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Fantasy Football: Week 14 Wide Receiver Rankings

By Alex Butler
Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper stretches the ball over the goal line for a 37 yard TD on a pass from QB Derek Carr in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on December 4, 2016. The Raiders defeated the Bills 38-24. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
1 of 5 | Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper stretches the ball over the goal line for a 37 yard TD on a pass from QB Derek Carr in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on December 4, 2016. The Raiders defeated the Bills 38-24. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

MIAMI, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Now is the time where studs really need to pull through for your fantasy football team.

The opening round of the playoffs means that you will begin facing tougher teams each week, making every lineup decision more important. With so many options available at wide receiver, and bye weeks a thing of the past, you need to find reliable, yet explosive pass-catching options.

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To help you figure out who to sit or start at the position, take a look at my top 50 wide receivers for Week 14. You can also view my add/drops for the week and more positional rankings in the links below.

TOP SHELF

Amari Cooper and the Oakland Raiders have a huge AFC West clash Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are the worst defense against wide receivers, in terms of fantasy points allowed. Cooper has scored in three of his last five games and is a good bet to live up to this WR1 billing. Seattle Seahawks' Doug Baldwin faces a Green Bay Packers secondary Sunday, allowing the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers. The Packers have also allowed the second-most touchdowns to the position. Baldwin makes my top-10 this week.

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SNEAKY PLAYS

No Rob Gronkowski should increase Tom Brady's looks to Julian Edelman. I have Edelman ranked as a borderline WR1 this week for a Monday Night Football battle against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to wide receivers and are tied with the Packers in allowing 18 scores to the position. Edelman has eight receptions three consecutive games. He has 83 receiving yards and/or a touchdown in four straight games.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks hasn't scored since Week 10, but I like him in a good matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have allowed 16 touchdowns to the position, the fourth-most in the NFL. Cooks is a low-end WR1 in deep leagues and a WR2 in other formats.

LONGSHOTS

San Diego Chargers wide receiver Tyrell Williams is a WR2 option this week against a Carolina Panthers secondary tied for allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Williams has a touchdown catch in four straight games and I expect him to remain a highly targeted option for Philip Rivers against the Panthers.

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Cincinnati Bengals rookie Tyler Boyd has been quietly consistent for quarterback Andy Dalton in the absence of stud wide receiver A.J. Green. This week the Bengals get the winless Cleveland Browns and a secondary tied with the Panthers in fantasy points allowed to the position. The Browns have also allowed the third-most touchdowns to the position. Boyd has at least four receptions and 54 yards in each of his last three games and is on the WR3/flex radar in deeper leagues.


RANK NAME TEAM OPPONENT
1 Julio Jones Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles
2 Odell Beckham Jr. New York Giants vs. Dallas
3 Mike Evans Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans
4 Amari Cooper Oakland Raiders at Kansas City
5 Dez Bryant Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
6 Antonio Brown Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo
7 Jordy Nelson Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle
8 Doug Baldwin Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay
9 Brandon Marshall New York Jets at San Francisco
10 Larry Fitzgerald Arizona Cardinals at Miami
11 Stefon Diggs Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville
12 Demaryius Thomas Denver Broncos at Tennessee
13 Brandin Cooks New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay
14 T.Y. Hilton Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston
15 Julian Edelman New England Patriots vs. Baltimore
16 Sammy Watkins Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh
17 Tyrell Williams San Diego Chargers at Carolina
18 Kelvin Benjamin Carolina Panthers vs. San Diego
19 Michael Crabtree Oakland Raiders at Kansas City
20 Jarvis Landry  Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona
21 Michael Thomas New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay
22 Golden Tate Detroit Lions vs. Chicago
23 Davante Adams Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle
24 Allen Robinson Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Minnesota
25 DeAndre Hopkins Houston Texans at Indianapolis
26 Steve Smith Baltimore Ravens at New England
27 Jamison Crowder Washington Redskins at Philadelphia
28 Emmanuel Sanders Denver Broncos at Tennessee
29 Donte Moncrief Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston
30 Kenny Britt Los Angeles Rams vs. Atlanta
31 Tyreek Hill Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland
32 Terrelle Pryor Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati
33 Malcolm Mitchell New England Patriots vs. Baltimore
34 Mike Wallace Baltimore Ravens at New England
35 Dontrelle Inman San Diego Chargers at Carolina
36 Rishard Matthews Tennessee Titans vs. Denver
37 Randall Cobb Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle
38 DeSean Jackson Washington Redskins at Philadelphia
39 Jordan Matthews Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington
40 Devante Parker Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona
41 Willie Snead New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay
42 Tyler Boyd Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland
43 Will Fuller Houston Texans at Indianapolis
44 Sterling Shepard New York Giants vs. Dallas
45 Pierre Garcon Washington Redskins at Philadelphia
46 Tyler Lockett Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay
47 Corey Coleman Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati
48 Ted Ginn Carolina Panthers vs. San Diego
49 Cole Beasley Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
50 Adam Thielen Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville
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