FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT

He's in like to assume Donnie Avery's spot but not as likely to do as much with it.

Anderson enters his fifth season with the Texans and had a career best 370 yards on 38 catches in 2009 in part for filling for an injured Kevin Walter. Anderson remains the #4 on this team and outside of fantasy consideration.

The journeyman wideout finally appears ready to actually see the playing field at the tender age of 27. He'll likely start the season as the slot receiver in an offense that intends to mostly use two tight ends instead. Armstrong has spent time playing in Arena League football and was signed by the Dolphins last year but was never used. He's expected to get passed by Devin Thomas at some point.

Aromashodu caught just two passes through the first 13 weeks of the season, but it was his finish that has fantasy owners thinking serious sleeper: 22-282-4 in the final four games, leading the Bears in receiving in each. His 7-150-1 on Monday night against the Vikings certainly put his name on the radar, and while he’s log-jammed at the position right now it’s not at all difficult to see Jay Cutler’s favorite target from last December (39 targets in four games) emerge as a major contributor in a Mike Martz passing game. Also working in Aromashodu’s favor is his size; at 6-2, 201 he’s easily the biggest Bear wideout, yet he still has the speed Martz covets. If you’re projecting his final month over a full season (that works out to 1,128 and 16, by the way), odds are you’ll overdraft him. But if you’re looking to an offense that collectively produced the 14th ranked fantasy wide receivers in 2009 and anticipating that last season’s finish could springboard Aromashodu into a prominent share of Chicago’s passing game production, you’re shopping in the right sleeper section

(-Risk) Miles Austin was the hot sleeper last summer that had been electrifying in camp but when the regular season came along, he flopped. His first four games totaled only five catches for 81 yards and one score. And then the lightning struck in week five when he had 250 yards on ten catches in Kansas City. The next week he had 171 yards and two scores against the Falcons. He may have missed out on the first four weeks but by the end of the season, Austin ranked #3 in wideout yardage with 1320 yards and his 11 touchdowns were second best in the league. He had five efforts top 100 yards. He scored in eight of the final twelve regular season games. It was a pretty good year.

The previously undrafted receiver exploded last year with a 16.3 yard average on his 81 catches. Austin now is a part of that elite set of wideouts who not only turn in the occasional monster effort but that almost never has a bad game. His consistency alone makes him a stud wideout thanks to ten games with a score. The addition of Dez Bryant may impact Austin in the future but there is no cause for alarm this year and if anything, Bryant may help Austin by giving the secondary much more to consider than Roy Williams or Patrick Crayton.

The Eagles wisely signed Avant to a new five-year contract worth $18 million and that had $8 million guaranteed. Avant was effective from the lost last year when he turned in 41 catches for 587 yards and three touchdowns. This makes the fifth season that Avant has been in Philly and he has been incrementally better every year. Avant is not likely to take a starting role but he produces enough to warrant being fantasy depth and he makes a decent bye week replacement player.

(+Upside) Benn is a physically imposing receiver at 220 pounds and 6’2 who not only has the skills for work over the middle, he’s noted for occasionally running over smaller defenses. And yet he also can run a 4.4/ 40 and has the speed for the deep ball. Benn was the 2.07 pick of the Buccaneers and should develop immediately into one of Josh Freeman’s best friends on the field. The expectation already is that Williams will be the starting split end by the end of training camp and begin working on the Bucs young passing attack.

Any rookie is a risk and even more so on a bad team but the Bucs have a mediocre rushing attack at best and yet a lighter than average schedule this year. That should see Benn make a splash in the NFL from the very start.

Bennett started more games last year (15) than any other Chicago wideout, and his 54-717-2 ranked second behind Devin Hester among Bear wide receivers. But while he may be Jay Cutler’s BFF dating back to their collegiate days at Vanderbilt, he’s not a fit for the Mike Martz offense. The possession receiver won’t win any footraces with Hester, Johnny Knox, or Devin Aromashodu, and if the Bears want size in a match-up they can split tight end Greg Olsen out wide and throw to him. After ranking 14th in fantasy scoring as a group last year, the entirety of the Chicago wide receiving corps is getting mention as potential fantasy sleepers. However, as it stands right now Bennett is at best the fourth or fifth option behind Hester, Knox, Aromashodu and even Olsen. Even with a deep pool of passing stats, that’s a lot of fantasy pie being served before Bennett gets to fill his gullet.

Berrian shot himself in the foot, figuratively, by missing the portion of training camp where Brett Favre showed up. By the time Berrian was healthy Favre had fallen head over heels for Sidney Rice and Berrian’s numbers suffered accordingly. Actually, he was targeted roughly the same amount by Favre as he was the previous season by Tarvaris Jackson; the difference came in where on the field the quarterbacks were throwing to him. Jackson loved Berrian as a deep threat, and he averaged 20 yards per catch in 2008; last year, Favre threw to him more as a “possession” West Coast receiver and he averaged just 11 yards per catch (compared to new home run threat Rice’s 15 ypc). Regardless of who’s throwing in Minnesota this year, it’s clear Rice is WR1; in fact, Berrian will have to hold off 2009 Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin to be the Vikings’ WR2. With tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and the running game already taking big bites out of the Minnesota offense, Berrian will need the larger pie of a Brett Favre-led passing game just to approach fantasy relevancy.

08-24-10 Update: The breaking news about Sidney RIce propels Berrian up the rankings and he's shaping up now to be a suitable WR2 until Rice returns at mid-season

Bess is likely to remain in the slot where he was effective last year as the lead Dolphins receiver. Bess caught a team-high 76 catches for 758 yards and two scores. That remains below much fantasy significance in most leagues and Bess has almost no upside. The Fins may throw more this year, but Bess is a long shot to be worth drafting. The addition of Brandon Marshall had better decrease the role Bess plays in this offense.

Boldin signed a $28 million, four-year contract with the Ravens and at the age of 30 he is in his prime as long as he can remain healthy. He’s managed that feat only twice in his seven seasons and not since 2006. But despite missing one to three games each season, he has turned in six years of 1000 yard seasons and his ability to catch scores has been as good as 11 touchdowns (2008) or as bad as one touchdown (2004). He loses Kurt Warner but joins up with Joe Flacco as one of the young up-and-comer quarterbacks.

The Ravens historically have been very run-heavy and while that will still be the main focus of the offense, there will be more passing than before and they are opening up more of the playbook for Flacco. He will be a little limited in the offense compared to the pass-happy attack in Arizona, but he also becomes the primary focus of the passing downs. The schedule is no friend in Baltimore compared to Arizona either but consider Boldin as a safe 1000 yard player with upside for a few big games. He should make a very good WR2 for your team. The Ravens will line up Boldin in several spots which should help him remain consistent.

