Fantasy Football: Pickle’s Picks at Wide Receiver 2.0
Every fantasy team needs an elite pass catcher to round out the offense if it wants to contend for the league crown. Given how pass happy the league has become in recent years there are a bevy of receivers to choose from. As camps wrap up and teams start setting their starting lineups it is time to take another look at who the top fantasy receivers are heading into the season. PopPickle is here to give you tips on who to target as your number one guy, who to stay away from, and who to keep your eye on for that late round sleeper pick that gets you over the top.
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Fitzgerald is arguably the best in the business right now and is coming off back-t0-back 1,400+ yard and double-digit touchdown seasons in Arizona. With Kurt Warner coming back for another year one can mark Fitzgerald down for another 1,400 yard 10-touchdown season.
Randy Moss, New England Patriots – Moss’ numbers dipped a bit with Tom Brady going on the shelf and the Patriots simplifying the play book a bit with an inexperienced quarterback at the helm. With Brady back under center this season look for Moss’ numbers to go back to what they were in 2007 meaning he should give owners 1,400 yards and hit the upper teens in terms of touchdowns. The Brady to Moss connection has looked as good as ever during the preseason hooking up for 90 yards and a pair of scores on six catches in their last preseason game.
Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers – Has posted four consecutive 1,000 yard seasons scoring 35 touchdowns over that span. Smith averaged 1,288 yards and a shade under nine touchdowns over the past four years and there is no reason to believe he will not do it again as he is a product of his own hard work and it does not seem to matter who is back there throwing the passes.
Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts – Coming off his fifth consecutive 1,000 yard season and is averaging 1,246 yards and just over 8 touchdowns over that span. With Peyton Manning and the rest of the offense still in tact from last year one can expect Wayne to post similar numbers this season.
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Johnson is coming off of a breakout year that saw him catch 78 balls for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns for the winless Lions. The third year receiver appears to be poised to take his spot as one of the elite receivers in the game this season.
Andre Johnson, Houston Texans – Yes, Johnson did lead the league in receptions and yards last season and added 8 touchdowns as well. Even though he had arguably the best year of any pass catcher last season he has a tendency to follow up a strong season with a so-so season riddled with injury. Each of the last two times he posted 1,000 yard receiving seasons he missed multiple games and failed to reach the 1,000 yard mark the following season. Just something to keep in mind when weighing Johnson against other established receivers at the top of your fantasy depth chart. Johnson’s ceiling is worth the risk just be wary of his tendency to follow up strong seasons with injury riddled ones.
Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons – White is coming off of a two year run which saw him catch 171 balls for 2,584 yards and 13 touchdowns. With a new contract in hand White is in his happy place and there is no reason to think he will not give fantasy owners the 80 catches and 1,200 yards they have come to expect from him over the last two seasons.
Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers – Has been one of the better young receivers in the game the past couple of years and is coming off his first 1,000 yard season in 2008. He has scored 21 touchdowns over the last two years and with his contract status settled prior to camp he is a good bet to match his ’08 numbers of 80 catches, 1,292 yards, and 9 touchdowns this season completing his ascension to stud status.
Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals – Ochocinco is coming off the worst season of his career since he became a starter in Cincy. He says he is re-dedicating his life to football and intends on re-establishing himself as one of the games elite players this season. One wonders what to expect, though, given his recent claims of his intentions to tweet from the sidelines during games. Ocho has looked like the Ocho of old this summer and he appears to be on track to being the guy who was always good for 90 catches, 1,300 yards, and 8 to 10 touchdowns a year.
Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints – Colston struggled with an injury last season but he seems to be over that now and closed the season strongly. When healthy Colston can be counted on for upwards of 100 catches, 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns – Braylon is as talented a receiver as there is in the league but he seems to suffer from inconsistency and a lack of focus at times. Given that he failed his physical, is suffering from and undisclosed injury, and has yet to set foot on the practice field means you should stay away from him for the time being. Edwards appears to be good to go for the season and as long as he stays focused and motivated he should get back to putting up Pro Bowl caliber numbers this season.
Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills – Owens saw his numbers dip significantly last season from 1,355 to 1,052 yards and 15 to 10 touchdowns. Was this a product of Owens being unhappy in Dallas or is age finally catching up with him? TO has missed half of camp with a toe injury and is just now getting back onto the practice field. Keep an eye on this as toe injuries tend to linger throughout a season and Owens could potentially miss some playing time or not be nearly as explosive because of it.
Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers – Jackson is coming off a career best season which saw him post 1,098 yards and score seven touchdowns on just 59 receptions. Jackson’s big play capability makes him a threat to score any time the ball comes his way.
Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers – Even though his numbers have suffered a tad with the emergence of Greg Jennings as Aaron Rodgers’ top target Driver has still managed to post five consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and has scored 29 touchdowns over those five years. He is a good bet for 1,000 yards and five or six touchdowns and should be considered as a secondary receiver. Driver and Rodgers have been clicking this preseason to the tune of 134 yards and two touchdowns on four catches in the preseason.
Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals – Boldin has been relatively unhappy with his contract status in Arizona ever since Larry Fitzgerald was given a new contract a couple of years ago. He has felt disrespected by the organization given his status of seniority. Boldin has still produced for the Cardinals but has gone from being a guy who would give you 1,200 to 1,400 yards to one that gives you 800-1,000 yards. He has scored 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons though.
Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs – Bowe has caught 156 passes for 2,017 yards, and 12 touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league and that was with the likes of Brodie Coyle and Tyler Thigpen throwing him passes. Just think of what he might do with Matt Cassel throwing him the ball.
Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals – With the mercurial Chad Ochocinco coming off a bad year and Lavernaeus Coles looking as though his career peaked several years ago Henry could have the opportunity to catch 50 or 60 passes this season and with his penchant for making big plays that could translate into 10 to 12 touchdowns this season. Henry has been the Bengals best receiver this summer and it really looks like this could be his breakthrough season this year. He is definitely worth the risk as a #2 receiver as you know, at the very least, he is probably going to get you 8 to 10 touchdowns.
Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos – Royal was a pleasant surprise for Denver catching 91 passes for 980 yards and 5 touchdowns. Royal also had 11 carries and is used as a kick returner so he is a threat to give fantasy owners rushing and return touchdowns as well. Josh McDaniels has made no secret about his affinity for Royal’s talents and has talked openly about tailoring the offense around getting him the ball as much as possible. With Brandon Marshall not seeing the field any time soon Royal becomes the lead receiver for the Broncos and his stock is definitely on the rise. With Marshall out of the picture Royal could very well catch 100 balls this season.
Wes Welker, New England Patriots – Since coming to New England Welker has become the ultimate slot receiver catching 223 passes for 2340 yards. The only real knock on him is he is not a big play receiver so his touchdown numbers are on the low side and he is likely never going to get you more than 1,100 yards or so.
Bernard Berrian, Minnesota Vikings – Berrian is a great down-the-field threat and is typically good for 900 yards and five or six touchdowns. If he could ever put it all together he could be one of the games better receivers but as it is he is just a big play threat with no short game. Berrian is currently nursing a hamstring injury and has seen limited action this summer. This could hamper his production in the early going.
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles – After being pressed into duty due to injuries to some of their veteran receivers in camp Jackson was a pleasant surprise for the Eagles and established himself as a starter. He caught 62 passes for 912 yards and his explosive speed makes him a threat to score whenever he gets his hands on the ball. The biggest knock on Jackson is he tends to lose focus and disappear at times out there. With the team having other viable weapons in the passing game Jackson will not be keyed on as much by defenses potentially opening the field up for him to make more plays. A thousand yard season is not out of the question for Jackson this season.
Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints – With Marques Colston struggling with injuries early in the season Moore was given a chance to play and rose to the occasion catching 79 passes for 928 yards and ten touchdowns. He heads into camp as the likely starter opposite Colston and should get the chance to build on last season.
Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals – Breaston flourished after the Cards scrapped the running game and went almost exclusively to running three-receiver sets the second half of the season. He had 1,006 yards and three touchdowns and would be a good pickup as a secondary receiver for fantasy teams.
Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens – Mason is the only established veteran receiver on this team and is typically good for 1,000 yards and a handful of touchdowns when he is healthy. A couple of issues for concern are his age, 35, and the fact he just decided to un-retire over the weekend and report to camp. With one foot in the retirement home are his heart and mind going to be into playing football this year?
Santana Moss, Washington Redskins – True Moss is coming off a 1,000 yard season, but, he too has a history of following up 1,000 yard seasons with a mediocre one and Jason Campbell has not looked good at all this summer.
Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Bryant is coming off a career best season of 83 catches, 1,248 yards, and 7 touchdowns and is truly a gifted player. The thing to be wary of him is his mercurial personality, the fact he has never posted back-to-back 1,000 yards seasons, and Tampa’s quarterback situation being very much up in the air going into camp. Bryant is currently working his way back from a minor knee and it is thought he will be good to go by the season opener. Be wary of him until he shows the knee injury is not going to linger and affect his play in the early going.
Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys – Two years ago Williams had the look of a big time wideout after catching 82 passes for 1,310 yards. In the two years since then he has got exactly 99 passes for 1,504 yards. In his six years in the league Williams has posted 1,000 yards just once and 800+ two other times. The talent is there it is merely a question of whether it will all come together for him in Dallas or not. Williams has missed the last week or so with a shoulder injury and is just now getting back on the practice field, but, he was not showing much this summer prior to the injury. The jury is still out on this guy.
T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks – Houshmandzadeh has averaged 98 catches, 1,042 yards, and 8 touchdowns over the past three years. He really does not have big play ability but has a knack for finding the end zone and generally catches anything he gets his hands on.
Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams – Avery had an up-and-down rookie season for St. Louis but with Torry Holt leaving for Jacksonville the Rams will be looking to Avery as the go-to-guy. Look for Avery to see a significant bump in his fantasy numbers during the upcoming season. Be wary with Avery, he broke his foot early in camp, has not seen any action in the preseason, and is just now getting back to practicing at full speed. It is thought he may have a shot at being ready to go for the season opener, but, fantasy owners who end up with him may want to bench him in the early going until he gets up to speed.
Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets – With Laveranues Coles now playing in Cincinnati Cotchery should emerge as the top target for whomever the starting quarterback ends up being. Cotchery has typically been good for 850 to 1,100 yards and five or six touchdowns. He should approach his career high of 1,130 yards without a player like Coles to take catches away from him.
Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts – With Marvin Harrison being released during the off season Gonzalez figures to see more passes thrown his way. He has been a steady performer for the Colts and with Harrison out of the picture 1,000 yards and six or seven touchdowns seems like realistic numbers for Gonzalez this season.
Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers – Holmes has never been able to unseat Hines Ward as the top receiver in Pittsburgh. He is typically good for 800 to 950 yards and a handful of touchdowns but he has the talent to be so much more than that.
Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills – Evans is a good young receiver who can typically be counted on for a 1,000 yard season. It remains to be seen, however, how well he is going to mesh with Terrell Owens. His numbers could take a hit if Owens becomes the focal point of the passing game.
Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers – Posted his first 1,000 yard season since 2004 but is 33 years old and has battled nagging injuries over the four years. If he is healthy Ward could give fantasy owners 1,000 yards and seven or eight touchdowns.
Kevin Walter, Houston Texans – Walter has emerged as a solid number two receiver for the Texans hitting the 800 yard mark the past two seasons and scoring eight touchdowns last year.
Michael Jenkins, Atlanta Falcons – Now that Roddy White has a new contract in hand and with the presence of a legit tight end in Tony Gonzalez, Jenkins’ value drops a bit. He goes from being the #2 option in the passing game to #3.
Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans – After playing second fiddle to Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes the past three years in Pittsburgh Washington will get an opportunity to win a starting job in Tennessee. Keep an eye on him this summer. If he emerges from camp as a starter he could put up eight or nine hundred yards and score five or six touchdowns. Stay away from Washington for the time being. He has an injured hamstring and his status for the beginning of the season is up in the air.
