Here's Who to Drop, Pop, and Shop in Week 13

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

While there are four weeks of football left, Week 13 is the last week of the regular season in fantasy.

If you're one of those lucky divisional leaders who have already clinched a bye, read no further. But if you are one of those bubble teams that could easily pop without the right lineup, this is for you.

Featured here are the usual drops and shops with a twist: there are a few players expected to "pop" in coming weeks that you may want to pop into your lineup to secure a season-changing win.

Without further ado, here are the drops, pops and shops to make your Week 13 count.


Drop

John Brown

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You probably already know this, but it's cathartic to say it: John Brown is officially a fantasy dud for 2020, and you don't need to keep his bench seat warm any longer.

After stellar performances in Weeks 1 and 2, Brown's production has only suffered due to lower leg injury troubles. Limited with a foot injury in Week 3, Brown scored less than 10 total fantasy points over six weeks—not good for someone who should have reaped the benefits of a Josh Allen offense. Brown made up for it in Weeks 9 and 10, but after a bye week and a "tweaked" ankle that landed him for three weeks on IR, he's effectively out for rest of the fantasy season.

Somehow, he's still rostered in 50 percent of ESPN leagues, so just make sure he isn't rostered for you.


Pop

Jarvis Landry

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Perhaps you are a current or former disgruntled Landry owner—he's still available in 23.5 percent of ESPN leagues, a somewhat surprising stat for someone who has been a key player in the Browns passing game for several years.

But truthfully, Landry hasn't popped off this season, his Week 12 performance being his best one to date. Remarkably, Landry didn't score a touchdown or snag more than five catches all season until this Sunday, which could predict a positive trend in usage during fantasy playoffs. After a Week 13 game against the Titans, Landry will face the Ravens, the Giants and the Jets, the latter two being favorable matchups for a strong AFC North team set to cop a wildcard slot. If Landry and Mayfield can capitalize on their playoff-bound momentum, perhaps you can too.

Amari Cooper

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Since joining the Cowboys, Amari Cooper has transformed from dud to stud as he benefited from an underpaid and underrated Dak Prescott. So when Dak was sidelined with a season-ending injury in Week 5, Cooper was left to deal with the kind of inconsistency he dealt with back in Oakland. Cooper scored 13-point half-PPR games for the first three weeks of the season, but after losing Prescott, he only scored 13 or higher in a Week 6 game against the Cardinals—until now.

Landing six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, Cooper is a favorite of a returning Andy Dalton, who dealt with his own injuries this season. In a Cowboys offense that could slowly be stabilizing, Cooper is a desirable fantasy target with a playoff slate against the Bengals, 49ers and Eagles. Cooper is even a solid start against the Ravens in Week 13, so if you have Cooper, now is the time to use him.


DeVante Parker

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DeVante Parker is owned in nearly 90 percent of ESPN leagues, and for good reason: when FitzMagic is in the air, so are Parker's fantasy numbers. Parker is easily Fitzpatrick's favorite target on the field. After subbing for Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter in Week 11, Fitzpatrick targeted Parker for three catches, two of them being caught for 36 yards. The last pass, an endzone target, was intercepted, but Fitz and Parker bounced back this week with eight catches for 119 yards.

As long as Fitzpatrick is starting, so should Parker, especially against a weakened Bengals squad in Week 13. While the Chiefs and Patriots prove formidable foes in the fantasy playoffs, a Week 16 matchup against the Raiders should fare well for this Dolphins duo.


Shop

Collin Johnson

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Chances are you weren't aware of Jacksonville's Collin Johnson before Week 12, but now is definitely time to pay attention to what could be the wide receiver pickup of Week 13.

Averaging no less than 10 yards per catch all season, Johnson averaged an incredible 24 yards per catch against the Browns with four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. The rookie fifth-rounder is only seeing this kind of production because DJ Chark and Chris Conley are out and quarterback Mike Glennon is in, but Johnson's Sunday performance should secure him a more prominent role in Week 13 against the Vikings. Whether Chark returns or not is a factor, but Johnson is still someone to watch as playoffs near.

Mohamed Sanu

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Mohamed Sanu has had a quiet and challenging 2020 season: the Patriots released him on September 4th after trading a second-round pick for him, with head coach/GM Bill Belichick claiming, "it just didn't work out." The Patriots often field aging players to see if there's any talent left, so such a statement could have tempered hype for the former Falcons receiver.

Sanu bounced from the 49ers, then the Lions, suiting up for the blue and silver in Week 12 against Houston. Despite an embarrassing Thanksgiving loss, Sanu was a winner on Sunday, catching all four targets for 32 yards and a touchdown. As long as Kenny Golladay, Danny Amendola and Marvin Hall are out, Sanu looks to benefit from a Matt Stafford offense that is newly freed of maligned head coach Matt Patricia.

Gabriel Davis

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If you finally dropped John Brown, it's time to pick up his replacement: Gabriel Davis.

The rookie third-rounder has had a few decent games all season, his second best being a 15-point game against Seattle in half-PPR leagues. This week, Davis did slightly better, catching three of four targets for 79 yards and a touchdown. With Brown out, Davis will accompany Diggs and Beasely, carving his own role opposite Diggs, who often faces double coverage.

In one of the best NFL passing games, Davis is someone to stash in Week 13 against the 49ers, as well as a Week 15 Broncos match and a Week 16 Patriots rematch.

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