FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

Wide Receivers

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1			Stevie Johnson 6 rec, 75 yards, 2 rec TDs While Johnson was held out of the end zone for the third straight week, he did lead the Bills with six grabs for 82 yards against Arizona. The Titans have allowed 13 passing touchdowns, which bodes very well for Johnson in Week 7.	vs
2			A.J. Green 7 rec, 109 yards, rec TD The Bengals do not have a running game, and Green does not have a very good complementary receiver. Yet week after week, he posts some of the best totals in football. He is averaging 104.6 yards, a touchdown and 11.1 targets per game. #bestfantasyWR	vs
3			Reggie Wayne 8 rec, 101 yards, rec TD Wayne is on pace to see 224 targets this year. Go ahead, read it again: 224. Last year, Roddy White led all players with 181. That number is sick, but it's keeping fantasy owners with Wayne alive and well in their fantasy leagues.	vs
4			Calvin Johnson 6 rec, 94 yards, rec TD Johnson was MIA for the first 40 minutes of last week's win over Philadelphia, but he dominated the final quarter and finished with 135 yards. He can go off at any time, and no member of the Bears' defense can prevent that from happening.	at
5			Victor Cruz 4 rec, 91 yards, rec TD Cruz has danced his way to the top of the leaderboard, having caught five touchdowns over the past three weeks. The Redskins do not have the defensive backs to stick with Cruz on the outside and can ill afford to double him.	vs
6			Jordy Nelson 6 rec, 91 yards, rec TD Nelson made Houston cornerback Johnathan Joseph look foolish Sunday night, an indication he can handle Cortland Finnegan's physical-style play.	at
7			Steve Smith 6 rec, 89 yards, rec TD As Cam Newton struggles, so does the rest of the Panthers offense. Smith's yardage total has declined in each of the past five weeks, pushing him outside the No. 1 fantasy receiver category. The Cowboys' secondary, while talented, has given up big numbers to opposing receivers. This could be Smith's opportunity to get back on track.	vs
8			Brandon Marshall 5 rec, 88 yards, rec TD The last two games have made Marshall. It's clear he and Jay Cutler are operating on the same wavelength, and Marshall ranks among the league leaders in targets per game with 11.2. The Lions' defense has allowed an opposing receiver to gain 100 or more yards in two of the past three games (Jeremy Maclin and Nate Washington).	vs
9			Antonio Brown 5 rec, 85 yards, rec TD Brown has become a steady possession receiver for Ben Roethlisberger, although last week he managed just 20 yards despite being targeted 10 times. Brown had 153 yards in two games against the Bengals last year and should produce again.	at
10			Marques Colston 7 rec, 85 yards, rec TD Colston has 18 catches (on 31 targets) for 284 yards and four touchdowns in his past two games. The Buccaneers are allowing more than 300 passing yards per game, and Colston had 12 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown in two games against the Bucs last season. Good times.	at
11			Denarius Moore 6 rec, 85 yards, rec TD Moore broke out with his best game of the season in Week 6 at Atlanta, catching five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. He could come close to those numbers again in Week 7 against a subpar Jaguars pass defense.	vs
12			Dez Bryant 5 rec, 81 yards, rec TD His dropped two-point conversion aside, Bryant came back to life in Week 6. In fact, he had more than double the number of targets (15) as any other Cowboys receiver. We suspect this is a hint of what's in store for the second half of the season. The Cowboys need Bryant more than ever.	at
13			Vincent Jackson 5 rec, 80 yards, rec TD After starting the game slowly, V-Jax came through with four catches for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Week 6 against the Chiefs. The Saints come to town in Week 7, which means their horrible defense should give Jackson a chance at a third straight good game.	vs
14			Percy Harvin 6 rec, 80 yards, rec TD The Redskins kept Harvin out of the end zone in Week 6, but the speedy receiver caught 11 passes for 133 yards. The Cardinals have a tougher defense, but Harvin is among the top-10 playmakers in the game right now.	vs
15			Hakeem Nicks 5 rec, 77 yards, rec TD Nicks' status is still touchy, but he did well enough last week (five targets, 44 yards) for fantasy owners to show faith and put him back into their lineups. He had 122 yards in the first meeting with Washington last year.	vs
