by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

The position took a little bit of a hit over the weekend, with two potentially WR2/WR3 types being lost for the season.  Couple those injuries with some questions at quarterback as well as some other news bits and we’ve certainly seen a shakeup in the rankings.  Who is on the rise?  Who should we be avoiding?  Let’s take a look at how things currently stand:

1. Antonio Brown – Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
2. Julio Jones – Atlanta Falcons (3)
3. Odell Beckham Jr. – New York Giants (2)
4. Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)
5. Jordy Nelson – Green Bay Packers (5)
6. A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals (6)
7. Amari Cooper – Oakland Raiders (7)
8. Michael Thomas – New Orleans Saints (8)
9. Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys (10)
10. T.Y. Hilton – Indianapolis Colts (9)
11. Doug Baldwin – Seattle Seahawks (12)
12. Brandin Cooks – New England Patriots (13)
13. Allen Robinson – Jacksonville Jaguars (14)
14. DeAndre Hopkins – Houston Texans (11)
15. Demaryius Thomas – Denver Broncos (15)
16. Alshon Jeffrey – Philadelphia Eagles (16)
17. Kelvin Benjamin – Carolina Panthers (17)
18. Devante Adams – Green Bay Packers (19)
19. Sammy Watkins – Los Angeles Rams (18)
20. Michael Crabtree – Oakland Raiders (20)
21. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals (21)
22. Golden Tate – Detroit Lions (22)
23. Keenan Allen – Los Angeles Chargers (24)
24. Terrelle Pryor – Washington Redskins (25)
25. Tyreek Hill – Kansas City Chiefs (28)
26. Martavis Bryant – Pittsburgh Steelers (29)
27. Stefon Diggs – Minnesota Vikings (27)
28. Jarvis Landry – Miami Dolphins (26)
29. Emmanuel Sanders – Denver Broncos (30)
30. Pierre Garcon – San Francisco 49ers (31)
31. Willie Snead – New Orleans Saints (32)
32. DeSean Jackson – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (33)
33. Devante Parker – Miami Dolphins (42)
34. Jamison Crowder – Washington Redskins (37)
35. Brandon Marshall – New York Giants (35)
36. John Brown – Arizona Cardinals (36)
37. Randall Cobb – Green Bay Packers (38)
38. Donte Moncrief – Indianapolis Colts (34)
39. Eric Decker – Tennessee Titans (40)
40. Corey Davis – Tennessee Titans (41)
41. Corey Coleman – Cleveland Browns (46)
42. Tyrell Williams – Los Angeles Chargers (45)
43. Kevin White – Chicago Bears (57)
44. Zay Jones – Buffalo Bills (52)
45. Kenny Britt – Cleveland Browns (43)
46. Jeremy Maclin – Baltimore Ravens (47)
47. Rishard Matthews – Tennessee Titans (48)
48. Jordan Mathews – Buffalo Bills (44)
49. Mike Wallace – Baltimore Ravens (50)
50. Tyler Lockett – Seattle Seahawks (54)
51. Adam Thielen – Minnesota Vikings (55)
52. Sterling Shepard – New York Giants (49)
53. Robby Anderson – New York Jets (NR)
54. Ted Ginn – New Orleans Saints (NR)
55. Marvin Jones – Detroit Lions (NR)
56. Breshad Perriman – Baltimore Ravens (51)
57. Mohamed Sanu – Atlanta Falcons (58)
58. Marqise Lee – Jacksonville Jaguars (NR)
59. J.J. Nelson – Arizona Cardinals (60)
60. Kenny Golladay – Detroit Lions (NR)

Dropped Off The Rankings: Julian Edelman (NE, 23), Cameron Meredith (CHI, 39), Josh Doctson (WAS, 53), Robert Woods (LAR, 56), Allen Hurns (JAX, 59)

Thoughts:

• It seems like it’s a given that Andrew Luck will miss Week 1, now the question is how many more after that will he be on the shelf for.  It’s an obvious downgrade regardless of who is under center, and that’s going to cause all of the Indianapolis receivers to drop a little bit.  The hope is Luck can get back to health quickly, making a major impact when he does.  However you also don’t want to put yourself into too big of a hole early on.
• The injury to Julian Edelman will cause many to reach for Chris Hogan or Danny Amendola.  Don’t make that mistake, though, as the team could utilize numerous players to fill the void whether it’s Dwayne Allen, James White, Dion Lewis or someone else entirely.  Amendola and Hogan remain nothing more than depth options.
• There are rumors that the Dolphins are shopping Jarvis Landry, and regardless of if he’s traded or not it’s clear that DeVante Parker is emerging as the team’s top receiver.  There are still questions, especially with Jay Cutler under center, but he has the potential to produce like a WR2 at a cheaper draft day cost.
• Obviously there’s a lot of risk in investing in Zay Jones, but he has the potential to be the team’s top option from Day 1.  He still needs to be drafted more as a WR4/5, but he brings WR3 potential (or better).
• The injury to Cameron Meredith has thrust Kevin White into a prominent role for the Chicago Bears.  That doesn’t mean that he’s a lock to make the most of that opportunity, but suddenly he’s looking like a gamble well worth taking on draft day.

Make sure to check out all of our 2017 Preseason Rankings: