Fantasy Football: Wide-Receiver Rankings

1. Randy Moss: As long as Tom Brady is throwing him the football, Moss has a chance to make plays. We didn’t see him take plays off last year, as was the case in the past. He can beat double teams and is too tall to be guarded by most corners. He’ll be tops again. Prediction: 1,300 yds/14 TD/90 receptions
2. Terrell Owens: Makes as many plays as Moss, but is inconsistent in his play. He’ll end up with near the same numbers in yards, but fewer touchdowns than Moss. Prediction: 1,300/10/110
3. Braylon Edwards: You'll get some debate in this No. 3 spot, but Edwards proved he was ready for the big time last year. The issue is his quarterback. He’ll need Derek Anderson to repeat his performance. Increased attention won’t be the issue because Edwards was already seeing that. Prediction: 1,200/9/95
4. Larry Fitzgerald: I like his emergence last season, and I like the fact that Arizona looks like they will stick with Leinart (until he’s caught in the pool with more young girls). Fitzgerald has receivers opposite him what will take the heat off. I don’t think the healthy receiving corps will limit his production at all. Prediction: 1,150/8/85.
5. Reggie Wayne: Wayne is still a top-tier receiver, but the potential return and/or loss of Marvin Harrison looms over his head. Add to that, he’s only as good as the quarterback under center. Manning’s knee is a key variable in this situation. Jim Sorgi is not going to present the same demeanor in the pocket. I dropped him from the three spot because of those concerns. Prediction: 1,200/8/75
6. Andre Johnson: His return to health will be the key for the Texans' offense. I think he’ll rebound, but just not as much as he potentially could. We don’t trust the way the offense is run in Houston. Johnson tends to be a receiver we just avoid for that reason. Prediction: 1,100/9/80
7. T.J. Houshmandzadeh: It doesn’t seem to matter who lines up on the other side, T.J. is going to put up numbers. Even without Chris Henry, the Bengals added a talented rookie in Andre Caldwell, who should be a nice addition as a slot receiver that can open things up for both T.J. and Ocho-Cinco. Prediction: 1,200/7/90
8. Marques Colston: His health was a concern early in the year because of the ankle. He lost half of one of the best running-back duos in the NFL, he wasn’t going to surprise anyone, and he STILL put up huge numbers. It can only get better. Plus, he’s in that mythical third-year as a wide receiver. Prediction: 1,200/9/75.
9. Steve Smith: A healthy Jake Delhomme will be the difference here. We’ve seen Smith’s production take a hit though. Keep in mind his health concerns. He’s missed at least one game the last two seasons, and hamstring issues plagued him in 2006. He’s elite, but not as elite as he once was. Prediction: 1,100/7/85
10. Plaxico Burress: He has a whole offseason to get healthy, a quarterback coming into his own, and, hopefully, a new contract. Burress doesn’t take plays off. Yes, he can be fragile, but he’s one of the best in the game at going up and getting passes. Prediction: 1,250/8/70

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