Bowe had a very up and down year in 2009, scoring four times through week six but then dropping off and getting suspended for four games for violating the banned substances policy. He also led the league in dropped passes and his 589 yards and four scores was a sore disappointment after 1022 yards in his second season. Bowe remains a high risk/reward player who can play like a true #1 wideout and make a big difference or he can continue to underperform because of a lack of self-motivation. For the same of his career, Bowe needs to step up this season. The schedule is a little easier than last year and all the pieces are in place for a good year.

08-12-10 Update: Bowe showed up to training camp 30 pounds lighter than last year and should be an entirely new and better player this year.

Branch required arthroscopic surgery in the offseason and while he should be ready for the regular season, Branch hasn’t last all year since 2005 in New England and even lasting for 14 games in 2009 only produced 45 catches for 437 yards and a career low two touchdowns. Branch has already had numerous knee surgeries and has been a bust for the last four seasons in Seattle. He may start the season as the split end but the Seahawks would be ecstatic If one of the younger wideouts stepped up and took the starting job. Leave Branch on the waiver wire.

Breaston loses his role as a punt returner but picks up Anquan Boldin’s old spot across from Larry Fitzgerald. Breaston has already passed the 1000 yard mark in a season when he had 77 catches for 1006 yards back in 2008 and last year from the slot still accounted for 55 receptions for 712 yards. But he has never scored more than three times in any season and it is a safe bet that Fitzgerald will continue to hog those opportunities, particularly now that the Cards may not throw as much or as well.

Those are some big shoes to fill and yet he does it without Kurt Warner. Expect Breaston to remain solid in yardage, likely continue to lag in scores and end up as a marginal fantasy player. He’s not the second coming of Boldin and this is not the same offense anymore.

Britt is the lone receiver with potential and upside on this team and yet he showed up in the offseason already out of shape. He was held out of some practices so he would not hurt himself. He showed up to later OTA’s in much better shape but may not take over the primary wideout role as has been expected. Britt showed some potential last year when the rookie caught 42 passes for 701 yards and three scores with all three touchdowns coming from Vince Young. He’s even logged two games over 100 yards. He’s worth watching in camp and taking a flyer on deep in your draft but it’s unlikely he’ll become worthy of a fantasy starter this season.

06-28-20 Update: Britt has been unusually ineffective in camps so far and his lack of progress has been noted by the coaches. He drops a little in the rankings and is likely safer to let someone else draft.

(+Upside) Physically, Bryant is the most talented wideout in the draft and has everything you want in a No. 1 receiver. But he doesn’t come to the NFL without concerns. Let’s start with the mild one: Bryant looked heavier and less agile during his brief junior season and weighed in at the Combine at 225; he didn’t work out at the combine and forgot his preferred shoes at his Pro Day, so there are concerns he maybe isn’t as fast as he played when making his initial splash as a sophomore. Then there’s the “knucklehead” factor, which builds on the possibility that he let himself go during his suspension and forgot to bring his shoes to the biggest job interview of his career. There’s plenty of backstory to Bryant: a teenage mom who did drugs, special ed classes as a kid, three tries at the ACT before qualifying for college, needing to be walked to class on numerous occasions to maintain eligibility, the yearlong suspension for lying to the NCAA about meeting with Deion Sanders.

In minicamps, Bryant has shined making amazing catches and wowing the coaches. The receivers coach Ray Sherman said that “we will want him on the field quickly.” And HC Wade Phillips said that Bryant is the most impressive rookie he has seen in 33 years of coaching. Bryant was a bit out of shape and was too easily winded in minicamps but still made a big impression on the coaches. He’ll likely enter training camp with a good shot to unseat Patrick Crayton in the slot if not make move on Roy Williams who has disappointed. But until training camp shows more, consider Bryant a high reward player but still with much risk. His value in dynasty leagues will be much higher than a redraft league.

Detroit’s 2009 attempt to find a WR2 to complement Calvin Johnson failed miserably (see: Johnson, Bryant), but that didn’t prevent them from throwing $25 million Burleson’s way this past offseason. Despite last year’s foible, there are reasons for guarded optimism regarding Burleson. For starters, Nate’s career year (68-1,006-9 in 2004) came with current Lions OC Scott Linehan calling the plays in Minnesota—and those numbers came as a wingman, as the Vikings were still trying to feed Randy Moss. Burleson also thrived in a complementary role last year, supporting T.J. Houshmandzadeh in Seattle to the tune of 63-812-3. The continuing development of Matthew Stafford should yield enough for both Megatron and his minions; given Burleson’s familiarity with both the wingman role and Linehan’s offense he’s a given to improve upon the WR2 play Detroit has endured the past couple of seasons. With numbers that hover on the fringe of fantasy relevance, if you’re sold on Stafford making significant strides you have to believe that Megatron’s spillover will float Burleson’s boat up to at least sleeper status.

Butler was the 3.27 pick last year and managed to get 15 catches for 175 yards as a rookie. He still has plenty of development needed but could see much more playing time this year with both T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deion Branch coming from offseason surgeries. No need to draft him yet but he could make a case in training camp for more playing time.

Caldwell enters his third season but so far his best has been 51 catches for only 432 yards and three scores from last year. Caldwell will battle the rookie Jordan Shipley for the slot role and even if Caldwell wins it after training camp, there is no guarantee he will hold onto to it. Leave Caldwell for the waiver wire.

Camarillo finally played all 16 games in a season but only produced 552 yards and no scores on 50 catches last year. With the addition of Brandon Marshall, Camarillo will battle with Brian Hartline for the #2 role with the loser having no fantasy value since Davone Bess will remain the slot receiver. No need to draft Camarillo unless he clearly wins the #2 job in training camp.

Just when it appeared that Chambers career was on a permanent decline, he was dumped by the Chargers and picked up in week eight by the Chiefs. Chambers made an immediate splash with a two touchdown effort in Jacksonville and ended with 608 yards and four scores in his nine weeks there. That extrapolates out to 64-1080 and seven scores over a 16 game season. The Chiefs were impressed enough to re-sign Chambers to a three-year, $15 million contract. He makes a low-end fantasy starter and doesn’t have a lot of upside at the age of 32 but he makes a great fantasy backup.

