Listed are the Top 40 DBs 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. Harrison Smith vs CLE
2. DeAngelo Hall vs DET
3. Patrick Peterson @NO
4. LaRon Landry @SF
5. Charles Tillman @PIT
6. Earl Thomas vs JAC
7. Duke Ihenacho vs OAK
8. Kam Chancellor vs JAC
9. Eric Berry @PHI
10. Malcolm Jenkins vs ARI
11. Da'Norris Searcy @NYJ
12. Bacarri Rambo vs DET
- Smith has quickly found himself as an elite play each week. He should feast on Brian Hoyer & Co. this week. Landry has been a tackling machine this year and is already over a quarter of the way to 100 stops. Tillman & Hall remain elite options to create turnovers with Chancellor, Ihenacho, Jenkins & Rambo being tackling machines with strong matchups. Peterson's play on offense seems him jump into the elite category, with more upside then anyone else on the list.
Tier 2:
13. Eric Weddle @TEN
14. Mark Barron @NE
15. Antoine Bethea @SF
16. Sam Shields @CIN
17. Brandon Boykin vs KC
18. Tim Jennings @PIT
19. Ryan Clark vs CHI
20. Tyrann Mathieu @NO
21. Cary Williams vs KC
22. Leodis McKelvin @NYJ
23. Josh Wilson vs DET
24. Robert McClain @MIA
- Weddle disappointed last week as the number one overall option, but should rebound nicely against the unproven Jake Locker led Titans. Boykin & Williams should find a turnover or two along the way against Kansas City. Bethea, Shields, Mathieu, McKelvin, Wilson & McClain have all been tackling machines and should all run into turnover opportunities as the season progresses.
Tier 3:
25. Roman Harper vs ARI
26. Leon Hall vs GB
27. William Moore @MIA
28. Bernard Pollard vs SD
29. Aaron Williams @NYJ
30. Ryan Mundy @CAR
31. Barry Church vs STL
32. Steve Gregory vs TB
33. Patrick Chung vs KC
34. Reshad Jones vs ATL
35. Prince Amukamara @CAR
36. Nate Allen vs KC
37. Jamarca Sanford vs CLE
38. Major Wright @PIT
39. Kyle Arrington vs TB
40. Janoris Jenkins @DAL
- Pollard owners would like to see him outperform this rank, but I'm not as high on the San Diego matchup as others are. Aaron Williams has played his way onto our list by racking up tackles all over the field in the first two weeks. Moore, Church, Gregory, Chung, Jones, Allen, Sanford & Wright are all tacklers with a low turnover probability, so deploy accordingly. Jenkins & Arrington could see a turnover given their opposing QB's play, but neither are locks to give you a good performance in Week 3.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Sep 18, 2013
Week 3 Shuffle: Defensive Line
Listed are the Top 40 DLs 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. J.J. Watt @BAL
2. Rob Ninkovich vs TB
3. Jared Allen vs CLE
4. Justin Tuck @CAR
5. Chandler Jones vs TB
6. Trent Cole vs KC
7. Cameron Jordan vs ARI
8. Robert Quinn @DAL
9. Desmond Bryant @MIN
10. Charles Johnson vs NYG
11. DeMarcus Ware vs STL
12. Greg Hardy vs NYG
- No amazing matchup plays this week. Bryant has already jumped into the circle of trust after the first two weeks & seeing Christian Ponder on the field every down is only going to help him stay there. Our top 6 players have insanely high floors should absolutely be deployed every week. Johnson & Hardy project to get to Eli Manning more then Giants fans are comfortable with, along with racking up RB tackles from their below average committee.
