Fantasy Football 2012: Hakeem Nicks vs. Victor Cruz

This is the third in a series of columns that will break down fantasy production and value from teammates who play the same position.

Next up are New York Giants WRs Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.

Here are their fantasy stats from 2011:

                                        REC                       YDS            TD          TAR            PTS

Victor Cruz                       82                       1536              9            131            198           

Hakeem Nicks                  76                       1192              7            133            154

Cruz had a slight edge over Nicks in 2011’s regular season. He finished in the Top 10 in every major receiving category. In fantasy, he was the No. 4 scoring WR. Nicks was No. 12 overall.

Breaking down Cruz's production, he had 25 receptions of 20-plus yards, tied for third-most in the league. Five of those receptions were for 68 yards or more. Cruz has great big-play ability and breakaway speed, but it also seems unlikely that he will be able to match the production gained from those big plays on a consistent basis (think DeSean Jackson).

At the beginning of the season, it was expected that WR Mario Manningham would take a larger role with the Giants. However, Cruz’s big game in place of an injured Manningham in Week 3 changed everything. Cruz caught three balls for 110 yards and two TDs.

Now Manningham, a free agent, might not even be back in 2012.    

While Cruz seemingly came out of nowhere to star in 2011, Nicks was coming off a breakout sophomore season in 2010. He had his first 1,000-yard season and caught 11 TDs, finishing as the No. 7 fantasy WR.

In 2011, he showed he was a big-time receiver once again, cracking 1,000 receiving yards for the second-straight season before going on an absolute tear in the postseason.

Here are their 2011 postseason stats:            

                                         REC                      YDS          TD            TAR           

Victor Cruz                        21                       269            1               31

Hakeem Nicks                   28                       444            4               43

Nicks took over as the clear No. 1 threat in the postseason, and was a huge key in the Giants’ Super Bowl run and eventual win.

Nicks was No. 1 among all playoff receivers and TEs in receptions, yards and targets. He was tied for first in TDs with 49ers TE Vernon Davis. Nicks also caught the most postseason passes that resulted in first downs (19).

Looking to next year, the Giants' top two WRs from 2011 should continue their recent success. Both Nicks and Cruz made the cut for the projected 15 Best WRs in 2012.

Part of their success is due to the continued growth of QB Eli Manning who, like Nicks, took his statistical production to new heights in the postseason.

Nicks (24) is the younger of the two by a little over a year. Thus, he made the cut for the 15 Best NFLers Under 25 as well.

But despite being younger, Nicks has the advantage in experience. Cruz had not caught a pass in the NFL until this past season.

Two consecutive years in the Top 12 for WR scoring and an edge in targets in both the regular season and postseason give Nicks a slight edge in expected production for 2012.

As for value, it’s too close to call. Nicks is more likely to be drafted first because of the reasons stated. Specifically, it is the larger body of work to evaluate and his superb production in the postseason.

Cruz will not last much longer after Nicks is drafted. His production will still be good and will rival the stats of top WRs from most other teams. If he can accumulate 1,000-plus yards and seven-plus TDs, he should have a similar draft-value to that of the higher-rated Nicks.

Final Verdict

Better Production: Hakeem Nicks

Better Value: Push

Other Position Matchups in the Series

Roddy White vs. Julio Jones

Felix Jones vs. DeMarco Murray