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Pro Football 101: Fantasy Busts Zeros In on Wide Receivers In 2009
Published: September 3, 2009
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1. Brandon Marshall
Has anyone gotten off to a worse start this year than Brandon Marshall? As soon as Jay Cutler was dealt he demanded a trade. Then, after being found not guilty in his court case, he said he didn’t trust the organization for the way PR handled it. And when he was finally able to get back on the field, he was suspended due to conduct detrimental to the team.
The bottom line is this: with Kyle Orton at the helm, there was no way he was going to duplicate the numbers he put up last year. Now, with this latest suspension, it’s hard to see Marshall doing much of anything for Denver this season because he’s been so adamant about getting out of town. And pretty soon, the players aren’t going to put up with him either.
When it comes to your fantasy football draft, buyer beware.
2. Roy E. Williams
Williams was an utter disappointment after coming over from Detroit last October. Now you can blame some of it on not being familiar with the playbook, but he looked more like a No. 4 receiver than a potential No. 1. And even with T.O. no longer on the team, we’re still not sure he possesses the toughness to match-up against top tier corners in this league.
This isn’t Detroit where opposing teams don’t always bring their A game; this is Dallas and the spotlight will be very bright.
So when you’re building out your fantasy roster at the receiver position, it might be worthwhile to keep Williams as a No. 3 until he proves doubters wrong.
3. Antonio Bryant
Bryant was the ultimate fantasy sleeper last season as he went from a fill-in early on to the top receiver by midseason. And in the process he replaced long time No. 1 receiver Joey Galloway. The issue this year is there’s a lot of uncertainty at the QB position; Leftwich isn’t the long term solution and the rookie (Freeman) is too green to make an impact in year one.
If your league gives point per receptions, he still could do well. But anything which places a heavy value on TDs is one I’d approach with caution when deciding between Bryant and another receiver.
Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com
Fantasy Rankings: AFC West Wide Receivers in 2009
Published: June 14, 2009
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Though the division is devoid of any superstars, as Brandon Marshall may be the closest to one, but has too many issues, a few of the young receivers are on the door step of announcing their entrance to the upper echelon of fantasy football.
1. Dwayne Bowe
In just his second year in the NFL, and playing for a horrendous 2-and-14 Chiefs team, Bowe took a big step forward and grabbed 86 balls, for over 1,000 yards, and seven TDs.
This year, playing under new offensive-minded coach Todd Haley, and with the upgrade at the QB position with Matt Cassel, look for Bowe to become an elite fantasy receiver with 90 plus catches, for over 1,200 yards and double digit TDs.
2.Vincent Jackson
Back when Tomlinson was the league’s premier running back, and Gates was the team’s top receiving option, the Chargers’ receiving corps was barely heard of.
But with Tomlinson now slowed by injury and age, and injuries taking their toll on Gates’ body, the receivers have now stepped to the forefront, and at the head of that charge is Vincent Jackson.
The 6’5″ third-year receiver caught 59 balls for 1,098 yards, and seven TDs last year, and became Rivers go-to guy late in the season.
This year, his fifth year in the league, look for Jackson to hit the 1,200-yard mark with double digit TDs.
3. Brandon Marshall
Based on talent alone, this guy tops the list. He has developed into one of the top receivers in the game since 2006.
However, immaturity, legal issues, and now the loss of Jay Cutler, will all keep him from ranking higher on the fantasy draft charts in 2009.
With the prospects of receiving balls from either Kyle Orton, look for Marshall’s numbers to take a significant step backwards, although he’ll still eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and score nine TDs.
4. Eddie Royal
Marshall’s counterpart, Royal, had an excellent rookie season in 2008. The former second-round pick out of Virginia Tech burst onto the season and torched the Raiders for 146 yards and a TD on opening day. Overall, he finished with 91 catches, for 980 yards, and five TDs.
This year, expect McDaniels to utilize Royal in the team’s short passing game as New England used Welker, and for Royal to catch between 75-85 balls for a thousand yards and five to seven TDs.
Sleeper
Johnnie Lee Higgins
For those of you expecting to hear Darrius Heyward-Bey’s name called here, think again. Rookie wide receivers rarely make a significant fantasy impact in year one and certainly not a guy playing on the Raiders.
Higgins on the other hand, began to step up late last season and finished with 22 catches for four TDs. This year, he could double both.
Draft Tip
Bowe, Jackson and Marshall should all go between round’s three and four. Royal will be a nice second receiver in round six and beyond, while Higgins, our fantasy sleeper for this division, will be ripe for the taking towards the latter rounds of the draft.
