FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT

Washington’s first season in Tennessee was a success of sorts. He was the lead receiver after Chris Johnson but still only had 47 catches for 569 yards and six scores. Four of the touchdowns came in the first seven games when Vince Young was not playing. He may have led the Titans, but he’s nothing more than fantasy depth you hope to never use.

Stroughter put in a solid season for a rookie when he had 31 catches for 334 yards but he only scored once and at 188 pounds is limited to working in the slot where he is expected to start. He only had two games over 50 yards last year and even an increase in his performance won’t make him fantasy relevant this year. Leave him on the waiver wire unless there are injuries and he is promoted.

08-27-10 Update: Stroughter is practicing in the flanker spot since Maurice Stovall remains out. This offense may not throw much but Stroughter will figure in as a heavily used slot receiver or apparently as the flanker.

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.

Two seasons with the Cowboys and Williams has made little progress to deliver on his promise. In Detroit for four seasons, he never had less than 687 yards or five touchdowns and even rang up 1310 yards on 82 catches in 2006. But in Dallas he has topped out at 38 catches for 596 yards though he did score seven times last year. With Terrell Owens gone in 2009, it was his chance to step and shine. Instead, Miles Austin became everything that Williams was supposed to be. Williams has contributed but nothing along the lines of a #1 wideout as he was touted to be.

Now the Cowboys added Dez Bryant supposedly because of what Bryant can do, not what Williams has not done. But it will at least cut into Williams action and could end up eventually replacing him as early as this season. It all depends on Williams – who has just not stepped up and will be 29 years old – and Bryant who has been brilliant in the offseason if only in his ability to catch the ball. It is unlikely this year sees any improvement in Williams and could easily end up as an even bigger disappointment.

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.

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.

Beyond all expectations, Williams appears likely to win the #3 job in Seattle and have potentially some fantasy value. The roles for the wideouts in Seattle could be changing constantly as the season progresses. Williams is paired again with HC Pete Carroll but has been a bust for so long in the NFL that it still remains a challenge to buy into any fantasy value with him.

(+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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stovall has been working out as the starting flanker and Arrelious Benn has not progressed and taken the job over. The position won't account for much in the way of fantasy relevant numbers but Stovall is begin the year as a starter.

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.

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.

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.

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.

After an electric rookie season that saw him with 91 receptions for 980 yards and five scores, Royal nearly fell off the map in 2009. His production fell to only 37 catches for 345 yards and no scores. Brandon Marshall saw no drop in his numbers but Royal nearly disappeared. HC Josh McDaniel does not expect anyone to replace Brandon Marshall per se, but instead spread the love out among ll receivers. That has to help Royal but how much remains to be seen. The expectation is that Royal will end up in the slot for a Wes Welker role but this offense is not going to pass that much and maybe not that well given that Orton has to keep Brady Quinn on the sideline and Tim Tebow is looking over both of their shoulders. Expect more from Royal but sadly not a return to that fine rookie season.

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

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.

(+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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

No analysis available.

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.

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.

Thomas was the second overall wideout drafted in 2008 but the Michigan State star doesn’t have too much to show yet. Last year played in 14 games and ended with 25 cat3ches for 325 yards and three touchdowns. Like Malcolm Kelly, he notched one game over 100 yards in 2009 and never managed more than 45 yards in any other game. But Thomas will start across from Santana Moss this season and Mike Shanahan is bringing in the same offense that helped the Houston passing attack for the last two seasons. Thomas also gets to play with Donovan McNabb which is an immediate upgrade.

Thomas is nothing more than fantasy depth at this point but he has undeniable upside with entering his third season in such a potentially favorable new situation. If Thomas can deliver on his promise finally, he could end up the #1 wideout for the Skins this year.

08-20-10 Update: Thomas has not made strides in the new offense and has not been able to unseat Joey Galloway as a starter.

08-30-10 Update: Thomas hasn't even locked down the #3 that is going to Anthony Armstrong.