16			Kenny Britt 5 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Britt was targeted 11 times last week, as the Titans finally had confidence he was healthy enough to help the team through the air. Britt caught four passes for 63 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers, and he's a good WR2/3 against the Bills.	at
17			Larry Fitzgerald 6 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Fitzgerald scored his third touchdown of the season in Week 6 against the Bills. He caught six passes for 93 yards and remains a solid fantasy player no matter who is at quarterback for the Cardinals. The Vikings have a tough defense, but Fitzgerald remains a must-start.	at
18			Brandon Lloyd 5 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Lloyd caught six passes for 80 yards against Seattle in Week 6, and though he left the game for a short time with hip and shoulder injuries he was able to come back and play the final couple of snaps. If he plays this week, he's worth starting against a Jets team that is without cornerback Darrelle Revis.	vs
19			Michael Crabtree 6 rec, 68 yards, rec TD The Giants clamped down on the Niners' passing game in Week 6, and Crabtree finished with just three catches for 26 yards. He had five catches for 85 yards last December against the Seahawks, though, and could do well again. Keep him active as a WR2 with so many teams on bye weeks.	vs
20			Mike Wallace 3 rec, 67 yards, rec TD Wallace makes the most of his opportunities. He was thrown to just four times last week, but took one of those passes 82 yards for a touchdown. The Bengals couldn't keep Josh Gordon from slipping behind the coverage last week; good luck with Wallace.	at
21			Josh Gordon 3 rec, 64 yards, rec TD In the past two weeks Gordon has caught three touchdowns, two of them on bombs of 60 yards or longer. Every young quarterback loves to have a deep-play threat; Brandon Weeden must be smitten with having Gordon at his disposal.	at
22			Torrey Smith 4 rec, 60 yards, rec TD Anquan Boldin's increased production could be the result of opponents paying more attention to Smith, who has eight targets and 62 yards in the past two weeks combined. Still, he has caught four touchdowns over the past four weeks, so not all has been lost.	at
23			Sidney Rice 4 rec, 55 yards, rec TD Rice led the Seahawks with 81 receiving yards against New England in Week 6. He also caught his second touchdown pass of the season. The Niners are allowing just 183 passing yards per game, however, which ranks second in the NFL.	at
24			Justin Blackmon 4 rec, 55 yards, rec TD Blackmon has yet to produce like fantasy owners need him to before inserting him in their lineups, as he has caught more than three balls in a game just once. But since the Raiders are sketchy against the pass and the Jaguars have had two weeks to prepare, consider him a WR3 or flex this week.	at
25			James Jones 3 rec, 51 yards, rec TD Jones' catch-to-touchdown ratio is a bit ridiculous (3.28-to-1), but it's clear Aaron Rodgers trusts Jones' hands in the red zone. And even when the throws have been so-so, Jones makes it happen, as evidenced by his blind grab last week.	at
26			Stephen Hill 4 rec, 45 yards, rec TD In his first action in a few weeks, the rookie caught three passes for 23 yards against the Colts in Week 6. Hill is a big target the Jets will likely look to in the red zone -- when they get there. He's a better keeper player than a current starter.	at
27			Wes Welker 7 rec, 105 yards Welker has scored two weeks in a row, and since Week 2 he has caught 45 passes for 608 yards and two touchdowns. He's a top-five receiver in both PPR and non-PPR formats.	vs
28			Mike Williams 4 rec, 80 yards In back-to-back games, Williams has caught four passes for more than 110 yards. In Week 6 against the Chiefs, he also caught his third touchdown pass. It's time to think of Williams as an above-average WR3 in fantasy play -- especially against the Saints in Week 7.	vs
29			Andre Johnson 6 rec, 78 yards Johnson caught eight of the 12 balls thrown to him in Week 6, but couldn't quite reach a ball that sailed high in the end zone. The Texans' coaching staff has said it is working on ways to get Johnson the ball more frequently, and his Week 6 performance supports this.	vs
