I finish my updated position rankings with a look at wide receivers. As I’ve already said, receiver is by far the toughest position to rank for fantasy purposes because there are so many of them. Also, if I have one guy ranked 14th and another at 20, there’s very little difference between the two. I just personally like one player a little more than another. So here are my Top 100 fantasy receivers. As expected, I have a lot of guys going up and down.
2012 Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings
(Last updated May 17)
Rankings are based on a 12-team league flex format with 1 point awarded per reception.
1. Calvin Johnson, Lions
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
3. A.J. Green, Bengals
4. Andre Johnson, Texans ↑
5. Brandon Marshall, Bears
6. Wes Welker, Patriots
7. Hakeem Nicks, Giants ↑
8. Roddy White, Falcons ↓
9. Steve Smith, Panthers
10. Victor Cruz, Giants
11. Greg Jennings, Packers
12. Julio Jones, Falcons
13. Percy Harvin, Vikings ↑
14. Eric Decker, Broncos
15. Antonio Brown, Steelers ↑
16. Jordy Nelson, Packers ↑
17. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles ↑
18. Dez Bryant, Cowboys ↑
19. Mike Wallace, Steelers ↑
20. Marques Colston, Saints ↓
21. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos ↓
22. Steve Johnson, Bills ↑
23. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs
24. Miles Austin, Cowboys
25. Brandon Lloyd, Patriots ↑
26. Kenny Britt, Titans ↓
27. Vincent Jackson, Bucs
28. DeSean Jackson, Eagles
29. Lance Moore, Saints ↑
30. Reggie Wayne, Colts
31. Anquan Boldin, Ravens
32. Sidney Rice, Seahawks
33. Justin Blackmon, Jaguars ↑
34. Robert Meachem, Chargers
35. Greg Little, Browns
36. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders ↓
37. Michael Crabtree, 49ers
38. Torrey Smith, Ravens
39. Titus Young, Lions ↑
40. Pierre Garcon, Redskins ↑
41. Denarius Moore, Raiders ↑
42. Michael Floyd, Cardinals ↑
43. Santonio Holmes, Jets
44. Nate Washington, Titans ↓
45. Kevin Walter, Texans ↓
46. Malcom Floyd, Chargers
47. Mike Williams, Bucs ↑
48. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks ↓
49. Earl Bennett, Bears
50. Randall Cobb, Packers ↑
51. Nate Burleson, Lions ↑
52. Austin Collie, Colts
53. Davone Bess, Dolphins ↑
54. Damian Williams, Titans ↑
55. Leonard Hankerson, Redskins ↓
56. Mario Manningham, 49ers
57. Laurent Robinson, Jaguars
58. Brian Quick, Rams ↑
59. Brandon LaFell, Panthers
60. Randy Moss, 49ers
61. Golden Tate, Seahawks
62. Alshon Jeffery, Bears
63. Donald Jones, Bills
64. Jacoby Ford, Raiders
65. Vincent Brown, Chargers
66. Jordan Shipley, Bengals ↑
67. Steve Breaston, Chiefs
68. Andre Roberts, Cardinals
69. Jason Avant, Eagles
70. James Jones, Packers
71. Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers
72. Danny Amendola, Rams
73. Mohamed Sanu, Bengals ↓
74. Devin Hester, Bears ↑
75. Josh Morgan, Redskins
76. Kendall Wright, Titans ↑
77. Jonathan Baldwin, Chiefs ↑
78. Stephen Hill, Jets
79. Brian Hartline, Dolphins ↑
80. Deion Branch, Patriots ↑
81. Mohamed Massaquoi, Browns ↓
82. Jerome Simpson, Vikings ↓
83. Harry Douglas, Falcons
84. Eddie Royal, Chargers
85. Adrian Arrington, Saints
86. Andre Caldwell, Broncos ↑
87. A.J. Jenkins, 49ers ↓
88. Jerrel Jernigan, Giants
89. Greg Salas, Rams ↓
90. Early Doucet, Cardinals
91. Chris Givens, Rams
92. David Nelson, Bills
93. Rueben Randle, Giants
94. Devery Henderson, Saints
95. Arrelious Benn, Bucs
96. Santana Moss, Redskins
97. Preston Parker, Bucs
98. Jabar Gaffney, WR Patriots
99. Lee Evans, Jaguars
100. Chaz Schilens, Jets ↓
Just Missed
Nick Toon, Saints
Riley Cooper, Eagles
Greg Childs, Vikings
DeVier Posey, Texans
T.Y. Hilton, Colts
Going Up
Decker - Decker has been one of my favorite players since I saw him at the University of Minnesota and I love him this year for fantasy owners. When this guy had an average pocket passer throwing to him last season he put up big fantasy numbers. Now he has Peyton Manning throwing to him and the future Hall of Famer has already been raving about his new target. I say Decker catches 90 balls this year. Decker is currently being drafted on average in Round 7. I think that could go up to the end of Round 5 by the time August rolls around and all the training camp reports talk about the chemistry between him and Manning. I’ll stake what little reputation I have on Decker having a big season for the Broncos. I’m also staking my reputation on Ronnie Hillman, so I’m pretty much all in on Manning and the Broncos.
