While there is great parity at the quarterback position, the players that the signal-callers target are much more volatile. Some of the leaders at the position just a few years back fail to make this list as Randy Moss has retired, Terrell Owens is injured, and Steve Smith has a lot to prove in Carolina with a rookie quarterback.
On the other hand, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Roddy White, and Calvin Johnson are the new gold standard at the position. If you’re interested in up-and-comers consider Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Britt, Dez Bryant, and Mike Wallace. Meanwhile, veterans such as Chad Ochocinco and Reggie Wayne are hoping to stay relevant for one more season.
Here’s a look at the top-35 wide-outs in fantasy football leagues this season.
1) Andre Johnson, Texans
There is not a better bet to rack up more yardage at the wide receiver position in the NFL than Andre Johnson. The former Hurricanes star is not exactly perfect. He has yet to reach double-figures in touchdowns in a season and he’s missed three-or-more games in three of his eight NFL seasons. Nonetheless, when you consider the consistency in yards and receptions, Johnson is a sure bet who at 30 years old is still in his prime.
2) Roddy White, Falcons
Of all the wide outs in the NFL last season, Roddy White probably posted the best overall season with an astounding 115 receptions for 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns. The good news is that White’s quarterback Matt Ryan is still improving and the addition of Julio Jones should help spread out the defensive coverage.
3) Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
Despite playing with inadequate quarterbacks following the retirement of Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald still posted a respectable season with 1,137 yards and six touchdowns. However, what has been overlooked is also the fact that Anquan Boldin left the desert for Baltimore. That means that even with Kevin Kolb at quarterback, the loss of Boldin and more recently Steve Breaston will put more pressure on Fitzgerald.
4) Calvin Johnson, Lions
For the first time we may see what Calvin Johnson is capable of with an above average quarterback. The injury-prone Matthew Stafford is healthy in training camp and the duo is forming a strong rapport. It’s hard to imagine how good Johnson could be; after all, he posted 1,120 yards with 12 touchdowns while receiving passes from backup quarterbacks.
5) Greg Jennings, Packers
The best wide-out on the best team, Jennings is a safe bet to rack up plenty of yards and plenty of touchdowns. The speedster is a safe pick, as he has not missed a game over the last three seasons.
6) Mike Wallace, Steelers
When Santonio Holmes was forced out of Pittsburgh, many people wondered who would step up in the Steelers receiving corps. The answer is Mike Wallace, as he established career highs across the board with 60 grabs for 1,257 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wallace is now talking about racking up 2,000 yards this season, which although far from realistic shows some serious confidence from the third-year player.
7) Hakeem Nicks, Giants
While the New York media is focused on the loss of Steve Smith and Kevin Boss, Hakeem Nicks is a standout wide-out who is bound to post big numbers. Eli Manning is an underrated quarterback who found Nicks for a stellar 11 touchdowns last season. There’s still some room for growth in 2011 for Nicks.
8) Reggie Wayne, Colts
Just when we thought that Reggie Wayne would decline, he racked up a career-best 111 receptions for 1,355 yards. I still fear that the 32-year-old veteran will show his age or get replaced by Pierre Garcon as the top target. Perhaps the greater fear is the fact that we have yet to see Peyton Manning play competitive football this summer.
9) DeSean Jackson, Eagles
The Eagles’ lead receiver racked up an astonishing 22.5 yards per reception last season en route to 1,056 yards and six touchdowns. If he can manage to stay healthy this season, Jackson has a legitimate shot at 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns, though he will share some looks with the Eagles recent acquisitions.
10) Miles Austin, Cowboys
Though far from his play of 2009, Miles Austin still cracked 1,000 yards and scored seven touchdowns. However, there is reason for optimism. Austin played most of his games without quarterback Tony Romo and fellow wide-out Roy Williams will be replaced with the more athletic Dez Bryant this season. That should result in crisper passes and more open space as the defence is forced to form a plan against Bryant.