Clayton was signed to a one-year, $1.8 million contract but he remains on the bubble with the additions of Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin. Clayton also underwent some arthroscopic shoulder surgery in the offseason which won’t help him shine in training camp. Clayton has spent five years in Baltimore and never taken that “next step”. He may not make the final roster.

09-04-10 Update: Clayton was traded for "future considerations" to the St. Louis Rams.

Collie will have to hold off the returning Anthony Gonzalez but should remain in the slot where he was very effective as a rookie last year. Collie had 60 receptions for 676 yards and seven scores in his first season and only Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne had more catches. Collie also was improving as the season progressed and had three scores in the final five regular season games and then two more in the playoffs including a seven catch effort that netted him 123 yards against the vaunted Jets secondary. Collie only had four games over 50 yards last season but he’s worth keeping an eye on in just his second season. Draft only as depth in big leagues, otherwise leave Collie on your waiver wire for now.

After struggling through an injury-marred 2009 season, Colston bounced back in 2009 to reel in 70 passes for 1074 yards and nine scores and could have done more were it not for resting players at the end of the season. The Saints have a slightly tougher receiving schedule this year but that shouldn’t affect Colston’s numbers as the primary wideout. He only had two games over 100 yards but consistently posts catches and yardage enough to make him a decent WR1. His upside in this offense will keep him as a top ten drafted wide receiver but there’s no reason to expect him to do anything less. Colston gets a bit limited from all the other weapons for Drew Brees to use, but he’s a factor nearly every week.

No analysis available.

The change in quarterbacks made no real difference to Cotchery last year since he experienced only a slight decline from 71 to 57 catches and 858 to 821 yards. He did drop from five scores to only three in 2009 but Cotchery is the possession receiver here which means he has a high floor and a low ceiling. Consider Cotchery as a decent backup wideout but he rarely scores and only in reception point leagues does he rank as well as a RB3 on your team. The addition of Santonio Holmes should not affect Cotchery’s numbers. Almost nothing will apparently.

(+Upside) Crabtree finally ended what was the most ill-advised holdout in recent history when he showed up in week seven asking “okay, let me see that contract again.” Playing in 11 games without the benefit of a training camp in an offense that was new and still being installed, Crabtree immediately became the #1 wideout and ended with 48 catches for 625 yards and two scores. Had he done that pace for 16 games, it would extrapolate into 70 catches for 909 yards. The 49ers expect that Crabtree will take a big step forward this season and that is very reasonable. He’ll have a full offseason and training camp and the 49ers are into year #2 of Jimmy Raye’s offense. The 49ers were #32 in passes thrown to wideouts (243) because of a lack of talent but Crabtree has already improved the team in that regard. The 49ers are looking to evolve into the Chargers formula – top talent at RB, TE and WR. Expect a nice leap forward by Crabtree.

Crayton has hung around Dallas for six years in and out of the lineup as a starter or slot receiver. He has been consistent around 600 yards and five scores per season but has never taken the next step to become a viable #2 in the offense. His biggest benefit to the Cowboys has been as a punt returner and the addition of Dez Bryant all but ensures that Crayton slips away from the boxscore much more this year. Even the earliest returns on Bryant has him moving into the slot and pushing Crayton aside if not taking over Roy Williams place. Consider Crayton only in the deepest of leagues and even then he carries minimal fantasy value.

09-03-10 Update: Crayton was traded to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for a 7th round pick in 2011.

Cribbs may hang on to the starting split end if the Browns do not add any veterans before the season begins but his role is far more important as a special teams ace. He has never caught more than 20 passes in a season after five years and has been more effective as a runner with 55 carries for 381 yards last year as opposed to only 20 receptions for 135 yards. He just signed a new three-year contract worth $20 million but he’s already valuable enough as a returner and occasion rusher as the wildcat quarterback.

(+Upside) Cruz has been one of the most impressive in camp and the undrafted rookie may push Santana Moss out onto the street. He is still too raw to consider for fantasy value this year but he makes an interesting player to stash in dynasty leagues.

The good news is, after finishing 14th in the league in wide receiver fantasy points last year the Bears’ passing game is chock full of sleeper potential. The bad news is, Davis will have to leapfrog Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox, and possibly Earl Bennett and Juaquin Iglesias to get his share of those digits. Just five catches a year ago strongly suggests that Davis is an afterthought in Chicago, and unless he does something to endear himself to Mike Martz between now and the start of September he’ll have a tough time sticking on the Bears roster, let alone being a fantasy factor

No analysis available.

Dillard only managed six catches for 106 yards as a rookie and ended his season after week ten when he broke his ankle. Dillard is back now and will challenge for the #3 spot but there is not enough playing time in the past to judge how well he will do this season. Dillard is on the smaller side at 5’10” and 185 pounds but has a shot at more playing time this year.

Doucet should end up in the slot this year with the departure of Anquan Boldin shifting everyone up a notch. Doucet was a star in the pass-happy LSU attack but has only produced 31 catches for 304 yards and one score in his first two seasons. Twiddling his thumbs behind Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston had much to do with that and this year will show why the Cards drafted him. Doucet finally showed up big in the two playoff games last year when he had 77 yards on six catches and two scores against the visiting Packers and then eight catches for 68 yards in New Orleans. Doucet should remain below fantasy significance this year but is now worthy of tracking since he is the most likely fill-in should the starters be injured.

The former third round pick from 2008 gave some signs that he could be a player when as a rookie he gained 320 yards on 23 catches in spot duty. But Douglas tore his ACL last August and was lost for the 2009 season. He continues to rehab his knee but could be 100% healthy by training camp or at least close to it. The plan is to put Douglas in the slot and hope he develops enough to challenge Michael Jenkins but in fantasy terms, he merely one to watch and track. The Falcons need a better complement for Roddy White and currently Douglas is the best hope, however of a long shot that may actually be.

08-11-10 Update: Gets a slight bump with Michael Jenkins out four to six weeks with a shoulder injury. But Douglas himself is coming back from a knee injury and has not been healthy yet either. Brian Finneran is the current possible starter but he's 34 years old and an injury waiting to happen anyway. Douglas can make a splash on this team if he can get and remain healthy.

Driver punched the clock once again last year, racking up a sixth straight (and seventh in the last eight)1,000-yard season and scored five touchdowns for the fifth time in the past six years. But even though his stats trended back upwards after a couple of low-end fantasy WR2 campaigns, at 35 his days as a top 10 fantasy wideout are likely behind him. There’s nothing wrong with being a number two, of course, especially when you’re playing a strong second fiddle in an elite passing game like Green Bay’s. And to be honest, most fantasy owners jumped off the bandwagon when Driver dropped from 8th to 30th at age 32. But there’s still something left in the tank, and neither James Jones nor Jordy Nelson appear ready to usurp Driver for looks. While other owners are busy drafting young guys with potential, there’s something to be said for making a rock-solid investment in the battle-tested veteran contributions Driver will make for at least one more season.

