BJ VanderWoude: Finding value at wide receiver is one of the keys to winning GPP's, especially early in the season before breakout players emerge. Pick two wide receivers who you think to have the potential to exceed a 4x salary multiple in week three, and explain your reasoning.
James Brimacombe: Jamison Crowder is my first choice as I feel he is in a great breakout spot against the Raiders this week. He is also a name that many will look over because of Terrelle Pryor as many will see him as the wide receiver to own this week from Washington. Crowder has 12 targets on the year with 7 receptions for 61 yards. He is a dynamic player and one that Kirk Cousins will have to start feeding to move the chains and with plenty of targets he has potential to break any catch for a long play. Seeing Jermaine Kearse go 4/64/2 against the Raiders gives me high hopes for Crowder this week.
Devante Parker is the second name I would add to the value-breakout WR list this week. Parker saw plenty of targets last week with 9 but only caught 4 of them for 85 yards. The Dolphins play the Jets this week in a game where the Dolphins will be looking to score some points. With the Jets giving up 3 touchdowns to Michael Crabtree last week it is hard to not see Parker finding his way onto the score sheet. Parker continues to build trust with Jay Cutler and the two will surely connect on more than 4-of-9 targets this week.
Chris Feery: Excellent calls thus far by the guys, and I can get on board with all of the selections listed. I’m particularly high on DeVante Parker this week in a cupcake matchup against the Jets. James nailed the analysis, and I’ll echo his point on the trust factor. During the preseason, Cutler was showing a clear inclination towards Parker over Jarvis Landry. By extension, Parker received some extra attention from the Chargers last week, which freed up Landry to do more damage. The situation could very well reverse itself this week, but the Jets don’t have the horses to keep up either way.
We’ll have to wait and see how things shake out on the injury front for the Packers, but the answer to GPP success could lay therein. Geronimo Allison would become a low-priced player that makes a ton of sense if Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are out, while the value of Davante Adams for the week would go through the roof.
I also agree with John that the injury to Greg Olsen opens up some more opportunities for Devin Funchess at a cheap price, and he’s definitely worthy of consideration as a value play for GPP purposes. For an outside the box selection, Donte Moncrief can be had for a song due to the fact that he has done nothing thus far this year. Yes, the Colts passing game is abysmal in the absence of Andrew Luck. However, this may be the game where we see some signs of life against another challenged squad in the form of the Browns.
Justin Howe: After a whole week of Corey Coleman-rooted optimism, the Browns revert to dumpster-fire status in the passing game. Coleman has broken his hand, shelving him for multiple weeks and thrusting the ghost of Kenny Britt into the "WR1" role. But anyone who's followed Britt's 2017 has a strong feeling he's not up to the task. As a result, Cleveland will again look to Rashard Higgins, a semi-hyped fifth-round pick from last season, to form the meat of its passing game. Higgins played 54 snaps in Week 2 - 12 more than Britt - and caught 7 of his 11 targets for 95 yards. He looks set to bring some scrap of stability to DeShone Kizer's passing game, and he'll tangle with a Colts secondary that's as porous as they come. Higgins checks in underpriced across the industry for Week 3 and looks like a value play in cash contests - and considering his salary and apparent volume floor, a touchdown could shove him hard into 4x or 5x value.
I'm also interested in Tyler Lockett, who's coming cheaper than he should. Paul Richardson Jr has been heavily talked-about over the first two weeks, but it seems obvious to me he was merely keeping the seat warm for Lockett, who's been recovering from his nasty 2016 injury. Lockett won their snap and target battles handily in Week 2; he's apparently back to form and ready to bring some kind of spark to this stagnant offense. We all know about his dynamic ability after his explosive rookie season, but his 9 Week 2 targets were a refreshing surprise; with Jermaine Kearse gone, Lockett may also be able to establish the volume of a solid fantasy WR2. It's early in his return, but he looks like a fair projection for 4-6 weekly catches and weekly touchdown upside if/when the Seattle offense begins to unkink. That's a solid PPR outlook, and from outside the top 40 wideout salaries.
Justin Bonnema: This is where we have to keep an eye on injury reports as Sunday approaches, particularly for Green Bay. If Cobb or Nelson are ruled out, I love Geronimo Allison as a minimum-priced option on DraftKings.
I also really like Howe’s call on Tyler Lockett. After only one reception for eight yards in Week 1, he turned a promising game last week, catching six of nine targets for 64 yards, and is now tied for second in team targets. I’ll be especially infatuated with him if Jimmy Graham is ruled out.
A third option that I’m going to throw out as a wildcard/contrarian play: Brandon LaFell. Granted, no one wants to spend their Sunday watching a receiver score zero fantasy points, but he’s been consistently targeted while opposing defense shift their attention to A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. LaFell’s four targets in the red zone tie him with six other receivers for second most. He’s being used. We just need Andy Dalton to get his game back on track.
John Mamula: With Greg Olsen on the sidelines, Panthers receivers get a bump moving forward with target distribution. Many will flock to Kelvin Benjamin but Devin Funchess is more affordable and provides you with an opportunity of 4x value. Funchess saw his snap count increase from 45 snaps in Week 1 to 57 snaps in Week 2. He only has one 100 yard game over his three years in the NFL but this will be the first game that he will be starting without Olsen competing for targets.
I love James analysis on Devante Parker. The Dolphins are going to score multiple touchdowns this week versus the Jets the key is to pinpoint where the production will come from. Another Dolphins wide receiver that is on my radar is Kenny Stills, who has scored in five consecutive games for the Dolphins. He played 60 snaps last week and should be a better fit with the deep passing game now that Jay Cutler is the quarterback.