11) Vincent Jackson, Chargers
You might as well chalk the 2010 season up as a waste of time for Vincent Jackson. In the few games that he did play, he seemed out of shape, and the result was the worst season of his career. However, we have seen enough of Jackson in the past to know that he could be the lead target for one of the game’s top-three passing attacks.
12) Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs
There are a couple of things working in favour of Dwayne Bowe these days. First of all, he’s coming off a career-season with a staggering 15 touchdowns. Next, Bowe has formed a fine rapport with Matt Cassel. Add to that the addition of Steve Breaston and suddenly Bowe will have some more favorable match-ups. It’s not a bad time to invest in the star wide out.
13) Brandon Lloyd, Broncos
The long-time journeyman practically doubled all of his career highs last season. Some more good news came out recently, as the Broncos announced that Kyle Orton will be under center to start the season. Orton provides Lloyd the best opportunity of racking up big numbers in his third season with the Broncos.
14) Mike Williams, Buccaneers
The surprise performance of rookie Mike Williams cannot be a surprise again. We learned last season that Josh Freeman is a rising star quarterback and that the Bucs possess some of the finest young playmakers in the game. Williams is a touchdown magnet who should lead the Bucs receiving corps for a second straight season.
15) Brandon Marshall, Dolphins
The forgotten man in Miami, Brandon Marshall has been one of the elite wide-outs for the last few years before taking his talents to South Beach. The key to Marshall’s decline in Miami was his three touchdowns scored. The problem this season is that Chad Henne likely remains the team’s starting quarterback, leaving little hope of marked improvement for Marshall.
16) Marques Colston, Saints
With 1,000-plus yards in five of his six NFL seasons, Marques Colton has been a beacon of consistency for the New Orleans Saints. Due to the fine offence led by Drew Brees, Colston racks up plenty of touchdowns and last season hauled in 84 receptions. Though Brees likes to spread the ball around, Colston is the top target in one of the game’s best offences.
17) Sidney Rice, Vikings
There are two ways to look at Sidney Rice this season. He is either a sleeper who is finally healthy and bound to return to prominence, or he is a talented wide-out in a poor situation now that Tarvaris Jackson will likely be his quarterback. Naturally, his value will likely fall somewhere in the middle, so I’m thinking 1,000 yards is realistic.
18) Santonio Holmes, Jets
When looking at Santanio Holmes’ numbers from last season you should consider that he not only missed four games to suspension, but he also played alongside Braylon Edwards. Now that Edwards is in San Francisco, Holmes should enjoy a larger role in the Jets offense. He’s a great deep-threat option who should rack up plenty of touchdowns and close to 1,000 yards of offence.
19) Wes Welker, Patriots
Though Welker posted 848 yards with seven touchdowns, he did not quite play at the same level of his previous two seasons. To his credit, it was also Welker’s first year back after major knee surgery. However, at 30 year old you can no longer expect Welker to get away with speed alone. His numbers should be solid, but no longer spectacular this season.
20) Chad Ochocinco, Patriots
One of the elite wide-outs from a few years back, Chad Ochocinco seems to be on a downward trend after racking up 831 yards and four touchdowns last season. Of course, the same thing was said about Randy Moss before he made history with Tom Brady. Expect Ochocinco to bounce back this season, though 1,100 yards is likely now his ceiling.
21) Kenny Britt, Titans
This raw talent attracted the wrong type of attention over the off-season and could end up being suspended. That’s the only thing that seems to be going against Kenny Britt these days. The 2009 first-round pick scored nine touchdowns last season while averaging 65 yards per game. You should expect even better this season as he takes another step forward in his third year; plus the addition of Matt Hasselbeck should breathe some life into the Titans passing game.
22) Dez Bryant, Cowboys
As a rookie last season Dez Bryant was solid with 561 yards and six touchdowns despite missing a quarter of the season to injuries. He proved enough for the Cowboys to rid themselves of Roy Williams, which should open the door for Bryant to rack up 1,000 yards of offence. While some fantasy pundits are considering Bryant as a top-10 talent, I still see him playing behind Jason Witten and Miles Austin in the passing game.
