2008 Fantasy Football Rookies: Wide Receivers

For the first time in 18 years, a wide receiver was not drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Rookie wide receivers rarely make a big impact, even the ones that eventually become stars.

There are players like Anquan Boldin, Joey Galloway, and most notably Randy Moss, that exploded onto the scene as rookies. Keep in mind that Terrell Owens did not go for 1,000 yards and 10-plus touchdowns until his third year. Marvin Harrison broke out in his fourth season. The transition from college to pro is very difficult, even for the most talented wide receivers.

This year, the rookie WR corps was weak, but a few prospects might be able to make an immediate impact. These players should all be considered for late-round additions or waiver-wire pickups later in the season.
 

Potential impact players
 
1. James Hardy—The Bills are slowly making strides to challenge the New England Patriots in the AFC East. While the Bills still have a long ways to go, this pick will make getting there a lot easier.

At 6’7", 220 lbs, he is going to be very difficult for NFL corners to cover. Lee Evans and Marshawn Lynch are young skill-players that should take attention away from him. On paper, he is a perfect sidekick to their No. 1 option, Evans.

The downside is that Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman are his QBs, meaning that he doesn’t have an established QB to throw him the ball. He will be the receiver that should be on the field the most out of his fellow rookie class, and therefore will have the best chance to put up numbers. He warrants late-round consideration, especially in touchdown-only leagues.
 

2. Limas Sweed—He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 22nd pick in Round One. He is the tall WR that Ben Roethlisberger wanted to have in the red zone and on third downs. He also has the ability to stretch the field. The problem is that Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are still the starters, and he will probably be a third receiver at best as a rookie.

If you are playing in a touchdown-only league, he will have some value in the red zone. In standard scoring leagues, he is probably a waiver-wire pickup or handcuff in case of injury to one of the starters.
 

3. Devin Thomas—He was the first of three offensive weapons taken by the Redskins in the second round. At 6’2” and 218 lbs, he is much bigger than Santana Moss or Randle-El. Jim Zorn is going to want bigger receivers than what Gibbs preferred, so there is going to be an opportunity for him to get on the field early.

The problem is whether he will be the second or third WR, and whether fellow second rounder Malcom Kelly is going to beat him out in camp. The Redskins don’t have the strongest passing game, so he probably would need to be the second receiver to have value.  Also, he is going to compete with Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley for end-zone production.

Finally, we don’t know how changing to the West-Coast Offense will affect Jason Campbell’s development, or whether veteran Todd Collins will excel in a new system. That is too many question marks. He is probably a waiver-wire pickup depending on how events play out in the season.

4. Jerome Simpson / Andre Caldwell—Both were drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in response to the release of Chris Henry and pending holdout of Chad Johnson. If Johnson and Houshmandzadeh both play in 2008, they don’t have a lot of value.

But in the case of contract disputes, as what it appears to be now, Simpson and Caldwell may be given the opportunity to start at the beginning of the season. Given that Carson Palmer is their QB, they could have great value.

Simpson was picked in the second round and Caldwell in the third, so if you go by that, Simpson appears to have the inside shot. He has good size at 6’1” 199 lbs. Caldwell played at Florida, and has the NFL size at 6’0” 200 lbs. Our bet is that Chad Johnson doesn’t sit out the entire season and risk losing not only his salary, but a year of NFL service.

Still, with the Bengals currently in a state of unrest, you may want to keep your eye on this situation, and see if one of these two emerges to become the Bengals No. 2 or No. 3 receiver, and a worthy waiver-wire pickup.
 

5. Jordy Nelson—He was the Packers' first pick in this year’s draft at pick five in the second round. He is a big target for first-year starter Aaron Rodgers. The new Packers' QB will need Nelson’s height and sure hands to get open to take pressure off of the pass rush that will be guaranteed to come fast.

The problem for Nelson in year one will be that he is playing behind Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. James Jones was impressive as a rookie as well, and will be looking for playing time. We also don’t know if the Packers will use as many four and five-receiver sets as they did under Brett Favre. Favre got rid of the ball quickly and did not take a lot of sacks.

They may go with more conventional packages to protect their young QB from the NFL pass rush. He is someone to keep an eye on, for a strong training camp could move him up to third on the depth chart. Until Aaron Rodgers proves he can run this offense, Nelson can prove he is good enough to be the third receiver, and McCarthy shows us that he will play three, four, and five-WR sets on a regular basis, it is too risky to make Nelson anything more than a waiver-wire addition.

Wide outs that will be return specialists or developmental projects
 
1. DeSean Jackson—He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles at pick 18 in round two. He is a burner, and at 5’9” 169 lbs., he can stretch the Eagles’ competition in more ways than one. He also has a solid QB throwing him the ball in Donovan McNabb. But due to his size and weight, he doesn’t project well as a No. 1 NFL receiver.

The better outlook in the near future for Jackson will be in the return game and on third-down situations. Once Jackson gains weight and NFL experience, he might be able to become a number two receiver. However, in 2008, he will probably be nothing more than a return specialist, which gives him no fantasy value.
 

2. Mario Manningham—He was drafted by the New York Giants at pick 32 in round three. He is someone that will have a chip on his shoulder for an off-field issue that may have cost him a first-round selection. His problem for production in his rookie year is two-fold.

First, the Giants are extremely committed to the running game. The Giants finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards in 2007, and figure to stay committed to the running game with their host of quality backs.

Secondly, he will be competing with Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Steve Smith, and David Tyree for playing time at wide receiver, and for touches from tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Kevin Boss. The key is if Toomer became injured and Mannigham impresses in camp, he could become a second, or more likely, third receiver that could put up some numbers.

Playing alongside Plaxico Burress will help Mario draw a lot of single coverage. Those are too many ifs to draft him in your fantasy draft, but be mindful of him on the waiver wire, should circumstances change.
 

3. Malcolm Kelly—drafted by the Washington Redskins at pick No. 20 in the second round, he could be great, given that the Redskins need to shore up their WR position. His size at 6”3” 224 lbs. makes him ideal for a No. 1 receiver, but he has some off-field issues. This is the guy that blamed the University of Oklahoma’s facilities for his slow 40-yard dash time, something that did not impress NFL Front Offices.

He is going to need to compete with Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El, and fellow rookie Devin Thomas for playing time. He will also have to compete with Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley for touchdowns. There are questions at quarterback, and their ability to excel in the West-Coast Offense. With a lot of questions, this is a candidate to keep your eye on in the waiver wire.
 

4. Dexter Jackson—This was an interesting pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at pick No. 27 in round two. Buccaneer receivers, other than Joey Galloway, have not fared well in recent years. Michael Clayton was a 1,000-yard receiver as a rookie and nonexistent ever since.

This offense is not explosive enough to play their second and third receivers. Like DeSean Jackson, he has the speed and route-running ability to be dangerous, but like DeSean, his NFL size at 5’9” 182 places some question around his ability to be a No. 1 receiver. He is a potential return specialist with no fantasy value in 2008.

5. Earl Bennett—He was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the seventh pick in round three. He may get some looks as a return man so that Devin Hester can spend more time at WR. We highly doubt that the Bears will sit arguably the best returner in NFL history to play a position that he has not shown he can excel at.

Bennett has decent size to be a No. 3 slot receiver when necessary, with return capabilities. While the receiving situation and lack of starters with NFL experience makes him intriguing, the quarterback situation does not. Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman are a disappointing pair. He should be thrilled if he becomes waiver-wire worthy by the end of the season.

Doug Troxtell is a Fantasy Football columnist at Fantasy Football Maniaxs.com