Rotobahn

Wide Receiver Rankings Week 3

Megatron ... as usual
By: Pete Davidson : September 22, 2012 12:19pm

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Welcome to the week three WR rankings.  The guys from the Giants and Panthers have been removed since they have already played.  I’ve done my best to cover a lot of options this week and to give you some players to keep an eye on as well.  There are still a number of teams that have not settled on their rotations yet, so there’s going to be substantive opportunity to land talent on the waiver wire, especially in deeper formats and long term leagues.  We’ll be all over that on Tuesday.

Feel free to check out our weekly starts and sits column at weei.com.  As usual, I'll be tweeting injury news on Sunday, so sign up and follow us.

Rank	PLAYER	TEAM	Opponent	THE SKINNY
1	Calvin Johnson	DET	@TEN	Boy are they going to miss Cortland Finnegan this week. Megatron might just explode here.
2	Roddy White	ATL	@SD	Roddy was at the top of his game last week. Only a total chuckle-head would sit him in week three. Don’t be a chuckle-head.
3	A.J. Green	CIN	@WAS	Nobody can deal with this guy.
4	Julio Jones	ATL	@SD	Last week’s game was a disaster, but he did just miss a TD. We like this matchup for him.
5	Mike Wallace	PIT	@OAK	Look out, folks. Wallace is back and the Raiders are stuck on the cross hairs.
6	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	HOU	It’s a tough matchup, but he is a stud and he’ll get his.
7	Andre Johnson	HOU	@DEN	He’ll score and have a good game after being somewhat uninvolved in last week’s blowout. Denver should provide plenty of resistance and Houston will at least slow their rush down a little. That being said, Dumervil and Miller will get theirs.
8	Brandon Marshall	CHI	STL	He’ll bounce back strong.
9	Dwayne Bowe	KC	@NO	He looks very good right now.
10	Percy Harvin	MIN	SF	He is playing very well and is the fulcrum of their offense, but Frisco will tackle him and limit his yardage more than any other defense, so a big game will be a huge statement. This is going to be great to watch as Minny’s skill players are incredibly physical as is the entire 49ers defense. There will be some serious hitting in this game.
11	Reggie Wayne	IND	JAC	Wayne is in top form right now. Keep him active in all leagues.
12	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	PHI	He’s matchup proof and the Eagles might give him more one-on-one than most teams. Start Fitz as always.
13	Miles Austin	DAL	TB	He’s taking advantage as teams are leaning on Dez Bryant. Start him with confidence in this plus matchup.
14	Jordy Nelson	GB	@SEA	They will throw, but Jennings is still banged up and Nelson will thusly get plenty of extra attention. He’s a nice WR2.
15	Antonio Brown	PIT	@OAK	He will make plays against the Raiders.
16	Vincent Jackson	TB	@DAL	He looks like he’s going to be the same guy we saw in SD. He can handle any CB, so we like him here. Freeman is the key to V-Jax getting WR1 status and we need to see more improvement from him. For now we’re calling him a nice WR2.
17	Stevie Johnson	BUF	@CLE	No Joe Haden means he’ll make some plays.
18	Dez Bryant	DAL	TB	He should rebound nicely, but he needs to respond to all the extra defenders. He was clearly a bit frustrated last week. We suspect they will try to help him get off.
19	Eric Decker	DEN	HOU	Decker is being downgraded in certain places, but we’re doubling down. He’s going to be very good when all is said and done. He’s a great trade target in my mind. Start him with confidence even in this rough matchup.
20	Brandon Lloyd	NE	@BAL	He’s got a thigh injury and is questionable to play but we expect him to be out there and we like him at the WR2 level.
21	DeSean Jackson	PHI	@ARI	CB Patrick Peterson is a tough matchup, but then again, so is DeSean. He’ll make a big play or two. He’s looking pretty good so far. Better than the stats suggest.
22	Malcom Floyd	SD	ATL	He’s looking very good right now though we always worry about health with him. Start him this week.
