Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Last week was an interesting one for fantasy football fans. We saw some firsts, like Michael Crabtree’s touchdown catch; some births, such as Robert Meachem seemingly becoming the favorite red-zone option for Drew Brees; and some rebirths, in the form of Terrell Owens finally having a huge game. And as the fantasy football playoffs loom right around the corner, we’re here to help you round it and cross the finish line with this Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 12 Wide Receiver Rankings.

1. Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) @ Tennessee

Fitzgerald caught another touchdown pass last week in the Cardinals’ win over the St. Louis Rams –  it was the third game in succession that he found his way into the end zone. His match-up this week against the woeful outfit the Tennessee Titans put out there to defend the pass is one to savor. However, if Kurt Warner (head injury) can’t give it a go on Sunday and the Cardinals’ are forced to use Matt Leinart you might not see as much yardage out of Fitzgerald.
Point Projection: 20 points

2. Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) @ Houston

Wayne had seven catches for 89 yards last week in a solid effort against the Baltimore Ravens. The only thing missing was the touchdown reception that fantasy football owners are so used to seeing him make, considering he had eight in nine games previous to this contest. He’s actually gone without a touchdown in two of his last three games, but expect that to change this week.
Point Projection: 19 points

3. Vincent Jackson (San Diego Chargers) vs. Kansas City

Jackson has been so excited for the new Twilight movie to come out that he couldn’t keep football in the forefront of his mind for the last two weeks. Okay, that was completely made up, but there has to be some reason he’s been so mediocre over his past two games (combined five catches for 66 yards and no touchdowns). The Kansas City Chiefs are often a good remedy for what ails wide receivers, however, and a return to prominence for Jackson seems like a good bet this week, especially when you take into consideration that the last time he faced Kansas City., he went for 142 yards and one score.
Point Projection: 19 points

4. Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) vs. Indianapolis

It’s hard to believe prior to Monday night’s game against the Tennessee Titans, Johnson hadn’t scored a touchdown in four games. But he remedied that drought with a score on one of his four catches and 78 receiving yards against Tennessee. Though Indianapolis has been tough against the pass most of the season, the last time Johnson faced them, just a short while ago in Week 9, he had 10 receptions for 103 yards.
Point Projection: 18 points

5. Randy Moss (New England Patriots) @ New Orleans

Though the New Orleans Saints have only allowed nine touchdowns through the air this season, eight of those have come into the hands of a wide receiver, which places them in a tie for 10th-most allowed to a wide out in the league. It’s not a super-high number, of course, but when talking about Moss, who has scored seven times over his last four games, it’s an indicator that he should find his way into the end zone yet again.
Point Projection: 17 points

6. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions) vs. Green Bay  **CHECK INJURY STATUS**

With a season-high 166 receiving yards and his first touchdown grab since Week 2, this is exactly the type of game fantasy football owners needed to see from Johnson. It reaffirms the faith that many placed on him, because defenses like the ones the Cleveland Browns throw out there are the ones that Johnson should murder. This week, against the Packers, who just lost Al Harris for the season, and who have allowed more touchdown throws than but three other NFL squads, expect Megatron to do big things.
Point Projection: 17 points

7. Greg Jennings (Green Bay Packers) @ Detroit

Using Jennings on your fantasy team the last six weeks or so was akin to getting a toothbrush on Halloween. You may have needed a toothbrush, and in some way it was useful, but it just wasn’t what you were expecting or hoping for. Last week, Jennings went from toothbrush to full-size Snickers bar with a season-high 126 receiving yards and one touchdown on five catches. This week, he could turn into a King-sized Snickers bar considering his opponent. The Detroit Lions have allowed the third-most receiving yards and fifth-most touchdown catches to wide receivers this season.
Point Projection: 17 points

8. Sidney Rice (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Chicago

Two weeks ago came the yards, last week came the touchdowns. After a 200-yard receiving game but no scores against the Detroit Lions, Rice caught two touchdown passes last week against the Seattle Seahawks, and he has quickly vaulted to must-start status. The Chicago Bears has allowed the sixth-most touchdowns to wide receivers this season.
Point Projection: 16 points

9. Roddy White (Atlanta Falcons) vs. Tampa Bay

White has had two disappointing performances in his last three contests, including last week’s four-catch, 45-yard display against the New York Giants. He hasn’t scored in three games, but he has an excellent chance to reverse that trend this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are tied with the Seattle Seahawks for the second-most touchdowns given up to wide receivers.
Point Projection: 16 points

10. Anquan Boldin (Arizona Cardinals) @ Tennessee

Last week’s eight-catch, 103-yard effort against the St. Louis Rams marked the second straight game that Boldin had eight catches for over 100 yards. He also caught his first touchdown pass since Week 3, and now that he’s totally healthy, Boldin belongs in the class of elite fantasy football wideouts. Like Fitzgerald, this ranking is based on quarterback Kurt Warner playing.
Point Projection: 15 points

11. Wes Welker (New England Patriots) @ New Orleans

If Welker actually scored touchdowns, he’d be the best fantasy football receiver on the planet considering all the yards and receptions he piles up. He had a monster game last week, with 15 catches for 192 yards, and still has played just one game this season in which he has had fewer than eight catches and 80 yards. Yet he hasn’t scored in three games, and for a guy who averages nearly 10 receptions per game, he’s scored only four times.
Point Projection: 15 points

