FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

Wide Receivers

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1			Randall Cobb 5 rec, 98 yards, 2 rec TDs Cobb has delivered back-to-back 100-yard games and has caught 19 of the 21 balls thrown to him in December. Aaron Rodgers' favorite target will lead the receiving corps against a Titans defense that has given up 26 touchdown passes this season.	vs
2			Calvin Johnson 7 rec, 115 yards, rec TD We're not sure why opposing teams even bother trying to cover Johnson. The Lions have no one else healthy who warrants defensive attention, and yet Johnson continues to rack up 100-yard games (seven in a row). Johnson's fantasy success is inevitable.	vs
3			Andre Johnson 7 rec, 115 yards, rec TD Johnson caught 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown in Week 15 against the Colts. Johnson has delivered a very good season and has more than 700 receiving yards in his past five games alone.	vs
4			Brandon Marshall 9 rec, 110 yards, rec TD Marshall caught a team-high six passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in Week 15 against the Packers. He gets a ton of balls thrown his way (58 targets over the past four games) and he remains a top-three fantasy wide receiver in most leagues.	at
5			Danny Amendola 7 rec, 90 yards, rec TD Amendola returned from a foot injury to catch six passes for 58 yards, one touchdown and a two-point conversion in Week 15 against the Vikings. He was targeted 12 times to lead the team and he should have a big game in Week 16.	at
6			Vincent Jackson 6 rec, 90 yards, rec TD Jackson caught six passes for 81 yards at New Orleans in Week 15, despite the Bucs losing in a blowout on the road. He was expected to have a huge day, but ended up with an average outing. Keep him active against the Rams.	vs
7			Cecil Shorts 6 rec, 90 yards, rec TD Shorts caught six passes for a team-high 101 yards at Miami in Week 15. After missing Week 14 with a concussion, Shorts bounced back for his fourth 100-yard game in his past seven outings. Keep him active against an average Patriots pass defense.	vs
8			Demaryius Thomas 6 rec, 90 yards, rec TD Thomas caught just four passes for 13 yards at Baltimore in Week 15, easily his worst game of the season. He’s too valuable to sit in the fantasy playoffs, though, and overall has done well with five 100-yard games and eight touchdowns this season.	vs
9			Miles Austin 5 rec, 89 yards, rec TD Austin stepped up last week, as expected, and blew by the Steelers to help Dallas gain a first-half advantage. With Dez Bryant limited by a bad digit, Austin will be Tony Romo's main target again.	vs
10			Victor Cruz 6 rec, 85 yards, rec TD Cruz had three catches for 15 yards last Sunday at Atlanta in his second-worst fantasy outing of the season. He should bounce back against a Ravens pass defense that ranks in the lower third of the NFL in yards allowed.	at
11			Reggie Wayne 6 rec, 85 yards, rec TD Wayne caught just three passes for 14 yards at Houston in Week 15, his worst game of the season. He'll bounce back against a bad Chiefs defense that should have plenty of trouble with the Colts' passing game. He should reach the 100-catch mark for the fourth time in his career.	at
12			Brandon Lloyd 6 rec, 85 yards, rec TD Lloyd had a huge game against the 49ers, catching 10 passes for a team-high 190 yards in Week 15. He has come through in back-to-back games against very good defenses, and now he gets the Jaguars. Fantasy owners will want to take advantage.	at
13			A.J. Green 6 rec, 84 yards, rec TD Green had his worst outing of the year against the Steelers in Week 7, but that was a much different unit from what Pittsburgh will put on the field this week. Dez Bryant had 59 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh last week with one good hand.	at
14			Kenny Britt 5 rec, 81 yards, rec TD Kendall Wright's rib injury will lead to more looks for Britt and Nate Washington this week in Green Bay. Britt was mostly ignored against the Jets after gaining 143 yards in Week 14. Expect him to bounce back on Sunday.	at
