Fantasy Football: Pickle’s Picks at Wide Receiver for 2010

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We have already taken a look at the top Quarterbacks and Running Backs to target for your fantasy draft and now it is time to have a look at which pass catchers to take a look at for your 2010 fantasy football squad.

Fantasy Studs

These are receivers owners can typically count on for 85 catches, 1,200 yards, and 8 to 10 touchdowns.

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans – They do not come much better than the Texans’ pass catcher.  He has had at least 101 catches, 1,569 yards, and 8 touchdowns over the last two seasons.  Johnson is in the conversation of being one of the best two or three receivers in the league.

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts – Wayne has been a mark of consistency catching at least 77 passes and posting at least 1,000 yards in each of the last six seasons.  His TD numbers can be hit or miss at times but he has posted double digits in two of the last three years and is generally good for at least eight or nine a year.  As long as Peyton is still slinging the ball and he stays healthy fantasy owners can count on 1,000 yards and 10 TDs this season.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Fitzgerald’s yardage tumbled down to 1,092 last season, but he still scored 13 touchdowns.  The only thing to be wary of with Fitzgerald this season is no Kurt Warner under center for the Cardinals this year.

Randy Moss, New England Patriots – There was a lot of talk about Moss having lost a step and not being the same receiver he was a couple of years ago.  However, the fact is, he still caught 83 balls for 1,264 yards and still managed to find the end zone 13 times last season.  He has compiled at least 1,000 yards and 10 TDs in each of the last three seasons.

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons – Is averaging 85 catches, 1,245 yards, and 8 touchdowns over his last three seasons.  His touchdowns numbers have also gone up in each of the last three seasons from 6 in 2007 to 11 in 2009.

Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins – Has caught at least 101 passes in each of the last three years.  His yardage numbers have decreased steadily over the last 3 years while his touchdown numbers have gone up.  As long as his hip recovers he fantasy owners should be able to count on him for another 1,000 yard season with upwards of 10 touchdowns.

Fantasy Broncos

These are receivers capable of putting up stud numbers but have questions surrounding them this season.

Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers – I debated putting him in with the studs but his four touchdowns last season make me a bit hesitant to do so.  He has gone for 1,100-plus yards the last two years though.

Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints – With the emergence of guys like Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, and Lance Moore Colston does not get as many balls thrown his way.  He may never get 98 catches or 1,200 yards the way he did in ’07, but he can still be counted on for 1,000 yards and 8 to 10 touchdowns this season.

Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers – The seemingly ageless Ward is coming off back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, but it remains to be seen how long Pittsburgh will be without Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and who will replace him until he returns.

Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens – Finally got out of Arizona and on a team willing to reward him with the kind of contract he felt he has deserved the past couple of years in Arizona.  Has caught 100 passes and gone over 1,400 yards in the past but that seems unlikely here with the Ravens desire to mix in the run with the pass.  He should be able to go for 1,000 yards and 8 to 10 scores though.

Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens – Mason has talked of retiring the past couple of years, but he keeps coming out and putting up solid numbers despite not having any real help around him.  Has gone for 1,000 or more yards in 8 of the last 9 seasons including the last three.  He has never been a big touchdown producer though.

Fantasy Colts

These are receivers coming off a breakout year who are another year or two away from being studs.

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Johnson struggled with nagging injuries much of the season and without any other weapons on offense teams generally schemed to take him out of the equation last season.  With some of the additions the Lions have made in the passing game this spring look for Johnson to bounce back in a big way this season.

Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys – Austin had a breakout season last year catching 81 balls for 1,320 yards and 11 scores.  He was something of a boom or bust player though.  While he had 5 100-yard games last year he also had four games of 20 or fewer yards and zero touchdowns.

SIdney Rice, Minnesota Vikings – Rice was the other receiver break out star at receiver who nobody really expected it from.  Rice caught 83 balls for 1,312 yards and 8 touchdowns after catching just 46 passes in his first two seasons combined.  The only reason to potentially steer clear of Rice is if Favre actually goes through with retiring.

