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2015 fantasy football profiles and projections (WR 49-64)

[WR RANKINGS 65-80internal-link-placeholder-0]

Auction...............$4

Bye Week.............11

Bryant became a waiver-wire hero midway through the 2014 season thanks to a run of six touchdowns in four games. He only scored two more times the rest of the season, which could lead people to be concerned about his consistency. The scores are great, but touchdowns are fickle beasts. Regardless, Bryant's performance should be enough to land him in a training camp competition with Markus Wheaton to be the complement to Antonio Brown at the wide receiver position. The winner of that training camp battle is going to be the more valuable of the two Steelers wideouts.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............8

It could be that the time has come to downgrade how we view Percy Harvin. If it's not the perennial injuries keeping him out of action, it's the general underperformance that eventually got him moved from Seattle to New York and now to Buffalo. Maybe one day, some offensive coordinator will find the perfect way to deploy one of the league's best dual-threat receivers. But until that day comes, it's hard to consider drafting Harvin as anything more than a third option.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............11

Cruz's season ended prematurely with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. How that will affect his eventual return to the field is anyone's guess. While Cruz remains predictably optimistic about his chances, general manager Jerry Reese sounded less so when speaking about the receiver at the Combine. Even when Cruz does come back, there's the little matter of sharing targets with Odell Beckham, Jr. It's not as if the Giants are loaded with playmaking wideouts, so there should be enough passes to go around. But it will be worth watching whether Cruz has lost his perch atop the receiving depth chart.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............9

Baldwin had his best pro season in 2014 and was the Seahawks leading pass-catcher. That was the good news. The bad news is that he played for a team that attempted the fewest passes of any in the National Football League. The worse news is that now Baldwin is likely to lose targets to Jimmy Graham, who joined the 'Hawks through an offseason trade. The Stanford product remains Seattle's best wide receiver option, but being pushed down the offensive pecking order on a team that doesn't throw the ball much won't help his fantasy prospects.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............6

With Williams playing alongside Dez Bryant there was hope that Williams had sleeper potential. After a quick start to 2014, Williams faded for much of the year as other targets emerged in the Cowboys passing attack. His speed makes him a big play threat almost every time he gets his hands on the football, as evidenced by his eight touchdowns last season. The hope is that Dallas can get the ball to him more often in 2015, making him something more than a fourth option in most fantasy formats.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............9

Strong's slide in the NFL Draft was a bit of a surprise, but his landing spot in Houston could be a blessing in disguise. With DeAndre Hopkins on the other side to draw extra coverage, Strong could find himself with plenty of single coverage. That's good news for a player with good route-running skills and excellent hands. If the Texans can sort out their quarterback situation, Strong could have deep sleeper appeal in 2015.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............10

In a season where Keenan Allen struggled to gain traction, it was Floyd who led the Chargers in receiving yards. The veteran achieved that feat mostly through his big-play ability. Floyd posted 16.5 yards per reception, which was slightly under his career average but pretty good nonetheless. Combine that big-play potential with an aging Antonio Gates and a hopefully-rebounding Allen and Floyd could be a nice waiver option for plenty of fantasy managers.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............10

Moncrief burst onto the scene in the second half of the season and became something of a waiver wire hero. The big concern is that the overwhelming majority of his production came in just two games. For fantasy enthusiasts seeking WR help, a little more consistency would be nice. That consistency could be hard for Moncrief to find in 2015 with T.Y. Hilton holding down the No. 1 spot and new additions Andre Johnson and rookie Phillip Dorsett joining the squad. Moncrief could once again be a waiver wire option in many leagues.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............4

When you play in an offense that already features Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, it's going to be hard to stand out. That's what makes Davante Adams' rookie season so commendable. The Fresno State product began to find a niche in the offense as the season went along, and established himself as a reliable option as the Packers third receiver. Having Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback is also pretty helpful. In Year 2, look for Adams to develop further and have a larger impact in the offense. He's not likely to overtake either Nelson or Cobb, but there should still be targets to go around.

Auction...............$2

Bye Week.............5

It's always been difficult to project Saints receivers, and Stills was no exception considering his primary function in New Orleans' offense was as a home-run hitter. Now, he moves to Miami as part of a interesting young receiving corps. Stills ostensibly will be the deep threat that was previously named Mike Wallace -- though with Ryan Tannehill's struggles throwing the long ball, it's not encouraging for Stills' prospects. With Jarvis Landry, Jordan Cameron and rookie DeVante Parker expected to occupy significant roles in the passing game, there might not be many opportunities for Stills, even though he has improved his game beyond simply running go-routes.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............5

Heading into the draft, there were questions as to whether Funchess would be more of a receiver or a tight end. As far as the Panthers are concerned, they will line the former Michigan man up as a wideout and pair him with fellow tall person Kelvin Benjamin to work as twin towers for Cam Newton. However, signs point to Funchess having a large learning curve at the next level, so it's hard to project him having a Benjamin-like entry into the league. Take a late-round flier on him if you're so inclined, but be prepared to wait awhile before seeing any dividends.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............11

There were high expectations for Wheaton entering his second season in the NFL. The Steelers had hoped that the Oregon State product could step up and be a solid complement to Antonio Brown in the passing game. Unfortunately, that never seemed to happen as the speedy receiver topped 66 receiving yards just once during the season. Meanwhile, Martavis Bryant came from seemingly nowhere to become a viable second option for Ben Roethlisberger. This season, Wheaton is likely to find himself in a battle for the No. 2 wideout position in Pittsburgh. The outcome of that competition will have a lot to do with the speedster's fantasy value in 2015.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............5

It's hard to imagine there was a bigger fantasy football disappointment in 2014 than Cordarrelle Patterson. The speedy receiver scored on a long touchdown run in Week 1, spurring excitement from nearly all corners. Little did we know that Patterson would only score once more all season long. In fact more than 30 percent of his 2014 fantasy production came in that first contest. Suffice to say, plenty of fantasy enthusiasts are going to avoid Patterson at all costs this season. But if you are among those bold enough to give him another chance, may we suggest that you wait until the very late rounds of your draft to do so.

Auction...............$4

Bye Week.............9

Brown left his mark early in the season with a big outing against the 49ers. While the rookie was inconsistent for fantasy purposes, it quickly became apparent that Brown was earning more opportunities in the Arizona passing game. With Larry Fitzgerald on the downside of his career and Michael Floyd still trying to become a No. 1 receiver, there is room for Brown to grow in the Cardinals offense. Taking him as more than a low-end WR3 is probably speculative, but it could be a late-round risk that pays off if he can progress in his second season.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............7

Jones missed the entirety of the 2014 season with an ankle injury that eventually required surgery. However, it's worth remembering his breakout season in 2013 that saw the Cal product snare 10 receiving touchdowns while working as a quality complement to A.J. Green in the Bengals passing game. Expect a training camp battle to emerge this summer between Jones and Mohamed Sanu with the winner becoming Cincinnati's No. 2 wide receiver. If Jones is able to win that battle, his draft value will earn a significant boost.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............9

The good news for Kearse is that he was his team's second leading receiver in 2014. The bad news is that his team is the Seahawks. Seattle's anemic passing game ranked 27th in the NFL last season, and its receivers suffered accordingly. For the time being, Kearse is Russell Wilson's No. 2 -- even if by default -- although that could change if rookie Tyler Lockett stands out during the preseason. Kearse is far too unreliable to use as anything other than a bye-week or injury replacement. That minimal value could fall even further if he loses his spot on the depth chart.

[WR RANKINGS 65-80internal-link-placeholder-0]

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