Archives
Here’s an updated look at my top 60 fantasy WR rankings.
1. Andre Johnson
2. Reggie Wayne
3. Larry Fitzgerald
4. Randy Moss
5. Miles Austin
6. Brandon Marshall
7. Calvin Johnson
8. Roddy White
9. Greg Jennings
10. DeSean Jackson
11. Marques Colston
12. Michael Crabtree
13. Steve Smith (CAR)
14. Dwayne Bowe
15. Anquan Boldin
16. Chad Ochocinco
17. Percy Harvin
18. Steve Smith (NYG)
19. Sidney Rice
20. Hines Ward
21. Pierre Garcon
22. Hakeem Nicks
23. Mike Wallace
24. Robert Meachem
25. Vincent Jackson
26. Jeremy Maclin
27. Mike Sims-Walker
28. Terrell Owens
29. Dez Bryant
30. Santonio Holmes
31. Santana Moss
32. Wes Welker
33. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
34. Kenny Britt
35. Lee Evans
36. Braylon Edwards
37. Donald Driver
38. Derrick Mason
39. Davone Bess
40. Mike Williams (TB)
41. Steve Breaston
42. Early Doucet
43. Nate Burleson
44. Johnny Knox
45. James Jones
46. Chris Chambers
47. Mario Manningham
48. Malcom Floyd
49. Devin Hester
50. Devery Henderson
51. Donnie Avery
52. Mohamed Massaquoi
53. Chaz Schilens
54. Arrelious Benn
55. Kevin Walter
56. Bernard Berrian
57. Devin Thomas
58. Eddie Royal
59. Jerricho Cotchery
60. Josh Morgan
Notable Changes
- I bumped Sidney Rice down a few more notches. His lingering hip injury is starting to concern me.
- I bumped Dwayne Bowe up a few notches. He has escaped Todd Haley’s doghouse, and should be primed for big things.
- Mike Williams and Johnny Knox have joined the rankings. Williams earned the starting gig in Tampa, which should get him plenty of looks. Knox was been targeted more than all of the Bears WRs.
- Demaryius Thomas and Devin Aromashodu came off the list. Thomas’ foot concerns me, while I think Aromashodu will be at least third fiddle behind Knox and Devin Hester.
- I bumped Michael Crabtree up a few notches. He had impressive numbers considering he was coming off an injury and was a holdout. With a full offseason program, and the experienced he gained last year, he could double his production from last year.
- Now that Terrell Owens found a home, and a suitable one at that, he lands smack in the middle of the list. T.O.’s signing bumps Ochocinco down a few spots and Antonio Bryant off the list.
- Lee Evans went down a few slots because Buffalo’s offense frightens me.
- I swapped Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson, mainly because of their quarterbacks.
Also check out:
2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
2010 Top 50 Fantasy RB Rankings
2010 Top 25 Fantasy TE Rankings
2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings
2010 Top 25 Fantasy Team Defense Rankings
2010 Top 15 Fantasy K Rankings
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It is my belief that the first few rounds of a fantasy football draft are always the hardest ones. There are so many good players to choose from. You want to make sure you take the player that fits into your drafting strategy, but you have to avoid a bust in the process.
For the last three years going into last fantasy football season, I had taken Brian Westbrook in the first two rounds and it had been great. He was always one of the top running backs, and I thought he would be a great pick again last year.
However, a combination of injuries, age, and a replacement led to his fantasy demise and I paid dearly for it. Picking a player with red flags in the first round could be a nightmare.
One pick I have had a really hard time with this year is choosing between Frank Gore and Andre Johnson. If you end up with the sixth or seventh pick, this decision is a nightmare. There are four elite fantasy backs this year and Frank Gore is the odd man out. Do you take the fifth running back or the best wide receiver? It’s a tough decision.
Let’s assume you are in a standard (non-PPR) 10-man league. In the second round you will be set up with the 15th pick, putting you in a position to grab Rashard Mendenhall or Shonn Greene at running back, or if you needed a wide receiver you could probably get Reggie Wayne or Brandon Marshall.
With the 26th pick it seems to get a little bit running back heavy. Beanie Wells, LeSean McCoy, Ryan Matthews, and Jonathan Stewart should all be available. After that it really evens out again. There will be a strong running back group available in the third round, possibly allowing you to take a wide receiver like Andre Johnson in the first round.
Before making a pick, you have to look at who you will be in a position to take within the next few rounds. You always have to be thinking ahead. There good players at every position right away, and you have to make smart decisions.
Let’s examine the cases for both players.
Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson has been a consistent fantasy producer over the past few seasons, and has really connected with quarterback Matt Schaub. Johnson is an elite talent who is really the complete package. He is fast, runs excellent routes, has amazing hands and leaping ability, and to top it off he does it week after week.
Johnson is heading into his prime, as he just turned 29 this offseason. At 6’3″ 225, Johnson has ideal size and strength for a wide receiver and physically dominates opposing players. Averaging almost 100 yards receiving a game last season (he would have gotten there if not for Revis), he now has over 3,000 receiving yards in the past two seasons.
With a lot of the elite receivers getting older, and Larry Fitzgerald losing both Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Johnson distance himself from the pack even further.
As of right now, Johnson is the only receiver that is basically a lock for the first round in 10-man leagues, and to think that he could separate himself from the field even further shows what a special player he is. Drafting Johnson would put you way ahead of everyone else as far as receivers go, while Gore isn’t even in the top three at his position.
When it comes to Andre Johnson, there is really only one red flag, and unsurprisingly, it has nothing to do with him. The Houston Texans have a good quarterback in Matt Schaub, but after that it gets pretty thin as far as offensive help goes.
Owen Daniels is a solid tight end, but they don’t have a great running game, and the second wide receiver is Kevin Walter, who recorded just over 600 yards last season. With Andre Johnson being the primary focus of all defensive schemes, there is a lot of pressure for him to perform at a high level through double, or even triple teams.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with Andre Johnson. I have little doubt that he will live up to his first round status. Taking a wide receiver late in the first round can definitely work to your advantage when it comes to the later rounds.
Frank Gore
Last season, Frank Gore was the model of inconsistency. Some games he was on, and others he was off. Gore suffered greatly from the inconsistency of the 49ers offense last season, but this season things will be different.
The 49ers will finally retain an offensive system in two straight years and that could do wonders for not only Alex Smith, but the 49ers offense in general. Alex Smith has been unfairly judged in his career so far, but it seems that everything is finally falling into place.
As the 49ers’ offense becomes mores more consistent, so will Frank Gore. The 49ers spent their draft bulking up the offensive line, which should also help Gore. Their are many factors that contribute to Gore’s potential improvement this season. He has always been a good running back, but now that he’ll have an offense around him it should open the door for better production from the run game.
Between Michael Crabtree, Alex Smith, Vernon Davis, and Frank Gore, the 49ers may have a legitimate chance at the playoffs next season. Frank Gore has been one of the most frustrating fantasy players, but if you pick him this season I promise you won’t regret it.
If you were to take Frank Gore with the sixth pick in the draft, you could more than likely get Reggie Wayne with your next pick and then try to go for Beanie Wells in the third round and go running back, wide receiver, running back.
Traditionally, having a great running game wins fantasy championships and while experts are now shifting more toward balance, having great running backs is never a bad thing.
Personally, I believe Frank Gore has a chance to a top three running back. He is one of the most underrated players in fantasy football this year, and could be the person who benefits most from an improved team. Frank Gore could have a huge season this year.
Conclusion
This is an impossible decision to make, both players have excellent fantasy value. This matchup is extremely even. I think that Frank Gore is a bigger risk, but Andre Johnson is more of a safe bet. Gore could end up in the top three, but he could also end up outside the top 10. I see Johnson between five and 10 no matter what.
In the end, I think I would have to take Gore. With San Francisco’s rising offense, and Alex Smith on the verge of a breakout year, I think Frank Gore could finally live up to his fantasy potential.
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There were quiet rumors and praise regarding fourth-year receiver Jacoby Jones prior to Houston’s training camp, but now it’s time for fantasy football owners to finally take notice.
After seeing glimpses of the talent and explosiveness Jones can bring to the table (16.2 yards per catch in 2009), all of Gary Kubiak’s ridiculous praise is starting to pay off.
Jones is now officially in a heated battle for Houston’s No. 2 receiver job, as he continues to compete with incumbent starter, Kevin Walter.
Walter has been the starter opposite of Johnson for the past three seasons, but has always been looking over his shoulder, as Jones packs a nice combo of size, speed, and explosiveness.
Walter is no slouch, but it’s undeniable how much faster and explosive Jones is.
Regardless, Walter has the proven experience, and is a tough, physical, play-making receiver on the outside. A demotion would slide him into the slot, which is a role he could excel in, but would obviously diminish his fantasy value.
Houston’s offense isn’t exactly the destination for slot receivers to grow into something special.
Jones escaped 2009 with less than 30 receptions, while Walter, the No. 2 receiver, had under 55 catches in 14 starts.
In other words, if you’re not Andre Johnson or Owen Daniels, you’re not an elite fantasy option in Houston, despite the team passing offense leading the entire league in total yardage.
