percent of plays out of the slot. Basically, if Jones has to get the ball out fast, there won't be time for Pierce to get those deep looks, severely limiting his upside.
Cooper Kupp, Seattle Seahawks
It's been a disappointing year for Kupp in Seattle, as he has just three games with over 50 receiving yards. He hasn't even had 50 total over the past two games, with the veteran receiver averaging 2.5 receptions for 23.5 yards against the Rams and Titans.
Now, it's time for a meeting with the Vikings, a team that allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers while allowing the fewest receptions to the position.
We've reached a point where you can only really play Kupp if he has a good matchup. This is the opposite of a good matchup. Leave Kupp on your bench. He hasn't proven he can be a consistent threat in Seattle.
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