The ex-quarterback from Kent State was able to make a minor difference as a rookie when he stepped in and played in 11 different games with 37 catches for 359 yards and one score. Edelman is expected to take the place of Welker while he remains rehabbing when the season starts and in this offense that means he has fantasy value if only for six weeks until Welker returns from the PUP list. But Edelman still won’t produce stats worthy of being a fantasy starter or have any real consistency. Consider only as a very deep bench player.

Edwards was the 3.25 pick for the Panthers who also took Brandon LaFell 11 picks previous to him. Edwards is a converted quarterback from Appalachian State who will handle returns as a rookie and compete for the slot role. Edwards was very impressive in minicamp and may see playing time this year. Originally pegged as a developmental project, the Panthers traded next year’s second round pick to take Edwards earlier than what most projected. He is worth tracking in camp and particularly for dynasty leagues since he is a great athlete that can be used in a number of ways. Edwards also ends up on a team that does have opportunity for a young player to get time on the field.

After a breakout in 2007 with 1289 yards and 16 touchdowns, Edwards dropped to only 55 catches for 873 yards and three scores in 2008 and then followed that up with yet another decline. Edwards only managed 45 receptions for 680 yards and four scores with Mark Sanchez playing. Edwards is the fast split end who is most effective catching deep passes but with the run heavy mix under HC Rex Ryan, he just doesn’t get the opportunities and adding Santonio Holmes to the mix makes it even worse. Edwards is heading into a contract year so he has every reason to get back on track but may have even fewer passes thrown to him this year thanks to Holmes. He’s worth drafting as fantasy depth to see if something unexpected happens – he is talented and has been very successful in the past – but he is not worth relying on as a starter. At least he gets the first month without Holmes who is suspended.

It was supposed to all come together for Evans last year with Terrell Owens there to prevent teams from loading up on him. Ends up the balls rarely were delivered near him and Owens had his share taken out of Evans workload and the Bills overall turned in a horrible offensive showing in 2009. Evans produced a career worst 44 catches for 612 yards though he managed to score seven times. His 13.9 yards per catch were also a low mark. This year is shaping up to be no better with Owens and Josh Reed gone and the #2 job being fought over by James Hardy and Steve Johnson. This will be a long year for Evans who once again is the only weapon in the passing game. The addition of C.J. Spiller may help with some slot duty but Evans is all alone once again and without an obvious contender for starting quarterback.

The Cardinals ranked #2 in the NFL for wide receiver targets (417), catches (271) and receiving yards (3228) and third in touchdowns (21) last year. Fitzgerald tied with Randy Moss for #1 in scoring with 13 touchdowns and ended with 97 catches (ranking 6th best) for 1092 yards. Now forget all that because it really doesn’t matter anymore.

The Cardinals are starting Matt Leinart at quarterback, Anquan Boldin is no longer concerning the secondary and one of the top passing offenses for the last few years is changing to a more balanced attack. How much that hits Fitzgerald remains to be seen since we cannot be certain what Leinart will be like. He has only thrown 106 passes in the last two years and thrown just one touchdown (though it went to Fitzgerald). He looked sharper in preseason last summer but Warner carried the full load yet again despite being banged up much of the year. There is one inescapable fact – Fitzgerald is one of the most talented wideouts in the NFL. Okay make that two facts – you have to have a QB that can connect or it doesn’t matter who the WR is.

Floyd took over the flanker spot last year and had career marks of 45 catches for 776 yards and one touchdown. He has been sitting out of the Chargers offseason workouts since he was not re-signed to a big contract but was just given a one-year tender with no guarantees. Floyd is expected to be back for training camp and will play this season regardless. He doesn’t rank any better than a bye week fill-in though even in the best case.

(+Upside) The departure of Brandon Marshall leaves Gaffney as the de facto #1 wideout in Denver. His first season there resulted in career high marks of 732 yards on 54 catches though he only scored twice. He also enjoyed not being Marshall and receiving the lesser coverage than he will this year. Gaffney will provide the possession catches in Denver and should end up with increases in receptions and yards but don’t expect more than a couple additional touchdowns. If the rookie Demaryius Thomas can hit the ground running, Gaffney may have very little improvement from last year.

Gage has never amounted to much in Tennessee and with Kenny Britt and Nate Washington around, he matters even less. His 383 yards last year was among his worst seasons and there is no reason to expect more. Gage is undraftable.

The aged wideout has virtually no upside and may not finish the season, but he's been working out as a starter in the new Shanahan offense. He's hard to rely on and his durability is in question at the very least.

When Anthony Gonzalez was injured in the first game of 2009, Garcon stepped up and played very well for a second-year player that only had four catches as a rookie. Garcon had 47 receptions for 765 yards and four scores last season and has secured the same flanker role again for 2010. He even had his best game during the playoffs when he caught 11 passes for 151 yards and one score against the previously impenetrable Jets secondary. Garcon makes a great backup wideout for bye week fill-ins but he’ll still remain as a low-end starter only in the biggest of leagues.

(+Upside) Gilyard was the fourth round pick by the Rams and the speedy Cincinnati product is expected to have an impact as a rookie. He lost academic eligibility in college and later lost his scholarship because he was caught cheating. He was also evicted from on-campus housing and has lived in his car for four months while he was paying off debts . Gilyard is another playmaker who has been electric on the field and is multi-talented. And who also has made poor decisions and paid the price. The question is if he has learned from his mistakes.

Gilyard is a definite watch in training camp and expected to win the slot role as well as help in the return game. He also seemed to have immediate chemistry with Sam Bradford in minicamp. His value is much higher in dynasty leagues but he’s worth keeping an eye on even for redraft leagues. The Rams have the opportunity if Gilyard can take advantage.

The former 1.09 pick of the Dolphins in 2007 lands in San Francisco after three seasons of never catching more than two touchdowns in a season and somehow using his speed to only average 12.6 yards per catch in his career. Ginn was the Dolphins attempt to find the next special teams star Devin Hester (who coincidentally faded that year anyway). Ginn was neither a great returner nor a decent receiver and now will compete for the slot role in San Francisco. He’s no lock to get the job and even has struggled catching passes in minicamp. In the best case scenario, Ginn still does not have fantasy relevancy.