23	Danny Amendola	STL	@CHI	He’s going to earn his yardage this week and he’s going to get hit often, but you have to have him active right now. The little man is downright inspirational.
24	Michael Crabtree	SF	@MIN	As we said in preseason, he is as healthy as we’ve ever seen him and it is showing so far with two solid efforts under his belt. He’s still a bit hamstrung by SF’s conservative offense.
25	Marques Colston	NO	KC	He may sit with a sore foot, but he’s likely to give it a go. How he’ll perform is tough to figure, so we are calling him a light WR2. We’ll fire off a tweet if he sits.
26	Wes Welker	NE	@BAL	He should be involved but how much is an open question. We’re calling him a very strong WR3 in performance leagues.
27	Torrey Smith	BAL	NE	He will be given the chance to make big plays and he has been able to grind out points when he has help out of the zone. Keep him active as a nice WR3 option.
28	Denarius Moore	OAK	PIT	Moore is slowing getting into the flow and we expect him to make plays this week as Pitt has nobody to deal with him.
29	Greg Jennings	GB	@SEA	Jennings (groin injury) is no lock to play or to play well if he guts it out. The Monday Night Football part of this is a killer, because you want him active if he plays, but if you have a strong alternative, you almost have to take it. He’s worth a look as a WR3 if he plays, but you won’t know the answer until Monday most likely. If you really want to push the envelope, you might consider rostering Randall Cobb or Golden Tate if either is available in your league. Donald Driver and James Jones are other potentially available options.
30	Santonio Holmes	NYJ	@MIA	He’s been robbed of his upside by a combination of factors including his own diva routine, but he is still a threat to score and he should grind out WR3 production in week three.
31	Lance Moore	NO	KC	He’s a solid WR3 play.
32	Sidney Rice	SEA	GB	Plenty of upside but he may be banged up once again after taking a few crushing hits in week two. The guy plays without fear. We’ll give him that. They maintain that he’s fine, but his snap total says otherwise. Still, he is a decent WR3 if he’s starting and by all indications, he is.
33	Robert Meachem	SD	ATL	He should be very active here. He can start for you.
34	Randall Cobb	GB	@SEA	Jennings’ injury creates more opportunity for him and they will needs the entire bag of tricks against Seattle.
35	Donnie Avery	IND	JAC	He’s a borderline WR3 right now.
36	Laurent Robinson	JAC	@IND	He’ll be very active because he’s the only guy they have right now that is running on all cylinders.
37	Andrew Hawkins	CIN	@WAS	He’s probably a bit overrated due to the exciting element he brings to the table. He’s not playing enough snaps to be very consistent, but after what we saw Amendola do to Washington last week, we have to think Hawkins will make a few big plays. He’s a viable flex option.
38	Greg Little	CLE	BUF	It’s a good matchup and his QB came back to life in week two.
39	Anquan Boldin	BAL	NE	He looks slow to me though he can always make a play. Not a recommended WR3 in week three. More of a flex.
40	Mike Williams	TB	@DAL	He’s playing well but it’s a less than ideal matchup.
41	Nate Washington	TEN	DET	Looking healthier this week, but we worry about Britt’s snaps increasing and Locker is just brutal so far.
42	Kenny Britt	TEN	DET	If he plays more snaps in week three, we’ll be recommending him in week four. He’s more of a risky flex at this point and Jake Locker is also an issue.
43	Mohamed Massaquoi	CLE	BUF	He’s been very active and Weeden seems to like him. He can be a flex in large formats.
44	Julian Edelman	NE	@BAL	Still hard to say just how much they want to use him, but his upside is big if the first two weeks represent a trend. He’s a flex option.
45	Titus Young	DET	@TEN	Titus is a solid flex option in bigger formats, but he’s still a long way from being a trusted option. Still an upside play more than anything else. This week is a much better matchup than week two.
46	Justin Blackmon	JAC	@IND	He’s been dinged up and did nothing last week, so we’d only use him as a flex in bigger formats. He’s got plenty of upside, but we’d be careful with him right now.
