Wide Receiver continued to be an extremely volatile position week 7 rewarding owners who were active on the wire with some solid games from available pickups. There are plenty of good options still on the wire, though, starting with these eight options all available in over half of ESPN leagues. The ESPN ownership percentage is in parentheses for each selection and all scoring references are to ESPN standard scoring. If your league scores differently, adjust accordingly.
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Douglas is the top option after showing how productive he can be without Roddy White and Julio Jones around last week. Douglas caught every single pass thrown his way for 149 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay in week 7, and in week 8 he and the Falcons travel to the desert to face the Cardinals who were just beaten by Russell Wilson last Thursday. Roddy White may return, but until White shows he’s healthy I think Douglas is a great play as he continues to grow into a bigger role with Matt Ryan under center.
Boykin also stepped into a bigger role with the Packers with both James Jones and Randall Cobb out due to injury. Boykin was targeted 10 times against Cleveland last week catching eight passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. He should keep seeing plenty of work even if James Jones does return since Jermichael Finley is probably going to be out leaving the Pack in even more 3-WR sets than normal. Boykin is a great pickup if Douglas has already been snatched up.
Allen didn’t have much production last week agains the Jaguars, but that was mostly due to the Chargers having the game in hand early. He still tied for the team lead in targets with six and did finish with 67 yards on three catches. He won’t help you this week since he’s on a bye, but his a great long-term pickup since he keeps growing into the #1 role in the Chargers offense which throws the ball all the time.
If nobody in your league has swooped in and grabbed Harvin, he’s a great pickup as he works his way back for the Seahawks. He could be back as early as this week, but he may be a gametime decision for Monday Night making it difficult to count on him. If you can stash him for a week on your bench, you’ll be better off and ultimately you could have a top receiver when the playoffs come around in a few weeks.
Another receiver who won’t help you much this week, Wright takes his bye week this week after getting Jake Locker back in week 7. With Locker back, Wright was targeted 12 times and caught nine passes for 98 yards. Locker’s vertical throwing ability plays to Wright’s strengths, and he should have a solid second-half to the season after a bye week with a favorable schedule in the weeks to come.
If the above options don’t work for you because they’re gone in your league or you need help right away, check out Marvin Jones who has emerged as a secondary option in the Bengals passing game. Jones has caught a touchdown in each of the last two weeks while totaling 128 yards. He has multiple catches in five of his last six games and can be an emergency start for you if your desperate for this week.
Another PPR option for a one-week start, Beasley has been picking up more catches as the Cowboys offense continues to evolve. He has 4+ catches in the last three games and had six this week while going for 53 yards. He doesn’t pile up yardage and there are plenty of option on the Cowboys, but he has been getting catches making him a possible “roll of the dice” play for this week.
If you can afford a longer stash situation, Crabtree is starting to work his way back and is still on target for an end-of-November return. If he comes back just in time for the fantasy playoffs, he could be a huge difference maker with Colin Kaepernick needing weapons and Crabtree having huge success with him in the past. Crabtree is still a ways away but makes a solid long-term investment if you can afford the roster slot through the upcoming bye-week gauntlet.
This list of WR’s is part of my weekly waiver wire focus. If you need further help constructing your team, check out my top ten waiver wire picks of the week as well as my top waiver targets at each of the following positions: QB , RB , TE , D/ST .
