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15 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers for 2013
1.
Calvin Johnson DET - Detroit Lions,
Bye: Week 5
2. Larry Fitzgerald ARI - Arizona Cardinals,
Bye: Week 10
3. Roddy White ATL - Atlanta Falcons,
Bye: Week 7
4. Andre Johnson HOU - Houston Texans,
Bye: Week 8
5. Steve Smith CAR - Carolina Panthers, Bye: Week 6
6. AJ Green CIN - Cinsinnati Bengals, Bye: Week 8
7. Wes Welker NE - New England Patriots, Bye: Week 9
8. Jordy Nelson GB - Green Bay Packers, Bye: Week 10
9. Victor Cruz NYG - New York Giants, Bye: Week 11
10. Brandon Marshall CHI - Chicago Bears, Bye : Week 6
11. Dwayne Bowe KC - Kansas City Chiefs,
Bye: Week 7
12. Mike Wallace PIT - Pittsburgh Steelers,
Bye: Week 4
13. Greg Jennings GB - Green Bay Packers,
Bye: Week 10
14. Marques Colston NO - New Orleans Saints,
Bye: Week 6
15. Hakeem Nicks NYG - New York Giants,
Bye: Week 11

Second Tier
Starter with Upside: Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins
After the premiere pass catchers
are off the board, shrewd draftniks are looking to that second
tier of wide receivers to find one that can produce like at an
elite level. Last year in Indianapolis, Garcon began to overtake
Reggie Wayne as the goto guy in the Colts offense. Garcon is
slightly undersized but his speed and route running ability
after years of working with Peyton Manning will make him an
ideal target for rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. RGII is
expected to have a year similar to Cam Newton’s 2011 campaign
and Pierre Garcon with be the primary benefactor.
Sure to
Disappoint: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
Dawyne Bowe is a supremely gifted
athlete with a work ethic problem. Over the course of his five
year career in Kansas City he has shown flashes of brilliance,
but they that were marred by periods of indifference. Bowe is
entering the last year of his six year deal with Kansas City and
the Chiefs have ignored his demands for a multiyear contract.
Many believe that they’ve grown tired of Bowe and expect that
this will be his last season in a Chiefs uniform. I would
devalue Dwayne Bowe on my draft boards at this time. Second year
man Johnathan Baldwin is looking for his opportunity to shine.
Next great
Fantasy Pass Catcher: Brian Quick, St. Louis Rams
Drafted out of Appalachian State
in April’s 2012 NFL draft, this unheralded rookie has the
opportunity to grow with Sam Bradford into one of the league’s
elite TD combinations. His rare combination of size and speed
allowed the St. Louis Rams to pass on their top-rated WR
prospect, Justin Blackmon, in order to take Quick with the first
pick of the third round. The Rams will be playing from behind in
a lot of games and Sam Bradford is desperate for a goto guy.
What I said in 2011 ...
Premiere Pass Catcher :
Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
In
2010, Roddy White dominated NFL defenses unlike any other player
at his position posting 10 TD's on 115 receptions for 1389
yards. Fighting through double teams and reeling in passes
from strong armed sophmore quarterback Matt Ryan, the future
looks bright for the Atlanta Falcons. By adding rookie
wide out Julio Jones, the Falcons boast one of the best one-two
tandens at the wode receiver position in the league. Jones
will help open up the field for White who will post another
exceptional year for fantasy owners.
Most Overrated Wide Receiver: Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens brought in the former #2 Arizona Cardinals receiver
to help spark this Joe Flacco led offense. Boldin is a
physical presence at the wide receiver position, with excellent
run-after-catch ability, but Joe Flacco continues to look Derek
Mason's way as he spreads the ball around in this dink-and-dunk
west coast offense. Although Boldin's pro game works for
the Ravens, it simply doesn't translate to fantasy gold for
owners looking to draft a solid number one. Furthermore,
Boldin doesn't get into the end zone enough to be an elite
option.
What I said in 2010 ...
Premiere Pass Catcher :
Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
As
predicted last year, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub picked up
when they left off the year before. With 101 receptions,
1569 yards, and nine touchdowns in 2009, Andre Johnson has
proven his worth as an elite pass catcher in the National
Football League. He has prototypical size and speed
with exceptional run after catch (RAC) ability. Johnson
will continue to outrun defenses in 2010
Most Overrated Wide Receiver: Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Hines
Ward has been too old to be an elite wide receiver for the last
three years, but every year he steps up and performs admirably.
Not in 2010. Ward will unfortunately be infected by
several factors that are out of his control. With the
suspension of Ben Roethlisberger for six games, the Pittsburgh
Steelers will resume playing Pittsburgh Steeler football,
winning games with defense and a strong ground attack.
