Week 3 Wide Receiver Rankings - Standard Leagues

Well if you thought week 1 was crazy, how do you describe week 2? Not only did Travis Benjamin score another long TD last week, he added another long bomb from Manziel, and had a punt return TD for good measure added in. With QB injuries to Cutler, Brees, and Romo, there receivers start to take a hit. I was apparently too high on Saints like Brandin Cooks last week. At this point him and other Saints players have to be lowered until we see the old Brees again.

The sample size for matchups is getting larger, and with that, it has more effect on how I rank players. In a couple of weeks, you will see the full effects that matchups have on a players ranking. Matchups are a great tiebreaker for me when I have a tier of guys, as it is a great tool to differentiate them. Now to the rankings, and some commentary on a few guys.

Julian Edelman - When Tom Brady is playing like this, how is Edelman not a top 10 guy? He is one of the two guys who was outside of that top tier of WR's in the preseason, and has now firmly entrenched themselves into that conversation. DeAndre Hopkins is the other one. While Edelman's upside isn't as high as any of the guys above him, his floor is one that rivals Antonio Brown.

Jarvis Landry - Another guy who doesn't have as much upside as the people he is around, but his floor is high. He has been on the field for as many snaps as he can handle so far this year. That is a trend that won't change, and is currently the top target for Tannehill. Jordan Cameron might not play in week 3, which leaves more targets available for Landry to pull in. He may not ever have a game with 2 TD's this year, but will he ever have less than 5 receptions? Tannehill looked better last week, so 80 yards and a TD should be in store for him.

Allen Robinson - In week 2 Robinson was able to cash in on his targets. After a 6 target 1 reception game in week one, he came back with a 12 target 6 reception game here in week 2. Not only that, but scored twice and had over 150 yards. This is the type of talent you took in the middle rounds of your drafts, hoping for this kind of upside to shine. He has a terrific matchup this week against the Patriots, as they will surely be down and needing to throw the ball to try and catch up. Start with confidence this week.

Brandon Marshall - I wasn't the biggest Marshall fan this offseason, as I thought the injuries he had over the past couple years would take its toll. Well that hasn't been the case here, as he has been great for the first two weeks. I think Ryan Fitzpatrick is doing wonders in this controlled Jets offense. While I still believe that Decker is the better receiver at this point in there careers, Marshall is the one who is healthy, not Decker. If Decker suits up this week, Marshall doesn't move in my rankings, and Decker slots in at number 20 just ahead of Mike Evans.

Travis Benjamin - Where on earth do I rank this guy? There is no right spot to rank Travis Benjamin. 35 is almost splitting the difference here. He could either put up another 100 yards and 2 TD performance because Manziel hits him on a couple bombs, or he goes 1 reception for 12 yards. The ultimate boom or bust guy now that DeSean Jackson is hurt. This play is not for the faint of heart. If you want big upside, then go ahead and use him. If you are risk adverse, leave him alone.

Rishard Matthews - Matthews should enjoy this right now, as it won't last. By week 6 he will become an afterthought, but until then, he is a serviceable deep league starter. Tannehill appears to trust him, and with the Dolphins offense built around the passing game, you could do worse.

The guy I really want to talk about right now though is DeVante Parker. If you read any of my articles over the preseason, you will know that I was as high as anyone on Parker. I mentioned to monitor him each of the first 4 weeks before the Dolphins bye week. Here is the update through 4 weeks. In the first week he was on the field for one snap, and left without a target. In week two, he was on the field for 17 snaps, or 25% of available offensive snaps, and had 1 reception for 3 yards on 1 target. The Dolphins have stated they want to keep bumping up his usage as he gets healthier and more familiar with the offense. In week 3 he is a guy who should be rostered, but not started yet. I want to see what they bump up his snap count up to next. My guess would be about 40% of snaps, taking away from Jennings and Stills a little bit. If you can buy low on him, do so as he has the natural skills to be a tremendous player in the second half this year.