Top Five Fantasy Wide Recievers
Calvin Johnson
I have been doing the top five rank for each main fantasy position as we lead up to the season. I have already done quarterbacks and running backs so now I will do the wide receiver position.
Ranked number five on my list is Brandon Marshall of the Chicago Bears. Two things that hurt Marshall are that he has Jay Cutler as his quarterback and he plays alongside with Alshon Jefferey and Matt Forte. Yes, having these players help the Bears team but they hurt Marshall for fantasy points. He’s still a fine choice to be your number one receiver and a fine pick for fantasy. Marshall should have at least 1,000 yards and double digit touchdown numbers for fantasy this year.
Coming in at number four is Demarious Thomas from the Denver Broncos. Similar to Brandon Marshall, what hurts Thomas’ fantasy production is having Wes Welker, Julius Thomas, and Monte Ball around him. Thomas would be an excellent pick especially if you drafted his quarterback Peyton Manning so you could double up on Thomas’ touchdowns. Thomas will probably get overdrafted in your fantasy league.
My third ranked receiver is Dez Bryant from the Dallas Cowboys. Ravens fans saw last Saturday night how explosive he is when he caught a 31-yard touchdown and Redskins fans know him as a divison rival. Bryant gets the main workload in Dallas, except for Jason Witten and Demarco Murray, but I would draft Dez Bryant as a number one receiver and star player for your fantasy team,
At number two is A.J. Green from the Cinncinatti Bengals. Green played college ball at Georgia and has been a star in the NFL. Green has a great possession and is a deep threat receiver. He’s also probably the least injury prone out of players on this list. I might even consider him over my number one wide receiver on my list. Green will soon be the best wide out in the whole NFL and is now the best in the AFC.
Number one is obviously Calvin Johnson, otherwise known as Megatron. Johnson plays for the Detroit Lions and has been the best wide receiver for about the five past years. I would suggest drafting Johnson in the first round or two and he is a great option. I would suggest picking all the running backs on my top five running backs list over him. I think Johnson is the best wide receiver in the NFL but has some injury problems over his career.
My biggest drop off this year is Alshon Jeffery from the Chicago Bears. Jeffery had a breakout year last year and everyone is high on him going into the season. Jeffery had a few huge games which is not a bad thing but make his numbers unrealistic. Jeffery also has the same problem Marshall has in Chicago. The fact is, the Bears have so much talent that it’s hard for everyone to put up high fantasy numbers with so many different options. I’m not saying don’t pick Jeffery but I would pick him if you could get value as a number two wide receiver.
The biggest wide receiver surprise this season will be Mike Evans who is a rookie from Texas A&M and plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One key that will prove huge for Evans is having Luke Mccown at quarterback coming over from the Chicago Bears. Evans will catch a lot of touchdowns in the red zone because he is about six foot five with leaping abilities kind of like a taller Anquan Boldin. He will have a good year and likely be a rookie of the year candidate. You should be able to get good value for Evans too.