This emphasis on the run game coupled with his age will take its
toll on his 2010 numbers.
2010 Fantasy Sleeper: Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans
I
liked Kenny Britt as a rookie last year. He was going to a
team in Tennessee that desperately needed wide receiver help and
he just seemed to have a knack for being around the football and
making plays. Over the course of the 2009 season, he
seemed to grow into his role in the Titans passing offense.
I expect him to become Vince Young's primary target this year
and pay big dividends to fantasy owners that select him in the
later rounds.
Sure to
Disappoint:
TJ Houshmanzadeh, Seattle Seahawks
Housmandzadeh is a #2 receiver. There's no getting around
that. For the 2010 NFL season I expect that he'll continue
to put up very average numbers and that's just not good enough in
fantasy football. Coupled with the fact that Matt Hasselbeck
is an aging quarterback that's entering the twilight of his
career, you're looking at a recipe for disaster.
I won't be drafting this guy early.
The Next Great
Fantasy WR: Mike Williams,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike
Williams has been a pleasant surprise at Bucs training camp this
year. Coaches rave about his work ethic and raw talent.
With second round pick Arrelious Benn underperforming and not
much on the Bucs roster at the wide receiver position, Williams
sits alone at the top of the depth chart. This situation
screams sleeper. Williams is a guy you can grab late in
the draft who will perform at a high level by midseason.
What I said in 2009 ...
Premiere Pass Catcher :
Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
With
115 receptions, 1575 yards and 8 touchdowns on 2008, Andre
Johnson's time has come. If Matt Schaub can stay healthy
this year, considering the emergnce of a solid ground game with
Steve Slaton, I expect the most dominant receiver of 2008 to
maintain his crown.
Most Overrated Wide Receiver: TJ Houshmanzadeh, Seattle Seahawks
I
just have a problem taking a #2 wide receiver and trying to make
him a #1. Housh served as an exceptional compliment to
Chad OchoCinco all those years in Cincinnati, but unfortunately
he is just that, a complimentary #2 receiver. Now in
Seattle, with an aging Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback and a weak
looking ground game I just don't see much success in Seatle for
Housh.
2009 Fantasy Sleeper: DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
I
know I called hiim out an my fantasy sleeper last year, but I
gotta tell you I like what Philadelphia has be doing with their
offense this offseason and I honestly believe that DeSean
Jackson is in a position become a large beneficiary of most of
these changes. Trading for Left Tackle Jason Peters from
Buffalo, drafting Jeremy Maclin and LeShonn McCoy, bringing in
Michael Vick. The Eagles are posturing for a Super Bowl
birth and Jackson's speed and ability to get deep will offer
Donovan McNabb lots of opportunities to air it out.
Sure to Disappoint:
Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Call
me a hater, but I just don't have a whole lot of confidence in
Antonio Bryant. True he had an exceptional breakout year
last year in Tampa forcing the Bucs to place their franchise tag
on him, but this is the same Antonio Bryant that underperformed
in Dallas, Cleveland and San Francisco before landing in Tampa.
I wish him the best, but I don't expect 2009 to be too kind.
The Next Great
Fantasy WR: Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants
I
really like the situation that Hakeem Nicks finds himself in in
New York. With Plaxico Burress serving a prision sentence
for gun possession, the New York Giants receiving corps is
looking for a leader to step up and become a number one
receiver. Given time Hakeem Nicks can be that guy.
What I said in 2008 ...
Premiere Pass Catcher : Randy Moss, New England Patriots
Do you know what made Jerry Rice the most prolific receiver to ever
play the game of Football? Joe Montana, Steve Young, and the West
Coast offense. Talent in the National Football league can only take
you so far. To excel, to be considered the GOAT, you need to be in
an offensive system that makes the most of your talents. That is
what Randy Moss has in New England with Tom Brady. At 31 years old,
Randy Moss is in the prime of his career. He's lighting quick, runs
superior routes, catches everything that's thrown in his direction,
and he has the best quarterback in football to get him the damn
ball. You do the math.
Most Overrated Wide Receiver: Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills
It pains me to say this, being the avid Bills fans that I am, and
it's not a knock on Lee Evans but rather on the entire Buffalo Bills
offense, but Lee Evans is the most over-rated wide receiver in
fantasy football. The Bills can't seem to put it all together, they
have a speedster in Evans that catches everything thrown his way,
but can't find a quarterback who can get this guy the ball. Over the
years, Evans has had opportunities to flash his rare ability, but
when the quarterback carousel in Buffalo stops spinning (Bledsoe,
Holcolm, Losman, Edwards), then maybe he can be a star.
