Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Top 50 Wide Receivers

There have been some impressive performances in the first few weeks of the NFL season, especially in the passing game. Should we expect things to change for the coming week?  Do we ride the hot hand or look for the next shining star? Let’s take a look at how things look for the coming week:

1. Wes Welker – New England Patriots – at Oakland
2. Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions – at Dallas
3. Vincent Jackson – San Diego Chargers – vs. Miami
4. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals – vs. New York Giants
5. Hakeem Nicks – New York Giants – at Arizona
6. Roddy White – Atlanta Falcons – at Seattle
7. Mike Wallace – Pittsburgh Steelers – at Houston
8. Greg Jennings – Green Bay Packers – vs. Denver
9. Andre Johnson – Houston Texans – vs. Pittsburgh
10. Brandon Marshall – Miami Dolphins – at San Diego
11. Dwayne Bowe – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Minnesota
12. Stevie Johnson – Buffalo Bills – at Cincinnati
13. DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. San Francisco
14. Brandon Lloyd – Denver Broncos – at Green Bay
15. Santana Moss – Washington Redskins – at St. Louis
16. Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys – vs. Detroit
17. Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis Colts – at Tampa Bay
18. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers – at Chicago
19. Jeremy Maclin – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. San Francisco
20. Sidney Rice – Seattle Seahawks – vs. Atlanta
21. Denarius Moore – Oakland Raiders – vs. New England
22. Lance Moore – New Orleans Saints – at Jacksonville
23. Nate Washington – Tennessee Titans – at Cleveland
24. A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Buffalo
25. Santonio Holmes – New York Jets – at Baltimore
26. Anquan Boldin – Baltimore Ravens – vs. New York Jets
27. Percy Harvin – Minnesota Vikings – at Kansas City
28. Eric Decker – Denver Broncos – at Green Bay
29. Mike Thomas – Jacksonville Jaguars – vs. New Orleans
30. Julio Jones – Atlanta Falcons – at Seattle
31. Jordy Nelson – Green Bay Packers – vs. Denver
32. David Nelson – Buffalo Bills – at Cincinnati
33. Deion Branch – New England Patriots – at Oakland
34. Robert Meachem – New Orleans Saints – at Jacksonville
35. Nate Burleson – Detroit Lions – at Dallas
36. Johnny Knox – Chicago Bears – vs. Carolina
37. Mario Manningham – New York Giants – at Arizona
38. Devery Henderson – New Orleans Saints – at Jacksonville
39. Dexter McCluster – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Minnesota
40. Mike Sims-Walker – St. Louis Rams – vs. Washington
41. Early Doucet – Arizona Cardinals – vs. New York Giants
42. Davone Bess – Miami Dolphins – at San Diego
43. Plaxico Burress – New York Jets – at Baltimore
44. Torrey Smith – Baltimore Ravens – vs. New York Jets
45. Mohamed Massaquoi – Cleveland Browns – vs. Tennessee
46. Titus Young – Detroit Lions – at Dallas
47. Danario Alexander – St. Louis Rams – vs. Washington
48. Jabar Gaffney – Washington Redskins – at St. Louis
49. Jacoby Ford – Oakland Raiders – vs. New England
50. Jerome Simpson – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Buffalo

Thoughts

Mike Wallace was thought of as nothing more than a big-play receiver entering the season.  All he’s done thus far is catch 21 passes for 377 yards and 2 TD, putting him second in receiving yards (behind Wes Welker’s 458) and tied for third in receptions (again behind Welker, who has 31).  He’s clearly entrenched himself as a WR1 at this point.

Speaking of Welker, while the Patriots like to move the ball around, he is the only player who has been targeted at least 10 times in each of the first three weeks. That speaks volumes, especially as he prepares to take on a Raiders defense that is fifth worst against the pass (289.7 passing yards/game). How can we not consider him the top option this week?

Andre Johnson is one of the elite receivers in the game. No one is going to argue against that fact. However, taking on a Steelers defense that has been dominant (as expected), it is going to be a tough week. He’s a WR1, but temper expectations this week.

While Dwayne Bowe got off to a poor start in Week 1, he is starting to turn things around (9 receptions for 168 yards and 1 TD over the past two weeks). He draws a Vikings defense that is among the worst in the league against the pass, allowing nearly 300 yards per game, so Bowe should be a solid option this week.

If Brandon Lloyd is healthy, he could be in for a big day against a Packers defense that has been susceptible to the pass thus far this season. Monitor the news, but consider him a lock at WR2 if he’s going to take the field.

Even if Lloyd is back in the lineup, you have to believe Eric Decker is going to play a major factor. Forget about what he’s done thus far (15 receptions for 214 yards and 2 TD), the team is likely going to be locked into a shootout with the Packers. He should continue to produce and is a good play in all formats.

It isn’t that Reggie Wayne isn’t getting the ball thrown his way, as he’s had at least eight targets all three weeks.  Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to convert them (despite 13 targets, he had three receptions for 24 yards in Week 3). There has been talk that the Colts could make a change at QB this week, so don’t lose hope yet. He’s going to continue to be a major focus in the offense and, sooner or later, you have to think it is going to click.

The targets for Santonio Holmes have gone from 10 to four to two over the first three weeks. Really? It’s impossible to think that will continue, and the Jets could make a concerted effort to get him the ball this week against Baltimore. However, with the recent trend, he’s a major risk.

Detroit’s defense is very good, there’s no arguing that. However, facing Kansas City and Minnesota helps matters.  Look for the Cowboys, and specifically Dez Bryant (and Jason Witten), to try and exploit them a bit. Bryant is getting healthy and should get more than the four targets he received in Week 3 (he converted all four to receptions, picking up 63 yards). He’s a solid WR2.

Sidney Rice made quite the splash in his 2011 debut, picking up eight receptions for 109 yards (and he was targeted 10 times). He draws a Falcons defense that has given up the 11th most passing yards in 2011 (261.0 yards/game). He’s a risky option, but a viable one as a WR2.

Week in and week out, Johnny Knox is becoming more and more involved in the Bears’ offense.  After losing his starting spot in the preseason, he has gone from four to six to nine targets. We all knew that he was the most talented option, and it was just a matter of time before he became the top option for the team and a borderline usable for fantasy owners. 

Is Mario Manningham healthy? He’s going to be a risky option at this point, especially with Victor Cruz breaking out in Week 3. 

Make sure to check out the rest of Rotoprofessor’s Week 4 information:

Top 25 Quarterbacks
Top 40 Running Backs
Waiver Worthy
Target Trends