Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Must Start: The Top 15

1. Torry Holt @ SF - It only happens once a year but with Randy watching from his couch this week, we need a new go-to guy. Who better than Mr. Holt, the favorite target in the most fantasy-friendly offense? His 22 receptions are bested only by teammate Ike Bruce's 25 and he's also scored a touch the past two weeks. This Sunday, he draws a Niners defense that has no earthly chance of slowing down the Greatest Show.

2. Terrell Owens @ CHI - Though you wouldn't know it by the amount of pub he's getting, his reception and yardage totals don't project out to a career year. Then again, at the rate he's scoring touchdowns, he could obliterate Jerry Rice's record for a single season (22). The football gods couldn't be that cruel, could they?

3. Joe Horn @ ARI - He's totaled better than 90 yards in three straight contests to begin the season. He's also scored touchdowns in the last two. In fact, if he switched jerseys with Torry Holt or Ike Bruce at this point, you probably wouldn't know the difference, especially from a fantasy perspective. Continue using him as your #1 or #2 receiver, depending on how loaded you are at the position.

4. Reggie Wayne @ JAX - It seems crazy to put the #2 guy in front of the #1 guy but all the attention being paid to the #1 guy has made life for the #2 guy pretty sweet. Clear as mud? Translation: teams are rolling coverage Marvin's way and attempting to handle Wayne man-to-man. Really bad idea. Until somebody devises a better way to defend this powder keg of an offense, stick with Reggie.

5. Marvin Harrison @ JAX - Of course, all that double coverage hasn't dampened his production a whole lot. He's still on pace for over 115 receptions and 1100 yards. Provided he keeps scoring a touchdown a week, there's no reason to move him down the list much.

6. Derrick Mason @ SD - Like any wideout, he'll go only as far as his QB takes him. McNair is struggling out of the gate and Mason's numbers have been hurt because of it. Regardless, he faces a Chargers secondary this week that is even more generous than Houston's (73.3% completion rate). There's giving up the underneath stuff and then there's giving up EVERYTHING. Stick with him at least for this week.

7. Hines Ward vs. CIN - How anyone could catch a pass in that Miami mess is beyond me, but he actually caught NINE of them (for 96 yards). He is simply the most reliable wide receiver in the NFL. Though I don't like the fact he's got a rook throwing him the ball, I do like his particular rook. Don't alter your expectations too much.

8. Santana Moss @ MIA - Like Mason, he's off to a bit of a slow start. That's partially because the Jets have a lot of weapons and partially because Pennington is a smart QB (read: he checks down to his backs a lot). I don't see Moss flying under the radar much longer. He's simply too talented and too valuable a weapon for his young signal-caller to ignore.

9. Chad Johnson @ PIT - If there were a stat for "prettiest catches nobody sees," he'd lead the league…by far. He makes routine out patterns look positively Swann-esque. Of course, none of that matters when your team goes eight consecutive quarters without a touchdown. There are no patsies on the Bengals' schedule this year so monitor his situation closely.

10. Isaac Bruce @ SF - He's option 1B for the high-flying Rams and option 1B for the Rams is like 1A for most other teams. A league-leading 348 receiving yards through three weeks has him on pace for over 1800 on the season. That would be a career high for a guy who's had a pretty darn good career.

11. Andre Johnson vs. OAK - His 21.8 yards per catch leads the AFC and affirms what we've known all along: he's a deep threat extraordinaire. Another big hook-up this week could mean a trip to the barbershop for his quarterback. I can hear my wife now: "Go Raiders!"

12. Donte' Stallworth @ ARI - He's on his way to (finally) duplicating his rookie numbers, numbers which endeared him to fantasy owners in the first place. Not surprisingly, the injury to Deuce McAllister seems to have been the catalyst. He gets a Cardinals team this week that is playing hard for Dennis Green but is still alarmingly untalented.

13. Jimmy Smith vs. IND - When your team has only scored 35 points in three games, you likely aren't having a banner year...yet. Smith needs some help to start posting his typical numbers and he just may get it this week against an unsightly Colts D (335.3 passing yards/game). Give him another look.

14. Amani Toomer @ GB - Like Smith, he hasn't found the end zone yet this season. Like Smith, he's also due. If you watched ANY of the Pack-Colts game, you know Green Bay is looking pretty iffy in the secondary. Expect Warner and Toomer to take advantage for a score, especially if the Pack continues to blitz on almost every play.

15. Jerry Porter @ HOU - His skills were never really complementary to the arm of Rich Gannon so the switch to Kerry Collins has to have him (not to mention most Raiders fans) excited. If he doesn't become a major weapon with Collins at the helm, it isn't going to happen. I'm betting it will indeed happen and we'll get a sneak preview against an extremely questionable Texans secondary this week.

Grab A Helmet:

Javon Walker vs. NYG - He was so wide open at times last week that it almost appeared the Colts were letting him score so they could get their offense back on the field. Only joking of course but whatever the case, Walker had a huge day (198 yards and three scores), marred only by a game-clinching cough-up late in the fourth quarter. He won't duplicate those numbers against New York but he's a decent start as your #2 guy.

Rod Smith @ TB - He's been remarkably consistent through three games, averaging six catches and 78 yards a game. He added a touchdown last week and still appears to have a lot left after nine seasons. For the record, I was probably a little premature with the obituary for his running mate, Ash Lelie, too. Either one is a decent start on a weekly basis…until further notice.

Brandon Stokley @ JAX - Hell, why not recommend every single Colts skill player this week? He's officially the #3 wideout which, on most teams, would mean very little to you. Indy isn't most teams. He's ranked #11 in fantasy points at the receiver position and that makes him a solid #2 guy or, in larger leagues, a decent #1.

Rod Gardner @ CLE - I've never been a big fan of his (inconsistency and lousy quarterback play are the primary reasons) but he showed us what he's capable of on Monday night against a tough Dallas squad. He's big, fast, and has pretty good hands. He won't give you huge numbers every week but he's worth a play against the league's lightweights.

Grab Some Wood:

Any Ravens receiver vs. KC - Baltimore's leading receiver is a guy named Randy Hymes…and if anybody had the foresight (?) to draft him before the season began, I need to hear from you. This group is responsible for exactly ONE touchdown through three games and is now missing its most talented player, tight end Todd Heap.

Any Cardinals receiver vs. NO - At least Baltimore's wideouts have scored at least one touchdown. Arizona's receivers have accounted for none. That includes tight ends. You shouldn't be staking your hopes on unproven players, even when they're as talented as Larry Fitzgerald. Wait 'til Anquan Boldin returns.

Eric Moulds vs. NE - Don't get me wrong. He's as talented as they come. Unfortunately, his quarterback spends more time on his back than he does heaving rockets in Moulds' direction. He'll probably get you some points every once in a while but his days as a top five wideout are long gone.

David Terrell vs. PHI - His Week 1 explosion is starting to look like an anomaly. Since then, he's caught only TWO passes for a measly 25 yards. Now he'll be relying on Jonathan Quinn to get him the ball. So much for him finally fulfilling his potential, eh?
Best of luck, folks!