Terrell Owens’ signing with the Cincinnati Bengals isn’t the only thing that has impacted our wide receiver rankings.  How about Wes Welker, who may be healthy for Week 1? The word that Donald Driver had surgery on both knees?  Let’s take a look at how things currently shape up:

  1. Andre Johnson – Houston Texans
  2. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals
  3. Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis Colts
  4. Randy Moss – New England Patriots
  5. Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions
  6. Miles Austin – Dallas Cowboys
  7. Roddy White – Atlanta Falcons
  8. Brandon Marshall – Miami Dolphins
  9. DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles
  10. Marques Colston – New Orleans Saints
  11. Greg Jennings – Green Bay Packers
  12. Sidney Rice – Minnesota Vikings
  13. Anquan Boldin – Baltimore Ravens
  14. Chad Ochocinco – Cincinnati Bengals
  15. Steve Smith – New York Giants
  16. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers
  17. Dwayne Bowe – Kansas City Chiefs
  18. Hines Ward – Pittsburgh Steelers
  19. Michael Crabtree – San Francisco 49ers
  20. Mike Sims-Walker – Jacksonville Jaguars
  21. Percy Harvin – Minnesota Vikings
  22. Hakeem Nicks – New York Giants
  23. Mike Wallace – Pittsburgh Steelers
  24. Pierre Garcon – Indianapolis Colts
  25. Terrell Owens – Cincinnati Bengals
  26. Wes Welker – New England Patriots
  27. Santana Moss – Washington Redskins
  28. Vincent Jackson – San Diego Chargers
  29. Robert Meachem – New Orleans Saints
  30. Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys
  31. Steve Breaston – Arizona Cardinals
  32. Jeremy Maclin – Philadelphia Eagles
  33. T.J. Houshmandzadeh – Seattle Seahawks
  34. Derrick Mason – Baltimore Ravens
  35. Nate Burleson – Detroit Lions
  36. Arrelious Benn – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  37. Donald Driver – Green Bay Packers
  38. Kenny Britt – Tennessee Titans
  39. Devin Hester – Chicago Bears
  40. Demaryius Thomas – Denver Broncos
  41. Davone Bess – Miami Dolphins
  42. Antonio Bryant – Cincinnati Bengals
  43. Julian Edelman – New England Patriots
  44. Chris Chambers – Kansas City Chiefs
  45. Lee Evans – Buffalo Bills
  46. Braylon Edwards – New York Jets
  47. James Jones – Green Bay Packers
  48. Donnie Avery – St. Louis Rams
  49. Eddie Royal – Denver Broncos
  50. Justin Gage – Tennessee Titans
  51. Santonio Holmes – New York Jets
  52. Jacoby Jones – Houston Texans
  53. Malcolm Floyd – San Diego Chargers
  54. Devin Aromashodu – Chicago Bears
  55. Roy Williams – Dallas Cowboys
  56. Nate Washington – Tennessee Titans
  57. Bernard Berrian – Minnesota Vikings
  58. Mario Manningham – New York Giants
  59. Austin Collie – Indianapolis Colts
  60. Mohamed Massaquoi – Cleveland Browns

Thoughts:

  • I recently discussed why I had Larry Fitzgerald as the #2 wide reciever on my board, which you can read by clicking here .
  • Will Vincent Jackson holdout for the season?  That would just make a bad situation worse, as he’s already set to miss the first three games of the season due to a suspension. Is he worth the risk? Absolutely, because if he plays he has the potential to be a Top 15 reciever.  However, the risk right now outweighs the reward, making him better suited to be drafted as a WR3.
  • I previously named a few third-year wide receivers who have the chance to breakout this season (click here to view). After Pierre Garcon (who probably isn’t a sleeper), Davone Bess is the player I’d most like to own. With Brandon Marshall and a solid running game in place, defenses will have a tough time covering everyone.
  • With Terrell Owens signing with the Bengals, you have to wonder if there will be enough balls to make everyone happy, certainly hurting some of the other Bengals receivers value. He has a much better quarterback throwing him the ball then he did in Buffalo, so a return to 1,000 yards is certainly possible. He’s likely a borderline WR2, but definitely a great pick as a WR3.  His presence sends Antonio Bryant to more of a reserve role then a fantasy starter.
  • I’ll go into more details soon on why I’m so high on Dwayne Bowe, but if healthy he has the potential to finally bust out in his fourth season.
  • Steve Breaston has the potential to have a solid season, stepping into the #2 receiver spot in Arizona. Heck, he’s had big seasons as the team’s third receiver, but concerns about Matt Leinart have to downgrade him a bit.  He just doesn’t have the ability to make a play on his own like Larry Fitzgerald does.
  • The number one wide receiver on the team with the best quaterback…Yea, Greg Jennings deserves a spot as a WR1 on any fantasy roster. The comparison between Jennings and Marques Colston is an interesting one, though, and something we’ll look at in the future.
  • Word is that Wes Welker will be healthy for Week 1. Obviously there are going to be injury concerns, making him a risk, but what a reward he could bring. I’d certainly back him up with a good reserve, but he’s a player to target if he is on the board in the seventh round. He may not match last year’s 123 receptions, but he’s going to be a great option if fully healthy.
  • How valuable could Malcolm Floyd be, especially if Vincent Jackson doesn’t play?  Click here   for my thoughts.
  • Donald Driver is coming off surgery on both knees, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Packers rest him a bit.  Youngsters like Jordy Nelson and James Jones could challenge for playing time, so taking Driver as a WR4 instead of a starter certainly makes the most sense.
  • Will Brett Favre play or won’t he?  At this point, with the drama raging on, I have to assume that he will, but who knows. If he doesn’t, the value of the Vikings receivers will fall slightly.
  • I previously spoke about the moves that sent Anquan Boldin to Baltimore (click here to view) and Brandon Marshall to Baltimore (click here to view), so check those articles put for more on their respective rankings.
  • Andre Johnson is a first round pick, but how high should he go?  Click here to see my thoughts.
  • Mohamed Massaquoi sneaks into out Top 60 rankings.  Jake Delhomme’s presence certainly could help.  For more of my thoughts on him, clickhere .

What are your thoughts on these rankings?  Who is ranked to high?  Who is ranked to low?

Make sure to check out our 2010 rankings:

Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:

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