Wide Receivers

Must Start:

Lee Evans @ CLE: Evans gets my vote for most infuriating fantasy player this season. Drafted as a high-end #2 receiver, he has been junk most weeks, being held scoreless and to 51 yards or less in seven of his 13 games. With remaining match ups against the Browns, Giants, and Eagles, he has a decent chance of getting to 1,000 yards this season and maybe even flirting with eight or nine touchdowns. This doesn’t mean his owners want him back next year, but someone will just look at his season totals and draft him way too high again next year.

Joey Galloway v. ATL: He put up respectable numbers a few weeks back when the Buccaneers traveled to Atlanta and, with the Falcons circling the drain, the 58-year old veteran will continue his surprising success. No matter who the quarterback is in Tampa, they know which of their receivers they can trust when it is time to heave the ball downfield.

Anthony Gonzalez @ OAK: On paper this is a tough match up. The Raiders have allowed a league-low ten passing touchdowns and their secondary consistently plays well. Gonzalez has 261 yards and two scores since taking over the starting job across from Reggie Wayne three weeks ago. I have more faith in Peyton Manning’s ability to get the ball to the rookie than I do in Oakland’s skills at stopping opposing QBs.

Greg Jennings @ STL: Jennings has been the biggest beneficiary of Brett Favre’s resurgence. In the 11 games the second-year receiver has suited up for this year, he has scored in nine of them. He also gets to visit St. Louis and play in a nice warm dome this week, facing a poor Rams secondary.

Going Out On a Limb:

Vincent Jackson v. DET: Resurrecting one of my favorite whipping boys, Jackson has done nothing all season, even before Chris Chambers joined the team. The Lions are only one step above the bottom in passing scores allowed, so someone on the Chargers is going to score, probably multiple times. Since Antonio Gates and Chambers are already on someone’s roster, Jackson makes a decent flex start as he is just as likely to grab that wobbly duck from Rivers as anyone else on the field, including the defense, officials, and fans sitting in the front row.

Grab Some Pine:

Steve Smith v. SEA: Do you know which team is tied with the Raiders for fewest passing TDs allowed? If you said the Seahawks, you need to get a life, but you are correct. Smith has single-handedly destroyed many fantasy seasons. Of course, honorable mention goes to his cast of inept quarterbacks. He hasn’t gotten into the end zone or topped 100 yards since Week Six and isn’t going to this week either.

Javon Walker @ HOU: I like his supporting cast, I am warming to his quarterback, and I love the match up. There is one problem…He has barely played since Week Two. I am looking at a ranking list right now listing Walker as the 20th best receiver to play this week. On which freaking planet? I often wonder how people become “experts” as the bar is obviously set way too low.

Santana Moss @ NYG: One touchdown reception on the season should tell everyone what to expect here. Even if he had a decent quarterback (which he has lacked all season), Moss would be a risky play this week. The Giants got a bum rap early in the season, but have been playing some good defense since then.

Donte’ Stallworth v. NYJ: Yeah, the Jets suck, but Stallworth looks to have fallen to fourth among the New England receivers, getting benched in favor of Jabar Gaffney. Stallworth’s one catch for nine yards last week says it all. He had a nice run at the beginning of the season where he scored in three straight games. He hasn’t crossed the stripe since.

Bernard Berrian @ MIN: The Kyle Orton era has returned to the windy city. Similar to when Rex Grossman was replaced by Brian Griese, this move bodes poorly for Berrian’s big play potential. If Griese had a week arm, Berrian has a Chad Pennington-like arm. Yeah, it is that bad. The Minnesota Vikings are giving up a lot of aerial yardage but only 17 passing scores on the season, which is pretty middle of the road, so the match up isn’t as sweet as you might think either.