Tier 2:
13. Derrick Morgan vs SD
14. Elvis Dumervil vs HOU
15. Calais Campbell @NO
16. Mario Williams @NYJ
17. Carlos Dunlap vs GB
18. Lamarr Houston @DEN
19. Cameron Wake vs ATL
20. Jason Pierre-Paul @CAR
21. Geno Atkins vs GB
22. Jason Hunter @DEN
23. Adrian Clayborn @NE
24. Justin Smith vs IND
- Williams insane performance last week doesn't project to repeat, but he still gets to rush Geno Smith on every down, so results will be there. Dunlap, Wake, JPP & Atkins are feast or famine rushers who are either going to rack up a sack or two or not be seen on much on the fantasy stat sheet. Houston, Hunter & Clayborn has impressive matchups and should be deployed in all leagues that start two DLs.
Tier 3:
25. Julius Peppers @PIT
26. Ray McDonald vs IND
27. Tommy Kelly vs TB
28. Dontari Poe @PHI
29. Jason Hatcher vs STL
30. Brian Robison vs CLE
31. Jabaal Sheard @MIN
32. Ndamukong Suh @WAS
33. Sheldon Richardson vs BUF
34. Whitney Mercilus @BAL
35. Chris Long @DAL
36. Osi Umenyiora @MIA
37. Brett Keisel vs CHI
38. Haloti Ngata vs HOU
39. Shea McClellin @PIT
40. Fletcher Cox vs KC
- Peppers has seen his stock crash recording only one tackle over the first two weeks. Teams are double teaming him and he hasn't been a factor, yet. Kelly, Poe, Hatcher, & Robison have good looking matchups against weak QBs and/or OLines. Umenyiora projected to take Kroy Biermann's stats with his placement on IR while everyone else is a speculative play at best.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Tier 1:
1. J.J. Watt @BAL
2. Rob Ninkovich vs TB
3. Jared Allen vs CLE
4. Justin Tuck @CAR
5. Chandler Jones vs TB
6. Trent Cole vs KC
7. Cameron Jordan vs ARI
8. Robert Quinn @DAL
9. Desmond Bryant @MIN
10. Charles Johnson vs NYG
11. DeMarcus Ware vs STL
12. Greg Hardy vs NYG
- No amazing matchup plays this week. Bryant has already jumped into the circle of trust after the first two weeks & seeing Christian Ponder on the field every down is only going to help him stay there. Our top 6 players have insanely high floors should absolutely be deployed every week. Johnson & Hardy project to get to Eli Manning more then Giants fans are comfortable with, along with racking up RB tackles from their below average committee.
Tier 2:
13. Derrick Morgan vs SD
14. Elvis Dumervil vs HOU
15. Calais Campbell @NO
16. Mario Williams @NYJ
17. Carlos Dunlap vs GB
18. Lamarr Houston @DEN
19. Cameron Wake vs ATL
20. Jason Pierre-Paul @CAR
21. Geno Atkins vs GB
22. Jason Hunter @DEN
23. Adrian Clayborn @NE
24. Justin Smith vs IND
- Williams insane performance last week doesn't project to repeat, but he still gets to rush Geno Smith on every down, so results will be there. Dunlap, Wake, JPP & Atkins are feast or famine rushers who are either going to rack up a sack or two or not be seen on much on the fantasy stat sheet. Houston, Hunter & Clayborn has impressive matchups and should be deployed in all leagues that start two DLs.
