The fantasy running back options in the first week of the NFL playoffs are in some ways a disaster. The wide receiver options, meanwhile, are much more interesting and varied.
Fantasy football advice, Wild Card weekend: FanDuel wide receivers
Several big-name receivers play this weekend. Who are the best ones for FanDuel?Click here to get a 100% deposit bonus on FanDuel
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For FanDuel, that means two things: first, that it’s hard to go wrong with the wide receivers; and, second, that it is even easier to choose wrong. When there are a lot of right choices, you can choose an appealing group that just doesn’t produce enough.
With that in mind, I’m ranking all the FanDuel options each week of the playoffs, taking their salaries into account. A salary ranking helps to sort players out not only by probably production, but by roster helpfulness as well. A guy who puts up 150 yards and two scores is much more helpful when he’s cheap; in fact, much of the time you’d rather a $4,500 guy with 150 yards and two scores than a $9,000 guy with 180 yards and the same two scores.
The rankings follow, with a bit of explanation afterward:
Wide Receivers
| Rank | Wide Receiver | Team | Opponent | Salary |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT | BAL | $9,200 |
| 2 | Torrey Smith | BAL | @PIT | $7,100 |
| 3 | Dez Bryant | DAL | DET | $9,100 |
| 4 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | ARI | $6,900 |
| 5 | Martavis Bryant | PIT | BAL | $5,600 |
| 6 | Michael Floyd | ARI | @CAR | $6,600 |
| 7 | Golden Tate | DET | @DAL | $6,800 |
| 8 | John Brown | ARI | @CAR | $5,900 |
| 9 | Calvin Johnson | DET | @DAL | $9,000 |
| 10 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN | @IND | $6,000 |
| 11 | Steve Smith Sr. | BAL | @PIT | $6,400 |
| 12 | Hakeem Nicks | IND | CIN | $5,400 |
| 13 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | CIN | $8,600 |
| 14 | Markus Wheaton | PIT | BAL | $4,900 |
| 15 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | @CAR | $5,700 |
| 16 | Terrance Williams | DAL | DET | $5,300 |
| 17 | Donte Moncrief | IND | CIN | $5,200 |
| 18 | Jerricho Cotchery | CAR | ARI | $5,200 |
| 19 | Cole Beasley | DAL | DET | $5,600 |
| 20 | Kamar Aiken | BAL | @PIT | $5,200 |
| 21 | Jaron Brown | ARI | @CAR | $5,500 |
| 22 | Reggie Wayne | IND | CIN | $5,500 |
| 23 | Philly Brown | CAR | ARI | $4,900 |
| 24 | A.J. Green | CIN | @IND | $8,500 |
- With Le'Veon Bell out for Pittsburgh and the Ravens having a good run defense backed up by a rough pass defense, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant both look really interesting.
- I don't trust Justin Forsett much this weekend, so while I think the Ravens are basically frauds, and won't do much against the Steelers, I still think they'll lean heavily on Torrey Smith, making him interesting at his salary.
- Calvin Johnson scares the crap out of me. He's been up and down this year even when healthy. I wouldn't mind him at all at a middling price, but at $9,000, you don't have a choice but to be right about him. If I'm splurging, I'm going for Brown or Dez Bryant.
- A.J. Green is likely out for Sunday, which means Mohamed Sanu (a) will be the primary receiver for Cincinnati, but (b) will likely draw Vontae Davis in coverage. Little up, little down.
Speaking of guys who make me nervous, T.Y. Hilton ought to be healthy again, but we’ve seen very little from him in almost a month now. Again, I don’t have a big problem with him without salaries, but his price tag means he has to come through.
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