FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast — Week 13 WR Rankings & Tiers

Episode: 1867
Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Chris Welsh, Andrew Erickson, Pat Fitzmaurice

Episode Overview

In this early-recorded Thanksgiving week episode, Chris Welsh, Andrew Erickson, and Pat Fitzmaurice break down the Week 13 fantasy football wide receiver (WR) rankings and tiers. The trio debates the toughest lineup decisions facing fantasy managers, weighs the impact of recent injuries and quarterback changes, and delivers tiered WR advice based on their expert rankings. The tone is affable and lively, with plenty of banter about food, family, and—of course—football.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Thanksgiving Vibes & WR Top 12 Overview

[00:38–04:37]

• The show begins with holiday banter; both Chris and Andrew are under the weather but bring their “tryptophan vibes” for the podcast.
• The hosts lay out the top 12 WRs for Week 13 (Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase, Rashee Rice, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adams, George Pickens, Nico Collins, Jaylen Waddle, A.J. Brown, Tet McMillan).
• They note that most elite options are must-starts, but Tet McMillan’s controversial placement in the top 12 sparks debate.

Tet McMillan: Elite or Overranked?

[05:41–08:43]

• Pat (05:41): Hesitant to rank McMillan highly due to the Rams' matchup and Panthers hiding QB Bryce Young.
  • “He needed that long touchdown catch to kind of save his day… Now he gets the Rams, who have no trouble whatsoever generating pressure on quarterbacks.” (05:41)
• Andrew (07:19): Acknowledges McMillan’s high floor due to volume but doubts his ceiling.
  • “I would not view him as an elite option… If he finds the end zone for two straight weeks, well then you’ll be glad you started him.” (07:19)

Tier 1/2 Debate: George Pickens vs. CeeDee Lamb

[08:43–12:54]

• Chris challenges the consensus: Should George Pickens now be valued above CeeDee Lamb?
• Pat (09:31): Argues Pickens deserves to be ranked over Lamb due to recent performance.
  • “Pickens has been fully unleashed… He’s now on pace for 104 catches, 1629 yards and 12 touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb is awesome… I just feel obligated to rank Pickens higher.” (09:31)
• Andrew (10:37): Cautions that ceiling swings week-to-week but concedes "Pickens has been the guy with the higher ceiling" and is providing what drafters wanted from Lamb.

Wide Receiver 2 Range (WR13–24): Differentiators & Dilemmas

[12:54–19:38]

Emeka Egbuka's Polarizing Rank

• ECR WR13: Split between Andrew (14th) and Pat (22nd).
  • Andrew (13:50): Stresses Egbuka's elite target share and willingness to trust backup QBs more than in past years.
    • “He has a 29% target share in the last five games… I’m just trying to not downgrade Egbuka substantially.” (13:50)
  • Pat (15:46): Lower due to Bucs passing game struggles and QB downgrade, but admits Andrew makes a strong case.

Justin Jefferson's Collapse

• ECR WR18: Plummets due to QB issues.
  • Pat (17:47): “I can't believe I’m barely keeping Justin Jefferson inside my top 20 and wondering if he’s still ranked way too highly.” (17:47)
  • Andrew (19:38): Even lower at WR24, flags the absence of “ceiling” and laments “Zero top eight finishes this year… If you want more upside, guys like [Broncos WRs] have more.” (19:38)

Wandale Robinson — New-Age Alpha?

• ECR WR21: Unanimously ranked above Jefferson by both experts.
  • Andrew (25:38): “Wandale has been a target machine… averaging over a 31% target share over the last six games, he is an alpha.” (25:38)
  • Pat (26:55): “Wandale is right on Justin Jefferson’s bumper in half point PPR fantasy points per game… 12, 4, 11, 11, 9, 14 targets last six games.” (26:55)

Michael Wilson's Target Bonanza

• ECR WR22: Both rank Wilson 16th if Marvin Harrison Jr. is out.
  • Pat (28:35): “In the two games Marvin Harrison Jr. has missed, Wilson has 33 targets, 25 catches and 303 receiving yards.” (28:35)
  • Andrew (30:13): “He has 18+ targets in back to back games. That’s bonkers. I don’t see how you can bench him.” (30:13)
  • Major theme: Backup QBs can feed target hogs; don’t overreact to QB changes if volume persists.