Antonio Brown - I watched a couple Steeler games over from last season and it boggles my mind that people aren’t sold on this guy yet. He has it all. Brown runs great routes, he goes up and gets the ball and he makes catches with defenders draped all over him. Mike Wallace has blinding speed but I’ve never seen him do the things I saw Brown do last season. In my opinion Wallace will remain the deep threat but Brown is the new Hines Ward in Pittsburgh’s offense.
I’m projecting Decker to be a stud but in my opinion Brown is already a stud. I can’t tell you how many times last year I wrote that Brown is becoming one of the top receivers in the NFL. So then what happens over a few months? People remember they saw Wallace catch a deep pass once and now Brown is going in Round 7. That’s fine with me because Brown is the better overall player. Oh, and just for the record, Brown only scored twice last year but he was knocked out of bounds inside the five yard line on four other occasions. I believe those things will even out in the end.
Also, people keep e-mailing me and posting comments about where I have Wallace ranked. Let’s break it down then. On average Wallace is the 13th or 14th receiver coming off the board in early mocks. I currently have him ranked 19th. So at the end of the day we’re basically talking about a difference of one round. While it may look like I have Wallace ranked low, in reality, I’m saying he should be selected one round lower than he’s actually going on average. Brown is a beast though. If you don’t believe in him, you will by the time September comes to an end. Getting him in Round 7 is larceny. I’ll go ahead and put my phony reputation on Brown too. So that’s Decker, Hillman and Brown if you’re keeping score.
Bryant - I feel like I have a good handle on Bryant. First, for all the complaining from fantasy owners the guy did catch 63 passes for 928 yards and 9 touchdowns in his second season. Those are virtually the exact same numbers Greg Jennings put up only Bryant was in his second year and didn’t have Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball. I get that Bryant disappeared at times but trust me as a Dallas fan, that’s because of idiotic coaching and playcalling. So why do I expect Bryant to breakout in 2012 and have a monster season? That’s easy. The Pigskin Guy isn’t the only person who wants to see him get the ball more. The other person just happens to be the owner, GM, president, coach, valet, peanut vendor, etc. of the Dallas Cowboys and he usually gets his way. I’m the most miserable, disgruntled Cowboys fan on the planet and I can say I would be fine if Bryant happens to be my No. 1 fantasy receiver heading into the season. That’s the best selling point I can give you because I usually undervalue Dallas players due to my current rage towards the franchise.
Titus Young - I really like Young for this year and beyond. He went throw some growing pains as a rookie but Young also showed a lot of potential, catching 48 passes for 607 yards and 6 scores. Nate Burleson will begin the season as the Lions No. 2 receiver but Young and rookie Ryan Broyles are the future, along with Megatron. I expect the Lions to throw the ball more than any team in the NFL and for Matthew Stafford to lead the league in passing yards, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Young to help fantasy owners this season.
