Chase Claypool: From Canada to Notre Dame to Seriously Impressive and Under the Radar Prospect.

Week 17 WR Rankings

1. Demaryius Thomas
2. A.J. Green
3. Desean Jackson
4. Brandon Marshall
5. Pierre Garcon
6. Josh Gordon
7. Dez Bryant
8. Eric Decker
9. Torrey Smith
10. Jordy Nelson
11. Alshon Jeffery
12. Andre Johnson
13. Antonio Brown
14. Keenan Allen
15. Kendall Wright
16. Vincent Jackson
17. T.Y. Hilton
18. Roddy White
19. Julian Edelman
20. Anquan Boldin
21. Larry Fitzgerald
22. Mike Brown
23. Cordarrelle Patterson
24. Denarius Moore
25. Danny Amendola
26. Michael Crabtree
27. Riley Cooper
28. Mike Wallace
29. Ted Ginn
30. Marvin Jones
31. Kris Durham
32. Robert Woods
33. Golden Tate
34. Michael Floyd
35. Brandon LaFell
36. Jerrel Jernigan
37. Harry Douglas
38. Rod Streater
39. Brian Hartline
40. Greg Jennings
41. Doug Baldwin
42. Dwayne Bowe
43. Randall Cobb*
44. Griff Whalen
45. Nate Burleson
46. Eddie Royal
47. Rueben Randle
48. Marques Colston
49. Hakeem Nicks
50. Marlon Brown
51. James Jones
52. T.J. Graham
53. Emmanuel Sanders*
54. Nate Washington
55. Mohamed Sanu
56. DeAndre Hopkins
57. Terrance Williams
58. Kenny Stills
59. Andre Holmes
60. Da'Rick Rogers
61. Jerricho Cotchery
62. Donnie Avery
63. Dexter McCluster
64. Ace Sanders
65. Aldrick Robinson
66. Jarius Wright
67. Jeremy Kerley
68. David Nelson
69. Marquise Goodwin
70. Lance Moore
71. Jacoby Jones
72. Justin Hunter
73. Stedman Bailey
74. Santana Moss
75. Kevin Ogletree
76. Rishard Matthews
77. Santonio Holmes
78. Tiquan Underwood
79. Greg Little
80. Chris Givens

Week 16 WR Rankings

1. Calvin Johnson
2. A.J. Green
3. Dez Bryant
4. Alshon Jeffery
5. Josh Gordon
6. Brandon Marshall
7. Demaryius Thomas
8. Antonio Brown
9. Desean Jackson
10. Vincent Jackson
11. Andre Johnson
12. Keenan Allen
13. Pierre Garcon
14. Kendall Wright
15. Eric Decker
16. Jordy Nelson
17. Julian Edelman
18. Michael Crabtree
19. Greg Jennings
20. Mike Wallace
21. Dwayne Bowe
22. Marques Colston
23. Torrey Smith
24. Riley Cooper
25. T.Y. Hilton
26. Michael Floyd
27. Anquan Boldin
28. Danny Amendola
29. Brian Hartline
30. Robert Woods
31. Cordarrelle Patterson
32. Larry Fitzgerald
33. Roddy White
34. DeAndre Hopkins
35. Andre Caldwell
36. Jacoby Jones
37. Rod Streater
38. Harry Douglas
39. Steve Smith
40. Doug Baldwin
41. Marvin Jones
42. Denarius Moore
43. La'Von Brazill
44. Emmanuel Sanders
45. Golden Tate
46. Brandon LaFell
47. Ace Sanders
48. Jarrett Boykin
49. Aldrick Robinson
50. Nate Burleson
51. Hakim Nicks
52. Andre Holmes
53. James Jones
54. Ted Ginn
55. Dexter McCluster
56. Justin Hunter
57. Rueben Randle
58. Marlon Brown
59. Tiquan Underwood
60. Jarius Wright
61. Jerricho Cotchery
62. Marquise Goodwin
63. Miles Austin
64. Eddie Royal
65. Chris Givens
66. Jerrel Jernigan
67. Da'Rick Rogers
68. Kris Durham
69. Jeremy Kerley
70. Kenny Stills
71. Nate Washington
72. Jerome Simpson
73. Aaron Dobson*
74. Rishard Matthews
75. Lance Moore
76. Mike Brown
77. Mario Manningham
78. Vincent Brown
79. Greg Little
80. Jason Avant

#5 Josh Gordon - (#2 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)

Obviously at #5 Gordon is considered a must start. And that he should be. But even the greatest (Calvin) WRs slow down at some point during a season. His worst game (by quite a margin) over the last five is 67 yards and a TD. Thats as bad as its been. Even so, a game without a TD has to come eventually right?

#10 Vincent Jackson - (#15 on Fantasy Pros)

I really like Vincent Jackson here. Its not the greatest matchup, but Jackson played well vs San Fran last week and its certainly a better matchup than that. He should get 10+ targets and do well with them.

#13 Pierre Garcon - (#9 on Fantasy Pros)

This one depends to some extent on how much you like Kirk Cousins. One game will not sway me. He is still a backup with very little experience on his hands. Sometimes that is to your advantage early on in a career, but it can also be exploited. Its not a tough matchup obviously, but I am a little cautious on Garcon.

#14 Kendall Wright - (#21 on Fantasy Pros)

Mr. Consistency this year rarely has a monster game, but this is one where he could. And if not, its probably going to be 6 catches for 70 yards. Its a situation where there is very little risk in starting him with potential for a lot more. He might be more likely to fall in the 6-8 point range than anyone else in the top 20, but in the 10-20 rankings he is also probably the surest bet to at least get you 5 points and a very good chance at 10. I actually included some math/probability to explain this one to you!

#19 Greg Jennings - (#28 on Fantasy Pros)

To start Jennings would be to play risky. This was the 2nd huge scoring game for Jennings with Matt Cassel starting. In 5 games with Cassel starting, here are Greg Jennings targets: 4, 10, 9, 10, 13. That is pretty good. And the 4 target game? That ended with 3 catches for 92 yards and 2 TDs. In addition all 4 of Jennings' TDs on the season come from Cassel. That said, its still the Vikings, Cassel and Jennings so there is some risk here, but they certainly have a good chemistry so its worth a shot.