Wide Receiver 3s & Flex Plays (WR25–36)

[34:23–43:00]

Broncos Debate: Sutton vs. Franklin

• ECR WR26: Troy Franklin
  • Andrew (34:57): Ranks Sutton slightly higher, doesn’t penalize Franklin but sees Sutton regaining some “alpha” production soon.
  • Pat (36:22): “I have Michael Pittman in between them… maybe I should have both higher based on the matchup against the Commanders, who are absolutely dreadful against the pass.” (36:22)
  • Both agree Franklin’s heavy usage makes both Broncos WRs top-24 plays.

DK Metcalf: System Victim Now?

• ECR WR31: Andrew higher (27), Pat much lower (~32).
  • Andrew (38:23): “Metcalf is fine… upside is probably WR2… it just depends what Rodgers looks like.”
  • Pat (39:47): “DK Metcalf has had 55 or fewer yards in six straight games... Arthur Smith’s offense is not doing DK Metcalf any favors… he’s a square peg in a round hole in Pittsburgh.” (39:47)

Darnell Mooney: Trap or Trend?

• ECR WR33: Fitzy is bullish (28), Erickson much lower (36).
  • Pat (41:02): “Mooney playing an enhanced role… maybe he has better chemistry with Cousins.”
  • Andrew (42:07): “Three targets last week and he just happened to catch one for a 50 yard touchdown. I'm not chasing that…” (42:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pat Fitzmaurice on Justin Jefferson’s freefall:
  “I can't believe I’m barely keeping Justin Jefferson inside my top 20 and wondering if he’s still ranked way too highly.” (17:47)

• Andrew Erickson on backup QBs and WR drops:
  “I’m sick of getting burned by lowering wide receivers when they get the backup veteran quarterbacks in and they just end up doing better…” (13:50)

• Chris Welsh on the bizarre start/sit world:
  “Would you have thought ... two months ago that Wandale Robinson and Michael Wilson would be no-brain starts over Justin Jefferson? You probably would have thought I was insane.” (29:46)

• Andrew Erickson on bizarre volume:
  “He has 18+ targets in back to back weeks … that’s bonkers. I don’t see how you can bench him …” (regarding Michael Wilson) (30:13)

• Pat Fitzmaurice on DK Metcalf’s role reversal:
  “It used to be DK Metcalf being the guy running deep routes … I just don’t know if this whole thing where they turn DK Metcalf into a short area receiver … that’s not his game, never has been.” (39:47)

• Closing math quip on Darnell Mooney:

  • Andrew: “He got three. You got three. I mean that's really low.”
  • Pat: “18 is more than three. You're right.” (42:58)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• Top 12 WR Rankings and Tet McMillan Deep Dive: [04:37–08:43]
• CeeDee Lamb vs. George Pickens Debate: [08:43–12:54]
• Egbuka’s Rank and Backup QB Effects: [12:54–15:46]
• Justin Jefferson's Fall & Benchable? [17:01–22:50]
• Wandale Robinson Ascends: [25:38–27:52]
• Michael Wilson’s Monster Usage: [28:35–32:21]
• WR3/Flex Tier Head-to-Head Battles: [34:23–43:00]

Summary Table: Notable Week 13 Wide Receiver Calls

| WR | Consensus Range | Pat’s Rank | Andrew's Rank | Key Take | |-------------------|----------------|------------|---------------|----------| | Tet McMillan | Top 12 | 15 | 13 | Volume-driven, risky ceiling | | George Pickens | Top 8 | Over Lamb | Over Lamb | Higher ceiling than Lamb | | Justin Jefferson | 18 | 19 | 24 | Low ceiling, floor only | | Wandale Robinson | 21 | 18 | 17 | Massive target share, must-start | | Michael Wilson | 22 | 16 | 16 | Target hog, back-to-back 18+ targets | | DK Metcalf | 31 | 32 | 27 | “Square peg” in PIT offense | | Darnell Mooney | 33 | 28 | 36 | Trap candidate, low volume | | Troy Franklin | 26 | 27 | 23 | Heavily targeted, Sutton slightly preferred |

Overall Takeaways & Advice

• Don’t Overreact to Backup QBs: Several WRs (Egbuka, Michael Wilson) have shown strong volume with backup QBs. Trust opportunity, especially with veterans under center.
• Alphabet Soup at the Top: Pickens now projects over Lamb: ceiling wins out, at least until the usage flips.
• Jefferson Is Benchable: It's not heresy to consider sitting Jefferson for hot-hand volume machines like Wandale and Wilson.
• WR3s/4s Worthy of Flex Upside: Broncos (Franklin, Sutton), Michael Wilson, even Wandale are strong adds in the WR2/3/flex spots.
• Matchups Matter More Than Ever: Commanders, Bucs, and other weak pass defenses are juicy targets.

“Enjoy the football, enjoy the family, and enjoy those lineup victories!”