EJ’s Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings

By Guest Writer EJ McKinley:

NOTE:  Fanspeak Fantasy Football will be publishing rankings from multiple writers. See which ones you agree with!

It’s now time for my top 20 wide receiver rankings! To be a great receiver it takes speed, good hands, and a quarterback who can get him the ball. I used my expert scouting eye to decipher all of these variables and crack the code of the receiver rankings.

1. Calvin Johnson: Detroit Lions: You won’t find a receiver better than Calvin Johnson. Last season he broke the all-time record for single season receiving yards yet he was only about four points ahead of Brandon Marshall the second highest point scoring receiver. The fact was that Johnson only had 5 touchdowns. Don’t fear, however, you can’t go wrong with Johnson. He is a transformer after all.    
2. Brandon Marhsall: Chicago Bears: Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marhsall were a perfect fit. Marshall had been stewing away in Miami before he hooked up with Cutler. Last season Marshall absolutely destroyed defenses. If Calvin Johnson is Megatron, then Marshall has to be Bumble Bee.
3. A.J. Green: Cincinnati Bengals: I’ve been in love with Green since the day he was drafted. He is so smooth and fluid. He does everything so well. He has a great connection with his quarterback and is in an offense primed to be tops in the league.
4. Julio Jones: Atlanta Falcons: Two years ago the Cleveland Browns had a chance to draft Jones. Instead they got a raw deal and ended up with a 28 year old rookie quarterback. Needless to say, it bit them in the butt. Jones is tearing it up in Atlanta.
5. Reggie Wayne: Indianapolis Colts: For some reason Wayne cannot slow down. He’s been in the league and a long time and hasn’t ever had anything less than a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback throwing to him… Well there was the 2011 season, but we in Indiana like to pretend that never happened. Wayne is expected to have another strong season.
6. Roddy White: Atlanta Falcons: Having White so high might surprise some people. White might end up being as low as 8 or 10 in terms of total points, but he is so consistent. Game in and game out he gets his catches, yards, and touchdowns. Most importantly he is a calm and steady presence for a fantasy team.
7. Dez Bryant: Dallas Cowboys: Bryant can be a real game changer. He had a breakout season a year ago and is expected to be a top receiver this coming season. I’m a little cautious with him for the fact he can’t seem to stay out of trouble off the field. He’s been doing well lately and I am hoping he can keep things that way.
8. Randall Cobb: Green Bay Packers: This might be a bit of a shock to some people. Cobb wasn’t a primed superstar coming out of college. He did have a quietly strong season last year. But the secret is out. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are out in Green Bay. Cobb is in and ready to crush defenses with his superb level of talent. Don’t forget he has Aaron Rodgers chucking him the pigskin.
9. Andre Johnson: Houston Texans: I’m not the biggest advocate for Johnson. I’ve put a lot of faith in him at times and he has let me down. His numbers will suffer slightly with addition of Deandre Hopkins in the draft. No matter what happens you can’t ignore the fact he is worth a starting receiver spot on your fantasy team.
10. Wes Welker: Denver Broncos: Welker made the move from the New England Patriots to the Denver Broncos this offseason. I expect the Broncos to toss the rock quite a bit and that bodes well for Welker. Welker is a catching machine and a perfect fit for the 2-spot receiver on your fantasy team.
11. Demaryius Thomas: Denver Broncos: It’s a rare occurrence when two players at the same position are ranked right next to each other. I just can’t ignore the fact that Thomas is becoming a big time player in Denver. With Peyton Manning throwing the ball and Thomas’ talent anything is possible.
12. Vincent Jackson: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jackson was a nice addition to Tampa Bay last season. He was a top scorer in fantasy points but with the quarterback situation a little rocky he slipped a few spots on my rankings.
13. Victor Cruz: New York Giants: I remember a few years ago when the Jets were on Hard Knocks. They were playing the Giants in a pre-season game. Cruz continuously burnt the Jets and I kept close tabs on Cruz after that. I made sure the first game he broke out, I scooped him up off the fantasy wire. Cruz is a great receiver who should play well with his contract up in the air coming into this season.
14. Larry Fitzgerald: Arizona Cardinals: It hurts to put Fitz this low. He has so much talent. In my opinion he’s the second best receiver in the league. But you can’t have a great receiver without somebody to throw him the ball. That’s the reason Fitzgerald is so low on the list. Don’t let him slip too far. If Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer can improve this year, Fitzgerald could put up some nice numbers.
15. Steve Smith: Carolina Panthers: Smith is sort of like Fitzgerald. Last season his quarterback Cam Newton struggled mightily. Smith’s numbers suffered as a result. I’d jump on Smith in a late round of the draft.
16. Tavon Austin: St. Louis Rams: The first rookie in my wide receiver class! I’ve held my doubts about Austin’s size (5’8 174lbs) but you can’t ignore his amazing talent. I believe Austin will be a starter from day one.
17. Torrey Smith: Baltimore Ravens: With the departure of Anquin Boldin from Baltimore Torrey Smith should move to the #1 receiving spot. His numbers might be erratic. He will face a safety over the top a lot of the time with his speed and him being the only true receiver for the Ravens.
18. Jordy Nelson: Green Bay Packers: Nelson has struggled with some injuries in the past. However when he is playing, he plays well. He has great hands and is a precise route runner.
19. Steve Johnson: Buffalo Bills: In the draft the Bills added quarterback E.J. (my namesake) Manuel and a few talented receivers. The added receiver threats will take a lot of coverage off of Johnson and I expect him to bust out this season.
20. Dwayne Bowe: Kansas City Chiefs: You can’t count on Bowe to be consistent. He sometimes plays like a top receiver and sometimes plays like me. With the addition of quarterback Alex Smith the passing attack should improve.

Best Of The Rest:

1. Percy Harvin

2. Cordarelle Patterson

3. Marques Colston

4. Mike Wallace

5. Hakeem Hicks

6. Danny Amendola

7. Cecil Shorts

8. Mike Williams

9. T.Y. Hilton

10. Antonio Brown

11. Miles Austin

12. Greg Jennings

13. DeAndre Hopkins

14. Desean Jackson

15. Jeremy Maclin

16. Robert Woods

17. Justin Hunter

18. James Jones

19. Keenan Allen

20. Terrance Williams