1. Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Going up against a Detroit Lions defense that has been absolutely atrocious is surely going to help Jackson, who broke out to the tune of 10 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown last week against the Atlanta Falcons. Anyone who doubted that he'd be able to connect with rookie quarterback Mike Glennon was quieted after this performance. For their part, the Lions are yielding an average of nearly 200 yards and rank 31st in the NFL against fantasy receivers this season. Expect another huge game from the Pro Bowler here.
Projected Statistics: Nine receptions, 150 yards and two touchdowns
2. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
Even with Scott Tolzien under center, not Aaron Rodgers, Nelson hasn't seen a dramatic drop off in fantasy production. The veteran has put up 18 receptions for 240 yards in the three games that Tolzien has seen extended action, including eight receptions for 117 yards last week against the New York Giants. Unfortunately, Nelson hasn't hit pay dirt in any of those games after putting up four touchdowns in Rodgers' final three starts prior to his unfortunate injury. The good news here is that Green Bay goes up against a Minnesota Vikings defense that ranks in the bottom 10 of the NFL against fantasy receivers.
Projected Statistics: Seven receptions, 125 yards and one touchdown
3. Victor Cruz, New York Giants
Cruz has the "task" of taking on an downright atrocius Dallas Cowboys defense that is on pace to give up the most passing yards in the history of the National Football League. If that's not reason enough to start him, think about this. He put up five receptions for 118 yards and three scores in the Giants' Week 1 loss to Dallas. Overall, Cruz is the 14th-ranked fantasy receiver this season. Cruz is also coming off his best performance since a 10-reception game against the Kansas City Chiefs in late September. This seems to indicate that he is back on the same page with Eli Manning.
Projected Statistics: Six receptions, 110 yards and one touchdown
4. Kendall Wright, Tennessee Titans
Can you say PPR stud? Wright is averaging seven receptions per outing over the course of the last four games and seems to be connecting a great deal with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Despite his recent success, Wright is only the 34th-ranked fantasy receiver through 11 weeks. He needs to start scoring touchdowns on a more consistent basis in order to be considered an upper-echelon fantasy option. You can expect him to at least put one up against what has been a bad Oakland Raiders pass defense. All said, the Raiders are yielding the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.
Projected Statistics: Nine receptions, 100 yards and one touchdown
5. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
It's going to be somewhat of a struggle for Megatron this week. As the best receiver in a generation, Johnson is always going to find himself atop lists like this. The unfortunate thing here is that he's going up against the best cornerback in years in the form of Darrelle Revis. Despite this, Johnson will still tally the yards and touchdowns needed to crack the top five. It's just not going to be easy sledding for him.
Projected Statistics: Six receptions, 100 yards and one touchdown