NFL Week 5 Fantasy Rankings: Wide Receivers
Throughout the first four games of the 2014 season, fantasy football has thrown us several unexpected twists and turns as it tends to do.
The top quarterbacks on everyone’s preseason rankings aren’t necessarily the top quarterbacks in terms of stats (at least right now), and several of the top running backs have turned in absolutely horrendous seasons thus far.
The one position where many of the preseason’s top-ranked players have produced is wide receiver. Elite wideouts have scored on par with expectations, for the most part.
However, that doesn’t mean that there are some aberrations to the formula. For example, Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson, who was nearly everyone’s consensus top pick at the position heading into 2014, has struggled after a huge game in Week 1. Hobbled by an ankle injury that kept him out of practice last week, Johnson is reportedly feeling much better this week.
Like Johnson, Chicago Bears star Brandon Marshall has been hampered by an ankle issue suffered in a Week 1 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. Marshall was noticeably not himself in the Bears’ Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers, catching one two passes for 19 yards and one touchdown. The team said they were going to “take a good look” at Marshall’s ankle before deciding his Week 5 status. He reportedly practiced in full today, a good sign for his return against Carolina.
Most people’s No. 2 wideout, Denver’s Demaryius Thomas, has simply struggled with inconsistency, and so has the Chargers’ No. 1 target Keenan Allen. Allen had a bounceback game in Week 4, and Thomas should benefit from Denver’s Week bye.
There have been some breakout stars, such as the Baltimore Ravens’ Steve Smith and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin, who weren’t necessarily complete off the radar preseason, but for the most part, the stars have produced as such when healthy.
Here are the Week 5 fantasy rankings for wide receivers:
1 | Jordy Nelson | GB | vs. Min |
2 | Antonio Brown | PIT | at Jac |
3 | Julio Jones | ATL | at NYG |
4 | A.J. Green | CIN | at NE |
5 | Dez Bryant | DAL | vs. Hou |
6 | Randall Cobb | GB | vs. Min |
7 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI | at Car |
8 | Calvin Johnson | DET | vs. Buf |
9 | Brandon Marshall | CHI | at Car |
10 | Percy Harvin | SEA | at Was |
11 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | vs. Ari |
12 | Steve Smith | BAL | at Ind |
13 | Jeremy Maclin | PHI | vs. StL |
14 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | vs. Chi |
15 | Keenan Allen | SD | vs. NYJ |
16 | Michael Floyd | ARI | at Den |
17 | Roddy White | ATL | at NYG |
18 | Victor Cruz | NYG | vs. Atl |
19 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | at Dal |
20 | Julian Edelman | NE | vs. Cin |
21 | Vincent Jackson | TB | at NO |
22 | Julian Edelman | NE | vs. Cin |
23 | Wes Welker | DEN | vs. Ari |
24 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | vs. Bal |
25 | Michael Crabtree | SF | vs. KC |