Fantasy Football Rankings by the DeCon – WRs
By DeCon
Continuing my analysis of players to help you win your fantasy football league this year, I will take a look at the WRs. The WR position can be tricky, but if you read my Know Thy Scoring Format post, you will remember that even WRs who don’t get into the end zone a lot can be valuable in PPR (point per reception) formats. If you can get a WR who gets a lot of receptions and TDs, then you can really increase your fantasy prowess this season. I will rank my WRs based on PPR scoring…on the other side…
- Roddy White, Atlanta – Hot Rod enjoyed a breakout season of sorts with an increase of 30 receptions from 2009 and still ended up with double digit TDs (10). One school of thought will be that Julio Jones will eat into his production, but I think this will make Roddy even more valuable because teams won’t be able to double up on him as often and he could post similar numbers this year.
- Andre Johnson, Houston – A lot of people will have Andre the Giant at the top of their WR list, but my biggest knock on him is staying on the field. Andre missed 3 games last year and his production dropped of a bit later in the season. Still, his talent is undeniable and he should warrant 1st round consideration.
- Calvin Johnson, Detroit – Megatron had 77 receptions and 12 TDs last season and was catching passes from Shaun Hill. If Stafford stays healthy this season, Megatron could be an absolute beast and he has an outside chance of surpassing Roddy and Andre this year…IF Stafford stays healthy.
- Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona – No one works harder than Fitz and even with rookie QBs for the majority of last season he still ended up with 90 receptions. His TD total was down, but with Kevin Kolb as his trigger man, Fitz has a chance to increase his TD grabs and likely his receptions too.
- Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants – Nicks enjoyed a breakout season last year with 79 receptions and 11 TDs. Eli Manning loves to look his way and with Steve Smith moving on to Philly, Nicks should see an increase in his targets.
- Vincent Jackson, San Diego – Phillip Rivers did an outstanding job with no name WRs last season. With Jackson in the fold and happy for the whole season, Rivers should look his way early and often.
- Greg Jennings, Green Bay – Clearly Jennings is Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target. With Jermichael Finley returning, things should open up for Jennings and he should be a lock for double digit TDs.
- Dewayne Bowe, Kansas City – Bowe was an absolute STUD last year. HC Todd Haley loves to throw the ball around and no one gets more red zone targets than Bowe. I am not sure if he will reach his TD total from last season (15), but double digit TDs should be a breeze.
- Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis – If Manning were healthy, Wayne might rank higher and if Manning misses any games, Wayne should probably move down in the rankings…Curtis Painter anyone? Still, this is a good spot for him based on where things shake out right now due to his talent and consistency each year.
- Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh – In his own comments, Wallace is shooting for 2,000 yards this season. While I don’t think he has a chance in hell of 2,000 yards, he has the big play ability to warrant a low WR1 grade. If you have a league that gives bonus points for long TDs, Wallace is your man with an average of 21 YPC.
- Mike Williams, Tampa Bay – A late round steal last year with 11 TDs last season. Williams will not fly under the radar this year and could be in line for another double digit TD season.
- Miles Austin, Dallas – Without Tony Romo for most of last season, Austin’s numbers took a hit. With Romo back and healthy, I believe Austin will have a bounce back season and could be a steal in the 3rd ro 4th round.
- DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia – One of the most electrifying WRs in the game, DJax should be nothing short of that this season. I expect an increase in his receiving TDs and with his supreme ability in the return game, DJax should net you some solid scoring.
- Chad Ochocinco, New England – Call it a rebirth or whatever in New England, but Ochocinco could be in line for HUGE production with Tom Brady as his QB. I don’t know if he can qualify as a comeback player of the year, but he could surprise us with double digit TDs.
- Wes Welker, New England – Welker’s string of 3 straight 100+ reception seasons was snapped last year, but he still ended up with 86. With Ochocinco outside, Welker should be poised to get back tot he 100 reception mark.
- Danny Amendola, St. Louis – I could not leave this kid off the list. In the mold of the aformentioned Wes Welker, Amendola will play the Welker role for OC Josh McDaniels in St. Louis and be huge in the PPR format. 100 receptions might not be likely, but he will get the targets that will give him a chance to get there.
If you are new to fantasy football, you might look at stats from last year and ask, “DeCon, where is the guy named Brandon Lloyd who led the league in yards last year (1,448) and had 11 TDs?” I would tell you that Lloyd was the definition of a flash in the pan last year. In Josh McDaniels pass happy offense in Denver last year, Lloyd thrived, but McDaniels is gone and he has been replaced by a run-first, run-often HC in John Fox. Before last season, Lloyd had the following stats in his last SEVEN years combined: 164 receptions, 2,370 yards and 15 TDs. This is not a WR who has only been in the league for a couple seasons and finally came of age. This is a WR who was a product of a system that is now in St. Louis, so get your Mike Sims-Walker on ahead of Lloyd as he will play the Brandon Lloyd role for McDaniels in St. Louis this season. Brandon Lloyd will not come CLOSE to his production from last year and I wouldn’t consider drafting him before round 10, maybe. You have been warned!
CAN I GET AN AMEN?!?!?!?!?!
The DeCon has spoken, so let it be written, so let it be done…
Hit me up in the comments or at beargoggles.decon@gmail.com or on Twitter @DeCon76.