clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

2014 Updated Wide Receiver Rankings

With week 2 of the preseason in the books, it's time to start preparing for your fantasy draft. With quarterbacks and running backs covered in previous weeks here on Fake Teams, let's take a look at the wide receivers.

Kevin C. Cox

August has finally rolled around and we all know what that means; football is right around the corner. Fantasy drafts are in full swing and for owners that have not already had their drafts, they are scrambling to gather last second information to help them prepare for draft day. Without further ado, let's take a look at my top 60 receivers heading into the 2014 season.

1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions- Strongly considered Thomas or Bryant here but it's hard to ignore what Megatron has accomplished.

2. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos- Returns as the top weapon for what should be one of the best offenses in the league once again.

3. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys- As the number one option in Scott Linehan's pass-happy offense, he will challenge to be the top fantasy receiver in '14.

4. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals- Doesn't have the upside of a guy like Julio Jones but has a higher floor.

5. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons- Was on an amazing pace before breaking his foot in week 5 against the Jets.

6. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers- One of the more underrated receivers in the game, Nelson is every bit worth a mid to late second round pick in your fantasy draft.


7. Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears-
If Cutler can stay healthy, expect Marshall to continue to be one of the most consistent contributors at the receiver position once again.

8. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers- Gets a boost in PPR formats after catching at least five passes in each of the 16 games last year.

9. Alshon Jeffery, Chicaco Bears- Expect Jeffery to build on his breakout sophomore campaign a season ago.

10. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers- As the number two option in the GB offense, this could be the year he really breaks out.

11. Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers- Showed legitimate WR1 potential last season as Philip Rivers' favorite target.

12. Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Durable and talented receiver is as consistent as they come and a rock solid WR2.

13. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans- The quarterback situation could be better but Johnson hasn't showed many signs of slowing down.

14. Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins- The presence of DeSean Jackson will really open things up for Garcon in what I expect to be a much improved offense.

15. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons- He showed late in 2013 that he can still produce at a high level once he got over the injuries.

16. Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals- Floyd is one guy I will find on a lot of my teams this year as I think he is in for a huge year.

17. Victor Cruz, New York Giants- Expect to see flashes of the 2011 Cruz as I see him as a true bounce back candidate.

18. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals- Michael Floyd and third round pick John Brown will help keep attention away from Fitzgerald.

19. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers- The 49ers figure to throw the ball more in 2014 with a declining defense and an aging running back.

20. Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens- A healthy Dennis Pitta and a rejuvenated Ray Rice will ultimately lead to more big plays down the field for Smith.

21.Wes Welker, Denver Broncos- The Broncos showed the willingness to use Welker down on the goal line more than many would think.

22. DeSean Jackson, Washington Redskins- I'm expecting big things for the Washington offense now that RGIII is two years removed from injury and the addition of Jackson.

23. Cordarralle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings- Showed late in 2013 what he is capable of when you get him the football.

24. Percy Harvin, Seattle Seahawks- The talent is there for more but injuries and a run-first offense push him down the board.

25. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints- Still one of Drew Brees' most reliable targets in what will once again be a top offense in the entire NFL.

26. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts- The addition of Hakeem Nicks coupled with a healthy Dwayne Allen and Reggie Wayne will keep him from topping his production a season ago.

27. Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys- Likely only the fourth option, but Dallas should be in plenty of shootouts in 2014.

28. Kendall Wright, Tennessee Titans- I expect Wright to continue to improve in year three despite the questions surrounding the quarterback situation in Tennessee.

29. Golden Tate, Detroit Lions- An underrated talent who will finally get his chance to be a fantasy difference maker in a high powered offense.

30. Mike Wallace, Miami Dolphins- A new offense and an improved offensive line should improve the play and production of everyone involved.

31. Eric Decker, New York Jets- It will be interesting to see what Geno Smith can do with a legitimate wide receiver on the outside.

32. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs- Still have concerns about the defense and believe that will ultimately make Bowe a solid WR3.

33. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots- If Gronk is available for the start of season it will likely cap the upside of Brady's go to guy from a year ago.

34. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles- I know it's still early, but the fact Maclin is still struggling with his knee into week two of the preseason worries me a bit.

35. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills- Not really a huge fan in redraft leagues, but in dynasty he would be one of my targets.

36. Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers- Impressive reviews in camp coupled with a depleted receiving corps gets me excited for the huge target out of Florida State.

37. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts- Andrew Luck's go-to-guy is getting positive reviews out of camp and will be ready to go in week 1.

38. Rueben Randle, New York Giants- I find a hard time believing the Giants will struggle like they did a year ago and Randle will be one of the main beneficiaries.

39. Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints- Didn't know it was possible for a rookie to generate so much buzz in camp/preseason.

40. Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos- I can understand why people are getting excited but Sanders is not quite the player that Eric Decker was.

41. Justin Hunter, Tennessee Titans- Prime breakout candidate as a receiver who possesses elite size and athletic ability.

42. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Will make immediate contribution in the red zone and will give McCown two monster targets to throw to.

43. Hakeem Nicks, Indianapolis Colts- If Andrew Luck can make Griff Whalen a productive receiver, Nicks should be able to produce assuming he can stay on the field.

44. Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles- I expect him to overtake Cooper for the #2 job before season's end and become the Eagles #1 WR in 2015.

45. Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers- Expect the 49ers to open up the playbook a little in 2014, and for Boldin to continue to produce at age 33.

46. Greg Jennings, Minnesota Vikings- Still has plenty left in the tank to contribute for your fantasy team if an injury hits or as a bye week fill-in.

47. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans- Love Hopkins' game but not a fan of the Texans offense this season.

48. Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars- Never have been a huge fan of Shorts but he will likely see the most targets on a team playing from behind in most games.

49. James Jones, Oakland Raiders- Despite playing for one of the worst teams in the league, someone has to get the targets in this offense.

50. Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay Packers- The early struggles of Davante Adams makes Boykin a safe bet to remain the Packers #3 receiver for most if not all of the 2014 season.

51. Aaron Dobson, New England Patriots- Despite being out for most of camp, has lots of upside if he can get back up to speed and beat out Kenbrell Thompkins.

52. Riley Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles- Seemed to have a rapport with Foles a season ago but has so much competition for targets in the offense.

53. Danny Amendola, New England Patriots- A huge injury risk, but has shown the toughness to produce working the middle of the field when healthy.

54. Kenny Stills, New Orleans Saints- If he can expand just a bit on his role from last season is strictly a deep threat guy, he will be worth a pick late in drafts.

55. Tavon Austin, St. Louis Rams- Has rare ability in the open field with the ball in his hands but will likely be tough to start from week to week as just a package player in the Rams offense.

56. Brian Hartline, Miami Dolphins- Has been one of the more underrated receivers in the league over the past few seasons.

57. Markus Wheaton, Pittsburgh Steelers- Has the chance to step in as the number two receiver in an offense that really turned it on late in 2013.

58. Marqise Lee, Jacksonville Jaguars- Has been impressive thus far and with Shorts and Robinson nursing hamstring injuries will have every chance to succeed.

59. Kenny Britt, St. Louis Rams- Extremely risky, but as your WR5 or WR6 is definitely worth a flier as the number one receiver in St. Louis.

60. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks- Has always displayed great chemistry with Russell Wilson and will now be more involved with Golden Tate off to Detroit.

Just Missed- Andre Holmes, Steve Smith, Miles Austin, Rod Streater, Andrew Hawkins, Odell Beckham, Jerricho Cotchery, Cody Latimer, Josh Gordon, Malcom Floyd

The one thing I love about looking at fantasy football rankings is to see where people differ. Let me know what you think. Lots of interesting debates can be had regarding rankings. Who did I have too high? Too low? Who did I leave off this list that deserves a mention?