30			Randall Cobb 4 rec, 67 yards Cobb saw 10 targets last week -- second only to Jordy Nelson -- and continues to work his way up the depth chart. The Rams' outstanding pass rush will force Aaron Rodgers to get the ball out quickly, which favors Cobb.	at
31			Kendall Wright 5 rec, 65 yards The rookie wide receiver led the Titans in receiving for the third straight game, with six catches for 71 yards on eight targets in Week 6 against Pittsburgh. He leads all rookies with 33 catches for 285 yards, but Kenny Britt's return could slow his progress a bit.	at
32			Nate Burleson 5 rec, 61 yards Burleson's touchdown catch helped save Detroit last week. He has been targeted an average of 10 times over the past three weeks and is worthy of a flex spot in your lineup.	at
33			Leonard Hankerson 4 rec, 59 yards Little separates Hankerson from the team's other options at wide receiver. He has caught three balls over the past two games, and has just one career touchdown catch.	at
34			Brandon Gibson 4 rec, 58 yards Gibson is the clear No. 1 wide receiver with Danny Amendola out, and he proved as much with a season-high 91 yards in Week 6. But Green Bay's underrated secondary has given a number of receivers trouble, and should be able to frustrate Gibson.	vs
35			Mario Manningham 5 rec, 55 yards Manningham led the Niners with five catches on 10 targets for 72 yards against the Giants in Week 6. Alex Smith is getting much more comfortable going to the former Giant, but it's tough to rely on Manningham as anything more than a WR3 in PPR leagues for now.	vs
36			Anquan Boldin 4 rec, 53 yards Has there been a hotter "bench receiver" in fantasy over the past three weeks? Boldin has averaged 103.6 yards over that stretch. It won't last, but for now fantasy owners are encouraged to take advantage of the 32-year-old receiver's swan song.	at
37			Earl Bennett 4 rec, 51 yards Bennett is expected to assume the team's No. 2 role as Alshon Jeffery recovers from a hand injury. Bennett has been bothered by a hand injury of his own but claimed he was ready for Week 7, and should see plenty of action playing opposite Brandon Marshall.	vs
38			Lance Moore 4 rec, 50 yards Moore is trying to return from a hamstring injury that kept him out of Week 5, so hopefully the Week 6 bye gave him the time he needed to heal. He has two touchdowns this season already, and the Bucs have a horrible pass defense.	at
39			Emmanuel Sanders 4 rec, 48 yards Sanders is usually off the fantasy radar, but this week he might deserve consideration as a flex option. The Steelers threw the ball an average of 28 times in games against the Bengals last year, and could eclipse that number this week with the running game in limbo.	at
40			Donnie Avery 3 rec, 47 yards Avery, not Reggie Wayne, led the Colts in targets in Week 6 with 12. Avery had disappeared for a few weeks prior to that, but bounced back strong. He sees the opposing team's No. 2 cornerback and is sure to get a few looks down the field.	vs
41			Miles Austin 4 rec, 45 yards It's hard to tell if Austin's hamstring limited him at all in Week 6 (two catches, five targets), but it was his only poor outing of 2012, so he deserves forgiveness from fantasy owners. This week he faces a Carolina pass defense that has given up big games to everyone from Roddy White to Ramses Barden this season.	at
42			Nate Washington 3 rec, 45 yards Washington caught three passes for 57 yards against the Steelers in Week 6, but with Kendall Wright developing and Kenny Britt healthy, Washington's chances of helping fantasy owners are slim.	at
43			Michael Jenkins 3 rec, 45 yards Jenkins caught six passes for 67 yards and a touchdown at Washington in Week 6. It was easily his best game of the season, as Christian Ponder targeted him 10 times. The Cardinals pose a tougher defensive threat in Week 7, and Jenkins' numbers should return to normal.	vs
44			Darrius Heyward-Bey 4 rec, 45 yards Heyward-Bey was able to play against the Falcons after returning from a concussion in Week 6. But he didn't make any catches, and finished with just 20 total yards on a long run. Consider sitting him one more week.	vs
45			Greg Little 3 rec, 41 yards Little is still the most thrown-to receiver in a Browns uniform (32 targets), but he is by no means the most effective. He has caught less than half of the balls thrown in his direction, and has scored just one touchdown.	at
