2012 Fantasy Football Week 5: Wide Receivers (WR) Rankings / Projections

A big matchup this week as the Eagles and Steelers face off against one another. While I expected Mike Wallace to start out slow, he’s actually had at least four receptions and a touchdown in each game.

Chemistry is the word that comes to mind when I think of the reason for Wallace’s early-season success. Ben Roethlisberger has faith that his third-year receiver will come down with the football down the field. The Eagles have some good corners, but both Wallace and Antonio Brown should come away with at least WR2 numbers.

What Did We Learn From Week Four?

- Ramses Barden had a big game as a starter in Week 3, but it was Domenik Hixon who started over him against the Eagles and had over 100 yards receiving. Eli Manning will continue to make average receivers into a fantasy option while Hakeem Nicks is down, and if Hixon continues to start, he’s worthy of a WR3 play.

- Marques Colston has had a slow start to the season, but he had a breakout game in Green Bay. It appears his leg issues may be behind him now and we can start using him in our lineups as a WR3 play going forward.

- Randall Cobb was a hyped receiver in fantasy circles this offseason, but thus far James Jones has been the one to start with Greg Jennings having continued groin problems. Jones plays on the outside while Cobb tends to play more in the slot and in the backfield.

Both are worth WR3 consideration this week, but Jones should be considered the safer play.

- Brian Hartline appears to be the favorite of Ryan Tannehill in Miami after a monster game against the Cardinals. While Hartline doesn’t have the skill set you would think of to be a weekly fantasy play, it’s all about situation driving his fantasy value. Tannehill is a talented young quarterback that played in basically the same offense (changes, of course, for the NFL game) as his offensive coordinator was his head coach in college.

Look to Hartine as a worthy WR3 play this week, as the Dolphins take on a Bengals secondary that can be exploited.

Sean’s Week Five Watch List

- Pierre Garcon was active last week but clearly wasn’t 100 percent. Let’s see how he practices through the week, but hopefully we will see him on the field for close to a full compliment of snaps.

- Torrey Smith suffered a leg injury towards the end of the Browns game. With a week and a half to rest, I would expect him to play, but let’s see how he preforms. I’m betting he will be just fine.

- Jeremy Maclin was back on the field against the Giants but it was hard to notice he was even in the game until a late second half reception put him in the stat box. Maclin continues to battle through injuries, making it difficult to recommend him as an option to start. Let’s see how he does in his second game back vs the Steelers.

- Brandon Lloyd will face off against his old team as the Broncos head out to New England this week. It should be an interesting matchup if Lloyd and Champ Bailey face off. I’m willing to bet Lloyd gets him for one touchdown, but I’m not sure if he will see more than four receptions on the day.

1	A.J. Green	Dolphins
2	Jordy Nelson	@ Colts
3	Roddy White	@ Redskins
4	Victor Cruz	Browns
5	Eric Decker	@ Patriots
6	Brandon Lloyd	Broncos
7	Torrey Smith (I)	@ Chiefs
8	Demaryius Thomas	@ Patriots
9	Julio Jones (I)	@ Redskins
10	Percy Harvin	Titans
11	Wes Welker	Broncos
12	Andre Johnson	@ Jets
13	Larry Fitzgerald	@ Rams
14	Dwayne Bowe	Ravens
15	Brandon Marshall	@ Jaguars
16	Mike Wallace	Eagles
17	Reggie Wayne	Packers
18	Antonio Brown	Eagles
19	DeSean Jackson	@ Steelers
20	Steve Smith (I)	Seahawks
21	Stevie Johnson	@ 49ers
22	Marques Colston	Chargers
23	Malcom Floyd	@ Saints
24	Michael Crabtree	Bills
25	Domenik Hixon	Browns
26	Brian Hartline	@ Bengals
27	Anquan Boldin	@ Chiefs
28	James Jones	@ Colts
29	Danny Amendola	Cardinals
30	Pierre Garcon (I)	Falcons
31	Lance Moore	Chargers
32	Nate Washington (I)	@ Vikings
33	Sidney Rice	@ Panthers
34	Andrew Hawkins	Dolphins
35	Donnie Avery	Packers
36	Jeremy Maclin (I)	@ Steelers
37	Randall Cobb	@ Colts
38	Brandon LaFell	Seahawks
39	Davone Bess	@ Bengals

Week 5 Standard Rankings – | RB | WR | TE | K | D |