NFL Fantasy Football 2011: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Questions

I've been participating in the Fantasy Football Trader's fantasy football roundtable. The two most recent topics have been wide receiver related.

The first question was fairly easy. What top 15 wide receiver is poised for a fall?

My response: 
I’m sorry, but I’m not a believer in Brandon Lloyd next year. He was one of the best stories in the league last year, when he caught 77 passes for a league-high 1448 yards and 11 touchdowns. Josh McDaniels is gone and John Fox isn’t going to be nearly as pass happy.

Lloyd already started to show signs of slowing last year. He averaged 68.6 yards in Denver’s last seven games last year after posting a 107.6 average through the first nine games. Lloyd totaled 2370 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first seven seasons, so I have every right to be a skeptic.

Another factor is Demaryius Thomas’ eventual return. While he’ll likely miss the first half of the year, he should be in the mix for targets down the stretch. Eddie Royal and Eric Decker will also compete for looks.

Plus, let’s not forget Fox’s penchant for running the football. The Panthers, even when they were struggling, were always one of the top running teams in the league. Knowshon Moreno should get plenty of looks.

There just seems to be too many factors that aren’t in Lloyd’s favor. I hope he proves me wrong because I’d love to see that Cinderella story continue, but in terms of being a fantasy stud WR I think his carriage turns back into a pumpkin in 2011.

The next question was a bit trickier. Do you prefer Dez Bryant or Kenny Britt this year? Why?

My response:
This is a tough one. Both receivers are extremely capable. Both come with some baggage. Things had been quiet in Britt’s camp though, while Dez Bryant just can’t seem to make a right decision. Britt seems to have Dez trumped in the maturity department. That was until he got arrested after trying to elude police. Bryant’s incidents aren’t nearly on the level as this one.

So that makes Bryant a slam dunk? It certainly helps. Plus, Britt has major quarterback concerns heading into this year. We know Vince Young won’t be throwing him the football, but who will? While that is an uncertainty, we know that Dez will be catching passes from Tony Romo. Even if Tennessee walks away from the 2011 NFL Draft with Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton, which is unlikely, or adds a veteran quarterback via a trade or free agency, Bryant will still be operating with a superior quarterback.

So now Bryant is the obvious choice? Not so fast. Dez has to share with Jason Witten, Miles Austin, the running game and possibly Roy WIlliams. Britt has to share with Chris Johnson and average-at-best receivers. Of course, that allows Britt to be double-teamed.

Is your head spinning? Mine is too. Britt pretty much scored in every game he played, but only topped 50 yards in five games. Bryant topped 50 yards seven times, but four of those totals were 50 or better.

Britt is in his third season and Bryant is in his second. It’s close, but I’ll give Bryant the slight edge based on Britt’s recent arrest, though both are high risk/high reward options.


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