Fantasy Football 2014 Wide Receiver Rankings: Week 1
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson leads off Athlon Sports' Week 1 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings, but he's not the only dynamic target who could post big numbers in his season opener. Dez Bryant could be a busy Cowboy if for no other reason the likelihood his team will be playing catchup against the visiting 49ers. Demaryius Thomas also could see plenty of targets coming his way, as Denver hosts Indianapolis on Thursday night and Peyton Manning won't have Wes Welker (suspended) or Eric Decker (now with the Jets) to throw to. And Bryant and Thomas may not be the only ones on these two teams to thrive in Week 1 either. Dallas' Terrance Williams and Denver's Emmanuel Sanders also could benefit based on a combination of matchup (or game situation), offensive philosophy, quarterback play and the fact that their teammates are likely to draw plenty of attention from the opposition.
Each week during the NFL season, we will rank enough players at each position to appease everyone from those in 8-team leagues to 16-team leagues, those that can start two QBs, two TEs, three RBs and four WRs. We cut out the rest, because if you're looking at who the 50th-best running back or the 17th-best kicker is for that week, you need more help than any Web site can give you.
Positional Rankings: QB I RB I WR I TE I DST I K
2014 NFL Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings — Wide Receivers
Rank | Player | Team | Opp | Comments |
1 | Calvin Johnson | DET | vs. NYG (Mon.) | Megatron thinking Super thoughts this season. |
2 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | vs. IND | No Decker or Welker? No problem for Thomas. |
3 | Dez Bryant | DAL | vs. SF | Cowboys could be forced to throw a lot. |
4 | Brandon Marshall | CHI | vs. BUF | Still Cutler's favorite target. |
5 | Julio Jones | ATL | vs. NO | Looked awfully spry during preseason. |
6 | A.J. Green | CIN | at BAL | Ravens have held him in check in past. |
7 | Antonio Brown | PIT | vs. CLE |
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8 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI | vs. BUF | Plenty of targets for Jeffery and Marshall to thrive. |
9 | Andre Johnson | HOU | vs. WAS | All comes down to QB play. |
10 | Jordy Nelson | GB | at SEA (Thurs.) | "Legion of Boom" could limit production. |
11 | Randall Cobb | GB | at SEA (Thurs.) | Cobb and Harvin on same field should be fun. |
12 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | vs. IND | Wes Welker's loss is Sanders' gain. |
13 | Keenan Allen | SD | at ARI (Mon.) | Cardinals have stout secondary. |
14 | Vincent Jackson | TB | vs. CAR | Josh McCown likes throwing to tall targets. |
15 | Michael Crabtree | SF | at DAL | 49ers more of a running team under Harbaugh. |
16 | Victor Cruz | NYG | at DET (Mon.) | Could get off to slow start in new O. |
17 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | vs. SD (Mon.) | Don't forget about Fitz just yet. |
18 | Percy Harvin | SEA | vs. GB (Thurs.) | Healthy Harvin ready to explode? |
19 | Cordarrelle Patterson | MIN | at STL | How will Turner use Patterson in new O? |
20 | Pierre Garcon | WAS | at HOU | Has more experience w/ RG3 than DJax. |
21 | Roddy White | ATL | vs. NO | Another one whose health is paramount to success. |
22 | Marques Colston | NO | at ATL | Says he as healthy as he's been in some time. |
23 | Michael Floyd | ARI | vs. SD (Mon.) | is this his year to take over as No. 1 in ARI? |
24 | Torrey Smith | BAL | vs. CIN | Expecting more versatile role this season. |
25 | Jeremy Maclin | PHI | vs. JAC | If he can stay healthy, he could explode. |
26 | Reggie Wayne | IND | at DEN | Andrew Luck gets his favorite target back. |
27 | Mike Wallace | MIA | vs. NE | Appears to be a better fit in new O. |
28 | Julian Edelman | NE | at MIA | Gronk may not be much of a factor in Week 1. |
29 | DeSean Jackson | WAS | at HOU |
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30 | Eric Decker | NYJ | vs. OAK | It's not Denver, but he's still a No. 1 WR. |
31 | Cecil Shorts | JAC | at PHI |
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32 | Kendall Wright | TEN | at KC | Titans planning on taking more deep shots. |
33 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | at DEN | Role TBD w/ Wayne and Allen both back. |
34 | Golden Tate | DET | vs. NYG (Mon.) | DET more of a passing team than SEA ever was. |
35 | Brandin Cooks | NO | at ATL | How soon will rookie make an impact? |
36 | Terrance Williams | DAL | vs. SF | Will draw less attention in coverage than Bryant. |
37 | Anquan Boldin | SF | at DAL |
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38 | Riley Cooper | PHI | vs. JAC |
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39 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | vs. WAS | Can he emerge in his second season? |
40 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | at TB | Rookie could be Cam's go-to target immediately. |
41 | Sammy Watkins | BUF | at CHI | Rib injury hampered him towards end of preseason. |
42 | Greg Jennings | MIN | at STL | Has been productive with Cassel at QB. |
43 | Rueben Randle | NYG | at DET (Mon.) |
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44 | Markus Wheaton | PIT | vs. CLE | Eager to prove himself after injury-plagued '13. |
45 | Danny Amendola | NE | at MIA | Could develop into reliable PPR option. |
46 | James Jones | OAK | at NYJ | His value tied to rookie QB's performance. |
47 | Andrew Hawkins | CLE | at PIT | De facto No. 1 WR w/ Gordon suspended. |
48 | Justin Hunter | TEN | at KC | Everyone's expecting him to break out in 2014. |
49 | Mike Evans | TB | vs. CAR | How soon will he and McCown click? |
50 | Malcom Floyd | SD | at ARI (Mon.) |
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51 | Kenny Britt | STL | vs. MIN | Can he be a fantasy factor once again? |
52 | Aaron Dobson | NE | at MIA | Could emerge as legitimate deep threat for Brady. |
53 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | vs. GB (Thurs.) | Steps in to fill Tate's role as other starting WR. |
54 | Tavon Austin | STL | vs. MIN |
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55 | Brian Hartline | MIA | vs.. NE |
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56 | Hakeem Nicks | IND | at DEN |
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57 | Donnie Avery | KC | vs. TEN | Alex Smith won't have Dwayne Bowe vs. Titans. |
58 | Cody Latimer | DEN | vs. IND | No. 3 spot open during Welker's suspension. |
59 | Steve Smith | BAL | vs. CIN | How will Rams use him this season? |
60 | Rod Streater | OAK | at NYJ |
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61 | Mike Williams | BUF | at CHI |
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62 | Nate Washington | TEN | at KC |
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63 | Jarrett Boykin | GB | at SEA (Thurs.) |
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64 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN | at BAL | Marvin Jones expected to be out until Week 5. |
Rankings are based upon Athlon Sports' standard scoring system:
OFFENSIVE SCORING
All touchdowns are 6 points
1 point for 25 yards passing
1 point for 10 yards rushing/receiving
Receptions are .5 points
Interceptions/fumbles are minus-2 points