08-30-10 Update: Ginn has managed to lock down the slot role for the 49ers and may see a chance for his career to get a foothold finally.

Gonzalez missed all but the first game with a knee injury last year and his third season became a big goose egg for every fantasy owner. He turned in 57 catches for 664 yard s and four scores in 2008 but his role this year is still not certain. In his place, Pierre Garcon had a nice showing and is expected to retain the flanker spot across from Reggie Wayne. Austin Collie also made a big difference from the slot and should continue to hold his job. That leaves Gonzalez as a fourth wideout but the Colts are planning on using three and four wideout sets this year to incorporate all the receivers. There is less and less reason to play two tight ends since the Colts do not run often or particularly well.

Gonzalez may not be cleared medically for training camp and he may have health issues even if he is cleared. Leave Gonzalez alone this year until he has proven to be healthy and getting a significant role.

Hartline had a decent rookie season when he had 506 yards on 31 receptions and scored three times last year and he should improve on those numbers at least incrementally if he can beat out Greg Camarillo for the #2 wideout job across from Brandon Marshall. There is little hope that any of the wideouts on this team will spark much fantasy interest beyond Marshall but Hartline will compete for a starting role and is worth watching.

(-Risk) (+Upside) When the Vikings drafted Harvin in April it seemed to be a poor fit, like adding racing stripes to a station wagon; neither Tarvaris Jackson nor the Minnesota offensive brain trust projected to be creative enough to put Harvin’s talent to good use. Enter Brett Favre, who drew up plays in the dirt and consistently put the ball in Harvin’s hands in places where he could make plays. Mix in a couple big kick returns, the threat of the occasional end-around, and 2,081 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns later Harvin was your offensive Rookie of the Year. Building on last season, Minnesota has more in store for last year’s first-round pick. With Chester Taylor gone the Vikings are kicking around the idea of using Harvin as their third-down back at least some of the time, and he’s at minimum Minnesota’s clear-cut WR3. The concern with Harvin, in addition to the possibility he’ll be shackled with a quarterback who improvises with his feet instead of his arm, is the threat of migraine headaches that cost him one game last year and put his status in jeopardy right up to game time on at least a couple other occasions. That’s the risk; as the Vikings can tell you after drafting him when other teams had passed, the reward can make that risk look downright miniscule.

08-22-10 Update: The Vikings star remains a great talent and the return of Favre only helps. But his continuing problem with migraines is troublesome and is bound to crop up again during the season. And probably when you will want him the most.

Hawkins enters his third NFL season but only has 14 career catches in an offense that throws little. He’s just depth but has been impressive in the offseason. The best he can hope for is some slot work.

Henderson comes off a career season with 51 catches for 804 yards but he only scored twice and appears to have hit his ceiling even in this highly productive offense. Henderson matter most when other wideouts are injured and he spends more time in the flanker spot that was taken over by Robert Meacham last season. After six seasons, Henderson has only once had more than three scores and has been more of a deep ball threat who had averaged over 20 yards per catch until last season. Henderson makes for a good fantasy bench player but anything better requires a temporary situation like injuries to other players.

Hester was the lead dog for a peloton of Bears wide receivers that collectively ranked 14th in fantasy production at the position, so there’s certainly reason for optimism. No longer a return man moonlighting as a receiver, Hester has developed to the point that he’ll likely be the Bear moved around in Mike Martz’s offensive scheme in order to take advantage of mismatches. As Jay Cutler’s most productive target a year ago, Hester’s 57-757-3 made him a borderline contributor in three-receiver formats, and it’s not as if the passing game share of Chicago’s offensive pie will decrease under Martz. The key will be how quickly Hester takes to the responsibilities required of a Martz receiver, as well as where the Bears most frequently use him. The worst-case fantasy scenario would have Hester sharing equally with Devin Aromashodu and Johnny Knox; the upside positions Hester as the Cutler target most likely to succeed. There are certainly worse bets to take on draft day than a speedy receiver capable of major YAC lining up in a pass-friendly Martz offense.

After a horrible rookie season where he only caught nine of the 40 passes thrown to him, Heyward-Bey has looked far better in minicamp and OTA’s this spring and have encouraged the coaching staff that he will take a step up. Last year he never had more than two catches in any game and scored only once. There has never been any argument that Heyward-Bey has speed but his route running last year was off and the big arm of Jamarcus Russell and the speed of Heyward-Bey ended up meaning nothing because Russell could not throw accurately and Heyward-Bey wouldn’t usually catch it anyway. The expectation is that Heyward-Bey will be the starting split end this year and send Louis Murphy to a supporting role. It is still a challenge to buy into Heyward-Bey having much fantasy value this year but he will be a starter and gets a new quarterback. And he cannot get any worse. He could surprise.

Holmes has been suspended for the first four games for violating the drug policy which means he is one slip-up from being suspended for a full year. That did not dissuade the Jets who brought him in to compete with Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery. Both Edwards and Holmes are in the final year of their current contracts and both need to make a positive impression this year – playing the same position. Holmes goes to the team that threw the fewest passes in the league in 2009 so this is not an upgrade for him. He is on a run-first team and will miss the first month and only then mix in with Edwards in some measure. Holmes has the name and has been productive in the past but he’s better off on someone else’s team who will probably drop him two weeks into the season anyway.

Houshmandzadeh changed teams last year but still posted roughly the same stats. His final season in Cincinnati produced 92 catches for 904 yards and four scores. His first season in Seattle racked up 79 catches for 911 yards and three touchdowns. Not exactly a difference maker but deserving of WR3 status in most leagues. Houshmandzadeh underwent sports hernia surgery and his recovery is not certain, particularly at the age of 33. He only scored in two games last year and now he waited until May to get his hernia fixed. This is one year where it is best to allow someone else to draft Houshmandzadeh based on name recognition

09-04-10 Update: Houshmandzadeh was released today.

09-06-10 Update: Signed a one-year deal for $855,000 with the Baltimore Ravens.

Jackson continues to grow in importance to the Chargers and turned in a career best 68 catches for 1167 yards and nine scores last year. He has improved in each of his five previous seasons but this may be his first downturn at least incrementally. Jackson pleaded guilty to driving with on a suspended license stemming from a January incident. He will not be given any jail time but the NFL is likely to announce a suspension before training camp and the conduct infraction could be as high as four games. Even two games will make it tough on him to improve on last season’s numbers. That will make Jackson naturally and rightfully fall in drafts since getting goose eggs from him during suspended weeks are hard to ride out. But he will make a great backup wideout if he is suspended four games and scares drafters away. You should know what his situation is before August and the projections consider him with a two game suspension to be updated when the NFL makes its decision.

