FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

Wide Receivers

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1			Reggie Wayne 9 rec, 111 yards, rec TD Wayne ranks among the top three receivers in targets, yards per catch and yards per game. The Titans' defense ranks near the bottom in touchdown passes allowed, team sacks and opposing QB Rating. This matchup favors the Colts' passing game, and will provide a big payoff for Wayne.	at
2			Demaryius Thomas 8 rec, 110 yards, rec TD Thomas leads the Broncos with 542 receiving yards this season on 32 catches and has three touchdowns. The playmaker continues to be one of Peyton Manning's favorite targets and should have a huge day against the 30th-ranked Saints pass defense.	vs
3			Brandon Marshall 6 rec, 109 yards, rec TD Marshall has now caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive games, and he has caught at least one pass of 20 or more yards in all but one game this season. This is only the beginning for Marshall and Jay Cutler. Big things are in store for Week 8.	vs
4			Jordy Nelson 6 rec, 95 yards, rec TD Here is Nelson's stat line from the past two weeks: nine catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns, eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. We like where this is going. Play on.	vs
5			Wes Welker 7 rec, 95 yards, rec TD Welker caught six passes for 66 yards in Week 7 against the Jets, and he continues to be one of Tom Brady's favorite targets. The Rams are a decent defense, but not good enough to hold Welker down.	at
6			Victor Cruz 5 rec, 91 yards, rec TD The league's hottest receiver has caught six passes in each of his three career games against Dallas. Dallas doesn't allow many yards through the air, so expect the Giants to move Cruz around in order to find favorable matchups.	at
7			Percy Harvin 7 rec, 90 yards, rec TD The Cardinals did a decent job holding Harvin in check in Week 7, allowing just four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed twice for 10 yards. Harvin's speed will be put on display against an erratic Bucs pass defense in Week 8.	vs
8			Denarius Moore 7 rec, 90 yards, rec TD Moore caught four passes for 36 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars in Week 7. He now has a touchdown catch in three of his past four games, and he should have another nice game against the Chiefs' weak pass defense.	at
9			Jeremy Maclin 7 rec, 88 yards, rec TD Maclin torched Atlanta in the teams' last meeting, catching 13 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Fantasy owners shouldn't expect him to match those gaudy numbers, but he'll do well.	vs
10			Mike Wallace 4 rec, 85 yards, rec TD Wallace has been sluggish for much of October. Perhaps a date with Washington will help. The Redskins are one of six NFL defenses allowing 8.0 or more yards per passing attempt. That's good news for Wallace, who loves to make plays down the field.	vs
11			Eric Decker 7 rec, 85 yards, rec TD While Demaryius Thomas leads the Broncos in receiving yardage, Decker leads the team in receptions with 34, and he has just as many touchdown catches (three). Decker and Thomas will have big games against the Saints' bottom-five pass defense.	vs
12			Roddy White 5 rec, 82 yards, rec TD White hasn't produced a bad week yet this season, and only seven receivers have hauled in more touchdowns. White has caught four touchdowns in his last four games against Philadelphia.	at
13			Vincent Jackson 6 rec, 80 yards, rec TD Jackson broke out with seven catches for 218 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. A big game was expected -- but not that big. Even without the 95-yard touchdown catch, he still had a big day. He's a good WR2 in Week 8 at Minnesota.	at
14			Brandon Gibson 7 rec, 80 yards, rec TD Gibson caught five passes for 60 yards against Green Bay, and quarterback Sam Bradford continues to target him a lot with Danny Amendola still sidelined. The Patriots could force the Rams to throw the ball a lot in Week 8, making Gibson an interesting fantasy play.	vs
15			Brian Hartline 6 rec, 80 yards, rec TD Hartline leads the Dolphins with 29 catches for 514 yards through six games. While most of that was done in one game, Hartline remains one of quarterback Ryan Tannehill's favorite targets, making him a good WR2/3 in PPR leagues.	at