46			Doug Baldwin 3 rec, 40 yards Despite getting just a pair of catches against the Patriots, Baldwin ended up with 74 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown catch. The Niners are tough against the pass, so this may be a down week, but Baldwin's progress is worth noting going forward.	at
47			Jeremy Kerley 4 rec, 40 yards After a big Week 5, Kerley caught just three passes for 24 yards against the Colts in Week 6. Quarterback Mark Sanchez targeted Kerley a team-high six times, though, which makes Kerley a decent option as a WR3 in Week 7 against New England.	at
48			Brandon LaFell 2 rec, 38 yards LaFell is falling back into obscurity. He has caught four passes in his last three games and will play third wheel to Steve Smith and Greg Olsen this week against Dallas.	vs
49			Andrew Hawkins 3 rec, 38 yards Hawkins may have peaked in Week 3. Since then his numbers have slowly faded, as has his involvement in the passing game, with five or fewer targets in four of the Bengals' last five games.	vs
50			Domenik Hixon 3 rec, 37 yards Hixon has picked up his game in the past three weeks. It's not a permanent thing, though. The Giants expect Ramses Barden back from a concussion and will try to throw more balls to Hakeem Nicks.	vs
51			Chris Givens 2 rec, 36 yards The Rams have found a big-play weapon in Givens, who has caught a pass of 50 or more yards in each of the past three games. Only Brandon Gibson was thrown to more in last week's contest, signaling Givens may be on the verge of a breakout game.	vs
52			Santana Moss 3 rec, 35 yards With Pierre Garcon out, Moss has helped fill the void. Robert Griffin III has looked to the veteran on key downs, and Moss even led the team in receiving with 46 yards against Minnesota. Try to contain your excitement, though; at his best, the 33-year-old Moss can cause a minor splash.	at
53			Andre Roberts 3 rec, 35 yards Despite getting targeted six times, Roberts caught just two passes for 18 yards against the Bills in Week 6. The Vikings have a pretty good defense, and the Cardinals' quarterback situation is up in the air for now. Leave Roberts on your bench.	at
54			Kevin Walter 3 rec, 34 yards Walter has averaged 4.3 catches and 44.6 yards in his last three games against the Ravens. If that doesn't excite you, nothing we can offer you about Walter will.	vs
55			T.Y. Hilton 2 rec, 31 yards The gap separating Hilton from the Colts' No. 2 receiver, Donnie Avery, is widening. Both possess good big-play potential, but Avery has more than twice as many targets (48 to 22).	vs
56			Pierre Garcon 2 rec, 31 yards A sore toe has kept Garcon's status as game-to-game. All indications are that Garcon will need to play with pain, and may never be fully healthy this season. All of this makes him a risky play for fantasy owners.	at
57			Titus Young 3 rec, 31 yards Too many dropped balls. Too many missed opportunities. Too much wasted talent. Young should be a bigger playmaker in Detroit's offense and a viable fantasy player -- he just isn't.	at
58			Cecil Shorts 3 rec, 30 yards Shorts, getting time with Laurent Robinson (concussion) possibly sidelined, could work as the Jags' second receiver again. But he's still too risky to start in fantasy.	at
59			Kevin Ogletree 2 rec, 28 yards Ogletree didn't catch a ball last week, and his stock will fall sharply if Dallas continues to make a point of getting Dez Bryant more involved. Ogletree is not worth considering, even this week against the Panthers' suspect secondary.	at
60			Donald Jones 2 rec, 20 yards Jones caught just one pass for nine yards against the Cardinals in Week 6. He was targeted four times, but it's apparent that he's not going to be a huge fantasy factor in the coming weeks.	vs
61			Laurent Robinson 2 rec, 20 yards Laurent Robinson is dealing with a concussion and could miss Week 7 against the Raiders. If so, Cecil Shorts should see more action.	at
62			Jacoby Jones 2 rec, 18 yards Jones' biggest play of the 2012 season was a record-setting kickoff return. On offense, he's managed to catch just 11 balls, no more than three in any one game. He's an afterthought in this passing attack.	at
63			Randy Moss 2 rec, 18 yards Moss had his second-best outing of the season against the Giants in Week 6, catching two passes for 75 yards. Despite the yardage, he's still barely worth a look against a tough Seahawks defense in Week 7. He's averaging less than two catches per game.	vs

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