2008 Fantasy Sleeper: DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
This speedster rookie wide out is stepping into a great situation in
Philadelphia. Donovan McNabb again finds himself without a go
to guy at the wide receiver position and I think Jackson could be
the answer here. With McNabb's big arm, considering aging
offensive weapons like Brian Westbrook and LJ Smith, turning to some
youth in Philly is exactly what the doctor ordered. I also
think that as a fantasy option, DeSean Jackson will be available
very late in most drafts and that he'll be extremely productive as a
number three receiver that will start on your fantasy team.
Sure to Disappoint: Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos
This guy
is a train wreck waiting to happen. In addition to his frequent run
ins with the law during the entire offseason, Marshall is also
recovering from a serious arm injury that resulted in a severed
artery, vein, and tendons to five muscles, along with a damaged
nerve in his forearm when he put his arm through a TV screen.
Marshall is entering his fantasy-significant 3rd year at a wide
receiver position on the heels of a sophomore season in which he
totaled 1325 yards and seven scores. Although primed for a breakout
season, he will be suspended three games by the league for violating
Roger Goodell's new personal conduct policy. Based on his track
record, I have serious doubts that he will be able to stay out of
trouble long enough to start a significant number of games for the
2008 fantasy football season. I would avoid at all costs and let
Brandon Marshall become someone else's problem.
The Next Great
Fantasy WR: Dwayne Bowe
At 6'2", 221 lbs, with blazing speed and great hands, Dwayne Bowe is
every bit the franchise receiver that the Kansas City Chiefs
franchise has been searching for. The former LSU standout posted 995
yards and 5 touchdowns as a contender for the rookie of the year
award that was given to Adrian Peterson in 2007. Bowe is on a Kansas
City chiefs team that will be playing from behind in several games
this season. If he gets reasonable play at the Quarterback position
from either Brodie Croyle or Damon Huard, Bowe could have a
breakthrough sophomore campaign in 2008.
What I said in 2007 ...
Premiere Pass Catcher : Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Colts
The venerable Marvin Harrison, like a fine wine, only seems to get
better with age. He is locked in as Peyton Manning's primary
target in the most prolific offense in the National Football League.
Marvin can do it all. He can get the crucial first down to
keep a drive alive, make the circus catch on the sideline, and get
in the endzone when the Colts are looking to pad their lead.
Marvin Harrison is a consummate professional and for this reason my
pick as the Premiere Pass Catcher or 2007.
Most
Overrated Wide Receiver: Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
This selection is not a knock on Steve Smith. Rather it is a
function of the group that surrounds Steve Smith. Steve's
skill level unquestionably puts him in the top ten among wide
receivers, but the questions that surround his quarterback, Jake
Delhomme, as a capable starter for the Carolina Panthers cause me to
call Steve Smith overrated. Unless David Carr brings something
to the table under center, I have little confidence that the
Carolina Panthers will be able to get the ball to Steve Smith with
regularity.
2007
Fantasy Sleeper: Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers
Vincent Jackson is entering his third year in the National
Football league. The third year is widely regarded as a
breakout year for wide receivers. By the third year, the game
begins to slow down and wide receivers become acclimated to the
complexities of the NFL game. Vincent Jackson is on a team in
desperate need of a wide receiver that can stretch the field and is
working with a quarterback that is comfortable in the offense
himself. The strong rushing attack of LaDanian Tomlinson
coupled with the attention that Antonio Gates will receive will help
Jackson find open space as teams look to stop the run.
Sure to
Disappoint: Santana Moss, Washington Redskins
Since
his arrival in Washington, Santana Moss has yet to put together a
complete season. If you look his fantasy stats they appear
solid, but Santana Moss is a very streaky receiver. The bulk
of his touchdowns and yardage points come in bundles sporadically
over the coarse of the season. If you're fortunate enough to
start him on one of his few hot weeks, fantasy owners are well
rewarded, but starting him on an off week will yield single digit
fantasy points or the big "oh-fer". If you're stuck with
Santana Moss, wait for a solid performance and trade him.
The Next
Great Fantasy WR: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Calvin
Johnson finds himself in a great situation in Detroit. With
mad scientist Mike Martz at the helm, Detroit is sure to have an
explosive offense and Johnson will certainly be a big part of that.
His size, speed and physical attributes will serve him well in the
NFL. Working across from Roy Williams and having Mike Furrey
in the slot, will allow John Kitna to find Calvin Johnson several
times this season. I would look for Jonson to have a solid
year in 2007, but really explode in 2008.

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