MIAMI, Dec. 6 (UPI) — Now is the time where studs really need to pull through for your fantasy football team.
The opening round of the playoffs means that you will begin facing tougher teams each week, making every lineup decision more important. With so many options available at wide receiver, and bye weeks a thing of the past, you need to find reliable, yet explosive pass-catching options.
To help you figure out who to sit or start at the position, take a look at my top 50 wide receivers for Week 14. You can also view my add/drops for the week and more positional rankings in the links below.
TOP SHELF
Amari Cooper and the Oakland Raiders have a huge AFC West clash Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are the worst defense against wide receivers, in terms of fantasy points allowed. Cooper has scored in three of his last five games and is a good bet to live up to this WR1 billing.
Seattle Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin faces a Green Bay Packers secondary Sunday, allowing the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers. The Packers have also allowed the second-most touchdowns to the position. Baldwin makes my top-10 this week.
SNEAKY PLAYS
No Rob Gronkowski should increase Tom Brady’s looks to Julian Edelman. I have Edelman ranked as a borderline WR1 this week for a Monday Night Football battle against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to wide receivers and are tied with the Packers in allowing 18 scores to the position. Edelman has eight receptions three consecutive games. He has 83 receiving yards and/or a touchdown in four straight games.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks hasn’t scored since Week 10, but I like him in a good matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have allowed 16 touchdowns to the position, the fourth-most in the NFL. Cooks is a low-end WR1 in deep leagues and a WR2 in other formats.
LONGSHOTS
San Diego Chargers wide receiver Tyrell Williams is a WR2 option this week against a Carolina Panthers secondary tied for allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Williams has a touchdown catch in four straight games and I expect him to remain a highly targeted option for Philip Rivers against the Panthers.
Cincinnati Bengals rookie Tyler Boyd has been quietly consistent for quarterback Andy Dalton in the absence of stud wide receiver A.J. Green. This week the Bengals get the winless Cleveland Browns and a secondary tied with the Panthers in fantasy points allowed to the position. The Browns have also allowed the third-most touchdowns to the position. Boyd has at least four receptions and 54 yards in each of his last three games and is on the WR3/flex radar in deeper leagues.
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