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles – Another young star in the making who had his coming out party last season.  Some say Jackson is the most electric receiver in the game right now and he is a threat to score any time he has the ball in his hands.  He still struggles with consistency though.  An added bonus for Jackson owners is he has scored at least one touchdown rushing touchdown and taken at least one punt back for a score in each of his first two years in the league.  He is averaging 2.5 non-receiving touchdowns for his career.  One does wonder how much longer he will be returning kicks as he becomes a bigger part of the Eagles offense.

Steve Smith, New York Giants – The other Steve Smith had a breakout year for the Giants catching 107 balls for 1,220 yards and 7 scores.  He was a huge reason for Eli Manning’s success last year as a passer.

Keep an Eye On

These are guys who could be poised for a breakout year.

Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals – Had a 1,000 yard season in ’08 only to see his production fall in ’09 due to nagging injuries.  The assumption is he will start opposite Fitzgerald now that Anquan Boldin is in Baltimore.  He should see his numbers get back over the 1,000 yard barrier this season.  He should see his TD numbers rise as well.

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers – He was consistently solid for the Niners last season and with a full camp under his belt he should hit the ground running this season.

Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings – One of those hybrid athletes with speed to burn that are becoming the rage in the NFL.  Is a threat to score any time he has the ball.  As an added bonus he returned a pair of kicks for touchdowns and will get a handful of rushing attempts.

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles – Really seemed to find his groove late in the season catching 17 passes for 297 yards in the Eagles last three games.  He showed flashes last season and with Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown out of the picture his status as a starter is solidified.

Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers – The rookie was a pleasant surprise for the Steelers last season scoring six touchdowns and racking up 756 yards.  The assumption is that with Santonio Holmes going to New York that Wallace will be the guy starting opposite Hines Ward this season.  He could easily post 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as a starter for the Steelers.

Malcolm Floyd, San Diego Chargers – Floyd has steadily improved the past couple of years and had career highs with 45 catches and 776 yards last season.  With Vincent Jackson’s status up in the air Floyd could end up being the beneficiary as he would theoretically become the #1 receiver.

Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars – Was a surprise for the Jags last season catching 63 balls and scoring 7 touchdowns.  However, without any real established depth around him in the passing game one wonders whether he will be able to build on last season’s success or not.

Mario Manningham, New York Giants – Had a solid year with 822 yards and 5 touchdowns.  If he ever masters the mental aspects of the game he has a chance to be a home run hitter for the Giants.

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants – Showed a real knack for making the big play during his rookie year scoring six times on 47 catches.  If Manningham does not get it together Nicks could push him out of the picture.

Robert Meachem, New Orleans Saints – Put up the numbers the Saints were hoping for when they drafted him in ’08.  Scored 9 touchdowns on just 45 receptions.  Will the Saints look to go his way more often in 2010?

Nate Burleson, Detroit Lions – Should be a nice compliment to Calvin Johnson in Detroit.  He never lived up to expectations after posting 1,000 yards in his second season but he could be poised for a big year opposite Johnson.

Buyer Beware

These are vets who have some baggage owners need to be aware of.

Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers – Had a down year last season, but a lot of that can be attributed to Jake Delhomme’s struggles early on.  Smith and expected starter Matt Moore seemed to find groove late in the year with Smith catching 19 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns in the four games they played together.  The main thing to be wary of with Smith is he is recovering from a broken arm suffered playing flag football in the off season and there is no word on how this may affect him in the early going.

Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals – Ocho was one of the league’s best pass catchers for about six years until general unhappiness and malaise set in leading up to the 2008 season.  He bounced back with a solid season in ’09, but unless the Bengals fins some more weapons to compliment him he is going to struggle to put up big time numbers again.

Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers – While he has posted six straight 1,000 yards seasons he is 35 years old and coming off arthroscopic surgery on both knees.

Braylon Edwards, New York Jets – Edwards has all the talent in the world but still struggles with drops and the mental aspects of the game.  He is a huge wild card and could go for 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns or simply struggle to put up 800 yards and five touchdowns.

