Week 4 vs. Denver
Mike Wallace has been consistently average this season with totals of 12 receptions for 150 yards through three games. He gets a difficult matchup this week against the NFL's toughest pass defense in Denver.
Considering Wallace is already putting up low numbers, a bad matchup won't exactly help things. He has some relevance since he's the clear No. 1 receiving threat in Minnesota, but he should only be viewed as a WR4 with minimal upside this week.
Week 3 vs. San Diego
Mike Wallace isn't struggling, he's just falling victim to the Vikings offense. The offense isn't built around passing the football, but rather letting Adrian Peterson do what he does best. As a result, Wallace has just 101 yards on nine receptions through two games. He's the top option for Minnesota, but that doesn't mean much. He'll be a WR3 this week in a decent matchup against the Chargers.
Week 2 vs. Detroit
Mike Wallace led the team in receptions (6) and yards (63) in Week 1. This should be a common occurrence for the Minnesota wideout. He's the most talented receiver on the team. Wallace goes up against a Lions defense that was extremely vulnerable in Week 1. Detroit gave up the most receptions (22) to wideouts in the first week. Wallace should be viewed as a solid WR3 option this week.
Week 1 vs. San Francisco
Mike Wallace was brought over in the offseason after a solid season in Miami in which he finished with 10 touchdowns. He wasn't a monster receiver in 2014 as he finished with just 67 receptions for 862 yards in 16 games, but there are worse options out there. Expect a similar role from Wallace in Minnesota this year, except he'll likely have less touchdowns. He should be viewed as a WR3 in a decent matchup against San Francisco.
Fantasy Upside
Mike Wallace is listed as the top receiver in Minnesota, so he should see the bulk of the targets from Teddy Bridgewater. His speed makes him a dangerous deep threat, and cornerbacks need to respect that. He is coming off of a 10-touchdown season, which ties his career high.
Fantasy Downside
Wallace appeared to be one of the top wideouts in the league following his back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011. But since then, he's never reached 1,000 yards again and only crossed the 900-yard mark once. He is also coming into a new system, with a new quarterback and he is in a run-first offense.
Bottom Line
Wallace will probably have a few big games throughout the season, but there is not too much to get excited about with him. He will be a serviceable option most weeks and should be considered a WR3 or WR4.
Mike Wallace - Week 17 vs. New York Jets
Mike Wallace is a tough receiver to predict most weeks. He averages just 57 yards per game, but he's caught 10 touchdowns this season. When he doesn't catch a touchdown his fantasy outing isn't all that impressive.
This week Wallace faces the New York Jets. When he faced the Jets back in Week 13 he finished with six receptions for 69 yards. He'll likely finish with numbers close to those. He should be viewed as a low WR2 option this week.
Mike Wallace - Week 16 vs. Minnesota
For some reason Mike Wallace plays well against the New England Patriots. He caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown last week, easily his best performance of the season. In fact his two best games this season (in terms of yardage) have come against the Patriots.
For now it's best to view the great game as an anomaly. It's his only 100-yard game of the season and is likely a highlight rather than a sign of things to come. This week he gets another tough matchup as he faces the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings' secondary has allowed the sixth fewest passing yards in the league.
Wallace's speed always makes him a threat to catch a long pass, but that doesn't happen often. He should best be viewed as a low-end WR2 or WR3.
Mike Wallace - Week 15 vs. New England Patriots
If it wasn't for his seven touchdowns this season, Mike Wallace would be having a terrible year. He has 40 yards or less in three of his last four games and has done so despite having good matchups.
This week he has a bad matchup on paper, but earlier in the year he had his best game against New England. He set a season high for receptions (7) and yards (81) in Week 1 against the Patriots. He also caught a touchdown in the game.
With Wallace we'll take a "what have you done for me lately" approach. In Week 1 the Dolphins weren't utilizing Jarvis Landry as much as they are now and Darrelle Revis hadn't fully returned to form. Wallace should best be used as a low-end WR2 or WR3 option.
Mike Wallace - Week 14 vs. Baltimore Ravens
The good news? Mike Wallace finished with 69 receiving yards, his highest total since Week 3 of this season. He also had 11 targets in the game, which is also the highest since Week 3. The bad news? He still hasn't had a huge game this season. He has seven touchdowns, which has helped owners, but he won't be a true WR1 since he can barely finish with 70 yards most weeks.
Wallace is easily Ryan Tannehill's favorite target. He has 22 more targets than any other player on the team. But rookie Jarvis Landry is becoming a legitimate threat. He now has more receptions than Wallace on the season and just 143 less yards.
He'll hope to have success this week in a favorable matchup against Baltimore. The Ravens have allowed the most points to opposing receivers this season. Wallace should be viewed as a low WR2, strong WR3.
Mike Wallace - Week 13 vs. New york Jets
Mike Wallace is being bailed out by touchdowns this season. He caught his seventh touchdown pass last week, making up for his 4-35 stat line. He's now finished with 60 yards or fewer in eight out of 11 games this season. He's also never reached the 100-yard mark.
He has a chance for a big game this week against the Jets. New York is a great matchup, but we can't ignore what Wallace has done this season. We shouldn't anticipate big numbers from him because we haven't seen it yet. He should be used as a WR2.