Tier 3:
25. Julius Peppers @PIT
26. Ray McDonald vs IND
27. Tommy Kelly vs TB
28. Dontari Poe @PHI
29. Jason Hatcher vs STL
30. Brian Robison vs CLE
31. Jabaal Sheard @MIN
32. Ndamukong Suh @WAS
33. Sheldon Richardson vs BUF
34. Whitney Mercilus @BAL
35. Chris Long @DAL
36. Osi Umenyiora @MIA
37. Brett Keisel vs CHI
38. Haloti Ngata vs HOU
39. Shea McClellin @PIT
40. Fletcher Cox vs KC
- Peppers has seen his stock crash recording only one tackle over the first two weeks. Teams are double teaming him and he hasn't been a factor, yet. Kelly, Poe, Hatcher, & Robison have good looking matchups against weak QBs and/or OLines. Umenyiora projected to take Kroy Biermann's stats with his placement on IR while everyone else is a speculative play at best.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Week 3 Shuffle: Linebacker
Listed are the Top 40 LBs 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. Luke Kuechly vs NYG
2. Lavonte David @NE
3. Clay Matthews @CIN
4. Jerod Mayo vs TB
5. Wesley Woodyard vs OAK
6. Aldon Smith vs IND
7. Derrick Johnson @PHI
8. Navarro Bowman vs IND
9. Brian Cushing @BAL
10. Lance Briggs @PIT
11. D'Qwell Jackson @MIN
12. Kiko Alonso @NYJ
- With the exception of Alonso & possibly Woodyard, everyone listed here was drafted as a LB1 on draft day. Johnson has a great matchup against the fast paced Eagles and should benefit from sheer amount of plays being run. Smith & Bowman should feast on a still young Andrew Luck. Cushing, Briggs & D'Qwell should all be tackle machines and add some type of turnover along the way.
Tier 2:
13. Zach Brown vs SD
14. Paul Posluszny @SEA
15. Vontaze Burfict vs GB
16. London Fletcher vs DET
17. Chad Greenway vs CLE
18. Mychal Kendricks vs KC
19. DeAndre Levy @WAS
20. Karlos Dansby @NO
21. Jerrell Freeman @SF
22. DeMeco Ryans vs KC
23. Thomas Davis vs NYG
24. Donald Butler @TEN
- London Fletcher's value is in flux after an out of the ordinary 2 tackle performance again the Lions. Kendricks will benefit from the Chip Kelly offense all year by seeing more plays run against him. Levy has two endzone visits on the year, although one was taken away by Suh & his illegal blocking. Thomas Davis makes his way back into a starting spot after having more ACL explosions then anyone else on record.
Tier 3:
25. Ryan Kerrigan vs DET
26. Mason Foster @NE
27. Danny Trevathan vs OAK
28. Daryl Smith vs HOU
29. Perry Riley vs DET
30. Terrell Suggs vs HOU
31. Phillips Wheeler vs ATL
32. Patrick Willis vs IND
33. Alec Ogletree @DAL
34. Stephen Tulloch @WAS
35. Bruce Carter vs STL
36. Bobby Wagner vs JAC
37. Dannell Ellerbe vs ATL
38. Craig Robertson @MIN
39. David Harris vs BUF
40. Pat Angerer @SF
- No one in this ranking should be considered a must start, even in Patrick Willis was the #1 LB only 2 years ago. Kerrigan & Suggs rely on the sack in order to get their points, so adjust their ranking accordingly with your format. Foster, Trevathan, Smith, Wheeler, Ogletree & Ellerbe have all strong performances the first two weeks of the year but still remain relatively untrusted due to their age, starting experience, or new team setting. Angerer is a top tier LB when healthy, but I refuse to move him into elite status with just one matchup in the books. He's still a speculative play in my book.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Tier 1:
1. Luke Kuechly vs NYG
2. Lavonte David @NE
3. Clay Matthews @CIN
4. Jerod Mayo vs TB
5. Wesley Woodyard vs OAK
6. Aldon Smith vs IND
7. Derrick Johnson @PHI
8. Navarro Bowman vs IND
9. Brian Cushing @BAL
10. Lance Briggs @PIT
11. D'Qwell Jackson @MIN
12. Kiko Alonso @NYJ
- With the exception of Alonso & possibly Woodyard, everyone listed here was drafted as a LB1 on draft day. Johnson has a great matchup against the fast paced Eagles and should benefit from sheer amount of plays being run. Smith & Bowman should feast on a still young Andrew Luck. Cushing, Briggs & D'Qwell should all be tackle machines and add some type of turnover along the way.