15			Pierre Garcon 6 rec, 76 yards, rec TD Garcon led the Redskins with six catches for 65 yards in Week 15 at Cleveland. If RGIII returns from a knee injury, Garcon's fantasy value will improve.	at
16			Wes Welker 6 rec, 76 yards, rec TD Welker caught five passes for 56 yards against the 49ers in Week 15. He hasn't done much over the past two weeks, with a total of 108 receiving yards, but owners can't sit him in the playoffs -- especially against the Jaguars.	at
17			Danario Alexander 6 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Alexander was targeted three times against Carolina in Week 15, but he didn't make one catch and he likely sank all of the fantasy owners who relied on him in their playoffs. The Jets are tough, but Alexander should see plenty of looks now that Malcom Floyd is out.	at
18			Steve Smith 6 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Smith caught six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown at San Diego in Week 15, which tied for his second-best fantasy day of the season. After a slow start, Smith has 18 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns in the past three weeks. A matchup against the porous Raiders should keep the good times going.	vs
19			Eric Decker 6 rec, 75 yards, rec TD Decker had a big game at Baltimore in Week 15, leading the Broncos with eight catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. Peyton Manning targeted Decker a team-high 11 times, and Decker remains a good start in Week 16, having caught 16 passes for 221 yards in his past two games.	vs
20			Mike Wallace 4 rec, 73 yards, rec TD If there was any doubt, Wallace erased it last week: He's a much different player with Ben Roethlisberger under center, and it's almost guaranteed he'll make at least one big play every week.	vs
21			Brandon Gibson 5 rec, 70 yards, rec TD Gibson caught six passes for a team-leading 76 yards against Minnesota in Week 15. He had a 100-yard game in Week 14, but with Danny Amendola (foot) back, a quieter game was expected. The Buccaneers are horrible against the pass, making Gibson an interesting WR3 in Week 16.	at
22			Mike Williams 5 rec, 70 yards, rec TD Williams saw his two-game touchdown streak end at New Orleans in Week 15. Still, he caught four passes for 63 yard and he will try to improve on that in Week 16.	vs
23			Michael Crabtree 6 rec, 70 yards, rec TD Crabtree had the big day many had expected at the Patriots in Week 15, catching seven passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks held him to four catches for 31 yards in Week 7, but that was with a different Seattle secondary and a different 49ers quarterback.	at
24			Lance Moore 5 rec, 68 yards, rec TD Moore is spotty: Some weeks he's up, other weeks he's absent. This could be a good one, though. His speed and New Orleans' depth at receiver will help him get lost in coverage.	at
25			Julio Jones 4 rec, 65 yards, rec TD Jones has now caught four touchdowns over the past four games and appears primed to make a strong playoff push. No one from New York's secondary could touch him last week. It's doubtful anyone on the Lions can, either.	at
26			Hakeem Nicks 5 rec, 65 yards, rec TD Nicks caught three passes for 40 yards against the Falcons in Week 15. He's still dealing with a knee injury, which could affect him over the next couple weeks, but the Ravens are giving up more than 240 passing yards per game.	at
27			T.Y. Hilton 5 rec, 65 yards, rec TD The rookie led the Colts with three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown at Houston in Week 15. Reggie Wayne had an off-game, and Hilton picked up the slack. They should both play well in Week 16 against a bad Chiefs team.	at
28			Josh Gordon 5 rec, 65 yards, rec TD Gordon caught three passes for 27 yards against the Redskins in Week 15. He was expected to have a much bigger game against a weak pass defense, but that's the problem with relying too heavily on rookies late in the season.	at
