X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Wide Receivers Sending Out Warning Signals Going Into Week 6

For the most part, wide receivers are typically more consistent than their running back counterparts. So far this year, that's mostly true as far as the middle-of-the-pack receivers are concerned, with some more notable names struggling as of late.

This week's WR Warning Signals piece is going to be somewhat shorter than others given the nature of the position to this point. It's going to focus on a lot of players we've discussed before with one huge new addition that a lot of people have been asking about. The fact is, the wide receiver position just isn't nearly as bleak as the running backs have been.

Lastly, as mentioned in the running backs article, these next weeks are going to see some firmer stances on players as we get into the meat of the season. It's make-or-break time for a lot of these players, so don't be surprised to see some harsher analysis in the coming weeks.

 

Wide Receivers Sending Out Warning Signals

Calvin Johnson (WR, DET)

I know, I know. I'm cheating again with Calvin Johnson as this is now the FOURTH time we've talked about him. I promise to keep it short and sweet this time.

The Detroit Lions are a bad football team who are struggling in every facet of the game, yet I'm still hopeful that Megatron can turn it around somewhat. I still think you're stuck with owning him for the rest of the way barring an owner in your league who believes in his draft-day value. Having said that, looking ahead at Detroit's upcoming schedule has me optimistic that things are going to improve.

Over the next seven games the Lions face two awful secondaries in the Bears and Chiefs, a mediocre defense in the Oakland Raiders, and have two games against the Packers--both of which they will have to throw to keep up in. That's five favorable contests over the next seven weeks. It's been tough to have any sort of confidence in Calvin but the schedule suggests that better days are ahead as soon as this week.

No matter what happens with Calvin Johnson this Sunday against Chicago, this will be the last you hear me talk about him. He is what he is at this point; a high-end WR2 who still possesses legit WR1 upside given his talent.

Jordan Matthews (WR, PHI)

It would appear as if the Philadelphia Eagles are beginning to turn the corner on the offensive side of the ball with back-to-back weeks of solid production in both the passing game and ground attack. We're at the point with the Eagles where it's clear they are going to spread the ball around significantly, so much so that it's hard to rely on any Philadelphia player on a consistent basis.

As far as Jordan Matthews is concerned, I still believe that any Eagle can go off at any time given the nature of this offense. To me, that locks Matthews in as a low-end WR2 with week-to-week upside. It's a downgrade from his pre-season status, but it's not like he's been so bad that he deserves to be benched. The Eagles clearly struggled to start the year so perhaps things will start improving overall anyway.

In a league in which I own Jordan Matthews, I've received several offers for him, suggesting that there are plenty of owners out there who view him as someone who is poised to improve as the season progresses. You should see if you can sell him for an upgrade, but in general I think he's worth hanging onto provided you have a more reliable option to pair him with.

Antonio Brown (WR, PIT)

I can't believe I'm actually adding Antonio Brown to this list, but given the amount of panic since Michael Vick came into the starting lineup I think there are plenty of owners out there who need some reassurance. With Vick under center, Brown has been a massive disappointment. Even with that in mind, you can't bench him under any circumstances.

I understand that it's been tough watching Vick dump it off to Le'Veon Bell and see Todd Haley trot out the Wildcat offense of all things, but Brown is the type of player who can single-handedly change the complexion of a game. In fact, he recently came out and said he wants Mike Vick to take more shots and trust him to make a play down the field. That instills even more confidence in starting Brown until Ben comes back, so don't let the last two weeks scare you away. I get that it's been dreadful but it's going to get better soon, I promise.

Throw in the fact that Ben Roethlisberger is already practicing and things are definitely looking up for Antonio Brown. Big Ben is expected to miss this week's game against the Arizona Cardinals, but the team isn't ruling out a return next week against a terrible Kansas City secondary. Unless you have some insane depth at wide receiver, keep trotting Antonio out there and hope Vick starts opening up the offense a bit more until Roethlisberger returns.

 

Updates From Last Week

Brandin Cooks (WR, NO)

Brandin Cooks had a solid game last week against the Eagles, finishing with five receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. It was nice to see him finally get involved in the offense, and perhaps this is a sign that things aren't going to be as bad as they appeared the first five weeks. With that said, Willie Snead continues to be the leading receiver for the Saints, so it'll be interesting to see how this offense adjusts going forward. We'll revisit Cooks in another week or two to check up on his performance.

T.Y. Hilton (WR, IND)

Even with Andrew Luck missing another game last week, T.Y. Hilton managed to be productive to the tune of five receptions for 88 yards. With Luck expected to play this week in a Sunday night game against the Patriots, it's looking like the breakout is coming soon. I'm optimistic that this is the last time we have to worry about Hilton, and I expect more consistency out of him in the coming weeks.

Mike Evans (WR, TB)

The Buccaneers were so bad passing the ball last week that I'm actually just going pretend last week didn't even happen. Plus, when you have Doug Martin running all over the Jacksonville defense, why bother passing in the first place? The team is on bye this week so it'll be a while before we have to re-evaluate Mike Evans. Overall, I still think this is a case of waiting for the player to get it together. I'm certain that Evans still finishes the year as a high-end WR2.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jalen Hurts12 mins ago

"Good To Go" For Week 12, Remains A Must-Start QB
Adam Thielen14 mins ago

Tommy Tremble Will Play On Sunday
Jonathon Brooks19 mins ago

Set To Make NFL Debut In Week 12
DeVonta Smith29 mins ago

Not Seen At Friday's Practice
Cam Thomas35 mins ago

Available Against 76ers
Malik Nabers37 mins ago

Not Practicing On Friday
Shohei Ohtani40 mins ago

In Early Stages Of Recovery From Shoulder Surgery
Joel Embiid41 mins ago

Added To Injury Report On Friday
Tabatha Ricci44 mins ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Yan Xiaonan51 mins ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nicolas Claxton52 mins ago

Now Listed As Probable Against 76ers
Dorian Finney-Smith55 mins ago

Upgraded To Probable On Friday
Muslim Salikhov59 mins ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Chris Sale1 hour ago

To Have Normal Offseason
Garrett Crochet1 hour ago

Drawing Plenty Of Interest
Song Kenan1 hour ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Zhang Mingyang1 hour ago

Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Jones2 hours ago

Giants Release Daniel Jones
Ozzy Diaz2 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Macau
San Francisco 49ers4 hours ago

Nick Bosa "Questionable At Best" For Week 12
MacKenzie Weegar4 hours ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini4 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov5 hours ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan5 hours ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski5 hours ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes5 hours ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo5 hours ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Jerry Jeudy8 hours ago

Leads Browns In Receiving In Week 12 Win
Nick Chubb8 hours ago

Scores Two TDs In Thursday Night Win Over Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns12 hours ago

Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry Likely Returning To Browns In 2025
Deshaun Watson13 hours ago

Likely To Remain With Browns, Could Face Competition
Cedric Tillman13 hours ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Cedric Tillman14 hours ago

Suffers Head Injury On Thursday Night
Wendell Carter Jr.15 hours ago

Out Against Lakers
Anthony Davis16 hours ago

Available Versus Magic On Thursday
Rui Hachimura16 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Carlos Ulberg16 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir16 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes17 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA17 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo17 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan17 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Yves Missi17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
CJ McCollum17 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Friday
Alexander Mattison17 hours ago

Zamir White Miss Practice Again
Brandon Ingram18 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Shohei Ohtani18 hours ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge18 hours ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter18 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo18 hours ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley18 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson18 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson18 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins18 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis19 hours ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Chris Paul19 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Brock Purdy19 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Malik Monk19 hours ago

Making Progress
George Kittle19 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Tre Mann19 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Miles Bridges19 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Alex Ovechkin19 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Zach Hyman19 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson19 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov20 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts20 hours ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Mikael Granlund20 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev20 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
TB20 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
Frederik Andersen20 hours ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson20 hours ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta20 hours ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Sam Darnold20 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco21 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
Cody Bellinger23 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
23 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chandler Stephenson1 day ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson1 day ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist1 day ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund1 day ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Returns To Practice
Chris Sale2 days ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal2 days ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
3 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers3 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
3 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
3 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
3 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil4 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes4 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer4 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
RotoBaller NFL Betting Picks Stock

2024 NFL Week 12 Betting Picks (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools and Content can be accessed on the premium dashboard. To see ALL of Jamie's bets (and others from RotoBaller experts) then head over to the RotoBaller Discord. You'll find every bet and prop in the #NFL-BETTING-PROPS channel there!   Background My name is Jamie Calandro (@jac3600 on X) and I have […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 12 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 12! There will be a whopping six teams on bye this week (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets), so that means fantasy managers might need to look deeper on their benches. This Week 12 matchups […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 12-17)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 12 - Top Lineup Plays Include Jayden Daniels, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Puka Nacua

It’s already Week 12, although the end of the 2024-25 campaign can’t come soon enough for teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, and Panthers, to name a few. On the other hand, clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions are only a few weeks away from officially punching their tickets to the postseason.   In […]


Braelon Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best/Worst Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules: Streamers and Starts To Win A Championship (2024)

Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. However, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 should be a key piece of your strategy if you're in line to make the bracket. Fantasy players still have time to trade for […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The King's Week 12 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel shares his Week 12 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league participants. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some of your must-start players have a good chance of supplying […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 12 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Anthony Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Courtland Sutton, and more

How's it going, RotoBallers? Welcome back to our DraftKings Main Slate article. Known around the fantasy football world as "Bye-Mageddon," Week 12 certainly offers up some unique challenges from a DFS perspective. Don't worry, we'll work through those difficulties to find the best plays we can on this slate. These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 12: Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, Will Dissly

Week 12 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Will Dissly. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 12 Lineups Include Tua Tagovailoa, J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey

Week 11 was pretty kind to us in this space. We correctly labeled Justin Herbert as a boom pick. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on the ground. It culminated with a QB8 finish. We also nailed Kirk Cousins and Tony Pollard as busts. Cousins and the Falcons […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Jayden Daniels, D'Andre Swift, Chuba Hubbard, Mark Andrews

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 12 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint for fantasy lineups this week. It's a strange week in the NFL with six teams taking their bye week. That could mean lineups are gridlocked and fantasy managers don't have the luxury of analyzing matchups to decide their starters. Potential […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 12 (Sunday Main Slate)

Hello everybody, and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 12 - Sunday Main Slate! The 2024 NFL season is now past the midpoint, and our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 12 Include Bo Nix, De'Von Achane, Quentin Johnston, Calvin Ridley, more

It seems as though fantasy managers were either incredibly disappointed or incredibly excited in Week 11. The output was modest for most players. However, if you had a monopoly on a select few players such as Cooper Kupp, Taysom Hill, or the Detroit Lions, you likely won your week. With the fantasy playoffs roughly three weeks […]