Josh Downs and Amari Cooper are among the many fantasy football wide receivers who are borderline options in Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. They each profile as WR3s or Flex alternatives on most fantasy rosters, averaging more than ten fantasy points per game in PPR leagues.
Downs and Cooper each carry legitimate upside, as demonstrated by their multiple top 20 finishes this year. They also bring a fair amount of risk when assessing their situations in Week 13.
Some managers may face a difficult decision between these two wide receivers when finalizing their lineups this week. The following breakdown can help.
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'; }); pollOptions.innerHTML = pollOptionsDom; pollCount.innerHTML = totalVotes + ' votes'; if (totalVotes > 10) { pollCount.classList.remove("hidden"); } } function trackBetsTodayPollImpression() { var intersectionObserverForArticlePoll = new IntersectionObserver( function(entries) { entries.forEach(function(entry) { var pollId = entry.target.getAttribute("data-poll-id"); if (POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['impression_tracked']) return; if (!entry.target || !entry.isIntersecting || entry.intersectionRatio < 0.5) return; setTimeout(function() { if (isInViewport(entry.target)) { POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['impression_tracked'] = true; var isDesktop = "1"; var gaPayload = { "question" : POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['question'], "category": "NFL", "page_url": window.location.href, "option1": POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['option1'], "option2": POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['option2'], } if (isDesktop) { gaPayload["device"] = "Desktop"; } else { gaPayload["device"] = "Mobile"; } gtag("event", "BETS_TODAY_POLL_IMPRESSION", gaPayload); intersectionObserverForArticlePoll.unobserve(entry.target); } }, 1000); }); }, { threshold: 0.5 } ); var pollElements = document.querySelectorAll('.bets-today-poll'); pollElements.forEach(function(pollElement) { var isAnswered = pollElement.querySelector(".poll-option-answered"); if (!isAnswered) { intersectionObserverForArticlePoll.observe(pollElement); } }) } return { answerPollX: answerPollX, }; }();Is Josh Downs a good fantasy pick in Week 13?
Josh Downs was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL draft to potentially add some much-needed depth to their wide receiver position. They hoped he could emerge as their WR2 behind Michael Pittman, which is exactly what he has done during his rookie season. Downs ranks second on the team in just about all receiving statistics.
The rookie also has a solid 2023 fantasy football season, ranking among the top 32 wide receivers in PPR leagues five times in 11 games. He has been highly involved in the Colts' game plan, recording at least five targets in all but three games this season. This includes a career-high 13 targets in his most recent contest in their first game after a bye week.
The heavy volume should give fantasy football managers good reason to be optimistic, especially coming off a bye week when they had time to adjust their game plans. This suggests that they may have a new focus on getting him the ball more. It will be interesting to see if that continues in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans.
A similar target share gives the explosive rookie a ton of upside, especially against a defense that allows the ninth-most fantasy points per game to his position. The North Carolina product is a solid fantasy football option for managers in need of upside, but his relatively low floor also makes him riskier than most.
Is Amari Cooper a good fantasy pick in Week 13?
Amari Cooper has provided consistent stability to the Cleveland Browns wide receivers in what has otherwise been a lackluster position for them this year. He is serving their WR1 role this season, and his reliable volume has made him a strong option in fantasy football for most weeks. He has been targeted five or more times in all 11 of his games this season.
His established role within the Browns' offense has Cooper finish among the top 30 wide receivers times this season in PPR leagues. Making this even more impressive is that he has done it with three different quarterbacks. With Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and PJ Walker have both made starts.
Cooper will now have to work with yet another quarterback as Joe Flacco is expected to make his first start for the Browns. Flacco has much more NFL experience and success than their other options, so this could potentially boost Cooper's value in fantasy football. He is already averaging nearly five receptions per game in his last five contests.
While Flacco may raise Cooper's ceiling compared to the other two backups this year, it will also lower his floor in Week 13. Flacco's target preferences are yet to be seen, nor has his quarterback performance. The Los Angeles Rams will present an additional challenge, as they rank inside the top 12 in limiting fantasy football wide receivers. These factors will lower Cooper's floor a bit this week.
Josh Downs vs. Amari Cooper: Who should I start in Week 13 fantasy football?
According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, Josh Downs makes for a better wide receiver option than Amari Cooper in fantasy football lineups for Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. In this particular scenario, it favors Downs for a higher projected output.
While Cooper is expected to be more likely to score a touchdown this week, Downs' projected volume gives him the edge in anticipated fantasy football points.
The Optimizer expects more than an additional reception and above ten extra yards for Downs this week. His established chemistry with Gardner Minshew could be why, as well as his favorable matchup against a weak passing defense.
Cooper is facing a bit of the opposite this week, being paired with a quarterback he has never played with before and facing a relatively strong passing defense. These all contribute to his lower projection than Downs in Week 13 fantasy football.
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