Quick thoughts: I do like Keenan Allen a lot, but you have to be somewhat concerned about the fact that he has 4 TDs on just 5 catches the past two games. Without more catches, that is not going to continue. I hate myself for ranking Mike Wallace so high as this is the kind of game that he would let you down in - BUT it is a seemingly great matchup for him. Riley Cooper is another boom/bust player with high upside this week. As always, you have to realize there is always a chance for a dud when starting guys like him and Wallace. I really like both 49ers receivers this week. Well when I say "really", I'm not super high on either, but they are both startable, which is more than can be said at any other point this year for 49ers WRs. With Stevie Johnson out, I am pretty bullish on Robert Woods. Not a great matchup but with EJ playing he will be the clear favorite target. Awful matchup for Larry Fitzgerald. He had just 17 yards against Seattle earlier in the season. The Cards as a whole are playing much better now which is why he is ranked even this high, but I still don't want to start him. Guys with sleeper potential outside the top 40: Aldrick Robinson, Rueben Randle, Marquise Goodwin, Miles Austin, Jerrel Jernigan. I'm betting one of those two Giants listed does well. Jernigan was the preferred receiver last week, but I still imagine Randle will get the start in Cruz's place.

Week 15 WR Rankings

1. Demaryius Thomas
2. Calvin Johnson
3. Josh Gordon
4. Andre Johnson
5. Dez Bryant
6. A.J. Green
7. Desean Jackson
8. Brandon Marshall
9. Keenan Allen
10. Antonio Brown
11. Eric Decker
12. Alshon Jeffery
13. Larry Fitzgerald
14. Torrey Smith
15. Vincent Jackson
16. Jordy Nelson
17. Pierre Garcon
18. Riley Cooper
19. Golden Tate
20. Kendall Wright
21. T.Y. Hilton
22. Michael Floyd
23. Harry Douglas
24. Dwayne Bowe
25. Julian Edelman
26. Roddy White
27. Stevie Johnson
28. Marques Colston
29. Victor Cruz
30. Cecil Shorts
31. DeAndre Hopkins
32. Rod Streater
33. Anquan Boldin
34. Emmanuel Sanders
35. Cordarrelle Patterson
36. Steve Smith
37. Danny Amendola
38. Nate Burleson
39. Denarius Moore
40. Ace Sanders
41. Brian Hartline
42. Michael Crabtree
43. Doug Baldwin
44. Mike Wallace
45. Jerricho Cotchery
46. Da'Rick Rogers
47. Hakeem Nicks
48. Ted Ginn
49. Marlon Brown
50. Justin Hunter
51. Dexter McCluster
52. Kenny Stills
53. Greg Jennings
54. Rueben Randle
55. Brandon LaFell
56. Marvin Jones
57. James Jones
58. Miles Austin
59. LaVon Brazill*
60. Tiquan Underwood
61. Jacoby Jones
62. Jeremy Kerley
63. Jarrett Boykin
64. Keshawn Martin
65. Chris Givens
66. Terrance Williams
67. Jerome Simpson
68. Robert Woods
69. Lance Moore
70. Santonio Holmes
71. Andre Holmes
72. Kris Durham
73. Tavon Austin
74. Eddie Royal
75. Nate Washington
76. Greg Little
77. Marquise Goodwin
78. Mario Manningham
79. Mohamed Sanu
80. Andre Caldwell

#4 Andre Johnson  - (#8 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)

I ranked Andre #2 last week and while he didn't score a TD, he led the league in yards, so I'm pretty happy with that. This week it is another solid matchup. Despite the turmoil around this team, Andre has been his usual self this year and has 10+ points in 4 of the last 5, and 8+ in 6 of the last 7.

#9 Keenan Allen - (#12 on Fantasy Pros)

I really like this matchup for Keenan. Denver has some talented players in its secondary, but when you force the opposing team to throw 50 times, the good players get theirs. And Allen is so much better than any other (healthy) wide receiver on this team.

#12 Alshon Jeffery - (#5 on Fantasy Pros)

I am usually low on Alshon, so take this with a grain of salt. But I think Joe Haden will go between both WRs and there is a good chance if he isn't on Jeffery, Jeffery will face double coverage. It will be interesting to see how this goes for the Bears, but I think if you own Jeffery you pretty much have to start him.

#13 Larry Fitzgerald - (#17 on Fantasy Pros)

After a disappointing first half of the year, Fitz has been red hot of late. While he isn't getting lots of yardage, he has 5 TDs in his last 4 games. This week they face a tough Titans defense. But the Broncos showed us they can be beat. While Carson Palmer is not a great QB, he is good enough and these WRs are too good for something to not happen here.

#18 Golden Tate - (#39 on Fantasy Pros)

I guess this is my big prediction of the week, although I didn't even think it was super bold when I made it. The Giants are susceptible to better QBs. And without Harvin, Golden Tate is the best receiver they have. I can easily see him getting a few big catches in this game and having a big day.

Quick Thoughts...Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I still like Harry Douglas more than Roddy White. He is still getting a solid number of targets and I think he has big play ability. I like Stevie Johnson if you are looking for someone a bit off the radar. This is his best chance for a big game the rest of the season. Cordarrelle Patterson has entered startable territory. They are getting him involved and it is working. Good desperation plays in order: Da'Rick Rogers, Ted Ginn, Justin Hunter, Kenny Stills. I bet at least one of these guys has a 14+ point day.

