Fantasy Football 2014 Wide Receiver Rankings: Week 3
Jordy Nelson
It’s only fitting that the top two wide receivers in fantasy football right now occupy the same space in Athlon Sports’ Week 3 rankings at the position. Calvin Johnson and Jordy Nelson are set to share the same field when Detroit hosts Green Bay in what should be an entertaining and likely high-scoring affair Sunday afternoon. Megatron checks in at No. 1 in our rankings, but it’s actually Nelson who’s the top scorer at WR, after exploding for 209 yards against the Jets last week. Other matchups this week to watch include Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” secondary against the Broncos’ stable of Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Wes Welker, who was reinstated this week according to the stipulations of the NFL's new drug policy. Chicago’s Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery each gutted through injuries last week, and on Monday night they will try and take advantage of the same Jets’ passing defense that Nelson and his Packer teammates torched in Week 2.
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 3 Fantasy Football Rankings — Wide Receivers
Rank | Player | Team | Opp | Comments |
1 | Calvin Johnson | DET | vs. GB | Panthers held Megatron in check (6-83, 13 targets). |
2 | Jordy Nelson | GB | at DET | 80-yard TD highlights huge (9-209-1) game. |
3 | Brandon Marshall | CHI | at NYJ (Mon.) | 3 TDs vs. SF. What ankle injury? |
4 | Julio Jones | ATL | vs. TB (Thurs.) | His usual productive self (7-88-1) vs. Bengals. |
5 | Dez Bryant | DAL | at STL | Somewhat quietly posted 100-yard game vs. TEN. |
6 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | at SEA | Tweaked his knee, but played through it and scored. |
7 | Antonio Brown | PIT | at CAR | Avoided injury scare, paced Steelers (7-90). |
8 | Randall Cobb | GB | at DET | Nelson got the yards, but Cobb gets 2 TD grabs. |
9 | Andre Johnson | HOU | at NYG |
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10 | Julian Edelman | NE | vs. OAK | Clearly Brady's No. 1 target right now. |
11 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI | at NYJ (Mon.) | Played through sore hamstring. |
12 | Vincent Jackson | TB | at ATL (Thurs.) | He and McCown struggling to get on same page. |
13 | Mike Wallace | MIA | vs. KC | Two games, two TDs in new O. Progress. |
14 | Percy Harvin | SEA | vs. DEN | Rushing TD nice, but need more than 1 catch. |
15 | Keenan Allen | SD | at BUF | Not that impressed with Richard Sherman. |
16 | Roddy White | ATL | vs. TB (Thurs.) | Dealing with hamstring injury, but should play. |
17 | Cordarrelle Patterson | MIN | at NO | Four catches and no rush attempts vs. Pats. |
18 | Jeremy Maclin | PHI | vs. WAS | Just four catches, but one went for TD vs. Colts. |
19 | Pierre Garcon | WAS | at PHI | Will he and Cousins click? |
20 | Reggie Wayne | IND | at JAC | Quiet (3-28) vs. Eagles on MNF. |
21 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | at SEA | Making himself right at home with new team. |
22 | Michael Floyd | ARI | vs. SF | Six targets, but only one catch (19 yds.) vs. Giants. |
23 | Michael Crabtree | SF | at ARI | Most productive 49er target (7-82-1) vs. Bears. |
24 | Sammy Watkins | BUF | vs. SD | Hello breakout. 8-117-1 vs. Dolphins. |
25 | DeSean Jackson | WAS | at PHI | Left last week w/ shoulder injury. Watch status. |
26 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | vs. SF | Targeted 10 times (6-51) by backup Stanton. |
27 | Marques Colston | NO | vs. MIN | 0 targets vs. Browns? Not good. |
28 | Wes Welker | DEN | at SEA | Welcome back Wes! Hello Legion of Boom! |
29 | Eric Decker | NYJ | vs. CHI (Mon.) | Hooks up with Smith for first TD as Jet. |
30 | Golden Tate | DET | vs. GB |
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31 | Steve Smith | BAL | at CLE | Leading receiver after two games w/ new team. |
32 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | at JAC | Led the way with 6 rec., 65 yds. vs. Eagles. |
33 | Kendall Wright | TEN | at CIN | Overshadowed by Bryant, Walker vs. DAL. |
34 | Victor Cruz | NYG | vs. HOU | Still looking for fit in new offense. |
35 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | at NYG | Just three catches, but one was for a TD. |
36 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | vs. PIT |
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37 | Brandin Cooks | NO | vs. MIN | Second-most targets (6) behind Graham (13) vs. CLE. |
38 | A.J. Green | CIN | vs. TEN | Toe injury could sideline him. Watch closely. |
39 | Brian Quick | STL | vs. DAL | Most effective Ram WR (14-173) thus far. |
40 | Torrey Smith | BAL | at CLE | Torrey been non-existent Smith so far for Ravens. |
41 | Anquan Boldin | SF | at ARI |
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42 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN | vs. TEN | Bengals' No. 1 WR with Green, Jones sidelined. |
43 | James Jones | OAK | at NE | Has been Derek Carr's favorite target thus far. |
44 | Justin Hunter | TEN | at CIN | Getting the snaps, still waiting on the breakout. |
45 | Markus Wheaton | PIT | at CAR |
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46 | Andrew Hawkins | CLE | vs. BAL | Browns' No. 1 WR until further notice. |
47 | Greg Jennings | MIN | at NO |
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48 | Terrance Williams | DAL | at STL |
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49 | Dwayne Bowe | KC | at MIA | Hauls in three passes in his season debut. |
50 | Riley Cooper | PHI | vs. WAS |
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51 | Cecil Shorts | JAC | vs. IND | Has yet to play due to hamstring issue. |
52 | Rueben Randle | NYG | vs. HOU | TD catch hopefully sign of things to come. |
53 | Mike Evans | TB | at ATL (Thurs.) |
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54 | Miles Austin | CLE | vs. BAL | Hooked up with Hoyer for TD pass last week. |
55 | Allen Hurns | JAC | vs. IND | Just 2 rec. and sprained his ankle. |
56 | Marqise Lee | JAC | vs. IND | One of many Jags who struggled vs. Redskins. |
57 | Danny Amendola | NE | vs. OAK | Disappearing Danny? 0 targets vs. Vikings. |
58 | Donnie Avery | KC | at MIA |
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59 | Malcom Floyd | SD | at BUF |
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60 | Harry Douglas | ATL | vs. TB (Thurs.) | Role could expand if White (hamstring) is limited. |
61 | Davante Adams | GB | at DET | Rookie appears to have replaced Boykin as No. 3. |
62 | Hakeem Nicks | IND | at JAC |
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63 | Robert Woods | BUF | vs. SD |
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64 | Aaron Dobson | NE | vs. OAK |
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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
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