47	Darrius Heyward-Bey	OAK	PIT	He’s looked sloppy so far, but they seem to be committed to using him so he is still a viable flex in deeper formats.
48	Brian Hartline	MIA	NYJ	Could be stranded on Revis Island this week, so break glass only if necessary.
49	Golden Tate	SEA	GB	We’re starting to feel this guy a bit. He’s moving well and he may have finally turned the corner. We’re rostering him in medium to large formats and in long term too.
49	Davone Bess	MIA	NYJ	He will probably be a source of catches this week as Revis takes Hartline away.
50	Donald Jones	BUF	@CLE	He’s going to have opportunity, but he needs to do more with it than he did last week.
51	Kendall Wright	TEN	DET	He’s involved but his QB is killing him. He’ll get some chances this week and is a viable flex in deep leagues.
52	Jonathan Baldwin	KC	@NO	One of our guys and he got involved during garbage time in week two. They need to get him involved desperately and we think they will. He’s a light flex option for now.
53	Jacoby Jones	BAL	NE	So far, we like him more in Baltimore than we did in Kubiak’s system. He’s been targeted deep and has been involved in both weeks one and two. You could do worse in deep leagues at your flex spot.
54	Emmanuel Sanders	PIT	@OAK	He can score but not seeing enough targets at this point.
55	Pierre Garcon	WAS	CIN	Very unlikely to play, but he’s worth a shot if he does play.
56	Randy Moss	SF	@MIN	He’s not getting enough snaps, but we actually like what we see when he is in there, so don’t drop him in anything other than small leagues. He has upside the way they run the ball.
57	Andre Roberts	ARI	PHI	He’s gotten it done so far but the TD saved him last week.
59	Leonard Hankerson	WAS	CIN	He should be rostered in big formats as he has the potential to emerge as a weekly starter. He is a decent flex this week with Garcon very likely to sit out.
60	Stephen Hill	NYJ	@MIA	He was a victim of his offense in week two and he performed over his head in week one. But he’s a serious talent and he’s a guy you can always take a chance on because he is a big play threat due to his size and speed. Not a great matchup this week, but still a threat.
61	Aldrick Robinson	WAS	CIN	We like Hankerson a bit better though Robinson has been more involved so far. They both have flex value this week with Garcon likely out.
62	Kevin Ogletree	DAL	TB	Should be better in week three after disappointing in week two.
63	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	STL	We are big fans, but he’s hard to trust until they give Jay Cutler that thing we like to call a “pocket.” We think they clean it up as Tice is better in this area than Mike Martz was. Jeffery has starter’s upside for sure. He’s a reasonable flex option if you can stomach the risk.
64	Nate Burleson	DET	@TEN	Looks mediocre but this week could change the tenor in Detroit. He’s a light flex until he shows some consistency and he could potentially lose his job to Ryan Broyles at some point.
65	Brandon Gibson	STL	@CHI	He’s defying our predictions and I have to tell you ... it’s pissing me off. That said, he’s no lock and we don’t see enough to his game. He’s a flex option right now.
66	Jeremy Kerley	NYJ	@MIA	He’s a reasonable flex option until they get Keller back to 100%. He could score this week.
67	Dexter McCluster	KC	@NO	He’s banged up and we are not big believers in his continuing value. He’s a gimmick player to us. Then again, you can often count on KC to do the wrong thing. They aren’t in disarray by coincidence.
68	Brandon Tate	CIN	@WAS	He’s a flex option due to his involvement and big play ability.
69	Damaris Johnson	PHI	@ARI	We’d rather see Riley Cooper out there, but he’s still a week away. Johnson will be an interesting player in week 3, so try and get a look at him. He makes for an interesting flex option if you are in need.