Kevin Curtis, Philadelphia Eagles – Curtis comes into camp healthy and ready to prove the 2007 season was no fluke. Provided he stays healthy there is no reason to believe Curtis will not give fantasy owners 1,000 yards and five or six touchdowns. I am beginning to wonder if Curtis is going to lose some catches to Jeremy Maclin.
Domenik Hixon, New York Giants – With both starting receivers gone from last year’s squad the Giants are hoping Hixon can convert his big play abilities on kick returns to the passing game. Hixon has the size and speed teams love in receivers he just drops too many balls and is not the best route runner. However, he did seem to settle in as the starter after Burress got released and led the team in receiving yards. If he manages to win a starting job he could conceivably give fantasy owners 1,000 yards and five or six touchdowns this season. Be wary of Hixon for now. He has struggled to find any kind of rhythm with Eli Manning, who is struggling to find a rhythm with anyone in general, and Hixon’s status could be up in the air after the performance Hakeem Nicks had last week.
Brandon Stokley, Denver Broncos – Stokley is expected to open the season as the second receiver with Brandon Marshall not expected to be in the lineup. Brandon has reportedly become a favorite of Coach McDaniels and is a good bet to remain in the top three on Denver’s depth chart even if Marshall gets back into the lineup.
Ted Ginn, Jr., Miami Dolphins – Has blazing speed but seems to prefer stepping out of bounds rather than challenge defenders. Made major strides last season catching 56 passes for 790 yards and scoring four touchdowns but he still does not have the look or feel of a number one wideout. One bonus is he has one kick return and two rushing touchdowns for his career.
Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints – Does not appear to be able to do much more than run a fly pattern down the sideline and drops way too many passes. Despite the fact that he has averaged over 23 yards per catch over the past three seasons he has only managed to score 12 touchdowns. Not worth considerations unless you absolutely need a receiver to fill out your roster. Henderson has been outplayed by Robert Meachem in the preseason and could lose some playing time to him.
Troy Williamson, Jacksonville Jaguars – Williamson has actually looked like he belongs on the field this summer and could be poised for a breakout season with the Jags this year. He leads the NFL with 232 yards in the preseason and is averaging 29 yards per catch.
Torry Holt, Jacksonville Jaguars – Holt is 33 years old and looks as though he has lost a step and his numbers have been in decline for a few years now. However, he is the only established receiver on Jacksonville after the Jags cut loose the core of their receiving corps from last season. Holt is going into an opportunity where he could rejuvenate his career but one should not expect 1,000 yards or 10 touchdowns out of him as the Jaguars will look to be primarily a running team.
Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers – Bruce is 36 and is not the same player he was six or seven years ago. He did manage to put up 835 yards and seven touchdowns last season but with the team drafting Michael Crabtree he may not get the opportunity to do that again this season. It does not appear as though Crabtree is going to be signing any time soon so Bruce may see a more significant role in the Niners offense than initially anticipated.
Devin Hester, Chicago Bears – Until Hester shows he can run routes and cuts down on the passes he drops he really is not worth picking given that his value as a kick returner has been diminished by concentrating more on being receiver.
Greg Camarillo, Miami Dolphins – A nice possession receiver who could net someone 800 yards and three or four touchdowns if he stays healthy enough to play in all sixteen games.
Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina Panthers – Muhammad is 36 and has never been the most consistent player over the life of his career. Reports out of mini-camps have Dwayne Jarrett looking vastly improved this spring and there is a school of thought that the younger Jarrett may take playing time away form Muhammad. There are rumblings that Muhammad may be losing his spot to Dante Rosario.
Chansi Stuckey, New York Jets – With Coles out of the picture in New York Stuckey looks to assume the other starting spot opposite Cotchery meaning he could post 800 to 1,000 receiving yards and six or seven touchdowns. Stuckey is believed to be the other starting receiver as the preseason winds down, but, all of that could change prior to the season opener as the Jets have been openly looking to deal for an established veteran receiver and Brandon Marshall appears to be at the top of the list. Until we know whether the Jets are able to land another receiver Stuckey is a bit of a gamble.