29			Stevie Johnson 5 rec, 60 yards, rec TD Johnson caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown against Seattle in Week 15. Johnson's best fantasy day of the year came at the perfect time for his owners in the playoffs. Week 16's opponent, the Dolphins, allowed him to catch six balls for 69 yards in Week 11.	at
30			Darrius Heyward-Bey 4 rec, 60 yards, rec TD Despite being thrown to five times, Heyward-Bey was unable to make a catch against the Chiefs. He should bounce back against the Panthers, but fantasy owners should remain cautious about a Raiders passing game that should have destroyed the Chief but did not.	at
31			Leonard Hankerson 4 rec, 55 yards, rec TD Hankerson caught just two passes at Cleveland in Week 15, but they were for 56 yards and two touchdowns. It was the biggest day of Hankerson's career, and he's finally fulfilling some of the potential fantasy owners have been waiting for.	at
32			Dez Bryant 3 rec, 42 yards, rec TD Dallas forces the ball to Bryant in the red zone -– perhaps to a fault -– but it's something fantasy owners can appreciate. Of course, the finger remains a concern; Bryant caught most of his balls one-handed or off his body last week.	vs
33			James Jones 3 rec, 40 yards, rec TD Jones does one thing well: catch touchdowns. Of his 51 catches this season, an NFL-best 12 have gone for scores. His red zone relationship with Aaron Rodgers keeps Jones in good standing with fantasy owners.	vs
34			Sidney Rice 3 rec, 35 yards, rec TD Rice led the Seahawks with four catches for 76 yards at Buffalo in Week 15. The Seahawks relied mostly on their ground game in the rout, so Rice's stats are even more impressive. While the Niners held him to just two catches for 32 yards in Week 7, over the past three games Rice has 210 receiving yards and one touchdown on 12 catches.	vs
35			Roddy White 6 rec, 81 yards White has been playing with a minor knee injury. He hasn't missed time and it shouldn't affect his performance against a secondary that had trouble with the likes of T.Y. Hilton and Donnie Avery only a few weeks ago.	at
36			Justin Blackmon 6 rec, 80 yards Blackmon had six catches for 93 yards at Miami in Week 15. It seems Blackmon has yet to hit the rookie wall, and the Patriots have a mediocre pass defense. That should make Blackmon a nice WR3 option in Week 16.	vs
37			Nate Washington 6 rec, 78 yards The Titans have no choice but to throw early and often, which should benefit the team's most consistent receiver. Washington caught a pair of touchdowns in Week 15 and registered his only 100-yard game against NFC North foes this season.	at
38			Jeremy Maclin 6 rec, 70 yards Maclin caught four passes for 73 yards against the Bengals in Week 15. With DeSean Jackson sidelined, Maclin has become the main target in Philly's pass offense. He was shut out in Week 11 against the Redskins, but this offense has changed a bit since then.	vs
39			Dexter McCluster 6 rec, 70 yards McCluster led the Chiefs with seven catches on a team-high 10 targets for 59 yards at Oakland in Week 15. With Dwayne Bowe done for the season, the Chiefs will continue to go to McCluster in the passing game. PPR owners should take notice, but touchdowns will be few and far between for McCluster.	vs
40			Brian Hartline 5 rec, 70 yards Hartline caught five passes for a team-high 77 yards against Jacksonville in Week 15. He still hasn't scored since Week 4, but owners in PPR leagues still get the benefits of using him as a WR3.	vs
41			Rod Streater 4 rec, 70 yards Streater led the Raiders with five catches for 62 yards in Week 15 against Kansas City. The rookie has really emerged as a fantasy threat in recent weeks, with 12 catches for 258 yards and one touchdown in his past three games. He's worth a look against the Panthers in Week 16.	at
42			Antonio Brown 5 rec, 62 yards Brown is at his best when the Steelers' downfield passing game is clicking, allowing him room to run underneath. Four Pittsburgh receivers had catches of 20-plus yards in these two teams' first meeting, suggesting good things could be in store for Brown.	vs
