Week 2 Shuffle: Wide Receiver

Listed are the Top 60 WRs for the upcoming week.  Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start.  Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid.  As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff.  So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom.  Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. Larry Fitzgerald vs DET
2. Calvin Johnson @ARI
3. Vincent Jackson vs NO
4. Brandon Marshall vs MIN
5. A.J. Green vs PIT
6. Randall Cobb vs WAS
7. Victor Cruz vs DEN
8. Demaryius Thomas @NYG
9. Julio Jones vs STL
10. Jordy Nelson vs WAS
11. Dez Bryant @KC
12. Pierre Garcon @GB

 - Would have declined your 10 to 1 bet preseason that Larry Fitzgerald would be the wide receiver to dethrone Megatron as our Weekly #1.  Vincent Jackson is treading dangerously highly for such a boom or bust receiver but that matchup is soooooo juicy.  It's safe to say that Nelson is going to be higher on my board then most other experts, but I can't see him settling for less then 80 yards.  Garcon is going to get his yard either by Washington keeping up with Green Bay or being a garbage time All-Star.

Tier 2:
13. Hakeem Nicks vs DEN
14. Marques Colston @TB
15. Wes Welker @NYG
16. DeSean Jackson vs SD
17. Dwayne Bowe vs DAL
18. Roddy White vs STL
19. Anquan Boldin @SEA
20. Andre Johnson vs TEN
21. Mike Williams vs NO
22. Torrey Smith vs CLE
23. Reggie Wayne vs MIA
24. Steve Smith @BUF

- These WR2s are on the path of a slow, steady decline in production.  Despite everything in the world telling me to temper my expectations for Dwayne Bowe (new QB, same hands), the matchup with Dallas is too good to ignore.  Mike Williams reaches a pinnacle as a solid WR2 in just one week.  Again we are talking matchups, but seeing the NO secondary means points for any wide receiver.

Tier 3:
25. Kenbrell Thompkins vs NYJ
26. Julian Edelman vs NYJ
27. Stevie Johnson vs CAR
28. Lance Moore @TB
29. Cecil Shorts @OAK
30. Andre Roberts vs DET
31. Miles Austin @KC
32. Antonio Brown @CIN
33. James Jones vs WAS
34. Eric Decker @NYG
35. Michael Floyd vs DET
36. Tavon Austin @ATL

- Many people are going to harp on me for ranking Thompkins above Edelman, but when the guy say 14 (!) targets compared you Julian's 9 I'm seeing a product of variance if there ever was one.  Andre Roberts is a nice sleeper who is getting no buzz in the fantasy world for reasons I can't explain.  He is going to find himself lodged in the WR3 conversation all year.  Despite throw up a goose egg (Jones) or the most disappointing 2 catches for 32 yards of all time (Decker) both WRs should be strong bounce back candidates.

Tier 4:
37. Vincent Brown @PHI
38. Chris Givens @ATL
39. Rueben Randle vs DEN
40. Emmanuel Sanders @CIN
41. Brian Hartline @IND
42. Nate Burleson @ARI
43. Golden Tate vs SF
44. Denarius Moore vs JAC
45. T.Y. Hilton vs MIA
46. Mike Wallace @IND
47. Santana Moss @GB
48. Malcolm Floyd @PHI

- Half of these players are sitting with pretty matchups (Brown, Givens, Randle, Burleson, Moss & Floyd) or are locked in as the top targets in what should be a low(er) scoring affairs (Sanders, Hartline, Tate, Moore, Hilton & Wallace).  Choosing between the two columns should be done based on your team needs, and if you have two or more guys in each grouping it's pretty much a coin flip.

Tier 5:
49. Doug Baldwin vs SF
50. Stephen Hill @NE
51. Alshon Jeffrey vs MIN
52. Kenny Britt @HOU
53. Kenny Stills @TB
54. Marlon Brown vs CLE
56. DeAndre Hopkins vs TEN
57. Sidney Rice vs SF
58. Leonard Hankerson @GB
58. Jerome Simpson @CHI
59. Greg Jennings @CHI
60. Rod Streater vs JAC

- Welcome to the list of guys you really don't want to find yourself starting.  Outside of Jennings and his horrendous opening week, no one here cost your a premium pick at the drafting table.  These guys should be last ditch efforts at the flex spot or plays in deep leagues.  If you are finding yourself starting one of these guys in a 12-teamer in Week 2, you have a long year ahead. Update: Amendola is officially listed at out & removed from the rankings.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE D/ST K LB DL DB


As always, read & discuss.  You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.  Thanks for reading.