We keep on rolling through our Week 1 rankings and today I have the receivers lined up for you.
I’ll be taking a look at the Top 25 starters for Week 1; in a similar fashion I did my Week 1 Quarterback Rankings.
There are a TON of receivers in the league, and each individualistic league setup will vary along with each individual team, so not everyone out there will be listed here obviously.
If there is a player not found on this particular list that you have a question about, feel free to ask away below, or in our Forum.
You can also check out our Member Only Services, which provides specific player updates, fully customizable to your liking—here’s the link, if you’re interested.
Also, DON'T FORGET ABOUT THURSDAY NIGHT'S GAME!
And now, the fantasy football WR rankings for Week 1.
1. Larry Fitzgerald – vs. Carolina: It has been well documented that Cardinals Quarterback Kevin Kolb has found a true sync with WR Larry Fitzgerald, and that is good news for fantasy owners who own him—like me! Carolina will struggle to cover Fitz as everybody does, and Kolb will look to target Fitz early and often, making his matchup better than any other fantasy receiver in Week 1.
2. Vincent Jackson – vs. Minnesota: The Chargers simply have way too many weapons for the Vikings to cover, even if the Vikings were a Top 10 coverage team against fantasy receivers in 2010. The Chargers were an already explosive team in 2010 WITHOUT Vincent Jackson, so just imagine what is going to happen in not only the home opener, but also Jackson’s first game BACK as a Charger in fantasy land.
3. Andre Johnson – vs. Indianapolis: I love this matchup for Johnson, but I worry about Houston’s added emphasis on the ground game, which will cut down on overall aerial targets in this game. The other issue is that Johnson will be targeted early, no doubt, to help build a comfortable lead, but if that happens, the Texans will inevitably go BACK to the run by the second half for game preservation, especially against a Colts team that will not be able to keep up without manning under center. He’s still aTop 3 receiver though.
4. Roddy White - @ Chicago: Again, this will be a game in which quarterback Matt Ryan will spread the ball around in a pass-happy offense, and while White will have Top 5 numbers, he doesn’t quite have a better matchup than the other four above. Chicago has always had trouble dealing with big physical receivers deep, which still makes this game a tasty matchup for fantasy owners.
5. Calvin Johnson - @ Tampa Bay: I worry about Aqib Talib’s presence, but I don’t worry about Megatron’s potential performance in this game. I would put him higher in the rankings, but Tampa is tough at home, and has a sneaky defense that is better than they appear to be on paper, which could keep Johnson just slightly in check—slightly.
The Rest of the Best
| 6. Greg Jennings – GB | Jennings has a nice matchup against a Saints team that will inevitably make this a potential shootout. |
| 7. Wes Welker – NE | You know the drill: great PPR machine against a Miami team he always does well against. |
| 8. Hakeem Nicks – NYG | The Giants will have little trouble moving the ball against a weak Redskins secondary. |
| 9. Mike Wallace – PIT | Wallace is just a sick deep-ball threat who can ball against anyone, even the Steelers. |
| 10. DeSean Jackson – PHI | I like Jackson’s upside with an injured Steve Smith, and fellow receiver Jeremy Maclin still getting up to speed. |
| 11. Miles Austin – DAL | Don’t worry about Revis, Austin isn’t easy to shutdown. |
| 12. Dwayne Bowe – KC | I would put him higher against a weak Bills secondary, but concerns over Cassel’s rib keeps Bowe at 12 for security purposes. |
| 13. Ochocinco – NE | Here we go kids, It’s time for the Brady plus 8 show! |
| 14. Kenny Britt – TEN | It may seem trite, but Jacksonville’s defense is horrible, and Matt Hasselbeck will look for Britt early. |
| 15. Brandon Lloyd - DEN | A risky pick, but until we SEE confirmation that coach Fox will run more, we have to assume it’s business as usual for Orton and Lloyd. |
| 16. Brandon Marshall - MIA | Chad Henne is showing signs of life, but I am still a bit tentative. |
| 17. Dez Bryant - DAL | He has a ton of fantasy point potential, even against the Jets. |
| 18. Marques Colston - NO | The Packers took a small step backward defensively, and this game, again, should be a shootout. |
| 19. Mike Williams - TB | Williams exploded on the scene in 2010, and he should come out of the gate making a big statement, even against the Lions |
| 20. Reggie Wayne – IND | He may have lost step, but Collins will inevitably turn to his veteran receiver for assurance. |
| 21.Santana Moss - WSH | Again, another situation where a sub-par QB will look to his veteran receiver. You could do worse. |
| 22. Steve Johnson – BUF | I love Fitzpatrick and Johnson, but Buffalo’s weak O-line is a concern and it could help KC double up on Johnson, which is where he struggled the most in 2010. |
| 23. Mike Thomas - JAX | Luke McCown is at the helm and is a gunslinger. He’ll look to target Thomas early and often, with limited success though. |
| 24. Mario Manningham – NYG | Manningham is the other ‘X’ factor in this contest, and should have a modest outing. |
| 25. Braylon Edwards – SF | If Seattle focuses on Vernon Davis, then the passing lanes will open up for Edwards, despite the fact his day will be modest at best, even in the WCO. |
Sit ‘Em Down: There are few receivers that I would like to quickly run through that I feel are fantasy stars, but need to be considered as bench candidates for Week 1. Remember, a name does not always garner you fantasy points—a common rookie mistake—rather it is the matchups that present the best fantasy potential, both from a start perspective and a sit perspective.
- Percy Harvin isn’t going into a good matchup here. The Chargers ranked second overall against fantasy receivers in 2010, and the Vikings are likely to heavily rely on the run. He’s not a good start at all.
- Santonio Holmes is a nice superstar, but if you have a better option I would start him over Holmes. Mark Sanchez struggled in preseason and isn’t any better than an average quarterback, making Holmes’ stock drop against a good Dallas D this week.
- Steve Smith of the Panthers is another fantasy stud that should be sat, as he goes through the motions of having an unproven rookie QB under center against one of the better secondaries in the NFC. Not a lot of fantasy point potential here.
- A.J. Green: Explosive rookie with a lot of upside that plays in a bad offense, against a modestly good Browns secondary. Nuff said!
- Anquan Boldin didn’t show too much in the preseason, and the Steelers secondary usually has little trouble covering this guy, even over the middle. I don’t like Boldin’s chances in this game and recommend he sits in favor of better options if you have them.
Now that we have looked at the offensive side of the ball, be sure to make yourself a well rounded manager, and head on over to our IDP section where our own Tom "Diggs" Digliani has the entire defensive side of the ball covered with some VERY in-depth coverage you simply can't ignore.
