The first week of the NFL playoffs saw the seasons end for Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Antonio Brown, Golden Tate and a whole host of disappointing Cardinals. We still have elite receivers alive in the playoffs, including guys who are basically just as elite as the ones we lost. What that means, though, is that, more or less, the breakdown of FanDuel wide receivers this week will be structured like last week's.
Fantasy football advice, Divisional round: FanDuel wide receivers
We lost several big-name receivers last week, but we get a bunch more off of byes this week.Click here to get a 100% deposit bonus on FanDuel
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We’re in a situation in the NFL right now where there are a lot of productive receivers. With so many running backs splitting carries and/or struggling, while so many wide receivers are productive even with productive teammates, there are often more ways to make it work at receiver than there are at running back (or tight end, quarterback, whatever).
It means, to me at least, that it’s fair game to hold negatives against wide receivers who you normally might be excited about, willing to invest in. With so many guys having the potential to perform, why overlook a guy’s black marks when you can just ignore him?
That’s how I approached my wide receiver rankings for this week. As a reminder, I’m ranking guys not only on theoretical performance, but also on their salary. In general, I’m happy taking a slightly worse game out of a significantly cheaper guy; the savings will let me improve elsewhere. Sure, an expensive guy putting up 30 is better than a cheap guy at 14, but if it’s 22 vs. 21? I’ll take the cheap-slightly-worse guy.
Rankings first, thoughts after:
Wide receivers
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent | Salary |
| 1 | Dez Bryant | DAL | @GB | $9,000 |
| 2 | Torrey Smith | BAL | @NE | $7,000 |
| 3 | Jordy Nelson | GB | DAL | $9,000 |
| 4 | Brandon LaFell | NE | BAL | $6,800 |
| 5 | Randall Cobb | GB | DAL | $8,600 |
| 6 | Julian Edelman | NE | BAL | $7,300 |
| 7 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | CAR | $5,900 |
| 8 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | @DEN | $8,400 |
| 9 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | IND | $8,500 |
| 10 | Hakeem Nicks | IND | @DEN | $5,400 |
| 11 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | IND | $9,100 |
| 12 | Cole Beasley | DAL | @GB | $5,300 |
| 13 | Davante Adams | GB | DAL | $5,100 |
| 14 | Steve Smith Sr. | BAL | @NE | $6,600 |
| 15 | Donte Moncrief | IND | @DEN | $5,500 |
| 16 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | @SEA | $6,400 |
| 17 | Jermaine Kearse | SEA | CAR | $5,000 |
| 18 | Paul Richardson | SEA | CAR | $5,100 |
| 19 | Kamar Aiken | BAL | @NE | $4,800 |
| 20 | Terrance Williams | DAL | @GB | $5,800 |
| 21 | Philly Brown | CAR | @SEA | $5,000 |
| 22 | Ricardo Lockette | SEA | CAR | $4,900 |
| 23 | Wes Welker | DEN | IND | $5,200 |
| 24 | Jerricho Cotchery | CAR | @SEA | $5,100 |
| 25 | Danny Amendola | NE | BAL | $5,000 |
| 26 | Reggie Wayne | IND | @DEN | $5,300 |
- I said all that above, then put two $9,000 receivers in my top three. And if I felt better about Aaron Rodgers' health, Nelson would have been even higher. But he and Bryant ought to be worth the price, no matter what that price is.
- I expect Torrey Smith not to get stranded on Revis Island Saturday, with Steve Smith Sr. drawing the shutdown guy. Instead, I think Torrey Smith will draw Brandon Browner, who, sure, is good, but he isn't Darrelle Revis. With the discount built into his day, I like him.
- The Patriots' guys frustrated me. I think their offensive line will hold off the Ravens, meaning the receivers should have plenty of time to pick apart that Baltimore secondary. But between Edelman's concussion and LaFell's toe and shoulder, I found it difficult to buy all the way in. Both guys should be fine for the weekend, but I'm worried.
- Sanders and Thomas get downgraded. I expect Thomas to have Vontae Davis on him, which is tough, and with the concerns over Peyton Manning, I would have trouble using either guy with any confidence.
- I don't love Moncrief, but even so I have him above Benjamin. I really want no part of the Panthers this weekend since I think the Seahawks dispose of them with ease. If you're investing in Benjamin, you're hoping for some of his patented garbage-time production, and I don't want to rest my fortunes on that.
- Wayne has had one good game since mid-November, and even that was only because of one 80-yard play on which he got hurt. I couldn't possibly use him.
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