Sidney Rice, come on down! You're the next contestant on ... Who Wants to Be a WR1!Rice, you've joined a list of relatively unheralded wideouts that have emerged as fantasy superstars in 2009, along with the likes of Steve Smith (not the one you drafted in the first five rounds in August), Mike Sims-Walker, and most recently, Miles Austin.
What brought you to this point? How about a 201-yard performance on just seven catches; does that do anything for you?
Moving forward, Rice is a clear-cut WR2 that will flirt with bouts of WR1-dom. If he can throw WR1 numbers up on a consistent basis, my Ronnie Brown-less season might be saved.
On to the rankings ...
1. Andre Johnson, HOU vs. TEN
2. Marques Colston, NO at TB
3. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI at STL
4. Reggie Wayne, IND at BAL
5. Randy Moss, NE vs. NYJ
6. Vincent Jackson, SD at DEN
7. Sidney Rice, MIN vs. SEA
8. Wes Welker, NE vs. NYJ
9. DeSean Jackson, PHI at CHI
10. Hines Ward, PIT at KC
11. Roddy White, ATL at NYG
12. Steve Smith, NYG vs. ATL
13. Donald Driver, GB vs. SF
14. Percy Harvin, MIN vs. SEA
15. Miles Austin, DAL vs. WAS
16. Chad Ochocinco, CIN at OAK
17. Calvin Johnson, DET vs. CLE
18. Greg Jennings, GB vs. SF
19. Brandon Marshall, DEN vs. SD
20. Derrick Mason, BAL cs. IND
21. Mike Sims-Walker, JAC vs. BUF
22. Santonio Holmes, PIT at KC
23. Devin Hester, CHI vs. PHI
24. Lee Evans, BUF at JAC
25. Anquan Boldin, ARI at STL
26. Nate Burleson, SEA at MIN
27. Steve Smith, CAR vs. MIA
28. Mike Wallace, PIT at KC
29. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, SEA at MIN
30. Hakeem Nicks, NYG vs. ATL
31. Kevin Walter, HOU vs. TEN
32. Devery Henderson, NO at T
33. Bernard Berrian, MIN vs. SEA
34. Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ at NE
35. Santana Moss, WAS at DAL
36. Terrell Owens, BUF at JAC
37. Mario Manningham, NYG vs. ATL
38. Robert Meachem, NO at TB
39. Steve Breaston, ARI at STL
40. Antonio Bryant, TB vs. NO
41. Jeremy Maclin, PHI at CHI
42. Chris Chambers, KC vs. PIT
43. Donnie Avery, STL vs. ARI
44. Austin Collie, IND at BAL
45. Michael Crabtree, SF at GB
46. James Jones, GB vs. SF
47. Braylon Edwards, NYJ at NE
48. Brandon Gibson, STL vs. ARI
49. Bryant Johnson, DET vs. CLE
50. Nate Washington, TEN at HOU
51. Laveranues Coles, CIN at OAK
52. Roy Williams, DAL vs. WAS
53. Mark Clayton, BAL vs. IND
54. Johnny Knox, CHI vs. PHI
55. Andre Caldwell, CIN at OAK
56. Earl Bennett, CHI vs. PHI
57. Lance Long, KC vs. PIT
58. Malcom Floyd, SD at DEN
59. Pierre Garcon, IND at BAL
60. Sammie Stroughter, TB vs. NO
61. Mohamed Massaquoi, CLE at DET
62. Patrick Crayton, DAL vs. WAS
63. Josh Morgan, SF at GB
64. Jordy Nelson, GB vs. SF
65. Jacoby Jones, HOU vs. TEN
66. Mark Bradley, KC vs. PIT
67. Eddie Royal, DEN vs. SD
68. Muhsin Muhammad, CAR vs. MIA
69. Jason Avant, PHI at CHI
70. Torry Holt, JAC vs. BUF
71. Davone Bess, MIA at CAR
72. Danny Amendola, STL vs. ARI
73. Maurice Stovall, TB vs. NO
74. David Clowney, NYJ at NE
75. Mike Furrey, CLE at DET
76. Greg Camarillo, MIA at CAR
77. Deion Branch, SEA at MIN
78. Ted Ginn, MIA at CAR
79. Kelley Washington, BAL vs. IND
80. Jason Hill, SF at GB
• Marques Colston has had three catches in the last two weeks combined. So what's he doing at No. 2 on the list? Good question. You would have thought he would burn the Rams last week, but Ronald Bartell did a great job in coverage all day. This week, he takes on Tampa Bay, a team that surrendered 72 yards to Davone Bess in Week 10. I think Colston will be fine.
• Calvin Johnson should start the climb back to WR1 status this week against Cleveland. I'm not foolishly optimistic enough to put him in the top ten just yet, but I do believe this will be the game you Megatron owners have been waiting for.
• An already easy matchup for Lee Evans and Terrell Owens got even easier with Rashean Mathis scheduled to miss the game. With safety Gerald Alexander also out, the Bills will have a field day, provided Ryan Fitzpatrick can get the receivers the ball. With no Jag pass rush to speak of, he should have all the time he needs to connect. Evans has actually played better with Fitzpatrick this season, so consider him a very safe WR3 this week.
• From 4th and 26 to the top 50, Brandon Gibson had a nice little breakout game last week, thanks to an injury to Keenan Burton. With Burton out for the remainder of the season, Gibson will get the chance to prove himself worthy of a big role in 2010 and beyond, which I certainly think he's capable of doing. With Donnie Avery already in tow and Laurent Robinson coming back in 2010, this is suddenly a moderately talented group of Rams receivers.
• As the boys elucidated in the Cram Session this week, I, the last remaining Eddie Royal believer, have given up on him. He winds up at No. 67 this week in the rankings, as the potential for a big day is always there. Unfortunately, it looks like it may only happen one or two times this season, and repeatedly throwing him out there hoping that this will be the week is foolish. So long, Eddie, and thanks for all the fish.
