Wide Receivers

Must Start:

Isaac Bruce @ CIN: You can be forgiven for not noticing that Bruce has very quietly scored three touchdowns over the last four games. Not too shabby for a guy who should be cashing Social Security checks, wearing checkered golf pants, and driving 15 MPH under the speed limit in the left-hand lane of Florida freeways. Cincinnati continues to amaze all of us with their ability to play at a level significantly below their potential. This includes their defense.

Calvin Johnson v. DAL: The Cowboys love to play in shoot outs and Detroit is one of the few teams in the league capable of keeping up with Tony Romo and the rest of the Dallas offense. They probably won’t, but they certainly have the receivers to score a bunch of points. With Roy Williams down, Johnson becomes Jon Kitna’s most dynamic receiver. It is time for the rookie to step up to another level.

Roddy White v. NO: OK, count me as a Roddy White fan. I have been skeptical all season that any receiver could overcome the twin burdens of the abysmal Falcons quarterbacking and the Coach Petrino-induced team-wide meltdown. White has managed to put up back-to-back 100 yard, one touchdown efforts and should have no problem abusing the Saints’ cornerbacks all day.

Chris Henry v. STL: St. Louis long ago gave up even pretending to cover opposing receivers. Against the Rams’ nickel back, Henry will be wide open all day. Of course, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh probably will too, leaving Carson Palmer a choice of receivers. That is, until the Rams pass rush gets to him. Oh, wait. St. Louis lost any semblance of a pass rush at the same time its secondary disappeared.

Going Out On a Limb:

Bryant Johnson @ SEA: If anyone in your league was paying attention, Johnson is already gone. Somebody has to catch all those passes in Arizona. If the Cardinals expect to match the Seahawks score for score, they will have to run and pass the ball effectively. Although Johnson has never done much with his opportunities, he will never get a better one.

Grab Some Pine:

Plaxico Burress @ PHI: After starting off the season red hot, Burress has only managed to grab one touchdown catch over his last six games. Maybe all those injuries limited his ability to jump ten feet into the air and dive across the field to catch his quarterback’s errant throws. After four years, it is pretty obvious that if the receivers in New York can’t catch off-target throws, they won’t make a lot of catches so long as Eli Manning is around.

Javon Walker v. KC: Everyone is waiting for Walker to get his legs back under him, but it hasn’t happened yet and going into the fantasy playoffs is not the time to start praying this is the week. Since his injury, Walker has one catch for seven yards. Until he does something in a game, anything, he can’t be started.

Ronald Curry @ GB: Curry has continued to display flashes of greatness throughout this season, but is hobbled by the Oakland quarterbacks. And don’t forget the impending doom of Curry’s fantasy value, otherwise known as JaMarcus Russell’s first start, could come at any moment and probably with little warning. Curry would be an excellent receiver on just about any other team. Stuck in Raider Nation, he is an inconsistent long shot, at best.

Steve Smith @ JAX: It has been a long time since Smith scored, Week Six to be exact. I am sure all his owners appreciate the reminder. Even with Vinny Testaverde behind center, Smith can’t be trusted in the struggling Carolina offense. It is sad to see an elite receiver fall so far, but Smith is now starter material only when he has a good match up.

Chris Chambers @ TEN: Chambers has become a staple on my “bench” list for two reasons. First, he is clearly the third option behind LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates. Second, the San Diego offense, largely due to Philip Rivers’ poor quarterback play, simply cannot score enough points to keep everyone happy. Even when Rivers finally does look to his wide outs, Vincent Jackson is more familiar to the young QB.