Wide receivers are plentiful, which means there's always SOMEONE on the waiver wire with a decent matchup. Of course, spotting that free agent player each week is a bit of a psychic trick.
My approach this year? I'm focusing on the receivers that are available in the first four rounds, and I want at least two of them. A nice third receiver would be a bonus, but beyond that? They're mostly roster fillers, to be swapped out with waiver-wire pickups as the season progresses.
GUYS I LIKE:
- Chad Johnson -- There's nobody who wants it more, nobody who works harder for it, nobody who seems to be having more fun. He's got a great QB and a terrible defense, so there's every reason to believe Ocho Cinco will get the opportunities in 2007. I'm betting this is his Mentos season.
- Steve Smith (Carolina) -- So 2006 wasn't his best year. We get that. But this guy is just too dynamic and well-trained to expect a repeat. I figure 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns is about right, with the potential for more.
- Reggie Wayne -- Nothing against Marvin Harrison, but Wayne is just always open.
- Roy Williams -- He's never had a big touchdown-scoring season, and there are more than a few options in Detroit. Still, Williams has the freaky talent to turn in a great 2007.
- Javon Walker -- Cutler is going to struggle at times, but Walker should be Denver's big play weapon.
- Lee Evans -- He may not be the complete package, but Evans is an elite player in the Steve Smith mold.
- Vincent Jackson -- He looks like a tight end out there, and if you saw the touchdown he caught in P2 you got a preview of his 2007 season: Run Jackson to the back of the end zone and throw it high. The average cornerback simply can't defend that play.
- Santonio Holmes -- Yes, he's the No. 2 WR in Pittsburgh, and yes, the Steelers have a good No. 3 in Cedric Wilson. No, Holmes isn't a big guy, and he isn't a top-speed guy. But he's athletic, runs good routes, gets open and ought to benefit from the Steelers' 2007 offensive philosophy. He's had a good camp and appears to have nice chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger, but he's obscure enough that he's still falling past the 8th round this summer's fantasy drafts. On the one hand, it's hard to get excited about a second-year No. 2 WR on a team with a run-first tradition. On the other, Holmes appears to have taken the third-year-WR leap a year early and might be the kind of player who feasts on No. 2 cornerbacks. Consider him a No. 3 fantasy WR with stealthy upside.
WANT-TO-LIKES
Andre Johnson -- Lots of talent, and his quarterback is better. But is he ready for his breakout season?
Larry Fitzgerald -- The buzz is that Fitzgerald made big strides in the offseason, but I'm just not sold on the Cardinals.
Calvin Johnson -- There's never been this kind of buzz around a rookie WR, and everybody says the hype is for real. OK. But he's still a rookie. That scares me.
Bernard Berrian -- He looks confident and effective, but here's the concern: Muhsin Muhammad, Mark Bradley, Rasheid Davis, Devin Hester, Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen. The Bears have at least seven receiving weapons this season, and Rex Grossman is pretty evenhanded in his ball distribution.
I agree with you on Fitzgerald. Love him, but been burned too many times by thinking that this would be Arizona's year. Still I'd love to have in on my team.
Where's the love for TJ "Who's Your Mama?"
If Calvin Johnson wasn't with Detroit...
Posted by: Vera | August 23, 2007 at 02:44 PM