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Fantasy football rankings: DeVonta Smith among 5 must-start WRs in Week 13

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith makes a catch against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Photo by Laurence Kesterson/UPI
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith makes a catch against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Photo by Laurence Kesterson/UPI

MIAMI, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- DeVonta Smith is among my five must-start wide receivers for Week 13 of the fantasy football season.

If you need more options for your roster, check out my top add/drops article. My Week 13 rankings for quarterbacks and running backs are also available and will be updated throughout the week.

Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen, Tank Dell and Ja'Marr Chase lead my Top 50 Week 13 wide receiver rankings, which are listed below. A.J. Brown, Calvin Ridley, DeVonta Smith, Mike Evans and Amon-Ra St. Brown round out my Top 10.

All of my must-start options rank inside the Top 28 in my rankings, meaning all should be started in leagues that include at least 14 teams.

Wide receivers from the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders should be benched or dropped, as those teams have Week 13 byes. Players from Thursday's Dallas Cowboys-Seattle Seahawks game were removed from my rankings.

Wide receiver Tank Dell (3) and the Houston Texans will host the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Houston. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI
Wide receiver Tank Dell (3) and the Houston Texans will host the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Houston. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI
Huston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is a must-start WR1 for the rest of the season. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI
Huston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is a must-start WR1 for the rest of the season. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI

Tank Dell

Dell, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, went undrafted this year in most fantasy football leagues. He has quickly morphed into a must-start WR1.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (R) scored in four of his last seven games. File Photo by Jon Robichaud/UPI
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (R) scored in four of his last seven games. File Photo by Jon Robichaud/UPI

The Houston Texans playmaker ranks inside the Top 10 in fantasy points per game among wide receivers this season. He is also smoldering as of late, with a touchdown in four consecutive games. Dell averaged 92.3 receiving yards and scored five total times over that span.

This week, the Texans will face the Denver Broncos. The Broncos defense struggled early on this season, but stepped up in recent weeks, but this Texans passing offense appears too hot to slow down.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (R) is among my must-start options for Week 13. File Photo by Mark Black/UPI
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (R) is among my must-start options for Week 13. File Photo by Mark Black/UPI

Look for Texans star quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is averaging a league-high 296.9 passing yards per game, to continue using Dell as his top target.

I expect at least eight catches for 100 yards and a score for the Texans wide receiver, who sits at No. 4 in my rankings.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (R) leads my Week 13 rankings. File Photo by Larry Marano/UPI
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (R) leads my Week 13 rankings. File Photo by Larry Marano/UPI

Calvin Ridley

Ridley is my No. 7 wide receiver for Week 13. The Jacksonville Jaguars playmaker provided inconsistent production through the first few months of the season, but now appears in rhythm with quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Ridley is averaging seven targets and five catches per game over his last four appearances. He also averaged nearly 75 receiving yards per game and scored three times in that span.

He logged 6.9 targets per game through the first seven weeks of the season, which trailed teammate Christian Kirk (7.9), and averaged almost the same number of looks as Kirk since Week 5.

This week, Ridley and the Jaguars will face a Cincinnati Bengals defense that allowed the eighth-most receiving yards per game to wide receivers so far this season. They also surrendered a touchdown and/or 100 yards to No. 1 wide receivers in four of their last five games.

I expect this to be a close game, with not a lot of strong defense being played. Ridley should haul in at least six catches for 80 yards and a score.

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (L) and the Philadelphia Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Philadelphia. File Photo by Laurence Kesterston/UPI
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (L) and the Philadelphia Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Philadelphia. File Photo by Laurence Kesterston/UPI

DeVonta Smith

Smith is among my favorite WR1 options for Week 13, when his Philadelphia Eagles face the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers allowed the second-most catches, eighth-most fantasy points and 11th-most receiving yards per game to wide receivers through 12 weeks.

Smith, my No. 8 play, logged one of his best games of the season last week, with seven catches for 106 yards and a score in a win over the Buffalo Bills. He totaled at least 99 yards in three of his last four games. He also scored three times during that stretch.

The Eagles and 49ers could be eying a shootout Sunday in Philadelphia. Look for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to find Smith with one of his touchdown tosses. Smith also should accumulate at least 75 receiving yards.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton totaled eight receiving touchdowns through 12 weeks. File Photo by Mark Black/UPI
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton totaled eight receiving touchdowns through 12 weeks. File Photo by Mark Black/UPI

Courtland Sutton

Sutton is another wide receiver who remains slightly under the radar, despite a current hot streak that includes touchdowns in eight of 11 games this season.

The Broncos pass catcher snapped a streak of five consecutive games with a score in a loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in Denver, but should rebound in Week 13 against the Texans.

The Texans allowed just one wide receiver touchdown through their first five games. They surrendered four scores to the position over their last three.

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is only averaging 164.8 passing yards per game over his last six appearances, but Sutton averaged more than 55 receiving yards during that stretch.

I expect the Broncos wide receiver to continue to see most of Wilson's looks, especially in the red zone. My No. 19 wide receiver for Week 13 can be plugged in as a safe WR2.

Rashee Rice

Rice is a bit more of a boom or bust play, but should be in lineups as a WR3 for Week 13. The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver totaled season highs with 10 targets, eight catches and 107 yards and a score in Week 12. He scored in four of his last seven games.

This week, the Chiefs will face the Green Bay Packers, who are among the best at limiting opposing fantasy football wide receivers. I expect the Packers to focus most of their attention on Travis Kelce, potentially allowing more opportunities for Rice.

Look for the Chiefs rookie to catch at least five passes. He should find opportunities to score during one of the Chiefs' red zone trips. Rice is my No. 24 play and can be used as a WR3 in leagues with at least 12 teams.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (L) reaches for a catch against the New York Jets on Friday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (L) reaches for a catch against the New York Jets on Friday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Week 13 fantasy football wide receiver rankings

1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins at WAS

2. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers at PHI

3. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers at NE

4. Tank Dell, Houston Texans vs. DEN

5. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals at JAX

6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles vs. SF

7. Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. CIN

8. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles vs. SF

9. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. CAR

10. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions at NO

11. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams vs. CLE

12. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins at WAS

13. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers at PHI

14. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts at TEN

15. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets vs. ATL

16. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders vs. MIA

17. Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals at PIT

18. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. ARI

19. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos at HOU

20. DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans vs. IND

21. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns at LAR

22. Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers at TB

23. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. CIN

24. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs at GB

25. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons at NYJ

26. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams vs. CLE

27. Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders vs. MIA

28. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers vs. KC

29. Nico Collins, Houston Texans vs. DEN

30. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. CAR

31. Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns at LAR

32. Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers vs. KC

33. Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers at NE

34. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. ARI

35. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos at HOU

36. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts at TEN

37. A.T. Perry, New Orleans Saints vs. DET

38. DeVante Parker, New England Patriots vs. LAC

39. Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. CIN

40. Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals at PIT

41. Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers at TB

42. Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders vs. MIA

43. Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams vs. CLE

44. D.J. Chark Jr., Carolina Panthers at TB

45. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans vs. IND

46. Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals at JAX

47. Robert Woods, Houston Texans vs. DEN

48. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers vs. KC

49. Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals at PIT

50. Justin Watson, Kansas City Chiefs at GB