Week 14 WR Rankings

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Andre Johnson
3. A.J. Green
4. Brandon Marshall
5. Dez Bryant
6. Josh Gordon
7. DeSean Jackson
8. Torrey Smith
9. Vincent Jackson
10. Alshon Jeffery
11. Antonio Brown
12. Demaryius Thomas
13. Jordy Nelson
14. Mike Wallace
15. Wes Welker
16. Victor Cruz
17. Pierre Garcon
18. Larry Fitzgerald
19. Keenan Allen
20. Kendall Wright
21. Eric Decker
22. Cecil Shorts
23. T.Y. Hilton
24. Harry Douglas
25. Michael Floyd
26. Dwayne Bowe
27. DeAndre Hopkins
28. Riley Cooper
29. Rueben Randle
30. Rod Streater
31. Roddy White
32. Danny Amendola
33. Julian Edelman
34. Nate Burleson
35. Nate Washington
36. Steve Smith
37. Golden Tate
38. Brian Hartline
39. Michael Crabtree
40. Hakeem Nicks
41. Anquan Boldin
42. Brandon LaFell
43. Marques Colston
44. Dexter McCluster
45. Emmanuel Sanders
46. Kris Durham
47. Doug Baldwin
48. Ace Sanders
49. Ted Ginn Jr.
50. Jacoby Jones
51. Stevie Johnson
52. James Jones
53. Andre Holmes
54. Miles Austin
55. Chris Givens
56. Robert Woods
57. Marvin Jones
58. LaVon Brazill
59. Greg Jennings
60. Marquise Goodwin
61. Kenny Stills
62. Terrance Williams
63. Tavon Austin
64. Jerricho Cotchery
65. Jarrett Boykin
66. Jerome Simpson
67. Santana Moss
68. Justin Hunter
69. Cordarrelle Patterson
70. Lance Moore
71. Tiquan Underwood
72. Eddie Royal*
73. Brian Quick
74. Marlon Brown
75. Santonio Holmes
76. Mohamed Sanu
77. Donnie Avery
78. Mario Manningham
79. Rishard Matthews
80. Greg Little
81. Jarius Wright
82. David Nelson
83. Andre Roberts
84. Stedman Bailey
85. T.J. Graham
86. Jason Avant
87. Kenbrell Thompkins
88. Darrius Heyward-Bey
89. Mike Brown
90. Darius Johnson

#2 Andre Johnson - (#7 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)

Not afraid of the Thursday game. And I'm not sure if you noticed but the Jags just got destroyed by a #1 WR. That could very easily happen again here. Its possible the Texans continue to suck, but I think they can play well here and they should.

#8 Torrey Smith - (#11 on Fantasy Pros)

The knock on Torrey in the middle weeks was that he wasn't getting TDs. He now has 3 in his last 4 and has a great matchup. Strangely his yards have come down a bit as he started to score, but this is a matchup where he could and should put up big yards and get a score as well.

#10 Alshon Jeffery - (#5 on Fantasy Pros)

Obviously a very solid matchup for Jeffery and he has become a great WR no doubt. But I will continue to be adamant about the fact that he is second to Marshall, and that means that most weeks only one of these guys is going to be great. In a bad matchup, Marshall should flourish, which will cost Jeffery a bit, but he is still very good as well.

#13 Jordy Nelson - (#18 on Fantasy Pros)

Its hard to say whether the hate on Jordy has gone too far. Without Aaron Rodgers, its always a risk to start him. Against the Falcons though? I have to believe someone ends up doing well here, and the odds favor the best receiver, and that is Jordy.

#14 Mike Wallace - (#26 on Fantasy Pros)

I know, I must be crazy right? This could go down as one of my worst rankings. But I do believe in guys playing extra well against their former teams. Even discarding that, I think its a great matchup for Wallace. The Steelers are old and have a tendency to get burned by speedy guys. We saw that with Torrey and Josh Gordon. While Wallace isn't on their level of talent, he has a similar skillset, and all it takes is one big play. You can bet he will get a number of those deep ball targets too.

Deeper Thoughts...If you have Eric Decker you have to start him. But he could score 5 points as easily as he could get 20. Prepare for potential frustration. I really like Cecil Shorts in a PPR this week, and as a flex in standard. Also a good matchup for DeAndre Hopkins as a flex. We all know Riley Cooper is boom or bust and its a good matchup, but he is far from a guarantee. Play with caution. I'm not sold on Roddy White. Even in a solid matchup, I think Matt Ryan will do much worse here. I like Michael Crabtree quite a bit in weeks 15 & 16, but this week he faces Seattle, thats an obvious no. In face I have no faith in any part of the 49ers this week, that includes the up and down Anquan Boldin as well. In the flier category you have Andre Holmes. There was a good chance he was picked up after last week. I'm not much of a believer, but if you need to take a risk he is a good option. LaVon Brazill is another one. He got 8 targers last week. Its possible.

Week 13 WR Rankings

Normally I rank over my set amount of 75 players on a bye week! It will be interesting to see how many players I deem fantasy relevant for week 13 with everyone back. A lot of good matchups too.

1. Calvin Johnson
2. AJ Green
3. Brandon Marshall
4. Dez Bryant
5. Josh Gordon
6. Andre Johnson
7. Torrey Smith
8. Larry Fitzgerald
9. Antonio Brown
10. Demaryius Thomas
11. Jordy Nelson
12. Keenan Allen
13. Kendall Wright
14. Victor Cruz
15. Alshon Jeffery
16. Desean Jackson
17. Pierre Garcon
18. T.Y. Hilton
19. Vincent Jackson
20. Wes Welker
21. Michael Floyd
22. Dwayne Bowe
23. Nate Burleson
24. Harry Douglas
25. Percy Harvin
26. Rueben Randle
27. Eric Decker
28. Golden Tate
29. Denarius Moore*
30. Anquan Boldin
31. Jarrett Boykin
32. Riley Cooper
33. Rod Streater
34. Steve Johnson
35. Michael Crabtree
36. Hakim Nicks
37. Steve Smith
38. Marvin Jones
39. Danny Amendola
40. Cecil Shorts
41. Mike Wallace
42. Kenny Stills
43. Miles Austin
44. James Jones
45. Brian Hartline
46. DeAndre Hopkins
47. Roddy White
48. Ace Sanders
49. Justin Hunter
50. Marquise Goodwin
51. Marques Colston
52. Dexter McCluster
53. Davone Bess
54. Jacoby Jones
55. Emmanuel Sanders
56. Eddie Royal
57. Brandon LaFell
58. Cordarrelle Patterson
59. Darius Johnson
60. Aaron Dobson
61. Robert Woods
62. Tiquan Underwood
63. Donnie Avery
64. Santana Moss
65. Lance Moore
66. Doug Baldwin
67. Santonio Holmes
68. Rishard Matthews
69. Greg Jennings
70. Mohamed Sanue
71. Ted Ginn
72. Tavon Austin
73. Jerome Simpson
74. LaVon Brazill
75. Kenbrell Thompkins
76. Mario Manningham
77. Andre Roberts
78. Terrance Williams
79. Kris Durham
80. David Nelson
81. Julian Edelman
82. Chris Givens
83. Josh Morgan
84. Darrius Heyward-Bey
85. Nate Washington
86. Mike Brown*
87. Vincent Brown
88. Marlon Brown
89. Greg Little
90. Greg Salas