Cobb -One of my top sleepers of 2012 is Cobb. I don’t think people realize how good this kid was in college. If you don’t believe me take a look what happened to Kentucky’s offense once he left. Cobb was a one-man show on offense for the Wildcats. I know we’re not allowed to compare black slot receivers to Wes Welker. For some reason the media has a rule against that but I’m going to do it anyway. I believe Cobb will be the Packers version of Welker. With Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley drawing most of the attention from opposing defenses, I see Cobb becoming a much bigger factor this season. Cobb caught 25 balls as a rookie. He will more than double that total in 2012.
Coming Down
Roddy White - White led the NFL in targets last year, so he’s obviously still one of the top fantasy receivers. I just really like Julio Jones this year and I think he’ll start closing the gap between the two in terms of production. On average White is going in the second round and Jones in Round 4. Considering I think the two will post similar numbers in 2012, I would prefer to wait a couple of rounds and grab Jones instead. This is more about me being really high on Jones than not liking White.
Britt - I was actually going to move Britt up a few spots from 23 until it was announced that he needs another procedure on his injured knee. The Titans say it’s minor surgery but let’s not kid ourselves, having a second surgery in May isn’t the norm for a guy recovering from a knee injury. Britt may very well be ready for Week 1 but I’m taking a wait and see approach with him at this point. If Britt is going to miss most of training camp and preseason, he’s not worthy of being ranked in the Top 20 with all the other good players to choose from at the receiver position. Also, if Britt looks iffy don’t forget about Damian Williams. He was solid last year stepping in for Britt. I moved Williams up 13 spots in my rankings. I think he’s being overlooked in fantasy drafts so far because the Titans selected Kendall Wright in Round 1.
DeSean Jackson - The guy is an average receiver. I don’t know how many times I have to say it before people look at his numbers and realize it’s not my opinion, it’s a documented fact. He runs straight down the field. That’s the easiest route in the NFL to defend unless Randy Moss is running it. Google DeSean Jackson and look at his production over his four-year career. Now tell me why all these fantasy experts have him ranked as a Top 20 receiver? It makes no sense at all. Luckily, people who actually play fantasy football know more than the people who talk about it. Jackson is currently the 24th receiver being taken off the board, which makes sense according to my rankings.
Massaquoi -I’m so sick of hearing about Massaquoi. I hate guys that every summer it’s their “breakout” year. How many years does Massaquoi need to break out? Don’t insult our intelligence. As I’ve been saying since he was drafted, Massaquoi sucked at Georgia. Now he’s sucked in his three NFL seasons. Sometimes if it walks like a duck and looks like a duck, it’s just a duck. This guy can’t play. He showed it in college and in the NFL. I don’t know what more to tell you.
A.J. Jenkins - Tell me why Jenkins shows up to rookie mini-camp out of shape? If you were headed to the NFL to make a ton of money wouldn’t you be running up hills and working out like a madman? I just don’t get it. Especially a guy like Jenkins who everyone criticized going in the first round. You would think he would be motivated to prove people wrong. Now I liked Jenkins before the draft, I defended the 49ers for selecting him in Round 1 and he may go on to win Rookie of the Year. But he certainly didn’t make a good impression coming into camp out of shape. I mean seriously, what has he been doing? It’s mind-boggling to me.
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Reblogged this on confessionsofalineman.
You have Sidney Rice at 32, which seems about right. He was going at pick 98 (Rd 9) in your last ADP WR post, so it seems you have him ranked higher than where he may be drafted. If he’s completely healthy going into this season, he could end up being a real bargain pick. I think Flynn will easily win the starting QB job. Why do I think this - because I’ve seen enough of Tavaris Jackson to know he’s not a starting NFL QB and I watched all of Wisco’s games last year and question whether Wilson can make all the throws necessary to be a successful NFL starter. Flynn was great in his 1 start at NWE in 2010 and out-of-this-world good in his 1 start in 2011 (480 yds & 6 TDs!!) It’s a very small sample size but what if Flynn is just that good? Having Rice, Baldwin, Tate, Big Mike W, and Zach Miller as receivers is a big positive. I’m thinking the SEA passing game might be better than anyone is anticipating and taking someone like Rice, Baldwin, Tate as your 3rd, 4th, or 5th WR is not such a bad idea. I’m even talking myself into taking Flynn in one of the last rounds as my back-up QB. All the pieces are in place for SEA to have a really good offense.
