Fantasy Football Brothers WR Ranks

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The NFL has developed into a pass-happy league. With the playbooks opening up, and the offenses spreading out, Wide Receivers have leap-frogged running backs as the staple of fantasy success. The elite top runners kick off the first round in most formats (Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, and Frank Gore), but past that, WRs have infiltrated the bottom half of the first round and dominate the second. Recent ADP (Average Draft Position) trends have Andre Johnson, Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne as first rounders in standard scoring/12 team formats. 6 out of 12 second round spots are going to pass-catchers. That’s more than any other position. 

We’ll continue to keep an eye on the injuries. Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson and Hakeem Nicks enter 2010 with high expectations. None of their camp ailments appear serious. We’re not worried about Steve Smith’s (CAR) broken arm, but Antonio Bryant’s lingering knee issues, and Demaryius Thomas’ re-aggravation of  his foot injury warrant continued monitoring. The Vikings have both their starting wide-outs on the sidelines. Percy Harvin’s continued battle with migraines is concerning. Sidney Rice’s lingering hip discomfort has kept him out of all team activities. No wonder Favre did not want to commit to another season yet. On another note, Patriot Wes Welker is well ahead of schedule and is looking more and more likely to be ready for Week 1, after playing a few snaps Thursday against the Falcons. If that’s the case, his name will quickly climb these ranks. Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes, Anquan Boldin and Terrell Owens all find themselves in new cities. Despite baggage and injury concerns, all should improve their new teams. The Cream of the Crop is thin, but the middle tiers are fairly deep. Let’s take a look at the Brotherhood’s Top 10 WRs heading into the 2010 season:

1. Andre Johnson

1) Andre Johnson – HOU – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
2	12	0	102	1548	11

He’s caught over 100 passes in three out of the past four years. He’s had back-to-back 1,500 yard seasons. He’s averaged over 97 yards per game over the past three years and has averaged 7 catches per game over the past two. QB Matt Schaub is rising in the ranks. With the return of TE Owen Daniels and the anticipated emergence of WR Jacoby Jones, Johnson could find himself with his best supporting cast yet. The run game was non existent in 09, but look for second year man RB Arian Foster to step it up and provide the offense with better balance. Johnson will once again cross the century mark in catches and should post double-digit scores. He’s the definitive No. 1. No contest!

2. Randy Moss

2) Randy Moss – NEP – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
3	17	0	89	1310	11

Moss has scored 47 touchdowns in his three years in New England. No one is even close to that touchdown total over that time span. This will be Moss’ curtain call as a Patriot. Expect to see the future Hall-Of-Famer in a different uniform next season. He’s playing to get paid, and he’s not the only one. QB Tom Brady is playing for a new contract as well. WR Wes Welker appears to be way ahead of schedule to re-take the field. If Welker misses any time, Moss will see a rise in targets. All signs are pointing towards another successful year for No. 81.

3. Brandon Marshall

3) Brandon Marshall – MIA – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
1	8	0	104	1287	11

Character Concerns? – Yes. New Team? – Yes. Young Quarterback? – Yes… Do we care? – NO! He’s carried baggage throughout his entire career, yet year after year all he does is produce. Three straight 100 catch seasons. Marshall comes to play on Sundays. Nervous about QB Chad Henne? Don’t be. Marshall has yet to play with an elite quarterback and has been just fine. He’ll change the entire field for the Miami offense. Look for the Dolphins to switch to a more traditional style of aerial attack. He’ll compete for the reception title and should post double-digit touchdowns. Coach Sparano and Bill Parcells are strong enough personnel people to keep Marshall’s attitude in check. We’re not worried about his off-season hip surgery. We expect him to be good to go for camp. Hopefully the concerns listed above are enough to let him slip in your league. Draft him without hesitancy.

4. Miles Austin

4) Miles Austin – DAL – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
3	21	0	88	1337	10

Austin at No. 4? Absolutely! We probably have the guy ranked higher than anybody else, but here’s why: He pulled down 81 catches for 1,320 yards and 11 scores last season. He averaged over 82 yards per game and over 16 yards per catch. Legit season totals, but he did all this while only starting 12 games…. 12 Games! I promise you, if he had been the starter from week 1, he would have surpassed all of Andre Johnson’s totals and would be competing for the 1 spot atop this list. He’s got the height at 6’3′ and is pushing 220lbs. He has the speed and athleticism to be the best. He’ll reward in TD formats and should have no problem pulling down double digit scores TE Jason Witten will keep safeties from rolling coverage, and Dez Bryant should provide a better wing-man than WR Roy Williams. QB Tony Romo will take the next step. Austin should be high on your target list come draft day. Rumors out of camp is that he’s lining up in the slot when Dallas goes 3 wide…. Is your mouth watering like mine? Dez Bryant’s emergence could cut into Austin’s dynasty value, but in 2010 the sky is the limit.