Tier 2:
13. Zach Brown vs SD
14. Paul Posluszny @SEA
15. Vontaze Burfict vs GB
16. London Fletcher vs DET
17. Chad Greenway vs CLE
18. Mychal Kendricks vs KC
19. DeAndre Levy @WAS
20. Karlos Dansby @NO
21. Jerrell Freeman @SF
22. DeMeco Ryans vs KC
23. Thomas Davis vs NYG
24. Donald Butler @TEN
- London Fletcher's value is in flux after an out of the ordinary 2 tackle performance again the Lions. Kendricks will benefit from the Chip Kelly offense all year by seeing more plays run against him. Levy has two endzone visits on the year, although one was taken away by Suh & his illegal blocking. Thomas Davis makes his way back into a starting spot after having more ACL explosions then anyone else on record.
Tier 3:
25. Ryan Kerrigan vs DET
26. Mason Foster @NE
27. Danny Trevathan vs OAK
28. Daryl Smith vs HOU
29. Perry Riley vs DET
30. Terrell Suggs vs HOU
31. Phillips Wheeler vs ATL
32. Patrick Willis vs IND
33. Alec Ogletree @DAL
34. Stephen Tulloch @WAS
35. Bruce Carter vs STL
36. Bobby Wagner vs JAC
37. Dannell Ellerbe vs ATL
38. Craig Robertson @MIN
39. David Harris vs BUF
40. Pat Angerer @SF
- No one in this ranking should be considered a must start, even in Patrick Willis was the #1 LB only 2 years ago. Kerrigan & Suggs rely on the sack in order to get their points, so adjust their ranking accordingly with your format. Foster, Trevathan, Smith, Wheeler, Ogletree & Ellerbe have all strong performances the first two weeks of the year but still remain relatively untrusted due to their age, starting experience, or new team setting. Angerer is a top tier LB when healthy, but I refuse to move him into elite status with just one matchup in the books. He's still a speculative play in my book.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Week 3 Shuffle: Tight End
Listed are the Top 25 TEs 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. Jimmy Graham vs ARI
2. Greg Olsen vs NYG
3. Jermichael Finley @CIN
4. Brandon Myers @CAR
5. Tony Gonzalez @MIA
6. Jason Witten vs STL
7. Owen Daniels @BAL
8. Julius Thomas vs OAK
9. Jordan Cameron @MIN
10. Antonio Gates vs TEN
11. Jared Cook @DAL
12. Martellus Bennett @PIT
- Last week Graham reminded the world why he was in a class by himself on draft day. Olsen & Finley are both dealing with friendly secondaries and should be deployed with safe floors in mind. Thomas, Cameron & Cook all the first tier tight ends with the lowest floor. No one quite sure where Julius fits into the Broncos offense long-term. Cameron is dealing with a QB change and the first road game of the year, which isn't the ideal fit for someone looking for a safe floor. Cook owners saw his floor last week with only 1 catch for 10 yards. Still, given the lack of overall depth at the position these guys should started in most formats.
Tier 2:
13. Rob Gronkowski vs TB
14. Kyle Rudolph vs CLE
15. Vernon Davis vs IND
16. Charles Clay vs ATL
17. Jermaine Gresham vs GB
18. Heath Miller vs CHI
19. Tyler Eifert vs GB
20. Jordan Reed vs DET
21. Garrett Graham @BAL
22. Brent Celek vs KC
23. Kellen Winslow vs BUF
24. Coby Fleener @SF
25. Zach Sudfeld vs TB
- Gronk's ranking is speculative of him playing the maximum possible snaps Belicheck will allow. Don't expect his initial deployment to be immediate fantasy rewards, they'll probably be a one week ease back into the offense with the Patriots not wanting a repeat of last year. Vernon Davis and his hamstring issues see him crash in the rankings. He was never a safe play last year and there is no reason to treat him like one this week. Eifert & Reed are two nice upside plays with good matchups, but starting rookie TEs is never the smart bet. Fleener should be a TE1 the rest of the season with Dwayne Allen done for the year, but he isn't being treated like one this week. Sudfeld is still a nice speculative play even if Gronk plays, but he needs to suit up too.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Tier 1:
1. Jimmy Graham vs ARI
2. Greg Olsen vs NYG
3. Jermichael Finley @CIN
4. Brandon Myers @CAR
5. Tony Gonzalez @MIA
6. Jason Witten vs STL
7. Owen Daniels @BAL
8. Julius Thomas vs OAK
9. Jordan Cameron @MIN
10. Antonio Gates vs TEN
11. Jared Cook @DAL
12. Martellus Bennett @PIT
- Last week Graham reminded the world why he was in a class by himself on draft day. Olsen & Finley are both dealing with friendly secondaries and should be deployed with safe floors in mind. Thomas, Cameron & Cook all the first tier tight ends with the lowest floor. No one quite sure where Julius fits into the Broncos offense long-term. Cameron is dealing with a QB change and the first road game of the year, which isn't the ideal fit for someone looking for a safe floor. Cook owners saw his floor last week with only 1 catch for 10 yards. Still, given the lack of overall depth at the position these guys should started in most formats.