16			Darrius Heyward-Bey 5 rec, 80 yards, rec TD DHB caught four passes for 85 yards against the Jaguars in Week 7. His speed is unquestioned, but he needs to start breaking more big plays to help fantasy owners. The Chiefs aren't great against the pass, so Heyward-Bey is a decent play this week.	at
17			Marques Colston 7 rec, 80 yards, rec TD Colston caught seven passes for 73 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay in Week 7. He continues to turn the heat up, and owners can consider him a top-15 wide receiver right now.	at
18			Larry Fitzgerald 6 rec, 80 yards, rec TD Fitzgerald caught four passes for just 29 yards in Week 7, as the Vikings shut him down. Despite the down week and a tough upcoming opponent, Fitzgerald should see better numbers against the Niners.	vs
19			Dwayne Bowe 6 rec, 79 yards, rec TD Bowe leads the Chiefs with 34 catches, 427 receiving yards and three touchdowns after six games. He remains a solid fantasy starter in Week 8 against the Raiders, who have allowed 11 passing touchdowns, compared to just three interceptions.	vs
20			James Jones 5 rec, 78 yards, rec TD Jones didn't catch multiple touchdowns in Week 7 as he had in Weeks 4, 5 and 6, but he did lead the Packers in targets with 10. He had 132 yards receiving when Green Bay last played the Jaguars in 2008.	vs
21			Antonio Brown 6 rec, 78 yards, rec TD Brown has been held to fewer than 70 yards just once this season, but he has also only found the end zone once, and fantasy owners are growing impatient. A game against Washington's woeful secondary couldn't have come at a better time.	vs
22			Jeremy Kerley 6 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Kerley blew up with a big game against the Patriots, catching seven passes for 120 yards in Week 7. He should have a nice game against the Dolphins, too, considering they rank in the bottom-five in passing yards allowed.	vs
23			Lance Moore 7 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Moore led the Saints with nine catches for 121 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 7. Moore's big game can be partially credited to tight end Jimmy Graham's absence due to injury. Even so, Moore is a decent play in Week 8 against Denver.	at
24			Calvin Johnson 5 rec, 73 yards, rec TD The Bears eliminated the league's top receiver from the equation Monday night, holding Johnson to 34 yards. Now, Johnson must do battle with a Seattle secondary that has given up just six touchdowns in seven games.	vs
25			Miles Austin 4 rec, 71 yards, rec TD New York did a nice job of neutralizing Austin in Week 1, save the 34-yard circus-grab touchdown that put the game out of reach. Miles remains the Cowboys' best (and only) big-play weapon, averaging 17.1 yards for a receiving corps in which no one else averages 12.0 or higher.	vs
26			Brandon Lloyd 6 rec, 70 yards, rec TD Lloyd had one catch for six yards against the Jets, but he was targeted eight times. He was blanketed in coverage, but he should rebound in Week 8 at St. Louis -- his former team for a short while.	at
27			Mario Manningham 5 rec, 65 yards, rec TD A shoulder injury kept Manningham out of the Niners' Week 7 contest against the Seahawks, but he will have had 10 days to heal up for a Week 8 game against Arizona. When healthy, he has become a very good WR3 in most formats.	at
28			Randall Cobb 4 rec, 61 yards, rec TD Cobb's touch count has grown the last two weeks, and it's no surprise that his fantasy production has, too. The Packers will continue to make him a focal point -- possibly even giving him more carries -- and Cobb will continue to make fantasy owners happy as a No. 3 wide receiver or flex option.	vs
29			Malcom Floyd 5 rec, 60 yards, rec TD Floyd leads the Chargers in both receptions (25) and receiving yards (418), but has just one touchdown this season. It's tough to predict touchdowns, however, so stick with Floyd as a WR2/3 against the Browns in Week 8.	at
30			Sidney Rice 5 rec, 58 yards, rec TD The Lions' defense has allowed 100-yard games to Jeremy Maclin and Nate Washington. Rice is among the worst No. 1 receivers in the league, but he just might pull a few tricks out of his hat this week.	at
31			Greg Little 5 rec, 55 yards, rec TD Little led the Browns with six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. He looks better than he did earlier in the season, and it appears that he's progressing because of the development of the rookie quarterback, running back and receiver around him.	vs