43			Jason Avant 5 rec, 55 yards Avant caught three passes for 44 yards in Week 15 against Cincinnati. He now has 14 catches for 256 yards in his past three games. Consider him for your flex spot in Week 16 against the Redskins.	vs
44			Greg Jennings 4 rec, 51 yards It's hard to say what's going on with Jennings right now; nagging injuries, perhaps? What isn't hard to say is that he isn't meeting the demands of fantasy owners. This team has a plethora of viable fantasy weapons, but Jennings is near the bottom of that group.	vs
45			Denarius Moore 4 rec, 50 yards Moore caught five passes for 46 yards against Kansas City, but for the third consecutive week he was unable to score a touchdown. Fantasy owners should consider him as a WR3 at best against the Panthers in Week 16.	at
46			Jerome Simpson 3 rec, 48 yards Simpson led the Vikings with four catches for just 27 yards in Week 15 at St. Louis. Despite being one of the Vikings' main receiving threats, he's still not someone to rely on in fantasy play.	at
47			Torrey Smith 4 rec, 45 yards Smith caught just one pass for 14 yards before leaving the game with a concussion against the Broncos in Week 15. If he's able to play against the Giants, fantasy owners should think of him as a WR2/3.	vs
48			Jeremy Kerley 4 rec, 45 yards Kerley caught one pass for just 11 yards at Tennessee in Week 15. The Chargers have trouble against the pass, but this offense is struggling mightily. Look to Kerley as a WR3 in Week 16.	vs
49			Davone Bess 4 rec, 45 yards A back injury sidelined Bess from playing in Week 15 against Jacksonville, but he should be back for Week 16. Dolphins receivers are more suited for PPR play these days than standard leagues, however.	vs
50			Greg Little 4 rec, 45 yards Little led the Browns with five catches for 74 yards in Week 15 against Washington. While Little has 13 catches for 191 yards in his past three games, he's still not a recommended start against a pretty good Broncos pass defense.	at
51			Marques Colston 3 rec, 44 yards The Cowboys' cornerbacks can hang with Colston in one-on-one coverage as well as any players the Saints have faced. This might be a week to lean on another wide receiver.	at
52			Santana Moss 4 rec, 42 yards Moss caught five passes for 57 yards against the Browns in Week 15 and has eight catches for 109 yards in his past two games. That bodes well for his matchup with the Eagles, against whom he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass in Week 11.	at
53			Braylon Edwards 4 rec, 40 yards Edwards re-signed with the Jets last week, and he caught three passes for 47 yards to lead the team at Tennessee. This Jets offense is struggling mightily, however, and it's tough to rely on any Jets receiver in the fantasy playoffs.	vs
54			Dwayne Harris 3 rec, 38 yards The Cowboys' new No. 3 receiver is explosive in the return game and has the ability to catch short passes or screens and turn them into big gainers. The question is: Will he see enough opportunities? Probably not, even in a likely shootout.	vs
55			Donnie Avery 3 rec, 38 yards Avery caught three passes for 37 yards at Houston in Week 15, which is around what he has totaled in four of his past five games, outside of a Week 13 outlier. The Chiefs have given up 25 touchdown passes this season, which is worse than all but eight NFL teams. Even so, think of Avery as a WR3 at best.	at
56			Andrew Hawkins 3 rec, 37 yards Neither Hawkins nor Marvin Jones offers much upside for an offense that completed passes to just three players last week. Hawkins has been targeted 17 times for 91 yards in three December games.	at
57			Domenik Hixon 3 rec, 35 yards Domenik Hixon caught five passes for 80 yards against the Falcons Sunday, but he's still not someone to rely on in Week 16, ashe continues to work as the Giants' No. 3 wide receiver.	at
58			Anquan Boldin 3 rec, 35 yards The Broncos shut down Boldin in Week 15, keeping him without a catch on six targets. New offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell did nothing for Boldin's numbers and fantasy owners should consider alternatives in Week 16.	vs
