Fantasy Football 2008: Wide Receiver Recap (The Good)

At the end of every fantasy football season, we like to go back and recap how the players at each fantasy position fared. And as with every season, there’s always the good, the bad and, of the course, the downright ugly at each and every position.

In this third installment of our "The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly" series, we’ll take a look at the GOOD wide receiversthis season. One thing you'll notice when looking through this list, a lot of the big name wide receivers failed to make the grade as fantasy football elite in 2008.

Remember, these players are wideouts who either lived up to the hype or exceeded expectations throughout the NFL season.

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1. Lance Moore (New Orleans Saints)

Each season there are a handful of unknown NFL players who put together solid fantasy seasons, but if you told the Bruno Boys back in August that Moore would be this good we would have laughed at you.

Entering the season with just 33 receptions in two seasons, Moore didn't even make the cut as a top 60 wide receiver in our preseason cheat sheets, but when it was all said and done he finished ranked 14th at the wide out position.

With Saints quarterback Drew Brees throwing for over 5,000 yards, Moore was given plenty of chances to shine and he put together 79 receptions for 928 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Overall, his 144 fantasy points (nine points per game) made Moore a reliable WR2 and  the positions biggest surprise in 2008. 

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2. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions)

Last year, even with the Detroit Lionsquarterback position being a revolving door  of nobody's, Johnson still managed 196 fantasy points, thanks to 1,331 receiving yards and 12 receiving TDs. Just think what he could do with some stability under center.

What made "Megatron" great was his consistency, as the second year receiver scored a touchdown in 10 different games and had at least six fantasy points in all but two games.

When it was all said and done, Johnson trailed only Larry Fitzgeraldand Andre Johnson in points at the wide-receiver position and he more than exceeded expectations, as we pegged him as a WR2 entering 2008.

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3. Antonio Bryant (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The scouting report on Bryant has always looked something like this; big time talent with a brain that rivals the size of a sunflower seed. After multiple off-the-field incidents forced him to miss the 2007 season, Bryant signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a Week Seven victory over the Seattle Seahawks put him on the fantasy map.

He had 115 receiving yards to go along with a touchdown in that game and that was the confidence he needed to put together a remarkable second half of the season. Over the seasons final two months (November & December) Bryant had 46 receptions for 797 receiving yards and six touchdowns. 

In December alone, Bryant scored the most fantasy points at the position, as he had 512 receiving yards and four TD's in just four games. Overall, Bryant ranked as the eighth best WR in terms of fantasy points, and he went from undrafted in fantasy drafts to a top tier wideout. 

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Fantasy Football 2008: Wide Receiver Recap (The Good)