2008 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers

The official Maniaxs rankings are in, and there are some mild surprises at the top of the list. Again, all Maniaxs staff participated in the rankings. These rankings are of the seasonal type, and will be adjusted accordingly should anything radical change around them.

A complete table/grid with 93 players is included as well as a downloadable PDF document for your draft/s at the very bottom of the article.

1) Randy Moss: Moss should have another exciting year. Look for Moss to continue his hot streak for as long as Brady is his QB. They have a rapport that very few wide receivers and quarterbacks have, and that is essential in making plays in the league. Moss caught a terrifying 23 touchdowns and 1,493 yards in 2007, and was signed long term in the offseason. He’s not a bad option to pick number one overall.

2) Terrell Owens: Owens looks to reap the benefits of a fantastic year this season. Even at this age, he still shows that he has it. He was a terror against some of the better corners in the league last season, so you know he has the ability to separate if pressed in one-on-one coverage.

Further, Owens averaged 16.7 yards a catch. If he stays healthy, he’ll start to get double teamed, but if he’s the Owens of old, he’ll break away from the coverage.  Any receiver who breaks the 1,000 yard mark is incredible. He had 1,355 yards on 81 receptions. He won’t last long in the draft, and it is doubtful if he’ll slip past the first round. Gobble him up while you can.

3) Reggie Wayne: With Marvin Harrison obsolete throughout last season, Reggie Wayne stepped in and played marvelously. Wayne has terrific speed to get to the outside, and he’s proven he can be the number-one wide receiver. He had more yards and receptions than Owens did last season, but Wayne isn’t a great WR in the red zone, only catching three passes for scores in 2007.

Because Manning likes to utilize his tight ends and fullbacks in the red zone, it is very difficult for the receivers to get any play, much less touchdowns. However, you still have to respect Wayne for his playmaking ability. His 1,510 receiving yards weren’t a fluke. If Harrison is able to wash himself clean of the club shooting, Wayne will be the obvious number-two receiver, but he’s still worth picking high. 

4) Braylon Edwards: For years Edwards has struggled, but only because he didn’t have a quarterback to throw the ball to him. Now that he has a good player in Anderson tossing balls in his direction, Edwards should rise on your draft board.  His tall frame is ideal, and this past season has shown that he has the ability to go up and make a play on the ball. He had 16 touchdown grabs in 2007, and that was with shaky quarterback play at the beginning of the season. Now that the quarterback position is solidified, look for Edwards to improve on his 1,289 yards and 16 TDs this season.

5) Andre Johnson: Don’t let his 851 receiving yards deceive you. He missed seven games last season, and will be a very good pick in the third or fourth rounds, if he’s there. If Schaub can stay protected long enough to make plays, look for Johnson’s numbers to soar.

A consistent problem in the Texans’ organization is the fact that they’ve never protected their quarterback well. But now with Kubiak taking the reigns, the focus has been on solidifying the line, and they did that by drafting Duane Brown out of Virginia Tech.

Did I mention Johnson has 4.32 speed? He’s a speedster and as such, he’ll get some yards after the catch.

6) Larry Fitzgerald: He is the number-one receiver on a poor passing team. Part of the problem is the Cardinals' reluctance to choose a definite starting quarterback. Warner and Leinart were inconsistent, and it didn’t help them any that their running game only averaged two yards per play. He only had 10 TD receptions in 2007, but he had 1,409 yards receiving. His counterpart, Boldin, had nine, but only had 853 yards. Boldin is more of a red zone threat than Fitzgerald, but buyer beware on Fitzgerald. He doesn’t have the speed to break away from zone coverage, and he’s not very fast coming off the line of scrimmage, but he’ll be a great number-two option with his size.

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