#6 Andre Johnson - (#10 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)
A lot of people will be understandably low on Andre. Not me. Its a game where they will have to throw a lot and I can't see Andre faltering again right away. Not even against Aqib Talib. Although I do love Talib, Andre is the man.

#7 Torrey Smith - (#20 on Fantasy Pros)
Torrey is one guy I always like a ton. Last week the wind took out the deep game, so keep an eye out for what the weather is. A deep threat like Torrey can definitely be mitigated in that situation. For now - I don't know what the forecast is. If it isn't too bad, I think this is another great matchup for Torrey. Just like Josh Gordon last week, he should have no problem burning the aging and slowed Steeler Defense.

#10 Demaryius Thomas - (#5 on Fantasy Pros)
The Chiefs are obviously very vulnerable right now, as the Chargers proved. Peyton is still a bit sore and Julius should be back. I think Decker is due for a bigger game and that will bring Thomas down a little.

#12 Keenan Allen - (#17 on Fantasy Pros)
I'm really glad Keenan did well last week, now I can justify my love for him again. Extremely talented and by far the best Wide Receiver on this team. He now gets a Bengals defense which is much better against the run (even without Geno). I expect him to flourish again.

#13 Kendall Wright - (#26 on Fantasy Pros)
Some people don't want to notice, but Wright has become one of the most reliable receivers. Over his last 5 games he is averaging over 85 yards a game. That would be a pace of 1300+ yards a season. You either buy it or you don't. He won't always shine, but his floor is so high - points seems like the worst case here, much better than someone like Hilton for example - and because of that it should be very hard to justify his benching.

#15 Alshon Jeffery - (#9 on Fantasy Pros)
I like Jeffery, he just isn't elite. Brandon Marshall is still far and away the #1 receiver and its not like the Rams are a likely candidate to stop him. Jeffery should have a decent, not great game.

#19 Vincent Jackson - (#13 on Fantasy Pros)
The Panthers got beat good in the passing game last week, but that doesn't mean Mike Glennon and the Bucs will be able to repeat. I see Vjax as nothing more than a WR2.

Deeper thoughts...I'm actually a bit lower than the consensus on Michael Floyd, but the jury is in, he is a very legit player. Dwayne Bowe has touchdowns in two straight games, and he now faces the Broncos again. I'm optimistic again. Percy Harvin should be much more involved this week, but its still a tough matchup and I want to see him get a ton of targets before I consider him a must start. I like Eric Decker, but if Peyton isn't playing at his usual legendary level, someone has to come down, and its been Decker so far. I also continue to like Riley Cooper as a deep threat, but that is what he is. It is important to remember deep threats are not something you can confidently rely in. This ranking reflects that. Michael Crabtree makes his return and I like him as a WR3/Flex option. A very good chance he immediately does well here.

Week 13 Waiver Grabs

We are down to the wire here and its becoming must-win time for a lot of people, so waiver moves are especially important. I've ranked the 3-5 best guys to pick up at each position. QBs are for this week only and the rest are a mix of overall and for this week only. Most of these rankings are for players 50% owned or less, but there is an exception or two. For example, I doubt Alex Smith is owned in every competitive league despite his higher %.

QBs: (Yahoo Ownership %)

1. Josh McCown (19%) @ Minnesota

2. Matt Flynn (2%) @ Lions

3. Alex Smith (61%) vs. Broncos

4. E.J. Manuel (8%) vs. Falcons

Josh McCown has been really impressive. After two tough matchups where he got a passable grade, he now faces a much easier defense and should play really well. Flynn is much riskier because we've only seen him play half a game, but its a great matchup and he knows the system well. I have high expectations. Next you have Alex Smith who has been pretty good lately, and has another great matchup. At the same time, I don't think its fair to continually expecting 20 points, so thats why he is lower. Lastly we have the forgotten Manuel in a great matchup as well. He can run a little, and he will potentially have all of his WRs. Its promising

WRs:

1. Michael Crabtree (31%)

2. Nate Burleson (25%)

3. Rod Streater (14%)

4. Robert Woods (7%)

5. Marvin Jones (40%)

Percy Harvin got a ton of hype in his return. Crabtree on the other hand has gotten some, but its way less than Harvin. I really think Crabtree can outperform Harvin going forward. His team needs him more. He is a must add now. Burleson will probably be the top add after last week, and he should definitely be a high priority, specifically in PPR leagues. With Calvin across from him, he should do very well. Streater is a guy that I think has taken over the #1 WR role for Oakland with McGloin in. Two straight good weeks and I like him. *If* Woods is back, he is one you want for this week only. Atlanta is a joke.