23) Mario Manningham, Giants
All of this talk about the Giants losing staples in the passing game is not necessarily bad news for everyone. Eli Manning will still get his yards, and the passes will likely head towards Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham at a greater frequency. Manningham had a fine 2010 campaign with 944 yards and nine touchdowns. The former Michigan Wolverines star is forging a fine career that mimics fellow alumnus Amani Toomer.
24) Anquan Boldin, Ravens
Anquan Boldin didn’t look as comfortable with the Ravens last season as he had throughout his career with the Cardinals. His numbers were still decent, but he could have used someone to stretch the field against the opposing secondary. This season the Ravens acquired former Bills star Lee Evans to do exactly that.
25) Plaxico Burress, Jets
It will be weird to see Plaxico Burress in the Gang Green, but he can have a tremendous impact on Mark Sanchez and the Jets passing game. Burress still has his athleticism and height, which could result in a bunch of touchdowns, though I would not expect him to rack up more than 800 yards of offence.
26) Percy Harvin, WR, Vikings
The top playmaker in the Vikings receiving corps, Percy Harvin is a safe bet for a bunch of receptions and yards. The presence of Donovan McNabb should bring a consistency to the Vikings passing game that was missing last season.
27) Pierre Garcon, WR, Colts
At this point Pierre Garcon is the most talented wide-out in Indianapolis. He still needs to improve at catching the ball, but his flashes of brilliances could be more sustained with added experience. Let’s now hope that Mr. Manning returns within the next few weeks.
28) Lee Evans, WR, Ravens
For a long time Lee Evans was the lone playmaker in Buffalo with underachieving quarterbacks. Now he moves to Baltimore where the strong arm of Joe Flacco will greet him. He will also have plenty of spacing as Anquan Boldin will attract defensive attention.
29) Stevie Johnson, WR, Bills
Fresh off a breakout season Stevie Johnson will have a much more difficult task on his hands this season. While quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick returns, gone is the presence of deep threat Lee Evans. Johnson will now have to overcome the top defensive backs in the NFL. He should still post decent numbers, but a minor decline should be expected.
30) Austin Collie, WR, Colts
After playing all 16 games in his rookie season, Austin Collie missed seven games last season due to concussions. I’m plenty concerned with Collie’s health and would seek safer options in the early rounds before making an investment in the overachieving star.
31) Jeremy Maclin, Eagles
A mystery illness has taken a toll on Jeremy Maclin, one of the finest young wide-outs in the league. When Maclin does eventually return to the field he may also lose some looks from Michael Vick because of the presence of the recently acquired Steve Smith. Maclin is a solid wide-out who racked up 70 grabs for 964 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Let’s hope he has a speedy recovery.
32) Santana Moss, Redskins
One of the most erratic wide-outs in recent memory, Santana Moss looks like a star some seasons and a bust in others. In fact, Moss has never enjoyed back-to-back 1,000 yards seasons despite enjoying four such seasons in his career. The fact that the inexperienced John Beck will likely start at quarterback does not bode well for Moss, who hauled in 1,115 yards last season.
33) Braylon Edwards, Niners
The Niners brought in Braylon Edwards to shore up the passing game this season after he posted 904 yards with seven touchdowns for the Jets. Edwards can be a bit inconsistent, but he should thrive as the top target for the Niners next to Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis this season.
34) Steve Breaston, Chiefs
It’s been a few years since Steve Breaston posted 1,000 yards in a season, but the Chiefs will provide him with every opportunity to hit that benchmark now that he will be the second option behind Dwayne Bowe.
35) Jerome Simpson, Bengals
While rookie A.J. Green is getting most of the attention in Cincinnati’s training camp, Jerome Simpson is the better sleeper. Simpson’s final two games last season demonstrated his star potential, as he racked up 247 yards and three touchdowns. Though he will now have to form a rapport with Andy Dalton, Simpson has a few years of NFL experience under his belt, making him a fine breakout pick.