07-01-20 Update: Jackson was given a three game suspension and continues to be the subject of trade rumors. But Jackson has such upside that he still deserves to be taken as a WR2 because when he plays he will be a WR1.

08-29-10 Update: Jackson appears almost certain to not play this season, drop him from all plans other than dynasty leagues.

Jackson wants to renegotiate his contract though he has only played for two seasons. And he’s no doubt worth much more than he signed for as a 2.18 pick of the 2008 NFL draft. After an impressive rookie season with 912 yards and two scores, Jackson followed that up with a breakout year of 62 catches for 1156 yards and nine touchdowns. He only now hits his third season with every reason to expect another increase in production.

Not only is he hitting the standard third season for a breakout, he gets to play with Kevin Kolb at quarterback. There is no reason to downgrade Jackson with Kolb there – if anything it may propel him even higher. In the two games last season when Kolb was the starter, Jackson logged four catches for 101 yards and one score against the visiting Saints and then six receptions for 149 yards and a score when the Chiefs showed up the next week. Granted it was at home and against softer secondaries but Jackson was the primary read for Kolb who already has established chemistry with him. Unless Jackson allows his contract situation to affect his play, there is no reason to expect anything less from Jackson this year and a good chance for more. His 18.6 yards per catch in 2009 ranked among the best in the league.

Muhsin Muhammad is gone and Jarrett takes the starting flanker role at least until someone else can take it from him – which may not be that difficult. The ex-USC star was a second round pick but has never had more than 17 catches in any season and has exactly one touchdown in three years. Jarrett is entering a contract year and has every reason to want to play well but three years of work says he’s just a place holder until someone else claims the job. To Jarrett’s credit, the Panthers have only rookies that will challenge him.

Jenkins has made an excellent living as a mediocre receiver who has started now for five years. He has remained around 600 or so yards in most seasons and only once had more than four touchdowns. Last year he had just one score and 635 yards. But the Falcons have yet to draft or acquire anyone better than that so Jenkins remains in place. There is some optimism that Harry Douglas might push him this year but Douglas has never been healthy.

08-12-10 Update: Injured his shoulder and while it may not need surgery, he will be out as long as the first game or two of the season. The Falcons are waiting for someone, anyone to take his job away.

Jennings’ 2009 numbers in and of themselves weren’t all that bad; after all, he ranked 20th in fantasy scoring among wideouts and had more targets and yards than teammate Donald Driver. But the expectations for Jennings were significantly higher—as in, he’d be the guy who would step up and become Green Bay’s go-to wideout, with the gaudy statistics to match. Instead, Jennings and Driver essentially dipped equally from the font of Aaron Rodgers’ passing stats; both had nice seasons, but they ranked 20th and 18th, respectively when the preseason plan had them more like 10th and 30th. Balance is nice, of course, but with Jennings nine years younger than Driver it’s time for the old man to pass the torch. At least you know the baseline will be solid; none of the Packers’ tertiary wideouts have stepped up to challenge Jennings and Driver for superiority so you’ll get the thousand yards and handful of touchdowns. Again, nice, but we’re looking for more. There’s no question the potential is there; the key to fantasy success will be not overpaying for Jennings’ upside.

Matthew Stafford’s growing pains and a troublesome knee conspired to keep Megatron’s numbers down last year, though despite missing two games he still scored enough to rank 23rd in fantasy scoring among wide receivers—18th on a points-per-game basis. His 984 and 5 were a significant drop from the 1,331 and 12 he posted as a sophomore, but his numbers in the second half of the season—after his knee had healed and with Stafford getting more acclimated to the pro game—project out to a top-10 season along the lines of Sidney Rice or Steve Smith (Giants version). With the free-agent signing of Nate Burleson, Johnson will also (stop us if you’ve heard this before) have some help on the other side of the field so defenses can’t focus all of their attention on him. Not that opposing defenses have had much success holding Megatron down, regardless of the lack of a supporting cast. Lions OC Scott Linehan has experience featuring a stud wideout from his Randy Moss days in Minnesota, and with a developing quarterback and a healthy knee—along with complementary weapons like Burleson, Tony Scheffler, and Jahvid Best and one of the more favorable receiver schedules on the docket—projections of a mere top-10 caliber fantasy season seem conservative.

Johnson was supposed to emerge from the shadows of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin when he went to San Francisco as a free agent in 2008; instead, he put up an almost identical slate of numbers as a 49ers starter that he did as a Cardinals backup. He got a second shot at starting in Detroit last year, but his stats opposite Calvin Johnson were essentially the same as they were opposite the likes of Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan, and Jason Hill in San Francisco. In fact, the Lions were so enamored with Johnson’s performance they spent $25 million to bring Nate Burleson to Detroit. That relegates Bryant back to WR3 status at best, but all the other options the Lions would like to incorporate into their game plan—first-round pick Jahvid Best and tight ends Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew—.drains even more opportunities out of Johnson’s already shallow pool.

Steve Johnson was a seventh round pick in the 2008 NFL draft and has only had twelve catches in his two seasons. And yet, he is in the running for being the #2 wideout on this team and has the best shot at winning it. Johnson did miss time last year with torn rib cartilage but regardless, he is getting a chance to be a starter with almost no experience. Given that the Bills have a tough schedule with a shaky offense – at best – there is no reason to take any Bills receivers other than highly speculativedepth. Monitor the situation in training camp but keep your expectations low here. Even Terrell Owens only had 55 catches in this offense last year.

Johnson ranked 3rd in the league with 101 receptions and was 1st among all receivers with 1569 yards. It was almost an exact copy of 2008 when he turned in 115 receptions for 1575 yards and eight scores. Andre Johnson is a little light in scoring with a career best nine scores in a season but there’s no arguing that he’s a consistent yardage demon who has led the league for the last two straight years. Last season he had over 200 receiving yards more than any other player. In a league rewarding receptions, he’s arguably the top wideout again and worthy of a first round pick.

Johnson was protesting his salary situation earlier this year but says it will not be an issue and that he wants to remain with the team until he retires. Consider Johnson as one of the safest picks you can make in the first round of your draft and a must-consider by the middle of the first round and deeper. At 29 years of age, both he and QB Matt Schaub are in their prime and ready to follow up on a red hot 2009 season.