32			Santana Moss 4 rec, 51 yards, rec TD Moss showed last week he can still catch and run, but his fumble at the end of the game proved deadly. No matter. He has become one of Robert Griffin III's favorite weapons, and his role in this offense will only increase now that Fred Davis has been shelved for the season.	at
33			Brandon LaFell 2 rec, 33 yards, rec TD Some weeks LaFell falls behind Louis Murphy in the pecking order. Carolina's passing game is a mess at the moment, and LaFell has been far too inconsistent for fantasy owners to trust. He scored in Week 7 and could again in Week 8, but he could also disappear. He's a risk.	at
34			Steve Smith 6 rec, 69 yards Smith is seeing plenty of footballs (47 targets) -- he just isn't finding the end zone. Part of that is due to inefficiency in the passing game, as the Panthers have attempted 23 passes inside the red zone but have thrown almost as many interceptions as touchdowns there. Smith's stock has dropped considerably from last year.	at
35			Chris Givens 6 rec, 65 yards Givens caught three passes for 73 yards against the Packers in Week 7. He now has seven catches for 209 receiving yards in his past three games. The Rams might have to throw against the Pats.	vs
36			DeSean Jackson 4 rec, 62 yards Jackson has rarely been a model of consistency, but consider this: He's been targeted nine times in five of six starts, seeing eight targets in the other contest. Because of this, his catch and yardage totals have been predictable, although fantasy owners would love to see more scores.	vs
37			Josh Gordon 4 rec, 60 yards While Gordon caught just two passes against the Colts in Week 7, he still led the Browns in receiving yards with 59. Gordon continues to prove that he's a playmaker in his rookie season and he has earned WR3 or flex status.	vs
38			Stephen Hill 5 rec, 60 yards Hill had four catches for 55 yards at New England in Week 7, but the rookie wide receiver is still having a tough time owning a larger part of the Jets offense. The Dolphins have a pretty bad pass defense, though, which could bode well for the big youngster.	vs
39			Michael Crabtree 5 rec, 60 yards Crabtree caught four passes for 31 yards against Seattle in Week 7, and he now has seven catches for just 57 yards in his past two games. He's a better play in PPR leagues, since he does most of his action between the 20s.	at
40			Andre Roberts 5 rec, 60 yards Roberts led the Cardinals in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (103) against the Vikings in Week 7. He also scored a touchdown and continues to be an erratic fantasy play each week. The 49ers are too tough to consider starting Roberts against.	vs
41			Julio Jones 4 rec, 59 yards The Eagles held Calvin Johnson in check for three quarters and took Mike Wallace out of the contest the week prior. Jones could be their next victim.	at
42			Cecil Shorts 5 rec, 58 yards A pair of deep balls, including one that went for a Week 7 touchdown, has allowed Shorts to lead Jacksonville in receiving in each of the past two weeks. He's not a No. 1 receiver, but he's filling that role in Jacksonville for now.	at
43			Leonard Hankerson 4 rec, 57 yards Pierre Garcon is not expected back until after the Redskins' bye week, making Hankerson the team's No. 1 receiver. Last week that added up to eight targets and 70 yards. This week yards will be tougher to come by.	at
44			Dez Bryant 4 rec, 57 yards A groin injury limited Bryant's effectiveness last week, but fantasy owners may recall he was productive in the previous two games for Dallas. He also made several big catches in the first meeting against New York.	vs
45			Donnie Avery 4 rec, 56 yards Avery may be the Colts' No. 2 wide receiver, but he is a stretch in fantasy, even as a flex play. He hasn't reached the end zone since Week 1 and over the past four games he's caught just 36.1 percent (13-of-36) of the balls thrown to him.	at
46			Mike Williams 4 rec, 55 yards Mike Williams followed up his big game with a four-catch, 36-yard performance against the Saints. Despite his breakout games, he's still more of a WR3 or flex option than reliable stud.	at
47			Robert Meachem 3 rec, 55 yards Meachem has shown flashes, but coming out of the bye week, he definitely has to be considered one of the biggest busts in free agency. He has just 12 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns. He's a WR3 or flex play in Week 8.	at