I agree with everything you said JT. No way Jackson wins the starting job. I’ve seen him play too. He can’t do it. I think Flynn will win the job but you never know with Carroll. If he does, I agree about Seattle. They are actually one of my sleeper teams in the entire NFL. If they can get better QB play this year, I think the Seahawks will be tough. Rice is good value, I just hope he has a QB that can get him the ball.
Don’t you think Flynn could be that guy though? His only 2 starts have been phenomenal. I’d say there’s a 50% chance that he’s really that good. I like those odds when he’s someone you can probably draft in the last round. People are probably hesitant to draft him, thinking that he could be the next Kolb but what if he’s the next Hasselbeck or Schaub who went on to shine after being given a shot to start somewhere else. I think people are underrating how good Flynn could be and how solid and deep the SEA receiving crew is. I mean, is Zach Miller really done at TE at age 27 after 1 bad year in which he switched teams & had no off season to acclimate and then never really got comfortable with 2 horrible QB’s (Tavaris and Whitehurst)?? The guy’s last 2 seasons in OAK were pretty damn good. We’ve seen what Rice can do when healthy and playing with a solid QB and both Baldwin and Tate are young and very promising. Even Mike Williams and Obomanu should contribute. I’m really talking myself into the SEA passing game here, which is probably a mistake but there is always some sleeper team and offense that comes out of nowhere and, like you said, SEA could very well be that team this season.
I don’t think he’s the guy we saw against Detroit. If he is than he’s almost as good as Rodgers, which likely is impossible. That was just one of those wild games. The thing Flynn has going for him though is he comes from a very good coaching staff that knows offense and how to develop quarterbacks. I think he could put up numbers like Cassel did two years ago and I was using Cassel as a swing starter that season. That’s my hope for Flynn this year.
Didn’t mean to give the impression that I think Flynn is as good as his week 17 game against DET. You’re right, you simply cannot expect a QB to be that good. I was thinking more along the lines of his 2010 game against NWE, meaning a guy that could put up 250 yd, 3 TD games somewhat consistently. The DET game is more proof that the guy has legit skills. Even if I’m completely wrong it won’t matter as he will be a last rd pick and you can just drop him for a hot FA pick-up if things don’t work out.
Has there been any news about Sidney Rice recovering from his concussions and other injuries?
Rice said he’s as healthy as he’s been in a long time, so hopefully that’s accurate. I think that version of Flynn is closer to what we’ll see and he was pretty good in that game.
I got to say the one in the top 10 that surprises me is Andre Johnson ahead of Wes Welker. Not that A. Johnson isn’t a beast but the Texans are slowly turning into the 70s Steelers in offense but with an injured QB and a somewhat promising backup.
Having waiver wired Brown last year and gotten more than satisfying numbers out of him I’m a believer and will draft him in round 4 or 3 if I see interest in him from someone else.
A question to pick your brain regarding draft strategy. Say you get the 4th pick in the draft. Foster, Rice and Megatron are off the board by the time your turn comes, what and who do you pick? Do you go for a sure thing Rodgers or Brees, aim for one of the stud RBs? Fitzgerald? In previous years I always find myself in these kind of situations where the “lock” guys are taken and you have a myriad of great players but taking one in that position dictates your draft pretty much (last year I nabbed Rodgers, the year before it was Fitzgerald)
I would take McCoy. I think he’s one of the stud fantasy football players. You can still get a very good QB on the way back down or even a stud receiver. There is no other back on the board that has McCoy’s skills. That’s how I would play it.
