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A new number one emerges in my rankings this week: DeAndre Hopkins. After being in the top ten virtually every week, it's time he obtained a spot at the top. He's averaging a little over eight receptions per game and is part of the elite class of fantasy receivers. Don't forget he's only had one game below 25 fantasy points thus far in PPR formats. With the 15 targets he sees on average per game, he's primed for a performance to top the charts.
The good thing about this week is that I'm not too worried about the teams on byes. Only a few players miss the list because of it (Cooper, Evans, Jackson). But enough commentary, let's get to the rankings.
BYE WEEKS: Dallas, Oakland, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
Rank |
Player |
Team |
Opponent |
1 |
DeAndre Hopkins |
HOU |
@JAC |
2 |
Odell Beckham Jr. |
NYG |
@PHI |
3 |
Julio Jones |
ATL |
@NO |
4 |
Brandon Marshall |
NYJ |
WAS |
5 |
Julian Edelman |
NE |
@IND |
6 |
A.J. Green |
CIN |
@BUF |
7 |
Larry Fitzgerald |
ARI |
@PIT |
8 |
Randall Cobb |
GB |
SD |
9 |
Demaryius Thomas |
DEN |
@CLE |
10 |
Calvin Johnson |
DET |
CHI |
11 |
Keenan Allen |
SD |
@GB |
12 |
Jeremy Maclin |
KC |
@MIN |
13 |
Antonio Brown |
PIT |
ARI |
14 |
Allen Robinson |
JAC |
HOU |
15 |
Emmanuel Sanders |
DEN |
@CLE |
16 |
Brandin Cooks |
NO |
ATL |
17 |
T.Y. Hilton |
IND |
NE |
18 |
James Jones |
GB |
SD |
19 |
Anquan Boldin |
SF |
BAL |
20 |
Allen Hurns |
JAC |
HOU |
21 |
Willie Snead |
NO |
ATL |
22 |
Jarvis Landry |
MIA |
@TEN |
23 |
Eric Decker |
NYJ |
WAS |
24 |
John Brown |
ARI |
@PIT |
25 |
Jordan Matthews |
PHI |
NYG |
26 |
Kendall Wright |
TEN |
MIA |
27 |
Pierre Garcon |
WAS |
@NYJ |
28 |
Kamar Aiken |
BAL |
@SF |
29 |
Marquess Wilson |
CHI |
@DET |
30 |
Donte Moncrief |
IND |
NE |
31 |
Golden Tate |
DET |
CHI |
32 |
Mike Wallace |
MIN |
KC |
33 |
Leonard Hankerson |
ATL |
@NO |
34 |
Rishard Matthews |
MIA |
@TEN |
35 |
Marvin Jones |
CIN |
@BUF |
36 |
Travis Benjamin |
CLE |
DEN |
37 |
Alshon Jeffery |
CHI |
@DET |
38 |
Dwayne Harris |
NYG |
@PHI |
39 |
Jamison Crowder |
WAS |
@NYJ |
40 |
Torrey Smith |
SF |
BAL |
41 |
Ted Ginn Jr. |
CAR |
@SEA |
42 |
Percy Harvin |
BUF |
CIN |
43 |
Andre Johnson |
IND |
NE |
44 |
Doug Baldwin |
SEA |
CAR |
45 |
Martavis Bryant |
PIT |
ARI |
46 |
Ty Montgomery |
GB |
SD |
47 |
Sammy Watkins |
BUF |
CIN |
48 |
Jermaine Kearse |
SEA |
CAR |
49 |
Stefon Diggs |
MIN |
KC |
50 |
Mohamed Sanu |
CIN |
@BUF |
A big trend this week more so than in the past are questionable injuries. There are a lot of game time decisions that could potentially shake up my rankings, like Sammy Watkins, Steve Smith Sr., and Alshon Jeffery. All have the potential to play this week. Pay attention to their status' throughout the week and especially before games kick off. You don't want to miss their production if they start or lose points if they come back and take all the targets away from their backups.
Marquess Wilson falls into this category. His value this week is going to rely upon the status of his teammates. If Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal don't suit up on Sunday, Wilson is a viable flex option. He has taken advantage of the opportunity in the main role, posting six receptions for 80 yards in week 4 and six receptions for 85 yards and a TD in week 5. If Jeffery and Royal remain sidelined, Wilson should see consistent production again. That being said, if Jeffery plays, he is has top-15 upside this week and Wilson's stock falls dramatically.
I think Anquan Boldin is a top-20 play this week with top-15 upside. When Colin Kaepernick finds his rhythm, Boldin is his favorite go-to and we saw that last week. Also, Boldin is going up against his former team, the Ravens. If we learned anything from Andre Johnson's performance against his former Texans last week, it's that there is a little more fire in a player when they face a team that dumped them. With chemistry back between Boldin and Kaepernick and a defense giving up 285.2 yards per game, the 49ers receiver is primed for a big week.
My sleeper this week is Ted Ginn Jr. He's quietly put up three consecutive double digit weeks and even posted two touchdowns last week. Also, he's available in most leagues. The only problem is that Ginn is on the road facing an extremely tough Seattle defense. Although he isn't a reception hog, one deep ball or one return could change his whole day. It's a risky bet that I would only consider in deeper leagues, but the reward could be worth it.