Let’s continue our tour around the NFL by looking at the Top 50 wide receivers for the coming week. Does Wes Welker’s struggles cause him to fall significantly down the rankings? Where should a returning Andre Johnson be ranked? How does Adrian Peterson’s injury affect Percy Harvin’s value? Let’s look at these questions and

1. Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions – vs. Green Bay
2. Mike Wallace – Pittsburgh Steelers – at Kansas City
3. Roddy White – Atlanta Falcons – vs. Minnesota
4. Greg Jennings – Green Bay Packers – at Detroit
5. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers – at Indianapolis
6. Andre Johnson – Houston Texans – at Jacksonville
7. Jordy Nelson – Green Bay Packers – at Detroit
8. Vincent Jackson – San Diego Chargers – vs. Denver
9. Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys – vs. Miami
10. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals – at St. Louis
11. Victor Cruz – New York Giants – at New Orleans
12. Wes Welker – New England Patriots – at Philadelphia
13. Brandon Lloyd – St. Louis Rams – vs. Arizona
14. Percy Harvin – Minnesota Vikings – at Atlanta
15. DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. New England
16. Marques Colston – New Orleans Saints – vs. New York Giants
17. Hakeem Nicks – New York Giants – at New Orleans
18. Brandon Marshall – Miami Dolphins – at Dallas
19. Antonio Brown – Pittsburgh Steelers – at Kansas City
20. Laurent Robinson – Dallas Cowboys – vs. Miami
21. Anquan Boldin – Baltimore Ravens – vs. San Francisco
22. Dwayne Bowe – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Pittsburgh
23. Nate Washington – Tennessee Titans – vs. Tampa Bay
24. Santonio Holmes – New York Jets – vs. Buffalo
25. Deion Branch – New England Patriots – at Philadelphia
26. Sidney Rice – Seattle Seahawks – vs. Washington
27. Lance Moore – New Orleans Saints – vs. New York Giants
28. Mike Williams – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at Tennessee
29. Denarius Moore – Oakland Raiders – vs. Chicago
30. Mario Manningham – New York Giants – at New Orleans
31. Michael Crabtree – San Francisco 49ers – at Baltimore
32. Jabar Gaffney – Washington Redskins – at Seattle
33. Jerome Simpson – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Cleveland
34. Stevie Johnson – Buffalo Bills – at New York Jets
35. Nate Burleson – Detroit Lions – vs. Green Bay
36. Plaxico Burress – New York Jets – vs. Buffalo
37. Eric Decker – Denver Broncos – at San Diego
38. Pierre Garcon – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Carolina
39. Torrey Smith – Baltimore Ravens – vs. San Francisco
40. Damian Williams – Tennessee Titans – vs. Tampa Bay
41. Greg Little – Cleveland Browns – at Cincinnati
42. Early Doucet – Arizona Cardinals – at St. Louis
43. Vincent Brown – San Diego Chargers – vs. Denver
44. Earl Bennett – Chicago Bears – at Oakland
45. Riley Cooper – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. New England
46. Steve Breaston – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Pittsburgh
47. James Jones – Green Bay Packers – at Detroit
48. Harry Douglas – Atlanta Falcons – vs. Minnesota
49. Arrelious Benn – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at Tennessee
50. Doug Baldwin – Seattle Seahawks – vs. Washington

Thoughts:

• The Green Bay Packers have allowed the second most passing yards in the game (289.3 per game). In seven career games against them Calvin Johnson has scored 8 TD. Is there really any mystery over who the top receiving option is this week?
• There is obviously a little bit of concern over Greg Jennings after he suffered a knee injury in Week 11, helping to limit him to 2 receptions for 6 yards. Of course he had scored in five of the six games before that and has a touchdown in seven separate contests this season. That’s what happens when you have Aaron Rodgers throwing you the ball. Monitor the news, but he’s obviously a must use option in all formats.
• When do we start to get concerned about Wes Welker? He has now posted games of fewer than 50 yards in four of his past five. He also hasn’t found the end zone in four straight games. Obviously he’s too good to sit, but that doesn’t mean he’s got to be considered one of the top options at this point.
• If Adrian Peterson is going to sit out, the Vikings are going to get the ball into Percy Harvin’s hands more and more. In Week 11 he had five carries for 21 yards, on top of his 6 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. I would expect him to lineup in the backfield even more, getting extra touches once again in Week 12. That easily makes him a good play as a WR2 in all formats.
• Vincent Jackson continues to be one of the most frustratingly inconsistent players in the game, doesn’t he? We’ve seen how good he can be, meaning he’s a good play in all formats, but the potential for him to put up a dud keeps him a little bit lower on the rankings.
• It is expected that Andre Johnson is going to finally return this week. How high does he come in on the rankings? You have to think that he’s going to step in and be a great option from the outset. Consider him a WR1 in all formats, especially with Julio Jones likely out another week.
• Over his past two games Hakeem Nicks has 5 receptions for 110 yards and 1 TD. Meanwhile Victor Cruz has 12 receptions for 212 yards and 1 TD. Is there any question which receiver you would rather have for this week’s potential shootout with the Saints? Both are more than usable, though Cruz seems like a slightly better play.
• Fantasy owners have been waiting for Michael Crabtree to explode and he finally delivered in Week 11 with 7 receptions for 120 yards. Of course, before we get too excited, realize that he still has just one touchdown (which came in Week 8) and he has only two games over 75 yards on the season. Are we really supposed to expect him to suddenly become a consistent option? It’s not like he has an easy matchup against the Ravens. Consider him more of a WR3.
• Nate Washington is coming off a monster game, with 9 receptions for 115 yards and 2 TD. We’ve all been waiting for it, so it was definitely nice to see it. Can we expect him to replicate those numbers in Week 12? Of course not, though Tampa Bay is a favorable matchup. As a low-end WR2 he is well worth using.
• Obviously you don’t want to get too excited about the Buccaneers’ Mike Williams off of just one game (7 receptions for 83 yards and 1 TD). However, we all know the potential and he could become a strong play over the final few weeks of the season. Keep a close eye on him at this point.
• We know the Bears are going to throw the ball, which means Earl Bennett should hold a little value even without Jay Cutler. However, until we get an idea about their passing game it’s hard to consider him a trustworthy option.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 12 articles:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Waiver Worthy
• Looking at the Fantasy Fallout from Jay Cutler’s Injury