12. Mike Sims-Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars) @ San Francisco

Sims-Walker scored for the third consecutive game last week as his squad upended the Buffalo Bills. He caught a total of eight passes for 91 yards, which marked the fifth time in nine games he’s accumulated at least 90 receiving yards. He’s got a solid match-up this week against a San Francisco 49ers team that is 30th in pass defense.
Point Projection: 14 points

13. Chad Ochocinco (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Cleveland

Last week, the Cleveland Browns allowed five touchdown passes to the Detroit Lions, so Ochocinco and Co. have to be licking their chops. He had just three catches for 24 yards the last time Cleveland and Cincinnati hooked up, but two of those receptions went for touchdowns, easing any pain that may have otherwise occurred.
Point Projection: 13 points

14. Hines Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Baltimore

Ward had a predictably good game against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, with one touchdown reception as part of his 10-catch, 128-yard contest. It may not be quite so easy this week against the Baltimore Ravens, who are a much better defensive unit than Kansas City, and whose six touchdowns allowed to wideouts is tied for seventh-best in the NFL.
Point Projection: 13 points

15. Donald Driver (Green Bay Packers) @ Detroit

Driver has fallen off a bit over the past couple weeks, with games of 50 and then 40 receiving yards, respectively. But his opponent this week is none other than the Detroit Lions, and that is always music to the ears of fantasy football owners. In his last game against them, Driver had seven catches for 107 yards.
Point Projection: 12 points

16. Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos) vs. NY Giants

Marshall had a very rough game last week, both on the field and on the sidelines. He caught just three passes for 26 yards, and also got shoved by running back Knowshon Moreno on the sidelines as he was barking at the rookie. And though this match-up doesn’t look favorable from the outset, the New York Giants have been prone to allowing wideouts to score, and that’s where Marshall’s value lies this week.
Point Projection: 12 points

17. Marques Colston (New Orleans Saints) vs. New England

It’s about time Colston came back from the dead. He did so last week with five receptions for 74 yards as the Saints blew away the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, it would be nice if he made a foray into the end zone; he hasn’t done so in three weeks, as Robert Meachem has taken away those opportunities. Still, Colston isn’t going to be shut out the rest of the season.
Point Projection: 11 points

18. Steve Smith (New York Giants) @ Denver

Though the Denver Broncos have good overall numbers defensively against the pass, they’re not playing like they once were, and as such aren’t as bad a match-up as they may seem. Smith is also still playing well, and last week had four receptions for 79 yards, his highest yard total since Week 4.
Point Projection: 11 points

19. Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers) @ New York Jets

Smith had a very good game last week, with seven catches, 87 yards and one touchdown. It was his fourth touchdown catch in his last four games, and though that streak is excellent, his match-up this week is anything but. The New York Jets are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for having allowed the third-fewest touchdowns to wideouts, and New York has given up the fourth-fewest receiving yards to receivers.
Point Projection: 10 points

20. Nate Burleson (Seattle Seahawks) @ St. Louis

After getting blanked two weeks ago, Burleson rebounded last week with six receptions for 100 yards. This week, he has a very good match-up against the St. Louis Rams, who are just 24th in the league in pass defense. In Week 1, Burleson burned them for seven receptions, 74 yards and one score.
Point Projection: 10 points

21. Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) vs. Jacksonville

Crabtree scored the first touchdown of his NFL career last week against the Green Bay Packers, one of four catches he had for a total of 77 yards. He could very easily score again this week. His opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, have allowed more receiving yards to opposing wide receivers than any team except the Tennessee Titans, and have allowed the third-most touchdowns to wide receivers.
Point Projection: 10 points

22. Devin Hester (Chicago Bears) @ Minnesota

Hester had been productive throughout the season, but hit a snag last week. He hauled in just four passes for 18 yards, leading to a very poor average of 4.5 yards per reception. Hester still gets the most looks from Jay Cutler, however, and can still be trusted for fantasy football lineups.
Point Projection: 10 points

23. Jerricho Cotchery (New York Jets) vs. Carolina

Cotchery is, and will continue to be, the most trusted receiver for Mark Sanchez, the struggling rookie signal-caller of the Jets. Cotchery had three catches for 84 yards and one touchdown last week, and he hasn’t had one game this season outside of the contest he got injured in, that he hasn’t had at least seven fantasy points, and usually more.
Point Projection: 10 points

24. DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Washington

The Washington Redskins and New York Giants are tied for the fewest receptions given up to wide receivers this season, and Washington has also allowed the third-fewest receiving yards. Jackson had eight catches for over 100 yards and a touchdown last week, and he previously scored a touchdown in his last game against the Redskins, but he’s something of a boom-or-bust selection this week.
Point Projection: 10 points

25. Terrell Owens (Buffalo Bills) vs. Miami

He’s back! We think! Owens easily had season highs with nine receptions and 197 receiving yards to go with his first touchdown catch since Week 2 last week. With Ryan Fitzpatrick now throwing the ball and making it a priority to go to Owens, there’s fantasy life in those legs yet, especially with a nice match-up this week.
Point Projection: 9 points