Fantasy Football Rankings- Wide Receivers (20-11)

            Wide receivers are the winners and losers in fantasy football. This is because they are the most unpredictable of any position. At any time one can have a huge game or be a complete bust. Starting them depends on more factors than other positions because there are many more players to choose from at the position and tons of little things that can cause them to have a bad game.

Typically, wide receivers ranked 20 through 11 will end up being fantasy owner’s second best wide receivers. In some cases, they may even end up being that person’s top guy. Getting a strong second wide receiver is critical in fantasy football. It is truly the make or break position.

Some owners prefer a second wide receiver that will put up consistent stats each week. Others like to start a guy who has tons of potential to break out during a week. What type of player you start just depends on what type of owner you are and what the rest of your roster looks like.

Remember, wide receivers are always readily available on the waiver wire. This means you can bring up a guy at any time. However, this can really cause a headache. If that player does not perform you may end up wishing you had spent a higher draft pick on your receivers.

20. James Jones

             James Jones is the newest addition to the Oakland Raiders’ wide receiver corps. Had he not left Green Bay he would probably be a bit higher on this list. However, Jones still has good potential even in the Black Hole. He is a huge target and is a definite upgrade from anything the Raiders had in the past. He should get a lot of looks in the red zone. 

Larry Fitzgerald is still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, but his fantasy value has decreased in the past two years.

19. Larry Fitzgerald

             Larry Fitzgerald had a down year in 2013. That should not have been the case. The Cardinals were expecting much better from Carson Palmer, but he did not deliver. That makes two straight poorer seasons for Fitzgerald. He is still a starter in every fantasy league, but he cannot be counted on the way he used to. It seems like Father Time is starting to catch up with this legend.

 18. Reggie Wayne

             Reggie Wayne’s situation is very similar to Larry Fitzgerald’s. He was not having a bad year prior to his injury in 2013, but it was not as good as what we are used to seeing from the star Colts’ receiver. A season ending injury is always a concern when it comes time to draft. This is especially true with wide receivers. Nobody can really know how an injury will affect their speed or shiftiness. More than likely, Wayne will be fine. The major concern is the emergence of T.Y. Hilton and the rest of the young wide receivers. This will play out one of two ways. Either Wayne will have a great season because he is seeing less double coverage or he will see his number decline due to a decrease in targets. Like many of these older wide receivers, he is a high risk high reward option.

 17. Jeremy Maclin

             Jeremy Maclin is the most likely wide receiver to have a break out year. He was expected to do some great things last year in Chip Kelly’s offense, but an injury in training camp caused him to miss the entire season. He is back at full strength now and is the unquestionable number one receiver on the Eagles’ roster. With DeSean Jackson gone, Maclin will finally get his chance to be the main guy. He may not be as fast as Jackson, but he is a much bigger target and a much more rounded wide receiver.

 16. Alshon Jeffery

             Alshon Jeffery was 2013’s biggest breakout player. This could be a trap for fantasy owners going into 2014 drafts. Jeffery is going to demand a pretty high price tag this season. He performed much better in 2013 when Josh McCown was the starting quarterback. McCown is gone. One thing to also keep in mind, he is still competing with Brandon Marshall for targets. Marshall is still the Bears’ number one wide receiver. There is some bust potential here.

 15. Keenan Allen 

Keenan Allen was the best rookie wide receiver of 2013. The 2014 season looks like it is going to be a good follow up.

            Keenan Allen was great in his rookie year. There is really no reason to believe the Chargers’ young wide receiver cannot put up a similar stat line. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to more double coverage. Still, he is definitely a great option as a second wide receiver.

 14. Julian Edleman

             Do not be surprised when Julian Edleman leads the NFL in receptions in 2014. Though this is not a list about PPR leagues, those receptions will equal a lot of yards. He is the best wide receiver on the Patriots. He has emerged as Tom Brady’s answer to the loss of Wes Welker. There really is not much to be concerned about here. It would be nice to see him in the end zone more often, but if you are looking for a very safe pick Edleman is the guy.

 13. Victor Cruz

            Due to a down year, Victor Cruz may be a steal in drafts this season. He had less than 800 yards in 2013, but started the season banged up. If he were healthy for the entire year, he would have surpassed the 1000 yard mark. Cruz has a clean injury record other than the beginning of last season, so he should not be labeled “injury prone”. Remember, other than 2013, he has always been a stud.

 12. Michael Crabtree

             Once Michael Crabtree returned from injury, he was an amazing player. Unfortunately, he did not provide much help for fantasy owners unless they started him in the playoffs. Even when he returned, he was not fully utilized by the 49ers until the playoffs. In 2014, Crabtree will be back to full strength and the team will use him all the time. Best off all, the 49ers added Stevie Johnson. This will make defenses think twice about putting too many guys on Crabtree. 

Jordy Nelson is Aaron Rodgers‘ top target. That is good enough for fantasy owners.

11. Jordy Nelson

             Jordy Nelson is Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target. That right there is enough to warrant a high draft pick. He is probably the safest second wide receiver you can get and has potential to emerge as the best wide receiver on one’s team.