1. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
Fitzgerald’s monster playoff
run have many ranking him as the consensus #1 fantasy receiver. Fitzgerald benefited from Kurt Warner’s
resurgence by turning in his 3rd 1400-yard season. Of course, owners worry about Warner’s
ability to stay upright since they have obviously developed a nice
rapport. Fitzgerald has been extremely
steady over the past two years by posting at least 96 receptions, 1400 yards
and 10 TDs and he should continue making fantasy owners very happy.
2. Randy Moss, NE
Life without Tom Brady can be
hard. Even though Matt Cassel performed
well for the circumstances, Moss’ production took a major hit. He hauled in only 69 passes and he barely
cracked the 1000-yard mark. Moss did
find the endzone 11 times, so the season wasn’t a complete fantasy bust. The veteran receiver should be rejuvenated
with a healthy Tom Brady and return to top-tier production.
3. Calvin Johnson, DET
Playing on the worst team in
the history of the NFL seemed to have no effect on the man they call
Mega-Tron. Even with lowly QB options,
Johnson built upon his rookie season with 12 TDs and over 1300 yards
receiving. The Lion QB situation should
be more stable, so Johnson can repeat his 2008 numbers.
4. Andre Johnson, HOU
Andre Johnson increased his
fantasy stock by catching a career high 1575 yards and 115 receptions. However, he scored 8 TDs – the same amount
he had when he only played 9 games in 2007.
Health is a concern for both him and QB Matt Schaub, but there’s a lot
of upside in this emerging Texan offense.
5. Greg Jennings, GB
Jennings is known for some
big plays, but he’s also a solid contributor on a weekly basis. He was
tremendously consistent, catching 74+ yards in 11 games. Owners need to be aware that Jennings has
endured various health issues in the past and the Pack has plenty of other
receivers like Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones. However, Jennings
adjusted to first year QB Aaron Rodgers and will remain the primary option.
6. Roddy White, ATL
Roddy White flourished with rookie QB Matt Ryan and
increased his production across all major categories. Owners would like to have seen more than the 8 TDs, but his 88
receptions and 1382 yards were solid totals.
After a brief holdout, he was awarded with a new contract and he will
continue his upward trend as an impact fantasy receiver in 2009.
7. Reggie Wayne, IND
Selecting Reggie
Wayne is your typical feel good draft pick.
He’s the number 1 option on a pass-first team with an upper echelon
QB. His 2008 statline of 1145 receiving
yards and 6 TDs wasn’t exactly thrilling, but he’ll continue to see his fair
share of targets and should improve on last year’s numbers.
8. Anquan Boldin, ARI
For the second consecutive season, Boldin played in only
12 games but managed 89 receptions and a career high 11 TDs. Similar to Fitzgerald, owners need to be
concerned about Kurt Warner’s health and the possible readjustment back to Matt
Leinart. Boldin is a physical player
who is susceptible to injury, but he can anchor your receiving corps when he’s
full strength.
9. Steve Smith, CAR
Owners love Steve Smith’s
toughness and hard-nosed style, but they could do without the missed time. He hasn’t turned in a full season since 2005
when he caught 1563 yards and 12 TDs.
His TD total has declined over the past 3 years (8,7,6) although he
managed over 1400 yards last season.
Considering his health issues and Jake Delhomme’s mystery status,
consider Smith as a 7-10 fantasy receiver.
10. Marques Colston, NO
Two consecutive off seasons
with major surgeries isn’t the best indicator for a fantasy producer. But, when you’re the number one option for
an explosive passing offense, you deserve the consideration as a top-flight
receiver. That’s Colston’s story – a
full season will produce astronomical numbers, but will he get there?
