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News-Herald Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Kleps doesn’t just write headlines and stories. He also checks on his fantasy sports teams. A lot. See if the moves and news from the world of sports affect your fantasy teams.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

2012 fantasy football rankings: Wide receivers

Maybe you believe, and News-Herald Browns beat writer Jeff Schudel agrees with you, the Browns got the better of the Falcons in a blockbuster draft-day trade in 2011.

When the dust settled after the 2012 draft, the Browns had netted Phil Taylor, Greg Little and Brandon Weeden from the swap. And one of the picks they received from Atlanta, a fourth-rounder in 2012, was used in a trade with Minnesota in which Cleveland moved up to select Trent Richardson.

It's not difficult to see why that trade could be viewed as a good one for Tom Heckert.

The Falcons' haul in the deal: Wide receiver Julio Jones.

Jones, selected sixth overall by Atlanta in 2011, had 27 receptions for 457 yards and six touchdowns in the final five games of last season. If you project those numbers over a 16-game season, you get 86 catches for 1,462 yards and 19 TDs.

I wouldn't expect Jones to score 19 TDs this season, but 86 catches for more than 1,400 yards is certainly within reach.

This is a long way of saying I like Jones quite a bit this season. We have him ranked eighth at wide receiver, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was better than any wideout not named Calvin Johnson in fantasy this season.

If Weeden is the answer to the Browns' annual quarterback problem, they will have made out on the deal. For fantasy purposes, however, Atlanta has the best player -- and we know that's what really matters.

On to the wide receiver rankings ...

Rank, player, team (bye week): GP, Receptions-Yards-Avg, TD
1. Calvin Johnson,  Det (5): 16, 96-1,681-17.5, 16
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari (10): 7, 80-1,411-17.6, 8
3. Roddy White, Atl (7): 16, 100-1,296-13.0, 8
4. Andre Johnson, Hou (8): 16, 33-492-14.9, 2
5. Greg Jennings, GB (10): 13, 67-949-14.2, 9
6. Wes Welker, NE (9): 16, 122-1,569-12.9, 9
7. A.J. Green, Cin (8): 15, 65-1,057-16.3, 7
8. Julio Jones, Atl (7): 13, 54-959-17.8, 8
9. Mike Wallace, Pit (4): 16, 72-1,193-16.6, 8
10. Victor Cruz, NYG (11): 16, 82-1,536-18.7, 9
11. Hakeem Nicks, NYG (11): 15, 76-1,192-15.7, 7
12. Jordy Nelson, GB (10): 16, 68-1,263-18.6, 15
13. Brandon Marshall, Chi (6): 16, 81-1,214-15.0, 6
14. Steve Smith, Car (6): 16, 79-1,394-17.6, 7
15. Marques Colston, NO (6): 14, 80-1,143-14.3, 8
16. Dez Bryant, Dal (5): 15, 63-928-14.7, 9
17. Miles Austin, Dal (5): 10, 43-579-13.5, 7
18. Demaryius Thomas, Den (7): 11, 32-551-17.2, 4
19. Vincent Jackson, TB (5): 16, 60-1,106-18.4, 9
20. Brandon Lloyd, NE (9): 11, 51-683-13.4, 5
21. Antonio Brown, Pit (4): 16, 69-1,108-16.1, 2
22. Dwayne Bowe, KC (7): 16, 81-1,159-14.3,  5
23. Steve Johnson, Buf (7): 16, 76-1,004-13.2, 7
24. Percy Harvin, Min (11): 16, 87-967-11.1, 6
25. DeSean Jackson, Phi (7): 15, 58-961-16.6, 4
26. Reggie Wayne, Ind (4): 16, 75-960-12.8, 4
27. Torrey Smith, Bal (8): 16, 50-841-16.8, 7
28. Jeremy Maclin, Phi (7): 13, 63-859-13.6, 5
29. Eric Decker, Den (7): 16, 44-612-13.9, 8
30. Pierre Garcon, Was (10): 16, 70-947-13.5, 6
31. Malcom Floyd, SD (7): 12, 43-856-19.9, 5
32. Anquan Boldin, Bal (8): 14, 57-887-15.6, 3
33. Santonio Holmes, NYJ (9): 16, 51-654-12.8, 8
34. Greg Little, Cle (10): 16, 61-709-11.6, 2
35. Robert Meachem, SD (7): 16, 40-620-15.5, 6
36. Titus Young, Det (5): 16, 48-607-12.6, 6
37. Denarius Moore, Oak (5): 13, 33-618-18.7, 5
38. Nate Washington, Ten (11): 16, 74-1,023-13.8, 7
39. Santana Moss, Was (10): 12, 46-584-12.7, 4
40. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oak (5): 15, 64-975-15.2, 4
41. Lance Moore, NO (6): 14, 52-627-12.1, 8
42. Mike Williams, TB (5): 16, 65-771-11.9, 3
43. Michael Crabtree, SF (9): 15, 72-874-12.1, 4
44. Mario Manningham, SF (9): 12, 39-523-13.4, 4
45. Nate Burleson, Det (5): 16, 73-757-10.4, 3
46. Jonathan Baldwin, KC (7): 11, 21-254-12.1, 1
47. Kenny Britt, Ten (11): 3, 17-289-17.0, 3
48. Sidney Rice, Sea (11): 9, 32-484-15.1, 2
49. Justin Blackmon, Jac (6): Rookie
50. Brandon LaFell, Car (6): 16, 36-613-17.0, 3
51. Laurent Robinson, Jac (6): 14, 54-858-15.9, 11
52. Randy Moss, SF (9): Didn’t play
53. Austin Collie, Ind (4): 16, 54-514-9.5, 1
54. Danny Amendola, StL (9): 1, 5-45-9.0, 0
55. Emmanuel Sanders, Pit (4): 11, 22-288-13.1, 2
56. Doug Baldwin, Sea (11): 16, 51-788-15.5, 4
57. Rueben Randle, NYG (11): Rookie
58. Leonard Hankerson, Was (10): 4, 13-163-12.5, 0
59. Davone Bess, Mia (7): 16, 51-537-10.5, 3
60. Kendall Wright, Ten (11): Rookie

NOTE: All statistics are from the 2011 season.

QUICK SLANTS: Calvin Johnson has averaged 87 receptions for 1,401 yards and 14 TDs the last two seasons. ... Fitzgerald has played all 16 games in each of the last four seasons and has missed only one contest since 2007. He averaged 12 TDs per season from 2007 to '09, but has a norm of "only" seven scores the last two years. ...Jones' Falcons teammate, Roddy White, has averaged 100 catches for 1,279 yards and 10 TDs the last three years. ... I'd be a little leery of Andre Johnson, who is already struggling with an injury in training camp (hamstring) and has missed a combined 12 games the last two seasons. ... Welker is a reception and yardage machine, but his nine TDs last season were a career high. ... The Steelers' Wallace is expected to end his contract holdout before the start of the regular season. He has averaged 1,232 yards and nine TDs since 2010. ... With Jay Cutler in Denver in 2007 and '08, Marshall had norms of 103 catches for 1,295 yards and seven TDs. ... The Broncos' Thomas could be the biggest beneficiary of Peyton Manning landing in Denver. He caught 10 passes for 297 yards and a TD in the Broncos' two playoff games last season, including a memorable four-catch, 204-yard, one-winning-TD performance in a wild-card win over the Steelers during the height of Tebowmania. ... In two seasons with the Jets, Holmes has averaged only 52 catches for 700 yards and seven TDs. In 2009 with the Steelers, he had 79 receptions for 1,248 yards and five scores.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: Quarterbacks, running backs

NEXT: Tight ends

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