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.

Thomas was the first wide receiver drafted this year (over Dez Bryant) and he brings the prototypical size at 6-3, 224 pounds. He plays fast and gained 25 yards per catch in his final season at Georgia Tech. Thomas injured his foot and required surgery that slowed him down this spring but is expected to be healthy for training camp. He is going to be made a starter thanks to the departure of Brandon Marshall and will have rare opportunity to have a big rookie year. He can make for match-up problems with smaller defensive backs and can be a game changer as a deep threat. He’s worthy of drafting this year as depth to see what develops and in a dynasty league his value goes up sharply as one of the two most talented wideouts in the draft class.

07-27-10 Update: His foot remains a problem and his rookie season is looking more like just a learning process. Thomas remains strong as a dynasty pick but 2010 is not shaping up to have much fantasy value.

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.

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.

(-Risk) It was almost as if Brett Favre picked up Rice for his fantasy team a couple weeks into the season, then made it his mission to drag Rice from the #89 fantasy wideout in 2008 (between Dane Looker and Harry Douglas) to #7 last year. There were games where Favre to Rice was virtually unstoppable, including a club-record 201 yards against the Lions and a 6-141-3 showing against Dallas in the playoffs. What happens to Rice if Favre doesn’t come back to the Vikings in 2010? Well, there’s little doubt he’s usurped Bernard Berrian as the team’s top wideout, deep threat, and overall go-to guy in the passing game. However, Jackson is no Favre and there will be a significantly smaller pool of stats for Minnesota receivers to draw from—small enough to where Sid becomes merely a quality fantasy starter instead of a deity. Of course, that all changes if/when Favre rolls into Minnesota; because tight end numbers between Jackson and Favre stayed relatively stable, much of the extra production Favre brings to the Vikings passing game will be directed to the wideouts—and specifically, to his new favorite target. Hedge your bets accordingly.

08-24-10 Update: Rice visited a specialist in Colorado about his hip that had not improved with rest as expected and the decision was mafe to give him immediate surgery so that he can return by mid-season. That makes Rice a tough one to draft - he could be golden with Favre starting mid-season but holding a dead roster space for 8 weeks is very tough.

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.

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.

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.

Shipley was drafted by the Bengals with their 3.20 pick after a successful career at Texas being Colt McCoy’s best friend on the field. He had 3191 yards and 33 scores as a Longhorn and what he lacks in speed or strength he makes up for in very precise route running, smart play and excellent vision on the field. Shipley will compete with Andre Caldwell to be the slot receiver and he’s very well suited to that role. Shipley is most like Wes Welker and could develop into something down the line but as a rookie he’ll get some slot play at best. In a dynasty league, he has far more value since he’ll likely take a year or more to hit whatever his high point will be. Shipley may work as a special teams returner as well.

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.

(+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 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) Seattle spent their 2.28 pick in April to snap up the Notre Dame product and hopefully find their own version of Percy Harvin. Tate was a playmaker in college and will figure in not only as a receiver but as a returner as well. He even manned the wildcat formation and is a converted running back. Ideally, Tate will push Deion Branch for the starting split end and it is a safe bet that Branch will be injured at some point in the season anyway. Tate is easily the most promising fantasy receiver for the Seahawks but will be limited by a passing game that has declined in recent seasons and with a new offense being installed. A definite training camp watch and an upside backup to take for your team.

08-22-10 Update: Tate was impressive in the offseason but since the pads went on in camp he has been struggling to learn the offense and make a mark. He's downgraded since his shot at being a starter doesn't look good for 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 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.

Randle El returns home after four seasons in Washington pretending he was a split end instead of a slot receiver. He will probably beat our Arnaz Battle for the slot role here but has only averaged about 500 yards and two scores for his career. His last year in Pittsburgh was just 558 yards and one score. Randle El gets a chance to be on the field but he’s unlikely to produce enough for fantasy merit and has almost zero upside.

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.

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.

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.