RBs:

1. Chris Ogbonnaya (29%)

2. Benny Cunningham (5% - a must for Stacy owners)

3. Donald Brown (41%)

4. Dennis Johnson (41%)

5. Jacquizz Rodgers (41%)

6. Bilal Powell (39%)

I really like the Silent G Ogbonnaya. Over his last two games he has 12 carries for 95 yards. That is a fantastic 7.91 YPC. Unfortunately he has also fumbled in both of those games. He is also their best receiving back. That kind of talent (vs. basically no talent at all in Whittaker/McGahee) wins out. He might not be great this upcoming week, but he is absolutely worth a speculative add for the owner in need of an RB. Next is Cunningham. He had a great game against a terrible defense, so take from that what you will. He is definitely talented. His upside is limited by whether he gets any time. If Stacy is fine, Cunningham will be used sparingly. But he is worth the add on the chance that Stacy is out. A lot of people will sour on Brown after he inexplicably got three carries, but in most games they won't be down by double digits, and Brown will see his time.

TEs:

1. Delanie Walker (49%)

2. Tim Wright (19%)

3. Owen Daniels (16%)

3. John Carlson (12%)

5. Rob Housler (15%)

Slim pickings at Tight End compared to the rest of the positions. The one guy that definitely isn't a streaming option is Walker. Fitzpatrick really likes him. His most recent game wasn't stellar, but it was better than a lot of other middling options. And with Fitz, I think that could be as bad as it gets. I'd take a floor of 4-5 points every week if you don't have a top 5 TE. Tim Wright is next. He won't always be a top option but he has 60-70 yard upside every week. Owen Daniels is an intriguing. His return has quietly crept closer. If you don't need a tight end right away, he is a great add.

Week 12 WR Rankings

This week is an interesting one. We have 10 options I would classify as fantastic (if Welker plays) but then I feel there is a big drop off at WR2. You have Garçon and Antonio Brown in bad matchups,  Keenan Allen hurting, stuff like that. By the time you get to around 22, where I have Anquan Boldin against the Redskins it's get to a point where those are still starting options but it's not like you feel great about them.

 

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Andre Johnson
3. Dez Bryant
4. Brandon Marshall
5. Vincent Jackson
6. Victor Cruz
7. Wes Welker*
8. Demaryius Thomas
9. Torrey Smith
10. Jordy Nelson
11. Pierre Garcon
12. Josh Gordon
13. Alshon Jeffery
14. Eric Decker
15. Antonio Brown
16. T.Y. Hilton
17. Kendall Wright
18. Larry Fitzgerald
19. Danny Amendola
20. Harry Douglas
21. Keenan Allen*
22. Anquan Boldin
23. Rueben Randle
24. Marques Colston
25. Cecil Shorts
26. Michael Floyd
27. Jarrett Boykin
28. Emmanuel Sanders
29. Aaron Dobson
30. Dwayne Bowe
31. Roddy White
32. Hakeem Nicks
33. Denarius Moore
34. Terrance Williams
35. Kenny Stills
36. Steve Smith
37. Miles Austin
38. Brian Hartline
39. DeAndre Hopkins
40. Brandon LaFell
41. Rod Streater
42. Mike Wallace
43. Chris Givens
44. Cordarrelle Patterson
45. Santonio Holmes
46. Jerricho Cotchery
47. Dexter McCluster
48. Marlon Brown*
49. James Jones
50. Jarius Wright
51. Kris Durham
52. Ted Ginn
53. Mario Manningham
54. Tavon Austin
55. Nate Washington
56. DeVier Posey
57. Nate Burleson
58. Santana Moss
59. Donnie Avery
60. Vincent Brown
61. Jacoby Jones
62. Tandon Doss
63. Eddie Royal
64. Rishard Matthews
65. Kenbrell Thompkins
66. Darrius Heyward-Bey
67. Mike Brown*
68. Andre Roberts
69. Ace Sanders
70. David Nelson
71. Tiquan Underwood
72. Julian Edelman
73. LaVon Brazill
74. Jerome Simpson
75. Justin Hunter
76. Stephen Hill
77. Greg Little
78. Lance Moore
79. Cole Beasley
80. Greg Salas

#9 Torrey Smith - (#14 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)
Surprisingly I was within 2 spots of the consensus on the first 8 WRs this week! Torrey Smith I am high on as I normally am. He now has TDs in back to back games and has received 22 targets in that span. Of course he has less than 50 yards in each game as well. But that changes here, the Jets are a team that gets burned easily as we saw last week against the Bills. If I had to bet, I would bet on Smith to have at least one catch of 30+ yards.

#13 Alshon Jeffery - (#10 on Fantasy Pros)
Obviously still a decent play here, but I think when Brandon Marshall returns as the top target this week (the Ravens did a good job shutting him down) Jeffery takes a step back again. No doubt he is talented, but I do not think he is as good as his recent numbers and I expect him to play at a high level, but I wouldn't call him a star just yet.

#17 Kendall Wright - (#20 on Fantasy Pros)
Already a PPR machine, but he is a great all around matchup this week. Should easily see 8+ catches for 80 yards and I think he has a very nice shot at a TD against the so-so Raiders this week.

#20 Harry Douglas - (#25 on Fantasy Pros)
Douglas got a majority of his fantasy points on one big play last week. This week the consensus is pretty low on him, but I still like him as a WR2 in any league. Most people are scared of Matt Ryan here, but I think he will do okay. And if he does that means Douglas will be fine. Ryan plays much better at home, and I'm buying into that.

#22 Anquan Boldin - (#27 on Fantasy Pros)
Great matchup this week against Washington. Boldin should have no problem getting separation and having a decent day. I know he has been very mediocre after week 1, but I trust him as a middle of the line WR2/Decent flex play.

#24 Marques Colston - (#17 on Fantasy Pros)
Yes, the Falcons defense is trash. It appears everyone has jumped on the Colston bandwagon because of it. I'm not sold. Brees is still a guy that likes to spread it around and this weak defense could easily benefit Kenny Stills instead. Colston is a flex play here, but nothing more. Remember, he was basically irrelevant for most of the season. Two decent games hasn't completely flipped my view.