59			T.J. Graham 3 rec, 35 yards Graham caught three passes for 33 yards against Seattle in Week 15. He's seeing more action recently because of Donald Jones' injuries, but though the rookie might get another start in Week 16 he is not yet worth a look in fantasy play.	at
60			Brandon LaFell 3 rec, 35 yards LaFell (toe) played against the Chargers in Week 15, but wasn't targeted. His toe injury appears to be affecting his ability and the Panthers' confidence in his play.	vs
61			Randy Moss 3 rec, 35 yards Moss caught two passes for 36 yards and a touchdown at New England in Week 15. He started in place of Mario Manningham (shoulder) and might be called upon to start again in Week 16. Fantasy owners should only look to him as a WR3 if that is the case.	at
62			Emmanuel Sanders 2 rec, 34 yards Sanders is almost non-existent in the Steelers offense. Jerricho Cotchery was more involved last week, and Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown have returned to top form. Sanders doesn't belong in a starting fantasy lineup.	vs
63			Joseph Morgan 2 rec, 32 yards Morgan is the Saints' new big-play weapon, with 371 yards on just nine receptions. The Cowboys do a good job of keeping the action in front of them (well, most of the time), which should keep Morgan off his game.	at
64			Andre Roberts 3 rec, 32 yards Roberts caught three passes for 22 yards against Detroit in Week 15. His fantasy value has continued to dwindle each week, especially with a rookie under center.	vs
65			Kevin Walter 3 rec, 30 yards Walter caught two passes for 11 yards in Week 15 against Indianapolis. He hasn't done much in recent weeks, and fantasy owners should steer clear of him in Week 16.	vs
66			Robert Meachem 2 rec, 30 yards Meachem should get more involved in the Chargers’ passing game in Week 16 now that Malcom Floyd (ankle) is done for the season. Meachem is still not worth starting in fantasy, however, and he has been one of the biggest free agent busts of the season.	at
67			Golden Tate 3 rec, 30 yards Tate caught three passes for 64 yards at Buffalo in Week 15, but he would have posted better stats had the running game not been working so well. Tate was shut out on three targets in Week 7, the last time he faced the 49ers. He's a WR3 at best in Week 16.	vs
68			Alshon Jeffery 3 rec, 30 yards Jeffery didn't record a catch in Week 15 against Green Bay, because the catches he did make got called back for offensive pass interference. He's not worth starting in fantasy play just yet.	at
69			Jon Baldwin 3 rec, 29 yards Baldwin was targeted four times but didn't make any catches in Week 15 at Oakland. The Chiefs need him to step up with Dwayne Bowe out for the year, but fantasy owners can continue to ignore him.	vs
70			Kris Durham 3 rec, 28 yards Durham is seeing looks, just not making plays. Last week he caught one of five balls thrown to him for 14 yards. He's really a No. 5 receiver playing the role of No. 2 due to Detroit's rash of injuries.	vs
71			Larry Fitzgerald 4 rec, 28 yards Fitzgerald caught a team-high four passes for just 22 yards against Detroit in Week 15. He hasn't scored since Week 9, and with a rookie quarterback under center, it doesn't seem like he'll be scoring again anytime soon.	vs
72			Stephen Hill 2 rec, 27 yards Hill missed Week 15 with a knee injury, but he might get a chance to play in Week 16. Even if he does, fantasy owners will want to steer clear until he proves he's healthy.	vs
73			Michael Floyd 3 rec, 25 yards Floyd caught three passes for a team-high 37 yards in Week 15 against the Lions. The rookie wide receiver has tallied more than 40 yards receiving just once this season, though.	vs
74			Michael Jenkins 2 rec, 23 yards Jenkins caught just one pass for 11 yards at St. Louis in Week 15. He's averaging 16 receiving yards over his past four games. That's nothing to get excited about.	at
75			Mario Manningham 3 rec, 23 yards Manningham (shoulder) missed his second game in a row in Week 15, and even if he returns in Week 16, it's tough to think about starting him because of the injury.	at

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