T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks – Houshmandzadeh is a nice receiver, but he is probably never going to live up to the contract Seattle gave him last spring.  He is more suited to be a complimentary receiver than a lead receiver.  The ‘Hawks question marks at quarterback and lack of receiving depth do not help either.

Santana Moss, Washington Redskins – Never quite became the elite receiver fantasy owners thought he would be after the ’05 season.  He is still good for 70 catches a year but is not the game breaker he was five years ago.

Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints – Is always going to get opportunities for the big play in the Saints offense, but will never be a #1 guy and despite averaging just under 20 yards per catch during his career has never been much of a TD producer.

Wes Welker, New England Patriots – Welker has been a pass catching machine catching at least 111 passes for at least 1,165 yards in each of the last three seasons, however he shredded his knee at the end of the season and it remains to be seen how productive he is going to be this summer.  The Pats have put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list meaning he could miss up to the first six weeks of the season.  Stay away from Welker as a potential starter until he gets back on the field and shows what he can do.

Santonio Holmes, New York Jets – Holmes is coming off his first 1,000 yard season, but he is going to miss the first four games due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.  It also remains to be seen whether the Jets open the offense up this year or stick with the run when you can and throw when you have to philosophy on offense.

Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers – Jackson has emerged as one of the best young big play receivers in the league and is coming off back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons and has scored 16 touchdowns over the last two years.  However, he still has yet to sign a contract for next season and is threatening to sit out half of the season if he does not get the type of long term deal he is looking for.  Avoid Jackson until he signs a contract.

The Jury is Out

These are players who the jury is still out on.

Terrell Owens, Free Agent – Interest in Owens is starting to pick up as we get closer to the opening of camps around the league.  The Jets and Bengals are rumored to be the front runners.  The Bengals seem to be the better fit at this stage as the Jets will not have enough balls to go around once Holmes comes back from his league suspension while he would have a real shot at being the #2 guy in Cincy.  He is not the game changer he used to be but could still go for 1,000 yards and 7 to 10 TDs in the right situation.

Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets – Definitely wait and see on Cotchery.  He is already going to be bumped down to third on the depth chart behind Holmes and Braylon Edwards and if the team brings TO on board his playing time will diminish even further.  Wait and see how the Jets use him this summer before deciding on Cotchery.

Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts – With Anthony Gonzalez due to come back from injury this summer it remains to be seen how the Colts intend on using Garcon.

Assessing the Rookies

Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos – If he gets over the dropped passes that plagued him in college he has a real shot to start this year for the Broncos.  He is big and fast and looks like a faster version of Brandon Marshall.  The biggest issue with him is he dropped a lot of balls in college that elite receivers hang on to.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys – Bryant is going to be given every chance to unseat Roy Williams as the other starting receiver opposite Miles Austin.  Big things are expected out of Bryant in Big D this season.

Arrelious Benn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – With no real talent at receiver in Tampa, Benn should get a chance to win a starting job this summer.  Do not expect big numbers from Benn unless Josh Freeman figures it out this summer.

Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks – The ‘Hawks are hoping he is the receiver they thought they were getting when they dealt for Deion Branch.  He should get a shot at winning a starting job.  At the very least he will be the #3 guy on the depth chart.

Damian Williams, Tennessee Titans – At the very least he will be the #3 guy in Tennessee and could have a shot at unseating Nate Washington as he failed to deliver in a big way for the Titans last year.  One should not expect big things from Williams just yet as the Titans are still going to be a run first offense.

Brandon LaFell, Carolina Panthers – With Muhsin Muhammad retiring LaFell is expected to compete with Dwayne Jarrett for the spot opposite Steve Smith.  He could be one of the sleepers from this year’s draft.

Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh Steelers – Should compete with Antwaan Randle El for the slot receiver job.

Jordan Shipley, Cincinnati Bengals – Shipley is expected to compete for the slot receiver position in Cincy.

Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Like Benn, Williams will get a chance to compete for playing time out of the gate.

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