Fantasy Dish: A lot is being made about this position battle, but the truth is, the end result doesn’t have a major fantasy impact.
Jones lining up on the outside could certainly help stretch the defense and free-up inside looks for Walter, Daniels, and even Johnson, but we all know where the targets will wind up.
After all, Johnson didn’t just re-do his fat contract for the fun of it. He will continue to get the majority of Matt Schaub’s targets, rendering all other Houston receivers as virtually useless in the fantasy realm.
Our vote: Just draft AJ and forget about this mess.
For more fantasy football news and advice, head over to NFL Soup.
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Though the Texans barely missed out on a playoff berth in 2009, quarterback Matt Schaub had a breakout season with a league-high 4,770 yards, 29 touchdowns and 15 completions of 40 yards or more.
Schaub will readily admit much of the credit goes to his receivers, who have continually improved over the past several years. While Andre Johnson remains a model of consistency and the embodiment of a complete receiver in the National Football League, others such as Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels have made the receiving core more complete.
Look for more improvements from them this season.
Today is officially the first day of summer.
For those of you away from Houston, you may be surprised to know it’s been at or near 100 degrees in Houston for a while now. For those of you in Houston, you’re fully aware of how sweltering it has been already.
It’s official, folks, we are in the dog days of summer. The temperatures are creeping higher and higher. The NBA Finals are over. The baseball season is in full swing. Yawn.
All that means we are getting closer to the 2010 NFL season. I, for one, can’t wait for the next chapter in Houston Texans’ history.
The Texans have been a trendy pick to make the playoffs for a few years now. Are they there yet? Are the Texans still missing a few pieces?
These are the general, the broad stroke, the big picture questions facing the team. In order to answer those bigger questions, we must examine a few smaller questions first.
I will address each of these questions over the next few weeks building up to training camp. Let’s start with the running game.
First, are the Texans going to be able to run the ball in 2010? I maintain that the running game will be significantly better than 2009 for a variety of reasons.
Perhaps the biggest reason the Texans will be better is the improved health of Steve Slaton.
Slaton had significant nerve damage last season and this had a big impact on his ability to hang onto the ball. Clearly, something was wrong, as Slaton seemingly fumbled every other time he touched the ball.
After his surgery, Slaton was able to feel an improvement almost immediately. I’m not a doctor, but I spoke with more than one about this development. Immediate improvement is a great sign, I was told.
Not only does that show that the surgery was a success, but it shows there was a problem that surgery has seemingly addressed.
Perhaps Slaton will not be able to return to his 2008 form, when he rushed for more than 1,280 yards, but it’s likely he will bounce back from his ugly 2009 season.
What will Slaton’s role be on the 2010 Texans?
To address that, let’s first look at the new back on the team.
Auburn’s Ben Tate was drafted in the second round. He’s a different kind of back than Steve Slaton. Tate measures at 5’11″ and over 220 lbs.
While Tate does have good speed and quickness, he’s a between-the-tackles back. Scouts say that Tate runs with good pad level and is a physical back.
What does that mean?
It means the Texans won’t be passing on third and one all that often.
It means that there won’t be any debacles like Chris Brown (I promise I won’t mention his name ever again—unless it’s in mockery) fumbling into the endzone.
It means the Texans might finally have their bell cow running back.
Sure, Arian Foster is listed atop the depth chart right now, but I can’t imagine the Texans used the 58th pick in the draft to add a backup running back. The starting gig is Tate’s to lose.
This all brings us back to Steve Slaton’s role.
I don’t think many would argue Slaton is best suited for plays in space. Getting him involved in the passing game or calling for runs on the boundary are more geared to Slaton’s talents than running up the middle behind the offensive line.
Slaton can help the team by making plays in space and can also avoid some of the punishing hits by not being forced to run the ball into the middle of the defense 200 times per season.
Tate can help the team by earning tough yards and by carrying the ball in the traditional running game.
With Slaton tabbed as the third down back and Tate as the starting back, the Texans have a good and young tandem to open the season on their quest to make the playoffs.
If we can focus on the big picture again, adding a good running game will help the Texans open up the play action passing game that is the staple of Coach Gary Kubiak’s pass attack. Down-hill, one-cut running and play action passing.
Can you imagine if the Texans’ opponents had to respect the running game? How is anyone going to play the run and cover passing game weapons such as All-World receiver Andre Johnson and mortals such as tight end Owen Daniels (more on him later this summer), Kevin Walter, and Jacoby Jones?
That sounds like a question a playoff opponent will struggle to answer.
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