Updated Dynasty Wide Receiver Rankings – April 2014

Click here for updated dynasty wide receiver rankings.

One change in the top five as Julio Jones enters the top five. Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, and Josh Gordon precede Jones.
Big risers this month include new Bronco Emmanuel Sanders to 45th from 55th thanks to having Peyton Manning as his quarterback; Eagles receiver Riley Cooper moves to 52nd from 60th thanks to the trade of DeSean Jackson; and finally Packers receiver Jarrett Boykin to 58th from 68th thanks to James Jones’ departure.
The big drops this month include Saints receiver Marques Colston from 42nd to 50th thanks to the Saints more balanced offensive approach; the Vikings’ Greg Jennings drops from 43rd to 51st; finally Steve Smith drops from 58th to 70th thanks to his probably reduced role in Baltimore.

Dynasty Recap – Divisional Playoffs – Seahawks beat Saints, 23-15

Saints quarterback Drew Brees wasn’t quite as efficient as he usually is during the regular season. Brees went 24 of 43 for 309 yards and one touchdown. The low completion percentage further enhances the perception that Brees isn’t a fantasy stud outside a domed environment. Luckily, he has at least nine games a year in a dome between his eight home games and a road game at Atlanta. He’s still a top three dynasty quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch ran wild, going off for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Lynch is signed for at least two more years in Seattle and should be a RB1 in that timeframe.
Saints receiver Marques Colston had a big day with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Colston will never be a sexy pick, and certainly shouldn’t be relied on as your WR1 or even WR2. But as the second option in the pass-heavy Saints offense, you could do much worse as your WR3.
The Seahawks safety duo of Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas had a combined 25 tackles and four passes defended. Both are DB1’s heading in to 2014 dynasty seasons.

Be sure to check out the latest dynasty wide receiver rankings here.

No changes at the top as the top seven stay the same: Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall, and Randall Cobb all stay the same.
The big risers include Josh Gordon (8), Antonio Brown (14), and Alshon Jeffery (22). All had the skill it was just a matter of putting it together. There should be no doubt heading in to 2014.
The only real drop was Marques Colston (47) which primarily is age. Any receiver in New Orleans is bound to be limited by the in-house competition.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was surgical, going 30 of 42 for 313 yards and four touchdowns. Like Peyton Manning, age is an issue with Brees but could be worth a championship or two in your dynasty leagues.
Saints receiver Marques Colston had his best game of the year with nine catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Colston will be 31 next year and is headed to the back-loaded portion of his contract. His value takes a big hit if he doesn’t play in New Orleans. Futhermore, there’s really no consistent receiving option in New Orleans besides Jimmy Graham.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen led the team in targets and receptions with 12 targets, hauling in eight for 40 yards. He seems to be Cam Newton’s primary target. If Carolina should upgrade their receiving position, look for Olsen’s value to take a hit.

The Saints ran all over the Cowboys with continual fantasy disappointment Mark Ingram thrashing them for 145 yards on just 14 carries. Pierre Thomas added 87 yards on 17 carries. Don’t get too excited, however, as the Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in the league. Sell high on either one if you can.
The passing game also did damage but that was no surprise. Quarterback Drew Brees distributed the ball fairly evenly with Marques Colston leading the way in targets, catches and yards. It’s still a week-to-week guess who Brees’ favorite is with the exception of tight end Jimmy Graham. There just isn’t a receiver in New Orleans reliable enough to count on.
Cowboys safety Barry Church had 14 more tackles to give him 80 on the year putting him on pace for 128. Of course, with the Cowboys pass defense so abysmal, it’s not hard to envision any safety on the Dallas defense having a lot of tackles. It will remain to be seen if Church will still be around after the inevitable shake-up coming n the off-season.
Cowboys linebacker Bruce Carter had a good day with 12 tackles, giving him 60 for the year. He’s now on pace for 100 tackles but, like Church, it remains to be seen if he’ll be around in Dallas in 2014.