There is much difficulty in pulling the trigger on a player who is guaranteed to miss three crucial weeks of the season. So, when it was announced that Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall would have his three-game suspension reduced to one, the young wide receiver surged up rankings boards and altered the fantasy football landscape.

One of the league’s premier talents is finally being selected where his skill level dictates he should. This season’s class of wide receivers was already deep, but the added certainty for Marshall creates yet another dimension. Now, what’s left in the wide receiver pool is a group of nearly 20 players who could produce like No. 1 receivers for fantasy teams. Marshall is a legitimate No. 1 option and moves into the position’s top 10 rankings.

The preseason hype machine is running at full strength for second-year Lions wideout and physical freak Calvin Johnson. Johnson’s combination of size, speed and preseason results have owners salivating and selecting him as a preferred No. 2 wideout. With all the potential in the world and an apparent recovery from a back injury that slowed him as a rookie, the future seems to be now for Johnson.

While Marshall and Johnson are rising, three veterans are on the downswing for a variety of reasons.

Cincinnati’s T.J. Houshmandzadeh has been slowed by a hamstring injury, an ailment that can have lingering effects on his regular season performance.

Arizona’s Anquan Boldin is still disgruntled, but should be able to put his gripes with management aside come Week 1.

Steve Smith’s two-game suspension is problem, but so is Carolina’s sour attitude towards him post-beatdown of teammate Ken Lucas.

The Brett Favre Factor figures to benefit gritty possession man Jerricho Cotchery the most, as he looks more and more like the New York version of Favre’s former favorite target Donald Driver. Laveranues Coles also gets a slight boost and makes for a top No. 3 fantasy option.

Another similar wideout, Philly’s Kevin Curtis, saw his value plummet after having sports hernia surgery that will cost him the first half of the season. His loss is rookie DeSean Jackson’s gain, as he is poised to start in the slot and draw lots of looks from quarterback Donovan McNabb. He has big play potential, but is no longer a sleeper after bursting onto the scene in the preseason.

One of the more bizarre storylines this preseason is Oakland’s Javon Walker, who signed a giant contract and got derailed by a Las Vegas beating and robbery. The incident has affected his commitment to football, which makes him a true wild card who shouldn’t be touched in drafts until all of your starting WR slots are filled.

POSITION RANKINGS

1. Randy Moss, NE
2. Terrell Owens, DAL
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3. Reggie Wayne, IND
4. Braylon Edwards, CLE
5. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
6. Marques Colston, NO
7. Andre Johnson, HOU
8. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CIN
9. Brandon Marshall, DEN
10. Plaxico Burress, NYG
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11. Chad Johnson, CIN
12. Torry Holt, STL
13. Wes Welker, NE
14. Calvin Johnson, DET
15. Santonio Holmes, PIT
16. Steve Smith, CAR
17. Greg Jennings, GB
18. Anquan Boldin, ARI
19. Roy Williams, DET
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20. Roddy White, ATL
21. Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ
22. Dwayne Bowe, KC
23. Lee Evans, BUF
24. Hines Ward, PIT
25. Marvin Harrison, IND
26. Donald Driver, GB
27. Santana Moss, WAS
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28. Anthony Gonzalez, IND
29. Laveranues Coles, NYJ
30. Bernard Berrian, MIN
31. Joey Galloway, TB
32. Chris Chambers, SD
33. D.J. Hackett, CAR
34. Nate Burleson, SEA
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35. Patrick Crayton, DAL
36. Reggie Brown, PHI
37. Ronald Curry, OAK
38. Sidney Rice, MIN
39. Donte’ Stallworth, CLE
40. Ted Ginn Jr., MIA
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41. DeSean Jackson, PHI
42. Javon Walker, OAK
43. Isaac Bruce, SF
44. Vincent Jackson, SD
45. Kevin Walter, HOU
46. Justin Gage, TEN
47. Devin Hester, CHI
48. Eddie Royal, DEN
49. Jabar Gaffney, NE
50. Derrick Mason, BAL