Tier 2:
13. Rob Gronkowski vs TB
14. Kyle Rudolph vs CLE
15. Vernon Davis vs IND
16. Charles Clay vs ATL
17. Jermaine Gresham vs GB
18. Heath Miller vs CHI
19. Tyler Eifert vs GB
20. Jordan Reed vs DET
21. Garrett Graham @BAL
22. Brent Celek vs KC
23. Kellen Winslow vs BUF
24. Coby Fleener @SF
25. Zach Sudfeld vs TB
- Gronk's ranking is speculative of him playing the maximum possible snaps Belicheck will allow. Don't expect his initial deployment to be immediate fantasy rewards, they'll probably be a one week ease back into the offense with the Patriots not wanting a repeat of last year. Vernon Davis and his hamstring issues see him crash in the rankings. He was never a safe play last year and there is no reason to treat him like one this week. Eifert & Reed are two nice upside plays with good matchups, but starting rookie TEs is never the smart bet. Fleener should be a TE1 the rest of the season with Dwayne Allen done for the year, but he isn't being treated like one this week. Sudfeld is still a nice speculative play even if Gronk plays, but he needs to suit up too.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Week 3 Shuffle: Wide Reciever
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. Calvin Johnson @WAS
2. A.J. Green vs GB
3. Brandon Marshall @PIT
4. Vincent Jackson @NE
5. Dwayne Bowe @PHI
6. Demaryius Thomas vs OAK
7. Randall Cobb @CIN
8. Jordy Nelson @CIN
9. Pierre Garcon vs DET
10. Victor Cruz @CAR
11. Dez Bryant vs STL
12. Larry Fitzgerald @NO
- Megatron finds himself back on elite ground after falling a bit last week. GB@CIN projects to be a bloodbath for opposing secondaries with three of the top 8 wide outs playing in Cincinnati this week. Dwayne Bowe finds himself in the top 5 with the friendly defense to a fantasy WR in Philadelphia. Despite injury concerns, Larry Fitzgerald & Dez Bryant still remain in the top 12 give their nice matchups & personal guarantees that they be on the field on Sunday.
Tier 2:
13. DeSean Jackson vs KC
14. Andre Johnson @BAL
15. Julio Jones @MIA
16. Marques Colston vs ARI
17. Steve Smith vs NYG
18. Wes Welker vs OAK
19. Hakeem Nicks @CAR
20. Stevie Johnson @NYJ
21. James Jones @CIN
22. Torrey Smith vs HOU
23. Eric Decker vs OAK
24. Mike Wallace vs ATL
- After lackluster Week 1 performances Eric Decker & James Jones reminded everyone why their fantasy values went up in the offseason putting up 9-87-0 and 11-178-0 performances respectively. If either wide out hit pay dirt their game one stats would be completely forgotten, but you can still get them at a reasonable price at the trade table. Stevie Johnson & E.J. Manuel have found a connection early in their career together which bodes well for gamers, since Buffalo is going to find themselves losing in most games. Treat this situation like Cam Newton-Steve Smith & reap the rewards. Andre Johnson is no longer questionable and should be a lock to do what he does best: get a ton of yards and get tackled at the 1 yard line.