Deeper thoughts...Having given up on Hakeem Nicks for the most part, I ranked Rueben Randle pretty highly as well. Good matchup, like his shot at a TD. If Emmanuel Sanders plays, I think its a very good matchup for him as well. Aaron Dobson should be a nice play against Denver. Its time for him to either have a big game or become fantasy irrelevant. There is an outside chance Kenbrell Thompkins ends up with the good game too. Dwayne Bowe has started to see an increase in targets, but with Alex Smith he is simply not a great fantasy option ever. As mentioned with Colston, I really think there is a good chance Kenny Stills has a big game here, he can easily burn the defense. Brian Hartline saw an abundance of targets last week, he is a nice deeper league option. I want to say I like Cordarrelle Patterson this week, but with 9 targets last week he didn't do much. It would be a risky play.

Week 11 Wide Receiver Rankings

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Pierre Garcon
3. Desean Jackson
4. Andre Johnson
5. Wes Welker
6. Antonio Brown
7. Josh Gordon
8. Brandon Marshall
9. Vincent Jackson
10. AJ Green
11. Demaryius Thomas
12. Torrey Smith
13. Victor Cruz
14. Larry Fitzgerald
15. Keenan Allen
16. Alshon Jeffery
17. Eric Decker
18. Jordy Nelson
19. Cecil Shorts
20. Danny Amendola
21. Golden Tate
22. Riley Cooper
23. Harry Douglas*
24. Marvin Jones
25. Denarius Moore
26. Steve Smith
27. Emmanuel Sanders
28. Percy Harvin
29. DeAndre Hopkins
30. Aaron Dobson
31. Marques Colston
32. Mike Wallace*
33. Hakeem Nicks
34. Rueben Randle
35. Leonard Hankerson
36. Marquise Goodwin
37. Dwayne Bowe
38. Jarrett Boykin
39. Anquan Boldin
40. Donnie Avery
41. Roddy White
42. Ted Ginn
43. James Jones
44. Mario Manningham*
45. Brian Hartline
46. Kenny Stills
47. Mike Brown
48. T.J. Graham
49. Dexter McCluster
50. Doug Baldwin
51. Michael Floyd*
52. Jerome Simpson
53. David Nelson
54. Brandon LaFell
55. Tiquan Underwood
56. Rishard Matthews
57. Greg Jennings
58. Lance Moore
59. Cordarrelle Patterson
60. Rod Streater
61. Greg Little
62. Kris Durham
63. Andre Roberts
64. Jermaine Kearse
65. Santonio Holmes*
66. Julian Edelman
67. Mohamed Sanu
68. Devier Posey
69. Vincent Brown
70. Eddie Royal
71. Jacoby Jones
72. Marlon Brown*
73. Brice Butler
74. Nate Burleson*
75. Jerricho Cotchery

#2 Pierre Garcon - (#6 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)
It seems like I am never quite in sync with the consensus on Garcon. Either way, he has played at a fantastic level the past few weeks. There is no reason at all to think he will slow down with this matchup. With some other matchups, he flies up the rankings for me.

#7 Josh Gordon - (#16 on Fantasy Pros)
Obviously a bit of a risky call here, but the Bengals are more than capable of giving up some big plays to a burner like Gordon. Last week Torrey Smith caught his first touchdown in five weeks against the Bengals. I expect Gordon to also find the endzone with even more yardage.

#8 Brandon Marshall - (#3 on Fantasy Pros)
This is a matchup that will test Josh McCown. Besides a slip up against the Browns last week, and the atrocity in Denver - The Ravens have been excellent at preventing passing touchdowns. Even though Josh McCown has performed admirably in a few games, I have my doubts about just how much scoring Marshall can do here.

#10 AJ Green - (#5 on Fantasy Pros)
This ranking is nothing but pure respect for Joe Haden. Green saw 15 targets against the Browns earlier this year and only managed 51 yards. For that to change, Green will have to rely on Dalton to make some perfect throws. No thanks.

#5 Wes Welker / #12 Demaryius Thomas - (#10/#7 on Fantasy Pros)
The Chiefs have some good corners. While I expect the Broncos to perform well, the touchdowns rarely stay consistent in Denver from week-to-week. I believe the Chiefs have the athleticism to keep up with Demaryius, but Welker's route running and experience should be a key advantage in the middle. I guess its somewhat of a gut call, but I feel pretty good about it.

Quick thoughts....I think Roddy White will be the one facing Revis Island, which should lead to a pretty good game for Harry Douglas. A bit of a risk though. Riley Cooper faces a high chance for regression. Nick Foles really seems to like him, but the touchdown rate can't last forever. As you can see, I'm not super high on Percy Harvin this week. Consensus is that he should be pretty limited in snaps. Thats not a kiss of death, but with Russell Wilson being a guy that likes to spread the ball around it doesn't bode well. This week will be big in what I think of rookies DeAndre Hopkins and Aaron Dobson going forward. Hopkins has the much better matchup, but Dobson has the better QB and they seem to be developing a connection. I'm very interested in how it will play out. This is the lowest I've been on Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle is right behind him. I'm pretty certain one of them will be a good play, but I'd rather not gamble on finding out which one.

Week 11 QB Rankings

1. Drew Brees
2. Peyton Manning
3. Russell Wilson
4. Cam Newton
5. Matthew Stafford
6. Robert Griffin III
7. Nick Foles
8. Philip Rivers
9. Ryan Tannehill
10. Case Keenum
11. Matt Ryan
12. Josh McCown
13. Colin Kaepernick
14. Alex Smith
15. Mike Glennon
16. Tom Brady
17. Ben Roethlisberger
18. Jason Campbell
19. Terelle Pryor
20. Geno Smith
21. Eli Manning
22. Carson Palmer
23. Andy Dalton
24. Joe Flacco
25. EJ Manuel
26. Christian Ponder*
27. Scott Tolzien
28. Chad Henne

#4 Cam Newton - (#7 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)
I know some people are pretty low on Newton this week and believe the game as a whole will be low scoring. However when you look at the other QBs in his talent range such as Stafford, Rivers and Brady, I much much prefer Newton's matchup to theirs. If Aqib Talib is there, throwing will be tough for sure. The Pats are not the 49ers though and you can certainly run on them. Not worried.

