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After going through the 2016 ranking the running backs, I’ve moved to wide receivers. It’s safe to say that I’m glad to get away from the overwhelming conundrum that is the running back position. The wide receiver position has a lot more certainty, and a lot more viable players.
You really can’t go wrong with a lot of these players, and a lot of them will be separated by mere fractions on a week-to-week basis. That said, you still have to play the matchups and take into consideration their respective workloads.
Here is how Week 1 appears to be shaking out.
Week 1 WR rankings
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT | @CLE | The #1 overall WR gets the Browns defense in Week 1. |
| 2 | Julio Jones | ATL | @CHI | CHI's front 7 is solid, but their secondary is susceptible. Julio will eat. |
| 3 | A.J. Green | CIN | BAL | 32/32/604/6 line against BAL in last five games. |
| 4 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | @GB | GB held him in check last year, but he's SEA's WR1 in a potential shootout. |
| 5 | Amari Cooper | OAK | @TEN | TEN doesn't have a CB that can keep up with Amari's route-running. |
| 6 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | @DET | DET's defense is porous and Fitz always starts off seasons very strong. |
| 7 | Jordy Nelson | GB | SEA | SEA a tough matchup, but he scored 2 TDs vs. them last season. Will get RZ looks. |
| 8 | Odell Beckham | NYG | @DAL | Would be higher if not for lingering ankle injury. |
| 9 | Brandin Cooks | NE | KC | NE will move him around to avoid Peters. Should get plenty of deep targets vs. vulnerable 2nd CBs. |
| 10 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | @SF | SF doesn't have anyone that can match up with Benjamin, who looked reborn in preseason. |
| 11 | Stefon Diggs | MIN | NO | Burgeoning star gets a poor NO defense to start. Fireworks should ensue. |
| 12 | Dez Bryant | DAL | NYG | Dez looks back to his prime, but he totaled 18 yards in 2 games vs NYG last season. 18 TOTAL YARDS. |
| 13 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | LAC | Assuming groin is healthy, should be a fringe WR1 every week regardless of matchup. |
| 14 | Michael Thomas | NO | @MIN | Away from home and with Rhodes shadowing him, expectations for Thomas should be tempered. |
| 15 | Michael Crabtree | OAK | @TEN | Went over 100 yards vs. TEN last season and should get more RZ looks than Cooper. |
| 16 | Martavis Bryant | PIT | @CLE | Couldn't ask for a better matchup to resume his career. We'll see if he's rusty, but it might not matter. |
| 17 | Golden Tate | DET | ARI | ARI struggled to cover smaller, quicker WRs last season. Tate profiles well in this game. |
| 18 | Terrell Pryor Sr. | WAS | PHI | Hopefully preseasons struggles were just an aberration. PHI a tough unit to throw on. |
| 19 | Allen Robinson | JAX | @HOU | QB situation a mess, but should get a bevy of opportunities against decent but not great HOU secondary. |
| 20 | Pierre Garcon | SF | CAR | CAR secondary not as good as perceived and Garcon is a target monster. |
| 21 | Rishard Matthews | TEN | OAK | With Decker/Davis possibly hobbled, Matthews should start hot against bad OAK secondary. |
| 22 | Chris Hogan | NE | KC | Likely to avoid Peters completely and soak up MOF targets from Brady. |
| 23 | Davante Adams | GB | SEA | Despite great SEA defense, Adams put up 4/104/1 vs. them last year. Still Rodgers' #2 option. |
| 24 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | JAX | Will Savage be able to get him the ball vs. two stud CBs? I'm worried. |
| 25 | Alshon Jeffery | PHI | @WAS | I'll reserve my bias, but Jeffery has a tough matchup vs. Norman. Should still get 8-10 targets. |
| 26 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | LAC | Matchup is underratedly tough, but could be go-to guy if Demaryius is slowed by groin injury. |
| 27 | Tyreek Hill | KC | @NE | Andy Reid will scheme him touches, but he couldn't catch a pass in preseason. Worrying for a WR. |
| 28 | Keenan Allen | LAC | @DEN | Allen returns from injury to the buzzsaw that is the DEN CBs. Targets will save him from a terrible game. |
| 29 | John Brown | ARI | @DET | In a dome against a bad DET secondary, this game is tailor-made for Brown (if healthy of course). |
| 30 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | @LAR | I don't even feel comfortable ranking him this high. His QB is Scott Tolzien. |
| 31 | Jamison Crowder | WAS | PHI | Wouldn't surprise if he has a better PPR game than Pryor, but PHI a tough matchup for all WAS WRs/TEs. |
| 32 | Adam Thielen | MIN | NO | New MIN slot guy gets a prime matchup to show his 2016 breakout was real. |
| 33 | Corey Coleman | CLE | PIT | Him and Kizer showed a connection in preseason, and it should carry over against middling PIT secondary. |
| 34 | Zay Jones | BUF | NYJ | Jordan Matthews is still not fully cleared. Someone has to catch passes in BUF. |
| 35 | Sammy Watkins | LAR | IND | Layup matchup, but I don't trust the Rams offense/QB to get him the ball deep downfield. |
| 36 | Eric Decker | TEN | OAK | Ankle injury limited practice/games and could cause slow start vs. OAK. |
| 37 | Mike Wallace | BAL | @CIN | Assuming Flacco is behind center, he'll rely on the WR he played with msot last season. |
| 38 | Kendall Wright | CHI | ATL | Not much upside in a Mike Glennon-led offense, but he's the favorite for targets/catches as slot WR. |
| 39 | Tyrell Williams | LAC | @DEN | I like Tyrell as much as the next guy, but this is a brutal way to start the season. |
| 40 | Kenny Britt | CLE | PIT | Target hog candidacy took a hit with Coleman emergence/WR additions. Still starting WR against meh CBs. |
| 41 | Cole Beasley | DAL | NYG | If you're looking for a strictly-floor PPR play, Beasley is your guy. |
| 42 | Brandon Marshall | NYG | @DAL | Coming off a shoulder injury, has barely played with Manning, is 33 years old. Don't expect too much. |
| 43 | Jeremy Maclin | BAL | @CIN | Truly believe he'll be Flaccos' go-to guy this season, but he's yet to play with him. It'll take time. |
| 44 | Marvin Jones Jr. | DET | ARI | Will see a lot of Patrick Peterson. Game sets up more for Tate and RBs. |
| 45 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | @BUF | Showed a connection with Josh McCown in preseason, but color me skeptical that it carries over. |
| 46 | Donte Moncrief | IND | @LAR | Scott Tolzien. |
| 47 | Randall Cobb | GB | SEA | Many believe this will be Cobb's bounce-back year. I'll believe it when I see it. Won't begin vs. SEA defense. |
| 48 | Ted Ginn Jr. | NO | @MIN | With Snead out, Ginn will be a starter. The matchup, on the road, is not an easy task. |
| 49 | Paul Richardson | SEA | @GB | The starter opposite Baldwin, Richardson is a big play waiting to happen with a great QB. |
| 50 | Sterling Shepard | NYG | @DAL | Considering Beckham/Marshall injuries, wouldn't be a shock if Shepard is their leading WR vs. DAL. |