Tier 3:
25. Brian Hartline vs ATL
26. Andre Roberts @NO
27. Julian Edelman vs TB
28. DeAndre Hopkins @BAL
29. Anquan Boldin vs IND
30. Tavon Austin @DAL
31. Antonio Brown vs CHI
32. Reggie Wayne @SF
33. Nate Burleson @WAS
34. Golden Tate vs JAC
35. Miles Austin vs STL
36. Mike Williams @NE
- For what it's worth, this week nearly every Flex WR has more starting appeal then Flex RBs. Edelman is conservatively ranked with Gronkowski projected to come back, while Wayne is very conservatively ranked playing on of the best defenses in football. Burleson should see double digit points against the worst secondary in football. Hartline, Roberts, Hopkins, Boldin, Brown & both Austins all appear to be locks for double digit performances as well.
Tier 4:
37. Greg Jennings vs CLE
38. Cecil Shorts @SEA
39. Kenbrell Thompkins vs TB
40. Lance Moore vs ARI
41. Michael Floyd @NO
42. Emmanuel Sanders vs CHI
43. Eddie Royal @TEN
44. Chris Givens @DAL
45. Stephen Hill vs BUF
46. Rod Streater @DEN
47. Santana Moss vs DET
48. T.Y. Hilton @SF
- There are plenty of questions with everyone in this grouping. Despite being tied to elite offenses, Thompkins & Moore haven't found many catches or yards for a multitude of reasons. Jennings, just like everyone catching passes from Christian Ponder, has no reason to be trusted week to week. Royal isn't going to maintain his unreal 40 TD pace and it is really a mystery what type of floor he holds at the moment. Streater & Moss are nice matchups on paper, but neither look like locks to record a catch so a floor like that doesn't move you high in the rankings. There is much respect around these parts for the 49ers pass D & Hilton's ranking shows it.
Tier 5:
49. Rueben Randle @CAR
50. Roddy White @MIA
51. Kendall Wright vs SD
52. Marlon Brown vs HOU
53. Josh Gordon @MIN
54. Robert Woods @NYJ
55. Doug Baldwin vs JAC
56. Aaron Dobson vs TB
57. Harry Douglas @MIA
58. Vincent Brown @TEN
59. Donnie Avery @PHI
60. Denarius Moore @DEN
- There is much more upside in these tier 5 WRs then their RB counterparts, but everyone here is still a last minute start. White shouldn't be trusted until he plays a game fully healthy. Randle, Wright & Brown all have plenty of positive factors going their way but the negatives (QBs, above average defenses) hold them back this week. Josh Gordon could be elite, but no one has ever taken the Brian Hoyer path to fantasy success. Dobson, Douglas, Donine & Denarius all are feast or famine plays and shouldn't be considered unless you're in dire need of a big game from your WR4.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
Tier 1:
1. Calvin Johnson @WAS
2. A.J. Green vs GB
3. Brandon Marshall @PIT
4. Vincent Jackson @NE
5. Dwayne Bowe @PHI
6. Demaryius Thomas vs OAK
7. Randall Cobb @CIN
8. Jordy Nelson @CIN
9. Pierre Garcon vs DET
10. Victor Cruz @CAR
11. Dez Bryant vs STL
12. Larry Fitzgerald @NO
- Megatron finds himself back on elite ground after falling a bit last week. GB@CIN projects to be a bloodbath for opposing secondaries with three of the top 8 wide outs playing in Cincinnati this week. Dwayne Bowe finds himself in the top 5 with the friendly defense to a fantasy WR in Philadelphia. Despite injury concerns, Larry Fitzgerald & Dez Bryant still remain in the top 12 give their nice matchups & personal guarantees that they be on the field on Sunday.