#7 Nick Foles - (#4 on Fantasy Pros)
I really like Nick Foles and the fact that he is 7th should reflect that. For a non mobile QB with not that many games started, that is pretty impressive. Some people have gone as high as #1 on him and I think thats a mistake. Riley Cooper's touchdown rate will not continue, and you can run a lot on the Redskins. He's a good start, but not a super great one.

#9 Ryan Tannehill - (#16 on Fantasy Pros)
This ranking might seem crazy, but then you look at the next two guys and one is a former third stringer and the other is an injury replacement. Against the Chargers at home, is it all that crazy? I don't think so. Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline should have more luck this week and Rishard Matthews has shown he can play. The Chargers do not have a good secondary at all. Beyond that, Tannehill has been very consistent at home this year. He has scored between 13-16 fantasy points every week at home. Given risks associated with other QBs this week, I would take that high floor.

#13 Colin Kaepernick - (#16 on Fantasy Pros)
I'm always high on Kaep it seems. I've been wrong more than I've been right, I'll admit that. But his ranking at #16 seems like an overreaction to last week's performance. Not a good play, but not terrible. The Saints are a decent team against the run, but Kaep's mobility is normally a good counter to that. With Manningham making improvement, I remain hopeful for Kaep.

#16 Tom Brady - (#11 on Fantasy Pros)
This is nothing short of respect for the Panthers defense that has been absolutely dominant against fantasy QBs all year. The most points allowed was 15 (to Mike Glennon strangely). Brady still has 3 single digit performances in his last 5 games. I like Brady after this week but for now, I am not starting him.

My Team is (X Wins)-(X Losses) - What should I be doing?

The season is winding down, most leagues have 3-4 matchups left before the playoffs. Its time to do whatever you can to make the playoffs, and then if you are feeling good about the playoffs, you need to secure the best possible starting lineup that you can get in order to maximize your chance to win.

Let's start from the bottom up:

If your team is a lost cause...

DO NOT be the guy that gives up and doesn't try, or even worse, trades/drops his best players for nothing. Even if its a casual league, if people are competitive, this absolutely ruins it and can have major playoff implications. You wouldn't like it if you suffered because your closest opponent got to pick up Jimmy Graham for nothing, so don't do it. If your league cares, they shouldn't invite you back. Best advice - put in your best lineup and compete every week. Maybe you can crush a friend's playoff hopes in the last week. That's pretty fun on its own!

If you are fairly unlikely to make the playoffs:

Even the best advice might not save you, but its worth a shot to try. Maybe you need to go 3-0 against some tough teams to make it. And even then you might need a couple losses from other guys. Its still possible though! What you need to do is give yourself the best possible chance to win every week, doing almost whatever it takes. Don't go too overboard. But if you are in this scenario and you have...Ray Rice, Trent Richardson, or even Steven Jackson on your bench hoping they will break out, and you are pretty depleted at wide receiver? Drop one for a flier on a guy with a great matchup and some explosive potential. You need something only just short of a miracle, don't be afraid to take it. At the same time, don't outright drop a guy like Andrew Luck because you don't like his Thursday Night matchup this week. Thats too far. But maybe on a hail mary, you start Alex Smith against Denver instead? Just be willing to cut the guys you've been waiting on for a rebound. Its time to stop waiting and start taking action.

If you are on the outside looking in, but close:

So there are 6 playoff spots, and you're in 7th overall right now. You don't want to sacrifice the long run, but you might want to make a few moves to help you out in the short-term too. First off, if you have injured guys, or guys coming off injury (always a gamble), trade them for a more sure thing. I'm referring to guys like Percy Harvin, Shane Vereen, and even Aaron Rodgers. With Rodgers you can probably convince another team that he is their key to victory in the playoffs, and hey, "look at my team, I can't afford to keep him, I need someone that can help me now." If its a league where there is a decent amount of communication, some team with a good number of wins will realize its a good point. Trade Rodgers for a WR or RB that you can immediately plug in to improve your team. Outside of that, if you've built a good team over the course of the season, there is not much you can do besides do your best to win every week.

If you are in a playoff spot but far from guaranteed:

This is the trickiest situation in my opinion. You have to play a little defense and be a little aggressive at the same time. Do you make a play for Aaron Rodgers? No, probably not. But this is a team that can give up its 4th or 5th RB/WR for the upside in a guy like Roddy White or Marques Colston, or buy Harvin at current value in hopes of a big boost. You don't want to make too many changes to this team, it did after all put you in playoff spot. But I definitely recommend adding a flier or two, or making a two for one trade for an upgrade at one position. Because you still need to win in the regular season, don't throw away your depth. At the same time depth isn't the most important thing either.

If you are in prime position to make the playoffs:

Well first off, congratulations! You are in the best possible spot to be in. You have a good team, you managed to avoid most of the injuries, and maybe its not a lock to make the playoffs, but a lot of things would have to go wrong for you to miss out of the playoffs. Your motto here should be "Good for Great". You want to deal your good players for great players, bringing yourself the most action packed lineup possible. Great players that are a must start even against tough teams. You want people to look at your team and say its "Matchup proof" For example, I traded Darren Sproles, Antonio Gates, and Kansas City defense for Rob Gronkowski. Gronk is of course one of only two truly elite, near unstoppable tight ends. You can argue that KC is elite, and that has been true so far. Denver might change that and I'm getting out while they are still hot. Thats just one example.

Middle tier players that make a great starting point in a 2 for 1 package for an elite player:
Zac Stacy
Chris Johnson
Gio Bernard
Le'Veon Bell
Keenan Allen
Alshon Jeffery
Denarius Moore
Larry Fitzgerald
Tony Romo
Russell Wilson

Thats a nice list of players to give you an idea. This player would be the main player you trade away (in the darn good, but still not great category) and then package them with a lesser but still good player and receiver a player like Forte, Charles, McCoy, Stafford, Garcon, Andre Johnson, etc. This gives you the extra oomph in your lineup that gives you a better chance to win no matter what the situation is. Then you can sit back and watch the destruction that ensues. Of course it doesn't always work, but at least you'll know you did what you could.

