Can Brandon Lloyd Be a Top 15 Fantasy Receiver Again?

Brandon Lloyd’s Mock Draft Central ADP puts him at 15. Yahoo has him at 16. Those rankings are absurd considering he led the NFL with 1,448 receiving yards last year. Lloyd was also tied for fourth with 11 touchdowns. He was the highest scoring receiver in non-PPR leagues.

There are reasons for the low rankings though. For starters, Lloyd averaged 338.6 receiving yards over his first seven seasons. His high mark prior to last year was just 733 yards. He had 15 touchdowns before last year, with a high of six. If it were his magical third year in the league, the skepticism would be minimal, but a player that breaks out at 29 has to raise a few questions.

Especially a player that saw his pass-happy coach (Josh McDaniels) given the boot and run-first/defensive-minded John Fox taking over. One of the Broncos’ priorities will be adding a running back once free agency hits. If that runner is DeAngelo Williams, coupled with Knowshon Moreno and running quarterback Tim Tebow, the passing game is sure to take a back seat to the ground attack.

Plus, Lloyd didn’t exactly finish the season strong averaging 68.6 yards in Denver’s last seven games last year after posting a 107.6 average through the first nine games.

However, Lloyd did play well with Tim Tebow. He caught four passes for 79 yards and a score in Week 15 against the Raiders. He followed that up with five catches for 11 yards against the hapless Texans secondary. He finished the year off with five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers.

That strong finish keeps him 25 though. I think he’s a decent WR2, but I won’t be willing to make him a top 15 fantasy wide receiver pick. Not with those question marks.

What’s your take on Brandon Lloyd?

Also check out:

2011 Early Fantasy Football QB Rankings

2011 Early Fantasy Football RB Rankings

2011 Early Fantasy Football WR Rankings

2011 Early Fantasy Football TE Rankings