(-Risk) The fortunes of Ochocinco have been closely tied to Carson Palmer. Chad was a top receiver every year and even led the NFL two seasons in receiving yards. He consistently turned in five straight seasons of around 1300 to 1400 yards and eight or so touchdowns. Then Palmer was injured in much of 2008 and Ochocinco fell to only 540 yards and even missed three games himself. Last year with Palmer back, Chad rose to 72 catches for 1047 yards and nine scores. He was not quite as productive in catches or yards but then again, many believe Palmer has lost his edge after knee and elbow injuries.

This year Chad gets help from Antonio Bryant who can stretch the field but that will be different than years past when Houshmandzadeh was such a force over the middle and allowed Johnson to be the deeper target. There’s no doubt that Ochocinco is still just as talented but there is a better chance of repeating last year than a return to his top flight numbers of years past.

08-21-10 Update: Antonio Bryant is no longer a factor but the addition of Terrell Owens is shaping up to have a slightly negative effect on Ochocinco since Palmer is likely to throw more to Owens than he would have Bryant. At some point, it comes at the expense of Ochocinco though the total output of the Bengals passing game will improve.

When Jones started half of Green Bay’s games as a rookie in 2007, he appeared to be on the verge of taking over Donald Driver’s spot in the Packer passing game. However, he’s started just five games in the two seasons since, and while he did score five times last year his two-year totals of 52-714 aren’t even what Driver puts up in a single season. As Green Bay’s third receiver and deep threat (seven of his nine career TDs (including the postseason) and five of six last year have come from 21 yards out or longer), he offers upside in larger leagues—especially if you can hang on to James for that someday when the 35-year-old Driver hangs up his cleats. But from a straight redraft perspective, Jones is little more than a long shot to provide significant help for your fantasy team.

(+Upside) Jones enters his fourth season and for a time it looked like he might assume the #2 role. But Kevin Walter ended up back in Houston with a signed contract and Jones continues to man the slot. Jones caught 27 passes for 437 yards and six scores. That’s likely his ceiling in this offense unless someone is injured.

08-29-10 Update: Jones is looking sharp in preseason games and was the starter in week three. He easily outperformed Kevin Walter and should at least cut into Walter's workload if not eventually take his job this season. Jones has the upside over Walter.

(+Upside) Knox’s rookie season featured flashes of success—three touchdowns in the first five games, 83 yards and a TD against the Packers in Week 14—amidst an assortment of leg injuries, including a sprained ankle that prematurely ended his 2009 campaign in Week 16. Assuming he’s able to avoid the injury bug as a sophomore, Knox could wind up being the big winner in the Mike Martz receiver sweepstakes. He has the speed Martz loves, the kind that will allow him to turn a quick slant into an 80-yard touchdown in the blink of an eye. He could play out of the slot, with Devins Hester and Aromashodu on the outside, or he could move into an Ike Bruce or Torry Holt role with Hester operating inside. As a group last year, Bears wide receivers ranked 14th in fantasy production; with Martz calling the shots and Jay Cutler throwing the ball, there should once again be a solid pool of stats. So it would be logical to assume that Knox can build on last year’s 45-527-5—unless, of course, he falls too far behind Hester and Aromashodu in the pecking order.

The Panthers used their 3.14 pick to take the LSU product that had a down Senior year after turning in a great Junior season. At 6’3” and 210 pounds, LaFell has the perfect size to replace Muhsin Muhammad as the flanker but will need to outplay Dwayne Jarrett (which is “do-able”). Expect a good battle for the job in training camp and even if LaFell does not take it outright by September; he could still take over later in the season. On a team that already has Steve Smith, LaFell should develop into a good #2 option with fantasy value on a team that has young quarterbacks that need to mesh with the receivers. Definite dynasty track is warranted for a player some likened to Dwayne Bowe.

No analysis available.

The ex-Missouri star turned in an impressive rookie season when he gained 773 yards on 56 catches and scored four times last year. Maclin was a 1.19 pick by the Eagles in 2009 and paired with DeSean Jackson makes for the youngest and yet dangerous wideout attack in the league. This is a pair of receivers that Kevin Kolb can make his mark on the team and Maclin has already shown he has the talent to succeed even as a rookie. Also encouraging is that Maclin was gaining over 60 yards in almost every game during the second half of the season. Jackson already takes the primary concern of the secondary and tight end Brent Celek is another weapon for defenses to worry about. That leaves Maclin room to improve this year and take a greater share of what should be a big passing attack this year.

Manningham started the season out on a high note when he had a 150 yard game with a score in Dallas in week two but he trailed off in the later half of the season and was replaced in the starting lineup by Hakeem Nicks. Manningham ended with 822 yards on 57 catches and scored five times but only had one score after mid-season and had seven games end with less than 50 receiving yards. Manningham will figure in as the #3 wideout this year but his fantasy value is negligible unless Nicks or Steve Smith are injured.

Marshall was sent packing out of Denver and his new contract with the Dolphins really boils down to just $12.5 million guaranteed and he gets a total of $9.5 million this year. They can cut him next year and owe nothing as long as his next team pays him $3 million. This is a big opportunity for one of the league’s biggest knucklehead to get his career on the right track in all aspects. He has been at the team facility since his mid-April trade and so far appears ready to clean up his act.

There is no debating how productive Marshall has been. After an invisible rookie year, he has strung three straight seasons with more than 100 catches with never less than 1120 yards and as many as ten touchdowns even with Kyle Orton as quarterback. Marshall is a huge upgrade for Chad Henne and the Fins have the look of a team destined to throw even more this year thanks to a questionable rushing attack. That all goes straight to Marshall’s ability to make a difference. He’ll be a risk on a new team that has not thrown much lately and he is one misstep away from being thrown in the NFL dungeon. But Marshall could be big in Miami with almost no one to compete for an obscene amount of passes.

08-12-10 Update: It is hard to rely on with Marshall changing teams to Miami where they rarely pass but it is looking more and more like Marshall is a good fit and Chad Henne will be able to lean on Marshall early and often.

Mason almost retired last year but not only returns for 2010, but he signed a two-year, $8 million contract that includes $3.5 million for this year. At the age of 36, Mason is not going to run past many people but he remains a solid and critical possession receiver for the Ravens. Mason had 73 receptions for 1028 yards and seven scores last year, tying his career mark for touchdowns and had his eighth career 1000 yard season.