5. Reggie Wayne

5) Reggie Wayne – IND – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
0	0	0	95	1318	9

Wayne will continue to lead Indy in all receiving stats, but there are only so many targets that can go around. WRs Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie proved they could produce well beyond their experience level. The return of WR Anthony Gonzalez only figures to further divvy up the target numbers. Add TE Dallas Clark’s 100 reception season and two effective pass-catching running backs, and one can see how QB Peyton Manning’s eyes can wander. His consistency and experience makes it tempting to place him higher, but those slotted above have more upside. That being said, he’s as safe as they come and should still finish in the Top-10.

6. Roddy White

6) Roddy White – ATL – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
0	0	0	94	1305	9

Roddy White is in for a season. Last year, he still posted top 10 caliber stats despite the entire Falcon offense slumping. He scored a career best 11 touchdowns, and is coming off his third straight 80-plus catch season. With QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner back in top form, look for White to post some serious numbers in 2010. 90 catches, 1,300 yards and double-digit scores are well within reach. We expect Atlanta to remain a run-first offense behind Turner, but TE Tony Gonzalez is the only one currently contending with White for aerial attention. Matt Ryan should bounce back from a mini sophomore slump and will show growth in his third year. White will once again be one of the most heavily targeted WRs in the game.

7. Larry Fitzgerald

7) Larry Fitzgerald – ARI – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
0	0	0	90	1191	11

There is nothing that this man cannot do. There is no route that he can’t run. No pass he can’t catch. That being said, Fitz takes a hit with QB Kurt Warner heading off into the sunset. Opposing defensive coordinators did well in keeping Fitz from hurting them deep. With QB Matt Leinart under-center, look for coach Wisenhunt to revert back to his Steeler days and implement a smash-mouth running attack behind rising star RB Beanie Wells. There is no denying Fitz’s talent, but there are too many question marks in Zona to place him much higher

8. Calvin Johnson

8) Calvin Johnson – DET – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
6	50	0	81	1251	9

Megatron may be the most naturally gifted player on this list, but injuries and playing for the talent-deprived Lions has kept him from reaching his full potential. Detroit has worked hard to surround second-year QB Matt Stafford with better skill position players. The additions of RB Jahvid Best, TE Tony Sheffler and WR Nate Burleson, along with the maturation of second year TE Brandon Pettigrew, should relieve some of the over-reliance on Johnson. Megatron is unstoppable in single coverage. With the team’s added weapons he may actually see some one-on-one coverage for the first time in his career. If he can stay healthy, Optimus Prime (Texan’s WR Andre Johnson) could be unseated atop this list, and Megatron could transform into the leagues most dominating wide-out.

9. DeSean Jackson

9) DeSean Jackson – PHI – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
19	142	1	64	1089	9

Jackson has quickly become the face of the Eagles’ franchise. He’s simply unstoppable. Once thought to be too slight to make in the NFL, DJack has proven his critics wrong. He’s a fan of QB Kevin Kolb and has been vocal about it. Look for Kolb to return the favor with plenty of deep targets. In Kolb’s two starts last season, DJack pulled down 10 catches for 250 yards and two scores. We don’t see him missing former Eagle QB Donovan McNabb much. His realistic catch total is in the high-sixty range, but his huge yards per catch and multiple visits to the endzone should keep his fantasy points in contention with some of the reception machines atop this board. Head Coach Andy Reid will look to keep his prized possession healthy. WR Jeremy Maclin displays a similar, yet more subtle array of talents. We expect Maclin to be more involved in kickoffs and DeSean to remain the team’s primary punt returner. Although he doesn’t pull double duties in the kicking game, in return heavy leagues – bump DeSean to the top of the board. Maclin will mature in his second season and TE Brent Celek will prove that he is no one year wonder. We like RB LeSean McCoy, but he does not appear to be a true between-the-tackles runner. Philly will remain a true west coast offense and always taking a pass-first approach. Opposing defenses will be spread thin in attempts to keep up with the youngest and fastest team in the NFL. DJack has already made the leap, but you know what they say about third year receivers…

10. Greg Jennings

10) Greg Jennings – GRE – WR

RUSH ATT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
1	5	0	80	1220	8

Jennings is the best buy low candidate on the board. QB Aaron Rodgers is the future of the quarterback position and should have the Green Bay passing game firing on all cylinders. This will be the year that Father Time finally catches up to WR Donald Driver. Jennings will step up as Rodgers primary target. Rodgers-to-Jennings will be a fantasy dream for years to come. This is the cheapest that you’ll ever be able to get him. Draft the man! The offensive line has been strengthened. How OT Bryan Bulaga fell all the way down to the Pack is a mystery to me, but it allowed the team to focus on it’s biggest need. Despite lacking elite speed, Jennings is one of the better big-play/deep threats in the game. His sub-par stats were believed to be due to the O-Line’s ineffectiveness in buying Rodgers time to throw the ball down field. As the year progressed, protection improved, and Jennings stats increased. After a sub-par 09 campaign, look for Jennings to finally overtake Donald Driver as Rodgers go-to-guy and retake his claim in fantasy relevance.

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