Wide Receivers
Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions $8900
What a year Adam Thielen is having. He’s set a record for games with 100 yards to start the season. That pace shows no signs of slowing down, even with a Darius Slay and the Lions defense. Slay is one of the better shadow corners in the league. Still, Thielen will find ways to get open. Minnesota does a terrific job of moving him around and creating advantageous positions. Thielen has been a revelation this season and that should continue Sunday.
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens $8400
Battling Thielen for the NFL’s best receivers, as always, is Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh’s top option is coming off a two touchdown game against a tough Cleveland defense. Things do not get easier this weekend with the Steelers traveling to Baltimore. In the team’s meeting earlier this season Brown had a quiet game but was still able to find the end zone. On the road, it gets a little harder with Pittsburgh’s historical struggles. This could be a down week for Brown, but his upside is always high.
DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos $8300
When Will Fuller went down, DeAndre Hopkins’ value decreased. Fuller was the perfect compliment to Hopkins in Houston’s offense and it was showing. The Texans’ offense was clicking, losing Fuller hurts. They will attempt to rebound after Tuesdays’ trade for former Bronco Demaryious Thomas. Now Hopkins will have a former Pro Bowl player opposite him for their matchup with Denver. The Broncos rank as one of the 12 hardest teams to throw against. Hopkins will get his points but this is a tough matchup for the elite receiver.
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers $8100
There are three teams in the NFL to only allow five touchdown receptions to opposing receivers. They are the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers. Mike Evans and the Buccaneers have a tough test this weekend. Throw in the fact that Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to be under center and this looks like a week to face Evans. Fitzpatrick clearly prefers DeSean Jackson over Evans.
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs @ Cleveland Browns $8000
Out of the top five receivers, the only one in a truly positive matchup is Tyreek Hill. The cog to the NFL’s scariest offense travels to Cleveland. The Browns rank tenth in points allowed to opposing receivers. Their defense is vastly improved but are young on the back end. Hill with Mahomes at the helm should be able to exploit that youth for a few deep shots. This is my favorite play in the top five just given the price disparity and Hills game breaking ability.
Value Wide Receivers
Marvin Jones Jr, Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings $5300
The trade of Golden Tate to the Eagles will decrease Tate’s eventual value but it elevated Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay’s value tremendously. Jones and Golladay are priced only $200 but give me Jones, the cheaper option here. Jones is coming off his best game of the season, a two touchdown performance against Seattle. He gets a tough Vikings matchup this weekend on the road but there will be targets to go around and Jones is the likely beneficiary with his experience over Golladay.
D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4300
Peg me as one of the guys that is all in on this Panthers offense this weekend against Tampa Bay. That includes rookie receiver D.J. Moore. The dynamic rookie has progressively gotten better each week. He’s coming off a game where the game script did not favor Carolina. It did not matter as Moore finished with 120 all purpose yards. He’s a great compliment to Devin Funchess at $1300 cheaper. Moore can find space against the league’s worst secondary.
Cortland Sutton, Denver Broncos vs Houston Texans $3900
Yet another player that will benefit from his teammate’s departure is Cortland Sutton of the Denver Broncos. The talented rookie receiver is part of the reason Denver was okay with trading Demaryious Thomas. Sutton is a big-bodied player who is a red zone threat. He has shown the ability to get open against NFL corners, despite his route running struggles in college. Now he gets a more featured role in a great matchup. Grab Sutton this week before his price rise that will happen in the coming weeks.