70	Mario Manningham	SF	@MIN	Too many roosters in Frisco’s hen hut. Mario is a role player and a weak flex option.
71	Jason Avant	PHI	@ARI	He’s the possession guy and has no real fantasy value outside of huge leagues.
72	Austin Collie	IND	JAC	Probably won’t play as he still needs medical clearance. This is a sad story.
73	James Jones	GB	@SEA	He’s struggling right now and tough to trust even with Jennings banged up.
74	Brandon Stokley	DEN	HOU	Not much of a scoring threat, but he has some PPR appeal in big formats.
75	Cecil Shorts	JAC	@IND	We are big fans, but the Jags were a mess last week. Roster Cecil in deep leagues and long term formats, but he’s not a safe play right now.
76	T.J. Graham	BUF	@CLE	Keep an eye on this kid. He’s not playable this week, but he could emerge soon.
77	Armon Binns	CIN	@WAS	Binns is playing his best ball to date, but still more of a guy to scout than a guy to play or roster. Huge leagues only.
78	Santana Moss	WAS	CIN	He’s lost a step based on what we’ve seen so far. More of a possession guy.
79	Rod Streater	OAK	PIT	Fading in terms of involvement.
80	Donald Driver	GB	@SEA	He is always a threat to score, but not used much any more.
81	Steven Smith	STL	@CHI	Not the factor we thought he would be but was a bit more involved last week, so keep an eye on him. The guy is a player is he’s playing at 100%.
82	Steve Breaston	KC	@NO	Not worth much right now.
83	Earl Bennett	CHI	STL	Always a risky proposition.
84	Harry Douglas	ATL	@SD	He’s involved but not a consistent fantasy threat. This is a better than usual week to play him injuries in SD’s secondary.
85	Michael Jenkins	MIN	SF	He’s a better player here than he was in Atlanta, but we’re not high on him at all.
86	Josh Morgan	WAS	CIN	He’ll catch a few.
87	Kevin Walter	HOU	@DEN	He’s a JAG these days.
88	Doug Baldwin	SEA	GB	He’s trying to get healthy. Don’t risk it.
89	Devin Hester	CHI	STL	He’ll never be given the snaps required to be a fantasy factor.
90	Damian Williams	TEN	DET	A good player in need of more opportunity. Not a good fantasy play at this time.
91	Josh Gordon	CLE	BUF	He may emerge, but not a good play yet.
92	Austin Pettis	STL	@CHI	He could be active this week and he’s a sleeper and a guy to keep an eye on.
93	T.Y. Hilton	IND	JAC	Got his feet wet last week, but we need to see more. This guy is an exciting player.
94	Legedu Naanee	MIA	NYJ	No!!!! Really, he just doesn’t even get it done.
95	Kyle Williams	SF	@MIN	Not a big factor. Avoid.
96	Mike Thomas	JAC	@IND	Fading fast.
97	Derek Hagan	OAK	PIT	Playing well but still not an option.
98	Devery Henderson	NO	KC	Back this week and he may have some deep league worth at some point, but we’d give him a week to prove himself. They need a deep threat right now.
99	Eddie Royal	SD	ATL	Not involved enough to consider.
100	Chris Givens	STL	@CHI	We like him, but they aren’t giving him enough action yet.
101	Braylon Edwards	SEA	GB	Was not a factor last week and he may need an injury to somebody else to get a chance. Braylon has seemingly lost something off of last season’s knee injury. Still a big man with talent.
102	Keshawn Martin	HOU	@DEN	Not a big big enough role yet, but we think they get him involved more and more as he adds something they lack in terms of quickness.
103	Lestar Jean	HOU	@DEN	Is it me, or is his name cooler if he capitalizes the “s”? Just sayin’. Think big, Lestar! He’s being used but not enough yet. Still a player to track as he has talent and AJ2000 has a substantive injury history.
104	Ryan Broyles	DET	@TEN	Keep an eye on him. He’s as talented as Young and Burleson but is coming off ACL reconstruction. His day will come, but it might be in 2013. He’s likely to be active. We really like this kid.
105	Brian Quick	STL	@CHI	He’s faded into the woodwork, but he’s still a name to know. He’ll have even more competition with Austin Pettis coming back.