Fantasy Football 2012 Fantasy Rankings: Top 50 Wide Receivers

Who belongs as the top receiver overall?  Has A.J. Green emerged as a WR1? Where do sleepers like Demaryius Thomas fall on the rankings? Let’s answer these questions and all the rest as we look at the Top 50 fantasy receivers for the coming season:

1. Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions
2. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals
3. Roddy White – Atlanta Falcons
4. Andre Johnson – Houston Texans
5. Greg Jennings – Green Bay Packers
6. Wes Welker – New England Patriots
7. Hakeem Nicks – New York Giants
8. A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals
9. Julio Jones – Atlanta Falcons
10. Victor Cruz – New York Giants
11. Mike Wallace – Pittsburgh Steelers
12. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers
13. Brandon Marshall – Chicago Bears
14. Jordy Nelson – Green Bay Packers
15. Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys
16. Marques Colston – New Orleans Saints
17. Percy Harvin – Minnesota Vikings
18. Demaryius Thomas – Denver Broncos
19. Vincent Jackson – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Kenny Britt – Tennessee Titans
21. Miles Austin – Dallas Cowboys
22. DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles
23. Dwayne Bowe – Kansas City Chiefs
24. Stevie Johnson – Buffalo Bills
25. Jeremy Maclin – Philadelphia Eagles
26. Robert Meachem – San Diego Chargers
27. Antonio Brown – Pittsburgh Steelers
28. Brandon Lloyd – New England Patriots
29. Torrey Smith – Baltimore Ravens
30. Pierre Garcon – Washington Redskins
31. Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis Colts
32. Anquan Boldin – Baltimore Ravens
33. Mike Williams – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
34. Darrius Heyward-Bey – Oakland Raiders
35. Justin Blackmon – Jacksonville Jaguars
36. Eric Decker – Denver Broncos
37. Michael Crabtree – San Francisco 49ers
38. Denarius Moore – Oakland Raiders
39. Titus Young – Detroit Lions
40. Greg Little – Cleveland Browns
41. Sidney Rice – Seattle Seahawks
42. Santonio Holmes – New York Jets
43. Laurent Robinson – Jacksonville Jaguars
44. Malcolm Floyd – San Diego Chargers
45. Lance Moore – New Orleans Saints
46. Michael Floyd – Arizona Cardinals
47. Nate Washington – Tennessee Titans
48. Randy Moss – San Francisco 49ers
49. Mario Manningham – San Francisco 49ers
50. Kendall Wright – Tennessee Titans

Thoughts

- I love Wes Welker as much as the next guy, but can we ever be sure how many opportunities he’s going to get in a given game? The Patriots have so many other options and appear so intent on getting the ball to their tight ends, it really has to be questioned and pushes him back just a handful of spots (though he’s still an obvious WR1).

- Which Giants receiver should be drafted first, Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz? Obviously I’d go Nicks, but that’s a debate that we are going to look at in detail in the coming days.

- In his rookie season A.J. Green posted 65 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven TD—impressive numbers, and I would fully expect him to be able to improve upon them in 2012. It gets even better when you realize he converted those numbers on just 116 targets (tied for 24th in the league). With experience and more opportunities, Green should perform like a top-10 option.

- Brandon Marshall is going to be reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler in Chicago this season.  Obviously he had continued to produce in Miami, as he’s posted over 1,000 yards in five consecutive seasons, though he’s been doing it with fewer receptions.

From 2007 to 2009 with the Broncos, Marshall posted over 100 receptions and at least six TD (including a 10 TD season in 2009).  While only ’08 & ’09 came with Cutler at the helm, the fact is that he’s going to have a much better QB throwing him the ball.

- We’ve talked about the Broncos’ wide receiving corps (click here to view) and why I think Demaryius Thomas has the potential to have a monster 2012 campaign with Peyton Manning throwing him the ball. He’s obviously a risk, but when I’d happily take.

- Is Kenny Britt healthy? Can he stay on the field for a full season? Obviously, his health is currently a major question and will have a major impact on his ranking. For now I’m going to leave him, but if it appears he’s not going to be ready for the start of the season (whether it is due to injury or his latest run in with the law) he is going to drop quickly. Consider his spot on these ranking tenuous at best. 

- Robert Meachem left New Orleans for San Diego, where he will likely operate as the team’s top receiver.  He’s a gamble, because he’s never managed more than 45 receptions or 722 yards (both coming in 2009), but he was also always buried on the depth chart. Things should be much different this season. I wouldn’t take him as more than a WR3, but he has upside for much more.

- Will Reggie Wayne be able to produce with Andrew Luck at the helm? Throw in his age and he’s a WR3 and nothing more.

- Will this be the season that Michael Crabtree finally realizes his potential and emerges as a viable option? It’s hard to predict, especially considering the system, the emergence of Vernon Davis in the playoffs and the additions of Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. That said, the potential is still there so as one of my top reserves I’d be willing to roll the dice.

Make sure to check out our 2012 fantasy football rankings:

Top 30 Quarterbacks
Top 40 Running Backs
Top 15 Tight Ends
Top 15 Defensive Linemen