There are so many different routes to take. You could grab Megatron and AJ Green with your first two picks (assuming you are in the 4-6 slot) and have the best 2 WRs in the game and then shore up your RB’s with sleepers. I’m not even sure what I am going to do except I won’t touch a QB until late (unless Cam drops to the 3rd round somehow). I’m still a believer that you win your leagues in the middle and late rounds though.
I agree about the middle rounds of the draft and that’s where there are a lot of interesting receivers like Maclin, Dez, Brown, Bowe, etc. Receiver more than any other position depends on personal preference. Those guys in the Top 25 area could all be big-time fantasy players.
Lloyd should be a good bit higher IMO. I know he’s not as naturally gifted as Moss, but i just think Brady with a real WR again, who’ll actually do all the things Moss wouldn’t too. No way he doesn’t finish in the top 20. He was 23rd last year with ‘scared to throw it long’ Sam. I’d swipe him over Demaryius, the head case that is Dez, bad knees Colston, and a few others.
You can move those guys in the Top 25 all over the place. In my opinion after that first 25 is where the break is in receivers. I can see any of those guys being huge this year if a couple of things break their way and Lloyd is certainly in that group. The problem he faces is even if we project conservatively Welker catches 90 balls and the tight ends combine for 150. The one place the Pats need a receiver to step in is the red zone and that’s where Lloyd will shine in my opinion. He may end up catching 65 passes but 10 could go for scores. In other words, the thing Lloyd brings to the table other than just catching balls is he will make his receptions count. Like I said though, every time I look at that group of 25 I want to move guys up. At some point you just have to assign them a number and move on but they all have potential to put up big numbers.
How about Mike Williams (TB)? Wasn’t he a top 15-20 WR on almost everyone’s board last year? I stayed away fearing a sophmore slump (yeah, I was that guy that drafted Michael Clayton to be his #1 WR in 2005…) but he could be a real bargain this year. He obviously has talent, is entering his 3rd year in the league (he just turned 25 today), and has built up 2 seasons worth of chemistry with Freeman. His current ADP is in rd 11. He makes a great #4 or 5 WR. No question there’s upside and he could be a steal this late.
I think he has more value in a PPR league. I noticed last year he didn’t go very far after he caught the ball. I do think with Jackson there he will see less coverage his way. He’s actually been one of my big movers over the last two updated rankings. He’s a name that will slip a lot in drafts because of reaction to last year but like you said if you can get him in the right spot, he does have some good value.
It was widely reported (and maybe even self-admitted by Williams himself - can’t confirm this though) that he had gained weight and was clearly not in shape for last season. Obviously this is a big concern going forward but I think the lockout messed with a lot of players and teams - maybe none more so than TB, who completely quit on their HC and ended the season on a 10 game losing streak. Things really couldn’t have gone much worse for either Williams or the team. I like taking a chance on players like this because there’s upside and not much risk when you can take him somewhere in rds 10-12. In an auction, you can probably get him for under $4, maybe even $1. Steve Smith was one of those players last season that everyone was down on and you could have gotten him in the 8th rd or later. He obviously paid big dividends for his owners. I’m not comparing Williams to Smith, just pointing out that there are bargains like that sitting out there every year.
I can’t agree more about the lockout. In my opinion it makes what Newton and Dalton did even more special. I know we like to think all of these guys are Jerry Rice and running up hills during the offseason but that’s simply not the case. It should be but it isn’t. When I worked in the NFL I know some players would actually use training camp to get back into football shape. I think not having that last year hurt a lot of guys because players are creatures of habit and when you change the norm on them, not all adjusted well.
For those of you in deep leagues or if you subscribe to the “stars and scrubs” method in auction drafting - don’t sleep on David Nelson in BUF. To me, he appears to be the clear #2 WR and is entering year 3 in the league. His height (6-5) has made him a nice RZ target for Fitzpatrick. He’s a guy that could put up an 8+ TD season with some decent yardage. Keep him in mind if you need a $1 WR at the end of the draft.