---------------

Well, that wraps it up, I think I covered pretty much every situation. In case you are curious, I have 1 team that is in great position for the playoffs, another that is on the cusp of being certain for the playoffs and still uncertain. Another team just outside, but its a really good team. And then a 16-teamer that basically needs a miracle. To be fair it was the worst draft I've ever had (Spiller & D. Wilson were my top RBs), so the fact that I'm not last is a personal success. Thanks for reading and as always, I hope it helps you a bit!

Week 10 WR rankings

These rankings are the most I have deviated from the norm since I've been doing this early this year. It will be interesting to see how these play out because I feel good about a lot of them. Check em out and start/sit accordingly! Or go with your guy if you feel good enough about it. I don't care really.

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Dez Bryant
3. Brandon Marshall
4. Andre Johnson
5. Demaryius Thomas
6. Wes Welker
7. T.Y. Hilton
8. Victor Cruz
9. A.J. Green
10. Keenan Allen
11. Torrey Smith
12. DeSean Jackson
13. Vincent Jackson
14. Antonio Brown
15. Larry Fitzgerald
16. Denarius Moore
17. Jordy Nelson
18. Eric Decker
19. Alshon Jeffery
20. Golden Tate
21. Terrance Williams
22. Cecil Shorts
23. Stevie Johnson
24. Hakeem Nicks
25. Riley Cooper
26. Steve Smith
27. Harry Douglas
28. Anquan Boldin
29. Kendall Wright
30. Roddy White*
31. Ruben Randle
32. Emmanuel Sanders
33. Michael Floyd
34. Mike Wallace
35. Lance Moore
36. Doug Baldwin
37. Marvin Jones
38. Marques Colston*
39. Jacoby Jones
40. Timothy Wright
41. James Jones
42. Mike Brown
43. Vincent Brown
44. Chris Givens
45. Kenny Stills
46. Eddie Royal
47. Nate Washington
48. Rod Streater
49. Marlon Brown
50. DeAndre Hopkins
51. Darrius Heyward-Bey
52. Kris Durham
53. Mohamed Sanu
54. Brandon LaFell
55. Nate Burleson*
56. Mario Manningham
57. Ted Ginn
58. Griff Whalen
59. Jarrett Boykin
60. Brian Hartline
61. Cole Beasley
62. Jerricho Cotchery
63. Marquise Goodwin
64. Tandon Doss
65. Austin Pettis
66. Jermaine Kearse
67. Andre Roberts
68. T.J. Graham
69. Juron Criner
70. DeVier Posey
71. Tiquan Underwood
72. Tavon Austin
73. Justin Hunter
74. Darius Johnson
75. Brian Quick
76. Drew Davis
77. Stedman Bailey
78. Rishard Matthews
79. Kyle Williams
80. Jerrel Jernigan
81. LaVon Brazill
82. Brice Butler
83. Andrew Hawkins

#4 Andre Johnson - (#12 on Fantasy Pros Consensus Rankings)
Sure, call this an overreaction to last week if you want. This is a guy who hadn't got into the endzone at all before the game against the Colts. On the other hand, he has a quarterback that is willing to take risks to get the ball to him. Even if that doesn't work out, It seems like Keenum has a ton of confidence and I believe in his ability to get Andre the ball.

#7 T.Y. Hilton - (#13 on Fantasy Pros)
Again call me crazy and tell me I am overreacting. You can make a better case here as Hilton is pretty inconsistent. Elite speed, he can burn any team at any time. He won't catch every ball, but without Wayne I am of the belief that he will get enough targets to make something big happen every game.

#9 A.J. Green - (#3 on Fantasy Pros)
This is reflective of my stubborn view that Andy Dalton is not that good. They face Baltimore which is usually a good defense setting aside Week 1. And usually when Dalton struggles, Green suffers. As a wide receiver there is only so much you can do in a situation like that.

#11 Torrey Smith - (#20 on Fantasy Pros)
Opposite AJ Green is fellow #1 WR Torrey Smith. A lot of people have soured on him lately reflected in the consensus ranking. It wasn't so long ago that Smith had 166 and 121 yards in back to back games. In fact, through the first 5 games he was averaging 111 yards a game. And it isn't like defenses were ignoring him, he was already a #1 WR with a decent reputation. That talent is there and the yards will be coming back sooner than later.

#12 Pierre Garcon - (#7 on Fantasy Pros)
Funny enough I was (correctly) high on Garcon last week. This week, its a Thursday game which of course are generally sloppy. I am expecting a decent not great game. I think the smart play is for the Redskins to try and get the lead early and then ground n' pound the rest of the game.

#16 Antonio Brown - (#11 on Fantasy Pros)
This ranking feels weird because the Bills are awful against wide receivers. So what is my thinking? I'm not even sure. There are just a ton of great options this week and Brown is more of a possession guy than a big play guy. I'd rather go with a deep threat like DeSean Jackson or Torrey Smith. PPR he is still a top 10 stud.

Deeper thoughts...It seems like I am always high on Denarius Moore. He and Pryor get work done, this week against the Giants should be pretty awesome. Cecil Shorts will be facing a tough Titans secondary, but with 15-20 targets he should get his numbers. I think Anquan Boldin may end up as a good start in the fantasy playoffs now that Manningham is back and so will Crabtree (hopefully). But not yet. I think Lance Moore is the best option in New Orleans, but that offense besides Jimmy Graham is just a ton of guesswork. Its part of the reason they do so well, but frustrating for prognosticators! As you can see, I have no interest in James Jones this week. Start him at your own risk. I am a big fan of the Riley Cooper Nick Foles connection. Small sample, but if it holds that is some great value. Solid Flex option this week.