Fantasy Football Playoffs Rankings - Wild Card Round: Wide Receivers
Many of the league's top running backs play in this week's games.
In fact, all three of the league's top rushers (Adrian Peterson, Alfred Morris and Marshawn Lynch) are in action this weekend. In addition, the top two picks in most fantasy leagues in the preseason play as well with Arian Foster and Ray Rice playing at home this weekend.
Six of the league's top 12 rushers play in this weekend's four playoff games.
When it comes to wide receivers, that is not necessarily the case.
Although there are few elite receivers playing this weekend, only three of the top 21 wide receivers in receiving yards play in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Houston's Andre Johnson played a full 16-game season after missing a total of 12 games in the previous two years. In all three of his last full seasons, Johnson has 100-plus receptions and 1,500-plus yards. This year, he had 112 catches and a career-high 1,598 yards although he had only four touchdowns.
Since the team's bye in Week 8, Johnson has been as good as virtually any receiver in the history of football.
Only two players have had more receiving yards than Johnson in the final nine games played during a season. The two players who had more are Calvin Johnson (2012) and Jerry Rice (1995).
This season, Megatron broke the single-season record set by Rice in 1995.
In his second season, Cincinnati's A.J. Green set career highs across the board with 97 receptions for 1,350 yards and 11 touchdowns. Green had an amazing nine-game scoring streak from Weeks 2 to 11, but he has scored only one touchdown in his past six games.
Colts receiver Reggie Wayne had a nearly identical season to his last year with Peyton Manning. In 2010, Wayne finished with 111 receptions for 1,355 yards and six touchdowns. Two years later with Andrew Luck, Wayne finished with 106 receptions for 1,355 yards and five touchdowns.
Here are my wide receiver rankings for this weekend's games only:
1. A.J. Green, Bengals (at HOU)
2. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs CIN)
3. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at BAL)
4. Randall Cobb, Packers (vs MIN)
5. Jordy Nelson, Packers (vs MIN)
6. Pierre Garcon, Redskins (vs SEA)
7. Torrey Smith, Ravens (vs IND)
8. Sidney Rice, Seahawks (at WAS)
9. James Jones, Packers (vs MIN)
10. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs MIN)
11. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (vs IND)
12. Golden Tate, Seahawks (at WAS)
13. T.Y. Hilton, Colts (at BAL)
14. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks (at WAS)
15. Donnie Avery, Colts (at BAL)
16. Santana Moss, Redskins (vs SEA)
17. Andrew Hawkins, Bengals (at HOU)
18. Jerome Simpson, Vikings (at GB)
19. Jairus Wright, Vikings (at GB)
20. Marvin Jones, Bengals (at HOU)
21. Jacoby Jones, Ravens (vs IND)
22. Kevin Walter, Texans (vs CIN)
23. Josh Morgan, Redskins (vs SEA)
24. Michael Jenkins, Vikings (at GB)
More Wild Card Round Rankings: Quarterbacks - Running Backs
If you're looking for full playoff fantasy rankings, you can find mine here:
- Quarterback rankings for full postseason
- Running back rankings for full postseason
- Wide receiver rankings for full postseason
- Tight end rankings for full postseason
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