Fantasy Football Rankings 2012: Calvin Johnson and Top Must-Have WRs

Jun 7, 2018

Free agency is winding down, the 2012 NFL draft has come and gone, and soon teams across the league will be gathering for mandatory minicamps as they gear up for another season of NFL action.

That means that action of another kind will be getting underway as well, as fantasy football enthusiasts far and wide are beginning preparations for this summer's fantasy draft season, when team owners will gather on websites and at local watering holes to conduct the drafts that will determine this year's squads.

In today's pass happy National Football League wide receivers carry added importance. That importance extends into the realm of fantasy football as well, where having a solid cadre of wideouts can be the difference between having a so-so team and a dominant one.

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With that in mind here's a look at this year crop at the wide receiver position from a fantasy perspective, from the stud that sits atop the mountain to this year's top newcomer with a sleeper and bust thrown in to boot.

Megatron Rules the Earth

There's absolutely zero doubt as to who this season's top fantasy wide receiver is, as Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions erased any question with his transcendent 2011 season. The sixth-year pro reeled in 96 passes last year and led all wide receivers in yardage (1,681), touchdowns (16) and most importantly, fantasy points.

The 26-year-old is firmly in the prime of his career and has one of the league's best young passers tossing him the rock in Matthew Stafford. If there's one non-running back worthy of cracking the top five overall picks in fantasy drafts this year that player is likely Calvin Johnson.

Top Rookie

There were some talented young wide receivers available in the NFL draft this year, but unfortunately for fantasy owners none of those players landed in a spot that screams "fantasy gold!" Therefore, none of this year's newcomers possess more than WR3 value for 2012.

Two-time Biletnikoff Award winner Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State was the first wide receiver taken in April's draft and will probably be the first rookie at his position taken in fantasy drafts. Although the Jacksonville Jaguars passing game (or lack thereof) caps Blackmon's fantasy upside, he should still see a ton of targets in his inaugural NFL season.

Don't Forget Kenny Britt

Fantasy owners looking for a "sleeper" at wide receiver may want to cast their eyes towards Nashville and a wideout who was a complete non-factor last year due to injury. Kenny Britt of the Tennessee Titans played in only three games last year before a torn ACL ended his season, making 17 catches for 289 yards and three scores before getting hurt.

Britt has missed 17 games over the past two seasons, and the 23-year-old has yet to top 800 receiving yards in an NFL season. However, the former Rutgers standout is undeniably talented, and with Kendall Wright now in Tennessee, Britt should see fewer double-teams this year, giving him an excellent chance of posting his first top-20 finish if Britt can stay healthy.

Cinderella Turns Back into a Pumpkin

Wide receiver Laurent Robinson had a career year and then some in 2011, as the sixth year jouneyman destroyed his career bests across the board, finishing the season as a top-20 fantasy receiver after hauling in 54 passes for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys.

Robinson parlayed that success into a lucrative free-agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but there's a fair amount of difference between catching passes from Tony Romo and diving for knuckleballs from Blaine Gabbert, making a repeat of that breakout campaign unlikely.

Here's an early look at the top 20 wide receivers for point-per-reception (PPR) fantasy football leagues in 2012.

1.) Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

2.) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

3.) Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

4.) Wes Welker, New England Patriots

5.) Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

6.) Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers

7.) Victor Cruz, New York Giants

8.) Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants

9.) A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

10.) Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers

11.) Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers