Fantasy Football – WR Rankings/Outlook Part 3

31 – Reuben Randle – Randle is one of our favorite sleeper candidates for the 2014 Fantasy Football season. At 6’3/208, Randle will be the main Red Zone Target for the Giants in 2014. Lining up opposite of Victor Cruz the Giants are expected to rely heavily on Randle with Nicks now out of the picture. Randle said he’s “very confident” he’ll score “double-digits in touchdowns,” and so are we; with no Tight End, Randle is by far the biggest receiver on the field.

 

32 –Marques Colston – Sneaky play for 1000 yards in the Saints moderate strength of schedule against the pass, the 31 year old says the plantar fasciatis that has plagued his last few seasons is completely healed. I’m not taking the gamble on him in the middle rounds, though.

 

33 – Eric Decker – Deckers QB play literally went from Worst to Best and back to Worst with Orton/Tebow to Peyton Manning to Geno Smith. This season is Decker’s first look at being a WR1 in his career as he enters the AFC East where he will square up against Patriots Darrelle Revis twice, Bills Stephon Gilmore twice and Dolphins Brent Grimes twice. Tough luck! Decker somehow managed to put up 8 TDs with the Orton/Tebow QB duo and is coming off 3 straight years with 1000+ yards. Decker’s 2014 outlook is solely in the hands of Geno Smiths production, but he’s a great value pick if Geno Smith can take a step forward. Meanwhile, Decker and his hot wife will continue to post weird Pregnant Selfies… (See video below)

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34 – Sammy Watkins – Watkins possesses huge breakout potential, but most of this will be governed by the questionable QB play from EJ Manuel. Manuel struggled mightily throwing the ball for accuracy in 2013, resulting in the Buffalo Bills rushing the ball a league high 546 times! Shaky QB play on one of the most heaviest run teams in the NFL doesn’t bode well for a Rookie WR. We’re looking to grab Watkins in 2015, instead. (We’re staying away from Watkins strictly because of EJ Manuel.)

 

35 – Kelvin Benjamin – Carolina has one of the worst Offensive Lines in the NFL. This means they’re going to pass a lot this year, especially to their most talented WR. Cam and Benjamin are already developing chemistry as Benjamin is catching “everything thrown his way” and their’s been a lot thrown his way. It’s unlikely the rookie eclipse’s 1000 yards in his 1st campaign, but the 6’5/240 Wide-Out has the potential to catch 10 TDs with a very high ceiling. At his current ADP, I’m definitely taking a gamble on KB based on upside.

 

36 – DeAndre Hopkins – Hopkins had the 2nd lowest drop rate last season as he only dropped 1 pass on 53 catch-able balls thrown his was, via PFF. Last season Hopkins caught a quiet 52 balls for 802 yards on 91 Targets. With new coach, new offense and new QB, Hopkins is trying to learn another new Offense which is something that troubled him in 2013. This season expect a lot of short passes from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick – 1000 yards seems out of reach.

 

37 – Reggie Wayne – Colts Coach, Chuck Pagano, said that Wayne’s recovery from his recent knee injury is “really incredible!” The 35 year old WR is now in a crowded WR Corps with Hakeem Nicks, T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and healthy TE’s Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener in Pep Hamilton’s Run Heavy Offense. It’s highly possible that Chudzinski can squeeze more pass plays out of Hamilton’s Offense, but a 1000+ yard season seams hard-pressed for the healthy 35 year old in 2014. Wayne’s expected to make his debut around the 3rd Pre-Season game, so be sure to check back as this will be vital to his WR Rank.

 

38 – Brandin Cooks – Get used to seeing a lot of these in 2014 as Brandin Cooks takes over the Darren Sproles role in NOLA. 80-90 total touches is definitely not out of the picture! The rookie is continuing to shine this Pre-Season and may find himself moving up the WR Ranks quickly before the season begins, especially in PPR Formats.

 

39 – Mike Evans – Not sure how the league plans to cover the Tampa Bay WR’s, but they better figure it out in a hurry. The gruesome twosome of Vincent Jackson (6’5″/230 lbs) and Mike Evans (6’5″/231 lbs) will be a tantalizing duo to have to deal with. For Josh McCown, this is Chicago 2.0 as Tampa is laying out the blueprint comparable to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. If we are putting it out there, Evans is a future double-digit NFL touchdown scorer and could flirt with that number this season. Our favorite adjective that we have heard attached to his name is that he has fire-hoses for arms. Tampa is an offense dedicated to the run, but look for them to open it up more this season with two of the most talented WRs in the NFL on the outside.

 

40 – Dwayne Bowe – Bowe is down about 20 pounds this season due to a strict Offseason Diet which resulted from his “extremely hard training this year.” Bowe is set to turn 30 this season in an Offseason that restricts Bowe’s production with Alex Smith throwing him the ball. He remains a low end WR3 with a higher ceiling as he will remain a major Red Zone Target.

 

41 – Hakeem Nicks – 26 year old Nicks enters 2014 on a one year contract with the Colts and is already showing motivational questions, a problem he commonly faced in New York. “I don’t know if I can say that I’ve seen enough,” Colts OC Pep Hamilton explained to the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. “I think he is still working to get himself in game shape.” Nicks will lineup as an outside WR in 3 WR sets only (which the Colts won’t use much this year) while Hilton and Wayne remain WR’s 1-2. The Colts are moving to a two TE set in Fleener and a now healthy Dwayne Allen. There’s just too many mouths to feed in Pep Hamilton’s Run Heavy Offense.

 

42 – Andrew Hawkins – The Browns have been rebuilding for 10 years and they’re somehow still in the same process. With Josh Gordon likely suspended the entire season the Browns are left with Andrew Hawkins as the likely WR1. A run heavy Browns Offensive Scheme will likely find themselves in the position to pass the ball by commonly playing “catch-up” mode in 2014. The Browns passed the ball a league high 681 times last season, while the Bronco’s were 2nd with 675 attempts. The Bronco’s still managed 1,397 more passing yards. With the majority of passes most likely coming from QB Johnny Manziel, Andrew Hawkins will see the majority of Targets playing slot receiver in this Browns WR Corps and remains a sneaky PPR play.

 

43 – Cecil Shorts – Shorts suffered a Grade 2 Hamstring injury which will sideline him “multiple weeks” with the potential of missing Pre-Season Games. Shorts has fell victim to numerous injuries in Jacksonville as he sat out most of the offseason with calf and hamstring issues while also undergoing groin surgery in December. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, a fully healthy Shorts could be a steal in late rounds of Fantasy Drafts, especially with Justin Blackmon gone. Keep note on his health, as this plays a major factor for the only proven receiver in Jacksonville.

 

44 – Markus Wheaton – Although he only caught 6 passes in 2013 and was limited with injuries, Markus Wheaton is set to lineup opposite from Antonio Brown as the WR2 in Pittsburgh. The Steeler’s lost both Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery this season, which means someone needs to replace their 1,342 yards and 16 TD’s. The Touchdowns will likely be light, but Wheaton should see over 100 Targets and around 60-70 receptions as WR2 in Pitt. The Sophomore wide-out possesses Playmaker potential in OC Haley’s Hurry-Up-Offense, which supports our label of Wheaton as a 2014 Legion Report Fantasy Football Sleeper.

 

45 – Marvin Jones – Still hasn’t made his camp debut after hurting his ankle in the Andy Dalton OTA Passing Camp. It’s definitely a concern considering Mohammed Sanu has been “lighting it up.” We liked Jones as a potential breakout WR in 2014, but he’ll need to get on the field soon!

 

46 – Riley Cooper – Cooper will continue to lack a consistent role in Chip Kelly’s 2014 Eagles Offense where he saw a 50th ranked 83 Targets in 2013. With the departure of DeSean Jackson – a healthy Jeremy Maclin will fill that void. A likely emerging role for TE Zach Ertz, new addition Darren Sproles and Rookie slot reciever Jordan Mathews will steal a majority of those Targets away from Cooper in 2014. DeSean Jackson took the Defensive secondary away from Cooper last season, where Cooper saw man coverage and no safety over the top. Cooper is looking at a much tougher year as a WR2 with Maclin at WR1 and an attentive defense.

 

47 – Doug Baldwin – Baldwin pulled off a sneaky 778 receiving yards last season and should put up better numbers in 2014 with both Golden Tate and Sidney Rice out of the picture. Baldwin will taker over Golden Taints role as the “X” receiver, which produced almost 900 yards on 99 Targets in 2013. While Baldwin may not see Fantasy Production as a WR 2 in a heavy Run Based Offense, it’s safe to note that with Percy Harvin‘s recent injury history, Baldwin would takeover the WR1 (“Z” Role) if Harvin were to miss time. Not sure about him? Google him and see what he had to say about Chris Carter… (see video below)

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Here’s Chris Carters response…

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48 – Jarrett Boykin – Boykin will have his games playing in the fast paced, highly offensive juggernaut Packers Offense. While Nelson, Lacy and Cobb will see the majority of production, Boykin takes over the James Jones role which will result in consistently inconsistent production from Boykin this season.

 

49 – Jordan Matthews – Matthews is expected to be the 3rd WR Option in Philly while manning the slot between Maclin and Cooper. The rookie out of Vanderbilt stands at 6’3/212 and will be an immediate Red Zone Threat in one of the leagues best Offenses. “He’s young and he’s got courage,” explains Eagles OC Pat Shurmur. “He can run around and catch the ball with people around him. When he catches the ball, he sets his hair on fire and runs.” Even thought their are many mouths to feed in this Offense and his trouble beating man-to-man blocking coverage, we still view Matthews as a 2014 Legion Report Dynasty Sleeper with Low-Risk/High-Reward value.

 

50 – Justin Hunter – The Titans have one of the best Offensive Lines in the league which suggests they’ll likely be a run heavy team under Ken Whisenhunt in order to hide Jake Locker‘s questionable QB play. Still, the Titans are not going to be winning games, so they’ll often find themselves in passing situations. What Ken Whisenhunt did with rookie WR Keenan Allen last season was impressive, however Jake Locker is not the QB Rivers is. Justin Hunter possesses the physical ability, deep speed and size to have a breakout season, but we don’t forsee his breakout season just yet. With Jake Locker throwing him the ball in a Run Heavy Offensive Scheme alongside Kendall Hunter and Nate Washington, it’s hard to suggest consistent play out of Hunter, at least not until 2015. Hunter will see big games as he is a main Red Zone Target. He is worth a flier with Low-Risk/High-Reward type value.

 

51 – Anquan Boldin – Boldin was recently kicked out of practice for fighting with 49ers CB Darryl Morris. Despite this, the 33 year old is coming off a 1179 yard performance while seeing 129 Targets. Expect these numbers to drastically decrease with WR Michael Crabtree back to full health. Along with this, the 49ers Offense Ran the ball a 3rd Most 505 times and Passed the ball a league Low 417 times in 2014.

 

52 – Tavon Austin – Rams OC Brian Schottenheimer says Tavon Austin is “playing so much faster just because he knows what we’re doing. He has the system down cold.” Austin elaborated that “everything looked like Spanish and sounded like Spanish to me [in 2013]” Austin is coming off a rough rookie campaign totaling just 418 yards with 4 TDs. Austin’s value will be adjusted during Pre-Season games based on his usage and understanding of the game.

 

53 – Brian Hartline – Coming off two consecutive seasons with 130+ Targets, 70+ receptions and 1,000+ receiving yards, we’re expecting Brian Hartline’s production to drop off in 2014. With the likely emergence of TE Charles Clay, reemergence of WR Mike Wallace and a more run focused offense, Hartline will struggle to see those numbers this year.

 

54 – Steve Smith – Would ya look at that – another fight for Steve Smith as he and Ravens CB Chykie Brown were performing blocking drills that eventually led to swinging fist drills during an Early August practice. Smith was also involved in a June practice fight with Ravens CB Ladarius Webb. Smith is coming off a 735 receiving yard performance where he managed to catch just 3 TDs. With diminished vertical play and burst, the Vet is slated to line up as the WR2 (while being the Number 3 Receiving Option) behind Torrey Smith and Dennis Pitta. Smith is on the latter part of his career at the age of 35 and is only considered a desperate Bye Week replacement.

 

Be sure to follow @LegionReport for breaking Fantasy Football news and up-to-date information/articles.

 

To catch up on some of our previous Fantasy Football Articles, check out:

2014 QB Rankings

2014 RB Rankings Part 1

2014 RB Rankings Part 2

2014 WR Rankings Part 1

Breakout Players

Emerging Fantasy Football Stars

Offensive Line Rankings and Stats

3rd Year Wide Receivers

 

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