Fantasy Quick Draw: Top 15 Wide Receivers

In the spirit of fantasy football season, here is an article I wrote for Digital Sports Daily last week, which can also be found here.

Here are the Top Fifteen wide receivers to target in your upcoming Fantasy draft.  Statistics and points rankings are courtesy of ESPN.com, and are consistent with the scoring settings kept in ESPN standard leagues.

15. Vincent Jackson (SD)

2009 Stats: 68 receptions ; 1,167 receiving yards ; 9 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 9^th

DSD Spin: Jackson will miss at least a quarter of this season.  However, if you’re in a position to field a good starting squad and still snag him later in your draft as a gamble, it could pay off big time.

14. Sidney Rice (MIN)

2009 Stats: 83 receptions ; 1,312 receiving yards ; 8 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 8^th

DSD Spin: See Favre, Brett.

13. Anquan Boldin (BAL)

2009 Stats: 84 receptions ; 1,024 receiving yards ; 5 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 24^th

DSD Spin:  After an off-season trade, Boldin finds himself in a run-first offense with a quarterback that’s not exactly known for dialing it up.  Still, he’s an extremely talented Number 1 Receiver playing for a Super Bowl contender. Not the worst of situations.

12. Greg Jennings (GB)

2009 Stats: 68 receptions ; 1,113 receiving yards ; 4 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 20^th

DSD Spin: How much longer will Donald Driver haunt the dreams of Greg Jennings owners? 

11. Calvin Johnson (DET)

2009 Stats: 67 receptions ; 984 receiving yards ; 5 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 23rd

DSD Spin: Injuries and an inexperienced quarterback kept Megatron in check last year.  He’s gotten healthy, and the Lions have certainly improved their offense in the offseason, but a lot of Johnson’s return to prominence depends on Matthew Stafford’s arm.

10. Steve Smith (CAR)

2009 Stats: 65 receptions ; 982 receiving yards ; 7 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 18^th

DSD Spin: Smith didn’t play Week 17, but in his final three games of the season, the Carolina wideout caught 3 TD passes, averaged 100 yards receiving, and established a great rapport with young QB Matt Moore.  Smith is still likely a viable WR1 in most leagues.

9. Marques Colston (NO)

2009 Stats: 70 receptions ; 1,074 receiving yards ; 9 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 13^th

DSD Spin:  There are a lot of guys to feed in that Saints offense, but Colston is a deep threat as well as a red-zone target.  He’ll get his.

8. DeSean Jackson (PHI)

2009 Stats: 63 receptions ; 1,167 receiving yards ; 12 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 4^th

DSD Spin: A change under center, a relinquishing of some kick returning duty, and an impending contract squabble are all reasons to be wary of D-Jax in 2010.

7. Miles Austin (DAL)

2009 Stats: 81 receptions ; 1,320 receiving yards ; 11 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 3rd

DSD Spin: Last year, Miles Austin had 5 catches for 81 yards and one measly touchdown after the first quarter of the season.  But from Week 5 on, the young Cowboy averaged slightly less than a touchdown per week, all while racking up 1,239 receiving yards.  The jury is still out on whether or not he can even come close to duplicating that kind of production this season.

6. Roddy White (ATL)

2009 Stats: 85 receptions ; 1,153 receiving yards ; 11 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 7^th

DSD Spin:  White started and finished strong in 2009, and may be one of the more underappreciated wide receivers in the NFL. 

5. Brandon Marshall (MIA)

2009 Stats: 101 receptions ; 1,120 receiving yards ; 10 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 10^th

DSD Spin:  Marshall is a guy who will single-handedly win weeks for you in head-to-head PPR leagues, and if he doesn’t wear out his welcome in South Beach like he did in the Rocky Mountains, he’ll be that guy in every league.

4. Larry Fitzgerald (ARI)

2009 Stats: 97 receptions ; 1,092 receiving yards ; 13 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 5^th

DSD Spin: With all the talk of a 2010 decline due to Matt Leinart’s inheritance of quarterbacking duties in the desert and the loss of Anquan Boldin, owners would do well to remember that Fitz is one of the Cards’ most dependable red-zone targets.

3. Reggie Wayne (IND)

2009 Stats: 100 receptions ; 1,264 receiving yards ; 10 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 6^th

DSD Spin: Wayne has been a model of consistency since the decline of the Marvin Harrison days in Indy, but will his unhappiness towards his contract affect that?

2. Randy Moss (NE)

2009 Stats: 83 receptions ; 1,264 receiving yards ; 13 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 2nd

DSD Spin: In a consensus “down” year last season, Moss tied Fitzgerald with the most TD grabs in the league while still racking up over 1,200 yards receiving. The dismal running back situation should ensure that Randy stays elite.

1. Andre Johnson (HOU)

2009 Stats: 101 receptions ; 1,569 receiving yards ; 9 TDs

2009 End of Season Rank: 1st

DSD Spin: He’s paid, he’s healthy, and he’s still number one. 

On the bubble: Mike Sims-Walker (JAX), Steve Smith (NYG), Chad Ochocinco (CIN), Dwayne Bowe (KC), and Michael Crabtree (SF).