Stupid, Absurdly Early 2009 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers

Columnist Written on January 11, 2009

Slide 1 of 13

The 2008 NFL season was supposed to be the official death of the running back position. Wide receivers and quarterbacks were taking over the game, re-shaping the way owners draft, strategize, and in the simplest form, play fantasy football.

If there was a sign that this would not be the case, it came seven minutes into the second round of games on the first Sunday of the season. Tom Brady dropped back in Gillette Stadium, threw a ball up, took a hit, and went down.

On the other end of the play, Randy Moss caught the ball, just his third reception of the season, and fumbled it away. Back at the line of scrimmage, Tom Brady lay on the ground, writhing in the pain of a knee injury that would end his season.

The leaders of the revolution shot down any thoughts of a new era with one play, showing but a glimpse of the season that was to come.

Seventeen weeks later, three pass catchers sat among the top 15 fantasy players at the running back and wide receiver position. A year ago, there were eight.

Not one wide receiver scored top five RB/WR fantasy points. While 2007's top overall position player, Moss, broke records, 2008's leader of the pack at wideout, Larry Fitzgerald, averaged 4.7 points per game less than the top tailback, DeAngelo Williams.

There was nothing French or American about it—and certainly no one saw anything Glorious.

But what now? Are pass catchers just biding their time? That remains to be seen.

However, whether it be for a Napoleonic take over or simply another Off-Broadway production ala '08, the following will be the headliners.

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Stupid, Absurdly Early 2009 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers

Tosten Burks

Stupid, Absurdly Early 2009 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers

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