You know, there are some teams I feel I have a good grasp of and others I don’t. I joke in the Fire Sale a lot that Chan Gailey must do things just to piss me off. I’ve been wrong every step of the way about the running backs there. Every single step. I was looking over the receivers and I’m having a tough time with Jones and Nelson. But either way I’ll probably be wrong because if I had to rank the teams I’ve been wrong on the wost over the last three years, the Bills would probably come in at No. 1. Thanks for the recommendation though. I’ll look at Nelson a little closer the next time I update my rankings. Like I said, I’m looking at hundreds of players so I appreciate when people bring up a name like Nelson. Makes me do some more research on the guy.
Don’t know that much about Nelson other than he had a decent year last season and should be the #2 WR in BUF. Oh yeah, and his girlfriend is some hot Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. I just know that every year there’s some obscure 2nd or 3rd year WR that comes from out of nowhere to have a very productive year. Total guess that Nelson could be that guy this year.
Another good bargain could be Santonio (ranked above at 43, ADP of rd 10). Just about everyone’s completely disgusted with the guy after last season. I had him in 1 league and can attest to how disappointing he was. The change in OC will obviously help and rookie Stephen Hill is not yet ready to be the #1 guy. He does major break-out candidate Chaz Schilens to deal with though….The Jets say they want to be a ground and pound team but I don’t see how that will be possible with their stable of mediocre RB. Maybe Greene finally puts it all together and has a great season but I’ve seen enough of him to have serious doubts about this happening.
The bottom line is that you need to be able to pass to be successful in the NFL these days and Sanchez and Holmes are already working out together in order to have a better season. Holmes should be the clear #1 option in the passing game and will have his best season yet as a NYJ - making him a solid buy low player. At 28, I don’t think he’s done yet.
Count me in the group that had Holmes last year. I don’t want to say he was disappointing but when I bench you for Damian Williams in my championship game, that’s all you need to know. I waited for a month for him to get going. It was brutal. He does have some value though. Those guys who are major disappointments the season before always do.
NYJ wasn’t able to run last year either, and it didn’t translate into Holmes doing didly. Why will the change at OC help? Tony Sparano’s love of everything wildcat isn’t a recipe for WR’s catching balls IMO. And then theres Tebow. ha! Dirty Sanchez and Holmes have worked out before you know. The writings on the wall, Holmes is what he is in NY.
I think he’s going where he should Nerd. In the Round 10-11 area though if Holmes is on the board he may be worth a look depending on what other receivers are still available. I certainly wouldn’t depend on him though. If he’s your WR3, you’re in trouble. If I can put him off on the bench and wait and see with him, I may take a shot in the eleventh round. Apparently he feels like playing football again which always makes me say the first red flag is when he decided he didn’t feel like playing football to begin with. The Jets are a bit of a risk across the board this year. God only knows what is going to happen with that team by November.
I got burned by Santonio Holmes too. To hell with him. He will not be on my team I don’t care what round he is still available in. I’ve had enough of his shenanigans. Same goes doubly for that loser Legarette Blount.
I’d gladly pick Holmes out of the waiver wire against a lousy pass defense to see how he does, otherwise I have seen enough of him doing a Randy Moss impression without the heaps of talent, just the attitude. Last year I think it was CJ or another RB that I had and he went up against the worst run D in week 6 or 7, Indy I believe, and he couldn’t pull 100 yards, that was one of those signs that it was better to pick up Redman or whoever was available at that point.
If Santonio drops off everyone’s draft and in his first 2 weeks he looks like he likes showing up again he might be worth a bench spot in case of a good matchup, otherwise I think that as long as Sanchez and Tebow share snaps he will be a point drag.
on paper, it looks like Robert Meacham is primed to have a career year landing as Phillip River’s potential #1 WR. Norv’s certainly high on him. Will be interesting to see what Meach can do with his first real shot to be “the man” with the Chargers.
He has everything going for him this year, that’s for sure. I don’t think he showed a lot in New Orleans but he’s already proven he can do what Vincent Jackson does, which is run in a straight line. He’s one of the more interesting players heading into the season.