Empty the Bench

If precedent holds, it’s going to be a hell of a shootout in Arizona on Sunday afternoon. A Texan and a Cardinal claim the top two spots on this week’s wide receiver rankings and five receivers from the contest make the list. These teams give up big plays (both allow over 280 passing yards/game, only Jacksonville allows more) and both passing games can be electric when firing on all cylinders (each is putting up over 260 yards/game on the season). It should be fun.

Meanwhile, there’s a bit of role reversal in Baltimore where the Ravens have a top-five passing offense for the first time ever and their pass D is now one of the ten worst – but still ahead of the Bengals. We should see some fireworks on both sides here, too. Also, the Bengals are 3-1, which is really weird.

Second-year phenom DeSean Jackson makes his debut in the top five on our rankings this week, and he’s earned it. All those training camp reports of DeSean being the most impressive Eagle on the field have carried over into the regular season and the kid has emerged as one of the few players in our game that can literally score any time he touches the ball regardless of who lines up at QB (or human life). Another one of those specimens is Minnesota rookie Percy Harvin, although we have him just a smidge below teammate Sidney Rice this week simply because Rice is more polished, a bigger, better red-zone target, and is getting more scoring looks right now.

You will also notice that Jerricho Cotchery cracked the top-15 this week while we have his new partner in crime all the way down at 40. The reports as of now are that the Jets are prepping Braylon Edwards to play on Monday night, but as I mentioned this week, it’s going to take him a few weeks to learn the playbook and get comfortable with Sanchez. There’s a reason mid-season trades are rare in the NFL, see No. 31 below. That said, Braylon is a freak and the Dolphins don’t have anybody who can go up with him on a jump ball, so he has an outside shot at a TD here.

Hopefully the bye weeks and waiver wires are treating you kindly and you don’t have to start anybody below 33, it gets a little dodgy after that …

See also:
- Week 5 QB Rankings
- Week 5 RB Ranks
- Week 5 TE Ranks
- Week 5 DEF Ranks

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals vs. HOU
2. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans @ ARZ
3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts @ TEN
4. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles vs. TB
5. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions vs. PIT
6. Randy Moss, New England Patriots @ DEN
7. The Real Steve Smith, New York Giants vs. OAK
8. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons @ SF (Believe)
9. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals @ BAL
10. Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers @ DET
11. Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals vs. HOU
12. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers @ DET
13. Stevonne Smith, Carolina Panthers vs. OAK
14. Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos vs. NE
15. Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets @ MIA (Check Status)
16. Wes Welker, New England Patriots @ DEN

WR rankings 17 through 43, after the jump…

17. Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars @ SEA
18. Santana Moss, Washington Redskins @ CAR
19. Kevin Walter, Houston Texans @ ARZ
20. Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens vs. CIN
21. Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills vs. CLE
22. Bernard Berrian, Minnesota Vikings @ STL
23. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs vs. DAL
24. Nate Burleson, Seattle Seahawks vs. JAC
25. Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts @ TEN
26. Mario Manningham, New York Giants vs. OAK
27. Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans vs. IND
28. Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings @ STL
29. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings @ STL
30. Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans vs. IND
31. Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys @ KC (Check Status)
32. Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Bucs @ PHI
33. Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland Browns @ BUF
34. Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills vs. CLE
35. TJ Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahwaks vs. JAC
36. Josh Morgan, San Francisco 49ers vs. ATL
37. Torry Holt, Jacksonville Jaguars @ SEA
38. Patrick Crayton, Dallas Cowboys @ KC
39. Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams vs. MIN
40. Braylon Edwards, New York Jets @ MIA (Bump up if Cotchery out)
41. Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers @ DET
42. Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals vs. HOU
43. Bryant Johnson, Detroit Lions vs. PIT

See also:
- Week 5 QB Rankings
- Week 5 RB Ranks
- Week 5 TE Ranks
- Week 5 DEF Ranks

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