48			Davone Bess 5 rec, 55 yards Bess is second on the Dolphins with 28 catches for 388 yards in six games so far. He has yet to score this season, and the Dolphins are having a tough time scoring through the air in general. Bess should only be considered for fantasy depth.	at
49			Hakeem Nicks 4 rec, 51 yards Nicks may finally be beyond the week-to-week status that plagued fantasy owners in the first half of 2012, but as we saw last week he has a ways to go before resembling the dominant player he's been in past years.	at
50			Nate Washington 3 rec, 49 yards Washington has gained between 43-57 yards in each of the past four weeks, with little excitement except last week's fourth-quarter touchdown catch. He is a flex consideration, but if you can afford to keep Washington on the bench we highly advise you to do so.	vs
51			Dexter McCluster 4 rec, 45 yards McCluster caught six passes for 39 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 7. He just couldn't break off any big runs. He has had mixed success against the Raiders in the past, but fantasy owners should look elsewhere in Week 8.	vs
52			Golden Tate 3 rec, 44 yards Dropped balls put Tate in Pete Carroll's dog house for a bit, but Tate will reprise his role as the Seahawks' No. 2 receiver this week. He is not a strong fantasy play against a Detroit secondary giving up the sixth-fewest passing yards in the league, though.	at
53			Kenny Britt 4 rec, 43 yards Britt still hasn't taken the big step we expect him to, and this week doesn't offer much promise. The Colts have not allowed a 100-yard receiver since Week 2 (Percy Harvin).	vs
54			Kendall Wright 5 rec, 42 yards Wright's production has slipped since Kenny Britt's return to the lineup, but the rookie remains a good possession receiver, with catch-and-run potential.	vs
55			Domenik Hixon 3 rec, 42 yards Since setting the world on fire in Week 4 with 114 yards, Hixon's targets have declined in each of the past three weeks. It's a simple matter of too many mouths to feed, and Hixon won't get to feast any time soon.	at
56			Earl Bennett 3 rec, 41 yards Devin Hester is starting opposite Brandon Marshall, but Bennett is the better fantasy option. He's still not a very strong one, though. Other than Marshall, stay away from Chicago's receiving corps.	vs
57			Ryan Broyles 3 rec, 40 yards The rookie finally emerged in the Lions' Monday night loss, catching his first career touchdown. He faces a touch matchup this week, but Matt Stafford seems willing to look Broyles' way.	vs
58			Jerome Simpson 4 rec, 40 yards Simpson had a quiet day against the Cardinals in Week 7. He's coming back from injury and isn't really much of a fantasy option so far.	vs
59			Titus Young 3 rec, 38 yards Young will replace Nate Burleson as Detroit's No. 2 receiver, a role many believed he would have earned already. This week he'll be pestered by a physical Seattle secondary that has embarrassed receivers far better than Young.	vs
60			Kevin Ogletree 3 rec, 38 yards Ogletree is not a large part of the Cowboys' offense, and there doesn't appear to be anything designed for getting him touches. With Dez Bryant closer to top form, Ogletree has lost what little value he possessed.	vs
61			T.Y. Hilton 3 rec, 34 yards If it hadn't been for Hilton's 113-yard day against Jacksonville almost a month ago, we wouldn't bother including him in the weekly projections. Fantasy owners need to keep in mind how raw the third-round rookie is.	at
62			Justin Blackmon 2 rec, 29 yards And the award for most disappointing fantasy rookie of 2012 goes to ... Blackmon, not surprisingly, given his awful first half of the season. Even with Laurent Robinson sidelined, Blackmon still has been unable to find relevance in this offense. He's a non-factor for fantasy owners.	at
63			Emmanuel Sanders 2 rec, 29 yards Sanders is small potatoes, a slot receiver who doesn't make enough big plays to warrant attention from fantasy owners. He has caught just three balls of 20 or more yards, averages 11.9 yards per catch and has yet to find the end zone.	vs
64			Randy Moss 2 rec, 20 yards Moss caught just one pass for 14 yards against Seattle despite Mario Manningham (shoulder) being unable to play. Moss is a big name, but not a name you want on your fantasy roster.	at

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