2012 Fantasy Football Week 9: Wide Receivers (WR) Rankings / Projections

Titus Young was a name kicked around as a potential breakout receiver for fantasy leagues this summer, but a irrelevant start found him on the waiver wire in many leagues. Young was supposed to be having a solid camp, and with Calvin Johnson drawing so much attention on the other side of the field, it only made sense Young would receive matchups he could win.

It’s taken some time, but it appears Young is ready to deliver on those expectations as he’s posted 15 receptions for 181 yards and two scores on 17 targets in the last two weeks.

Young is an important player in the Lions offense at this time as Nate Burleson is lost for the season with a leg injury and Megatron is battling a knee injury.

While Young has WR3 potential going forward, rookie Ryan Broyles is another option we shouldn’t forget about. Broyles came in after Burleson’s injury against the Bears and scored the Lions' only touchdown. Then, against the Seahawks, Broyles helped the Detroit finally get off to a fast start on offense with the first of three Matthew Stafford touchdown passes on the day.

Broyles is a better option in PPR leagues, but he’s worth a look as a bye week fill-in for the upcoming weeks.

What Did We Learn From Week 8?

- Cecil Shorts is hot, with 12 receptions for 195 yards and a score on 22 targets in the Jaguars past two games. I’m not sure Shorts can sustain numbers close to what he’s done in recent weeks, but he has another below-average secondary to face this week as the Lions come to town.

- Denarius Moore abused the Chiefs for a few big plays and a score last week and has emerged as the Raiders' top option in the passing game. Potentially one of the better playmakers down the field in the NFL, Moore has the confidence of Carson Palmer to sustain WR2 production for the rest of the season.

Sean’s Week 9 Watch List

- Dez Bryant is hard to watch on one play and then he can make a big play on the next series that gives you hope he can figure things out. Who knows if Bryant will ever make good on the talent he has, but the Cowboys don’t appear to be putting him on the bench no matter how many sloppy routes he runs or poor decisions he makes as a punt returner.

In what should be another game in which we see Tony Romo throw for over 50 attempts in Atlanta, Bryant is a good bet for a least 75 yards and possibly a score. Just keep an eye on his hip injury that he suffered at the end of last week's game.

- I don’t care how bad Matt Cassel looks on the field, he gives Dwayne Bowe the best chance to give us WR2 production. While the Chiefs benched Brady Quinn last week, it appears they may give him another shot to start against the Chargers.

Don’t worry, Quinn will find a way to get out of the lineup and Cassel will get back in. It won’t be pretty whichever quarterback plays, but in fantasy all we care about is the stats Bowe puts up in the box score. Get Cassel in the game.

1	Demaryius Thomas	@ Bengals
2	Brandon Marshall	@ Titans
3	Vincent Jackson	@ Raiders
4	A.J. Green	Broncos
5	Victor Cruz	Steelers
6	Julio Jones	Cowboys
7	Percy Harvin	@ Seahawks
8	Larry Fitzgerald	@ Packers
9	Eric Decker	@ Bengals
10	Reggie Wayne	Dolphins
11	Denarius Moore	Buccaneers
12	Mike Wallace	@ Giants
13	Roddy White	Cowboys
14	Miles Austin	@ Falcons
15	Marques Colston	Eagles
16	Randall Cobb	Cardinals
17	Jordy Nelson (I)	Cardinals
18	Andre Johnson	Bills
19	Stevie Johnson	@ Texans
20	Steve Smith	@ Redskins
21	Torrey Smith	@ Browns
22	Hakeem Nicks	Steelers
23	Mike Williams	@ Raiders
24	Calvin Johnson (I)	@ Jaguars
25	Dez Bryant (I)	@ Falcons
26	Jeremy Maclin	@ Saints
27	Antonio Brown	@ Giants
28	Dwayne Bowe	@ Chargers
29	Titus Young	@ Jaguars
30	DeSean Jackson (I)	@ Saints
31	James Jones	Cardinals
32	Kendall Wright	Bears
33	Sidney Rice	Vikings
34	Josh Gordon	Ravens
35	Cecil Shorts	@ Packers
36	Anquan Boldin	@ Browns
37	Santana Moss	Panthers
38	Brian Hartline	@ Colts
39	Ryan Broyles	@ Jaguars
40	Andre Roberts	@ Packers
41	Darrius Heyward-Bey	Buccaneers
42	Devery Henderson	Eagles

Week 9 Standard Rankings – QB | RB | TE | Flex | D |