Patrick Crayton/Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys – With Terrell Owens out of the picture the Cowboys are going to be looking for someone to line up opposite Roy Williams. Crayton would seem like the logical choice given he was the other starter prior to Williams’ arrival last season. However, it is believed the Cowboys like Crayton better as a slot receiver and are in love with the physical tools Austin brings to the table. Which ever way it shakes out one can likely count on 800 to 1,000 yards and a handful of touchdowns from whoever wins the starting job. Neither guy seems to want the job and given their lack of performance the Cowboys are toying with running more two tight end sets because Martellus Bennett is out-playing both of these guys right now. Stay away from these guys until one of them shows they are going to produce this season.
Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati Bengals – Coles has not put up 1,200 yards since 2003 but is still good for 800-900 yards and five or six touchdowns and would be good addition to a team as a secondary receiver. If Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco are back and in the swing of things Coles could have a big year. Coles has been outplayed by Chris Henry in the preseason and it looks as though he may end up the odd man out in Cincy.
Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos – If he were not whining about his contract and not coming off hip surgery in the off season he would easily be in the stud category. His numbers are unquestioned after posting 2,590 yards and 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons. If he were happy with his contract and not already missing practices just a few days into camp due to injury he would be a sure-fire top fantasy pick but owners should be a bit wary of him given those factors. Marshall is currently suspended by the Broncos and there are no indications that he will be back on the field any time soon as Marshall seems to have little interest in playing for the Broncos or Josh McDaniels without a new contract.
Rookies to Keep an Eye On
Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans – With a lack of established talent at receiver the Titans top pick will get a chance to win a starting job this summer. Britt is big, fast, and easily the most talented player they have at the position. It will be a matter of whether he learns the playbook fast enough to win a starting job. With Nate Washington missing time to injury Britt will get a chance to win the other starting job opposite Justin Gage.
Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers – With Isaac Bruce being the only established receiver on the roster in San Francisco Crabtree is a virtual lock to win a starting job provided they can get him into camp that is. Crabtree has as much of a chance of playing for the Niners this season as I do. Stay away from him at all costs as even if he does sign it is highly unlikely he makes any kind of an impact for San Francisco this season as he has already missed too much of camp.
Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings – After Berrian the cupboard is pretty bare in Minnesota and Harvin figures to line up all over the field for the Vikings. Expect him to get a lot of touches next season and his speed makes him a threat to score eight to ten touchdowns.
Kenny McKinley, Denver Broncos – With Marshall out of the picture McKinley has seen more reps and has taken advantage of it catching 9 passes for 154 yards in the preseason.
Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland Raiders – With the skittish Javon Walker and the perpetually disappointing Ashley Lelie as the top veterans on the roster Heyward-Bey is almost guaranteed to start as he is also the fastest receiver on the team.
Louis Murphy, Oakland Raiders – Murphy has actually outplayed Heyward-Bey this summer catching 7 balls for 158 yards in the Raiders three preseason games and could find himself in the top three of the Raiders’ depth chart when the season opens.
Juaquin Iglesias, Chicago Bears – Iglesias is not considered much of a prospect but given the Bears lack of any real talent at the position he could emerge from camp as one of the two starters.
Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles – As long as Jackson and Curtis stay healthy Maclin is unlikely to see significant action but he is pencilled in as the #3 receiver and could catch 40 to 50 passes and he is expected to return some kicks as well for the Eagles this season.
Mohamed Massaquoi/Brian Robiskie, Cleveland Browns – With Donte Stallworth suspended and Braylon Edwards out indefinitely with an injury Massaquoi and Robiskie should see some reps with the first team offense and one of them could emerge as one of the starting wideouts in camp.
Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants – The Giants took Nicks in the first round hoping he will be able replace either Plaxico Burress or Amani Toomer. He will be given every opportunity to win a starting job and there are those who thought he was the most polished receiver available in the draft.
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