Mason won’t have to carry as much of the load this year with Anquan Boldin on the team but his numbers likely won’t suffer much. Boldin provides the complement that Mason has always needed and yet never quite received. Boldin could actually free Mason up for more work though considering his age, Mason may already be close to his maximum ability. Mason makes for a low end WR3 who should offer fairly consistent numbers but almost never a big game.

Massaquoi was perhaps the lone positive in the Browns passing game last year when he managed 34 receptions for 624 yards and three scores which dwarfed what all other wideouts were able to do. No other receiver had more than 198 yards for the Browns in 2009 so Massaquoi was a stud if only in comparison to what else was there. And the Browns have not added to the mix so expect Massaquoi to be the #1 this year and suffer through Jake Delhomme and whatever quarterbacks end up behind center. He makes a much better fantasy backup than starter, but Massaquoi should improve again this year and at least supply yards and catches.

(+Upside) McCluster is yet another small playmaker from the college ranks that doesn’t quite fit into any category in the NFL. At 5-8 and only 165 pounds, he’ll always be the smallest player on the field but practiced with tailbacks in minicamps and then with the wide receivers during OTA’s. He’s likely to challenge for work in the slot and the Chiefs spent a 2.04 on him for a reason. McCluster will fit in however he seems best and will be a hybrid player that may defy strict position assignment. He may even return kicks or punts though he did not do much of that in college. McCluster may end up more like Reggie Bush but likely will have minimal carries. He’s a speedy playmaker to be sure and how he will fit in may evolve.

(-Risk) Meachem experienced a third-year breakout when he went for only 12 catches for 289 yards in 2008 to 45 receptions for 722 yards and nine touchdowns last season. A late season ankle injury ended his year on a low note and he had almost no role in the playoff run to the Super Bowl. Meachem had to undergo surgery to repair cartilage in his left foot in May when his old injury would not heal. He is expected to be back in time for training camp but any health issues are troublesome for a wideout who has durability problems. This should be cleared up in camp and provided he remains healthy, Meachem should resume his role as one of Brees favorite targets. Meachem even had six rushes for 82 yards so the Saints want to work him into the offense best they can. Meachem is going to be at least a small risk until he can show that a 16 game schedule won’t injure him but his upside in this offense is significant and he really has only played extensively for one season now.

Moore was a skyrocket in 2008 when he surprisingly received 79 passes for 928 yards and ten scores. He then proved gravity was still alive and well when he plummeted to only 14 catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns last year as he battled both lingering hamstring issues and the emergence of Robert Meacham. The Saints did make a qualifying offer to the fifth-year player but Moore has taken a step backwards and can only rely on injuries to other players to move him up the depth chart. He’s worth a stash in very big leagues but he’s most likely to never have significant fantasy value this year.

Morgan will remain the #2 in San Francisco and he has shown decent progression so far in his career. He turned in 20 catches for 319 yards and three scores as a rookie and last year bumped up to 52 catches for 527 yards and three scores as well. Now entering his third season, Morgan will have to wait until Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree are done before he gets fed. That will limit him to no more than a fantasy bye week filler at best.

Moss enters the final year of his contract in New England and after three seasons, he’s been a major weapon for the Pats. He’s topped 1000 yards in each season even when Brady was injured and has never scored less than 11 touchdowns. Last year with Tom Brady returning from injury, Moss caught 83 passes for 1264 yards and 13 touchdowns. The oddity about last year was that he gained 100 or more yards in five games but none after week ten. That partially is due to Wes Welker becoming Brady’s constant outlet but it is still troublesome. Moss is a trusted option for Brady and 2010 may see Brady need to connect more with him even if it means giving Moss the chance to make a play on the ball in traffic.

Moss has a healthy quarterback this year and while he won’t reprise his record setting 2007 season, he remains a consistently productive scorer in this offense.

Moss turns 31 this year and while he still has several years left, he has never reclaimed the sort of production he had in his first season with the Skins. In 2005, he turned in a career best 1483 yards on 84 catches when Steve Spurrier was the coach but Moss has been little more than an average wideout since then. He always ends up around 800 to 1000 yards and scores a few times. He gets most of his yardage from the two or three big games he has each season and then ends the majority of most games with only 50 to 60 yards.

What will be interesting this season is the change in offense with Mike Shanahan as the new offensive coordinator and the addition of Donovan McNabb as the starting quarterback. This is easily the best quarterback that Moss has ever played with and that could offer a bump up in production but that takes a leap of faith. He’s never really been more than average with the occasional big game. The emergence of Devin Thomas and Fred Davis could further limit any improvement that Moss might make.

(+Upside) Murphy did more in his rookie season than expected. The ex-Florida product often replaced an injured Chaz Schilens and reeled in 34 passes for 521 yards and four scores. Murphy actually led all Raiders receivers (not that hard a job actually) but will resume being the #3 unless Schilens foot doesn’t heel up or he has yet another injury. Murphy is one to watch on this team.

(+Upside) Naanee needed foot surgery in the offseason and won’t be available prior to training camp but is expected to be ready then. He served as the #3 last year but that only meant 24 catches for 242 yards and two scores. Naanee has passed Buster Davis on teh depth chart and with the suspension and holdout by Vincent Jackson, Naanee will find himself as the #2 to start the season.

The theory “a rising tide floats all boats” only goes so far. Yes, Nelson is a member of one of the top passing offenses in the NFL. However, so long as graybeard Donald Driver continues to play like a man six to 10 years younger than his age there isn’t much of an opportunity for Nelson to make a dent. Through two NFL seasons he’s put up numbers that barely register on the fantasy meter, with only two games of more than 47 receiving yards. With Driver and Greg Jennings starting, James Jones as the deep threat, Jermichael Finley emerging as one of the more productive tight ends in the league, and a steady and quietly productive rushing attack... there’s only so much offense to go around, and barring a couple of significant injuries it’s bound to be Nelson ending up with the short end of the stick.

No analysis available.

(+Upside) Nicks was drafted with the Giants 1.29 pick in 2009 and immediately paid dividends as a receiver with 790 yards on 47 receptions and six touchdowns. He had two efforts exceed 100 yards and became the starting split end when he sent Mario Manningham to the sideline. Nicks should see an increased to his production as he enters just his second season but he did require offseason surgery on his wrist to “clean it out” and also had surgery on the toe he broke last year and needed a screw inserted into it. Nicks is expected to be fine for the season and his toe injury actually stemmed from his college days and he played with it all of 2009. But Nicks will be limited in OTA’s and may not be completely ready at the start of training camp. He has much upside this year but needs to prove he is healthy again and can stay that way.

No analysis available.

No analysis available.

No analysis available.