Fantasy Football 2014: WR preseason rankings
21. player. 54. Maclin missed all of last year with an ACL injury, so he hasn’t enjoyed the fantasy bounty that is Chip Kelly’s offense. He’ll return this year with the lead wide receiver job his to lose after DeSean Jackson headed to D.C. Maclin should be able to step in and could easily be a WR1 by the end of the season if he’s fully recovered and can establish a connection with Nick Foles. If you can lock in two WR’s ahead of him, Maclin has amazing upside as your third WR drafted and should definitely be someone you target on draft day. . WR. Philadelphia Eagles. Jeremy Maclin
Fitzgerald is an old standby, but I’m afraid he may get passed by Michael Floyd this season in the Arizona offense. The good news is that the Cardinals throw the ball a ton which should lead to good years for both receivers, but Fitz is getting up there in age and will have to face the brutal NFC West defenses which could lead to a down year. He’s a solid backup but don’t draft him earlier based on name recognition.. WR. Arizona Cardinals. Larry Fitzgerald. 22. player. 32
player. 47. Edelman stepped into Wes Welker’s role seamlessly last season and turned in career high’s in all receiving categories. His targets can be inconsistent since the Patriots spread the ball around based on gameplan. Edelman is a PPR monster and should be definitely considered a WR2 in those leagues but is best used as a high-end WR3 in most standard leagues. Edelman’s role should be unchanged in the Patriots attack although New England should have more weapons with Brandon LaFell (a sleeper option) and Rob Gronkowski back at tight end.. WR. New England Patriots. Julian Edelman. 23
46. Hilton has speed and explosive ability to spare and was Andrew Luck’s favorite target at times last year. While his upside is undeniable, he lacks the consistency to be a “sure thing” higher on this list. He relies on big plays for his fantasy production which can be a bit of a roller-coaster throughout the season. If you’ve drafted steady options ahead of him, Hilton can be a nice option, but be ready for some dry weeks between the floods of points.. WR. Indianapolis Colts. T.Y. Hilton. 24. player
25. player. 32. Floyd is a sleeper pick I love to emerge as a top 20 receiver this year, and if you can get him as your third option he could pay off big time. Arizona loves to throw the ball down the field and Floyd started to convert those into big plays last season. Fitzgerald will go off the board early, but I’d rather wait and get Floyd as a value pick later since I think he could easily have the bigger fantasy year.. WR. Arizona Cardinals. Michael Floyd
60. Patterson is pure potential as he heads into the season as the Vikings top receiving threat. His value will be limited by the touches he gets in the Vikings offense and the quarterback play, but his upside is enormous so roll the dice on him after you have your starters locked in. . WR. Minnesota Vikings. Cordarrelle Patterson. 26. player
46. If you feel like you can’t take a risk on your third WR since you’re top options have elements of risk, one more steady option who should be around in the 20’s is Reggie Wayne. Wayne was on his way to another solid year until he tore his ACL. He wasn’t prone to injury prior to his season-ender last year and had developed a very nice connection with Andrew Luck. He’s reliable for good, not great, fantasy numbers as long as he’s healthy and all word out of camp is that he’s ready to roll.. WR. Indianapolis Colts. Reggie Wayne. 27. player
28. player. 44. Roddy White fell off the fantasy map last season with injuries, offensive struggles, and possibly age taking their toll and leaving him on the waiver wire in most leagues. Some are expecting a bounceback season for White and ranking him as a fantasy starter, but I think drafting him in the top 20 is a huge risk. He should be healthier and better this season, but there’s also a chance picking him will be a swing-and-miss you can’t afford with a top 20 WR pick.. WR. Atlanta Falcons. Roddy White
Colston is still the most established receiver in one of the best passing games in the NFL. While he does have to compete for targets with Jimmy Graham and rookie Brandin Cooks, Colston has been a solid option the last few seasons despite not putting up monster games of some of the top 20 options.. WR. New Orleans Saints. Marques Colston. 29. player. 15
Emmanuel Sanders. 30. player. 45. Sanders moved from the Steelers to the Broncos this offseason which is a mixed bag for his fantasy value. He does move to an extremely prolific passing offense and should be fantasy relevant, but he will have to compete with so many other great options that I wouldn’t go all in on Sanders until we see how he fits with Peyton’s program.. WR. Denver Broncos