Fantasy Football Week 8 Rankings: Top 60 Wide Receivers

There are some serious injury concerns among quarterbacks, putting the potential value of some of the best wide receivers in the league into question.  Couple that with some receivers who are struggling badly and others who have been red hot and it is an interesting week of rankings. Let’s take a look at how things currently look (remember, if necessary we will update these rankings later in the week):

1. Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Houston
2. Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions – vs. Washington
3. Andre Johnson – Houston Texans – at Indianapolis
4. Brandon Marshall – Miami Dolphins – at Cincinnati
5. Terrell Owens – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Miami
6. Wes Welker – New England Patriots – vs. Minnesota
7. Randy Moss – Minnesota Vikings – at New England
8. Marques Colston – New Orleans Saints – vs. Pittsburgh
9. Greg Jennings – Green Bay Packers – at New York Jets
10. Miles Austin – Dallas Cowboys – vs. Jacksonville
11. Kenny Britt – Tennessee Titans – at San Diego
12. Pierre Garcon – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Houston
13. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers – at St. Louis
14. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals – vs. Tampa Bay
15. Dwayne Bowe – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Buffalo
16. Santana Moss – Washington Redskins – at Detroit
17. Chad Ochocino – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Miami
18. Hines Ward – Pittsburgh Steelers – at New Orleans
19. Percy Harvin – Minnesota Vikings – at New England
20. Deion Branch – New England Patriots – vs. Minnesota
21. Steve Johnson – Buffalo Bills – at Kansas City
22. Davone Bess – Miami Dolphins – at Cincinnati
23. Mike Wallace – Pittsburgh Steelers – at New Orleans
24. Brandon Lloyd – Denver Broncos – at San Francisco
25. Patrick Cayton – San Diego Chargers – vs. Tennessee
26. Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys – vs. Jacksonville
27. Donald Driver – Green Bay Packers – at New York Jets
28. Mike Williams – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at Arizona
29. Braylon Edward – New York Jets – vs. Green Bay
30. Mike Sims-Walker – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Dallas
31. Roy Williams – Dallas Cowboys – vs. Jacksonville
32. Mike Williams – Seattle Seahawks – at Oakland
33. Blair White – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Houston
34. Santonio Holmes – New York Jets – vs. Green Bay
35. Jabar Gaffney – Denver Broncos – at San Francisco
36. Lee Evans – Buffalo Bills – at Kansas City
37. Anthony Armstrong – Washington Redskins – at Detroit
38. Michael Crabtree – San Francisco 49ers – vs. Denver
39. Steve Breaston – Arizona Cardinals – vs. Tampa Bay
40. Eddie Royal – Denver Broncos – at San Francisco
41. Nate Burleson – Detroit Lions – vs. Washington
42. David Gettis – Carolina Panthers – at St. Louis
43. Danario Alexander – St. Louis Rams – vs. Carolina
44. Mike Thomas – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Dallas
45. Kevin Walter – Houston Texans – at Indianapolis
46. Lance Moore – New Orleans Saints – vs. Pittsburgh
47. Buster Davis – San Diego Chargers – vs. Tennessee
48. Jordan Shipley – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Miami
49. Deon Butler – Seattle Seahawks – at Oakland
50. Robert Meachem – New Orleans Saints – vs. Pittsburgh
51. Justin Gage – Tennessee Titans – at San Diego
52. Brandon Tate – New England Patriots – vs. Minnesota
53. Danny Amendola – St. Louis Rams – vs. Carolina
54. Chris Chambers – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Buffalo
55. Nate Washington – Tennessee Titans – at San Diego
56. Devery Henderson – New Orleans Saints – vs. Pittsburgh
57. Dexter McCluster – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Buffalo
58. Josh Morgan – San Francisco 49ers – vs. Denver
59. Darius Heyward-Bey – Oakland Raiders – vs. Seattle
60. Jacoby Jones – Houston Texans – at Indianapolis

Thoughts:

• Calvin Johnson has been solid this year, with 29 receptions for 437 yards and five touchdowns.  Four of those touchdowns have come in his last three games.  Now, Matthew Stafford returns.  Is that a good or a bad thing?  Time will tell, but no matter who the QB, with the way Johnson has been playing he’s a Top Five option against the Redskins.
• Over his last three games, Terrell Owens has 26 catches for 412 yards and three touchdowns.  Clearly, there are very few hotter receivers.  While Chad Ochocinco could steal looks, at this point, the Bengals have shown that there are enough balls to go around.  Owens is the better option and a WR1 at this point.
• If Brett Favre was playing well, Randy Moss would be a Top Five option and potentially a top two or three guy.  Unfortunately, with Favre injured and a wild card, Moss is more of a low-end WR1.  He may actually be better off with Favre sitting out this week.
• Larry Fitzgerald’s value is plummeting, as the Cardinal quarterbacks continue to fail to get him the ball.  He already has three games of 43 yards or less and has scored just two touchdowns on the season.  This is the same player who had 25 TD between 2008 and 2009.  The Cardinals have got to make a move, sooner or later, but until they do Fitzgerald is a WR2.  Of course, he always has the potential to explode, so I wouldn’t move him to your bench.
• Like Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston would be a lot more valuable if the Cardinals had better QB play (and if he had proven he was healthy).  Consider him a last resort option at this point.
• Kenny Britt has been unbelievable, there is no questioning that.  However, Tennessee’s facing the best passing defense in the league (the Chargers have allowed just 158.6 passing yards per game) and have Chris Johnson who they can ride.  Britt could easily find the end zone again, having scored in five straight games, but I’d consider him more of a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 this week.
• The Jets passing defense has not been as advertised, but a healthy Darrelle Revis paired with Antonio Cromartie, who has been playing well, could change that.  Of course, if the Jets can’t get to the quarterback, it won’t matter, because Aaron Rodgers with enough time will still pick them apart.  Greg Jennings has been coming to life of late and I would still consider him a WR1.
• Over the last two games Brandon Lloyd has five catches for 120 yards and no touchdowns.  Hopefully you enjoyed using him while you could, because he’s now more of a WR3 option.
• With the New Orleans Saints passing defense not giving up many big plays, this week Hines Ward is probably the better option among Steelers receivers over Mike Wallace.  Both, however, are usable.
• With Alex Smith hurting (and possibly out), the 49ers could turn to a more run-oriented attack.  That hurts the potential value of Michael Crabtree, who has become a borderline option, at best, at this point.
• Patrick Crayton continued to play well and if Legedu Naanee and Malcolm Floyd remain out, he should once again be a viable WR3.  Make sure to check the news all week, but for now he certainly is worth considering.
• While Miles Austin and Roy Williams take a hit due to the injury to Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Jon Kitna appeared to have a great rapport in Week 7.  Bryant actually appears to be a better option for the coming week over Williams.
• Louis Murphy is expected to miss this week’s game due to injury.  Too bad, because he would’ve been a WR3 if healthy.

What are your thoughts on these rankings?  Who’s too high?  Who’s too low?

Make sure to check out our Week 8 Rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 15 Tight Ends (coming soon)
• Top 15 Kickers (coming soon)
• Top 15 Defenses (coming soon)
• Waiver Worthy
• Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em
• Sunday Sleepers (coming soon)

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