Tier 2:
13. DeSean Jackson vs KC
14. Andre Johnson @BAL
15. Julio Jones @MIA
16. Marques Colston vs ARI
17. Steve Smith vs NYG
18. Wes Welker vs OAK
19. Hakeem Nicks @CAR
20. Stevie Johnson @NYJ
21. James Jones @CIN
22. Torrey Smith vs HOU
23. Eric Decker vs OAK
24. Mike Wallace vs ATL
- After lackluster Week 1 performances Eric Decker & James Jones reminded everyone why their fantasy values went up in the offseason putting up 9-87-0 and 11-178-0 performances respectively. If either wide out hit pay dirt their game one stats would be completely forgotten, but you can still get them at a reasonable price at the trade table. Stevie Johnson & E.J. Manuel have found a connection early in their career together which bodes well for gamers, since Buffalo is going to find themselves losing in most games. Treat this situation like Cam Newton-Steve Smith & reap the rewards. Andre Johnson is no longer questionable and should be a lock to do what he does best: get a ton of yards and get tackled at the 1 yard line.
Tier 3:
25. Brian Hartline vs ATL
26. Andre Roberts @NO
27. Julian Edelman vs TB
28. DeAndre Hopkins @BAL
29. Anquan Boldin vs IND
30. Tavon Austin @DAL
31. Antonio Brown vs CHI
32. Reggie Wayne @SF
33. Nate Burleson @WAS
34. Golden Tate vs JAC
35. Miles Austin vs STL
36. Mike Williams @NE
- For what it's worth, this week nearly every Flex WR has more starting appeal then Flex RBs. Edelman is conservatively ranked with Gronkowski projected to come back, while Wayne is very conservatively ranked playing on of the best defenses in football. Burleson should see double digit points against the worst secondary in football. Hartline, Roberts, Hopkins, Boldin, Brown & both Austins all appear to be locks for double digit performances as well.
Tier 4:
37. Greg Jennings vs CLE
38. Cecil Shorts @SEA
39. Kenbrell Thompkins vs TB
40. Lance Moore vs ARI
41. Michael Floyd @NO
42. Emmanuel Sanders vs CHI
43. Eddie Royal @TEN
44. Chris Givens @DAL
45. Stephen Hill vs BUF
46. Rod Streater @DEN
47. Santana Moss vs DET
48. T.Y. Hilton @SF
- There are plenty of questions with everyone in this grouping. Despite being tied to elite offenses, Thompkins & Moore haven't found many catches or yards for a multitude of reasons. Jennings, just like everyone catching passes from Christian Ponder, has no reason to be trusted week to week. Royal isn't going to maintain his unreal 40 TD pace and it is really a mystery what type of floor he holds at the moment. Streater & Moss are nice matchups on paper, but neither look like locks to record a catch so a floor like that doesn't move you high in the rankings. There is much respect around these parts for the 49ers pass D & Hilton's ranking shows it.
Tier 5:
49. Rueben Randle @CAR
50. Roddy White @MIA
51. Kendall Wright vs SD
52. Marlon Brown vs HOU
53. Josh Gordon @MIN
54. Robert Woods @NYJ
55. Doug Baldwin vs JAC
56. Aaron Dobson vs TB
57. Harry Douglas @MIA
58. Vincent Brown @TEN
59. Donnie Avery @PHI
60. Denarius Moore @DEN
- There is much more upside in these tier 5 WRs then their RB counterparts, but everyone here is still a last minute start. White shouldn't be trusted until he plays a game fully healthy. Randle, Wright & Brown all have plenty of positive factors going their way but the negatives (QBs, above average defenses) hold them back this week. Josh Gordon could be elite, but no one has ever taken the Brian Hoyer path to fantasy success. Dobson, Douglas, Donine & Denarius all are feast or famine plays and shouldn't be considered unless you're in dire need of a big game from your WR4.
Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST
As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.
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