By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Wide receivers consume the most starting spots and typically depth on your bench as well. The field too solidify a solid trio of receivers is just as difficult in fantasy as it is for NFL teams. Receivers tend to be the best area to find super sleepers that emerge with statistical breakout games no one expected. A day after every owner is bug eyed at their waiver wire position to see if they have a shot at picking that guy up. Miles Austin, Sidney Rice, Steve Smith, Mike Sims-Walker and Pierre Garcon went from being near Mr. Irrelevant fantasy picks to being top twenty fantasy receivers this year. Maybe this is why owners still choose to go after every running back possible before drafting a wide receiver.

This years receiver mix has a lot of differentially. A lot of youth and players aforementioned that came out of nowhere create an interesting way to rank these receivers. Veterans are still abound of course. Take a look at where we have your targets ranked.

1. Andre Johnson- Contract issues aside, Johnson will be worth every penny of a late first round pick for fantasy owners.

2. Calvin Johnson- We expect Stafford to show great improvement from his rookie season. This will finally bring Johnson to the level we all need to see. He has never came close to 100 receptions in his career. He should eclipse the 78 catch mark he had in 2008. That will mean huge numbers to keep you grinning all season.

3. Brandon Marshall- If he can have as great a year as he did with Kyle Orton throwing the football than Chad Henne will have him at career high levels. It’s hard to believe that Marshall is only 26.

4. Greg Jennings- Last year was definitely a downer for Jennings. Green Bay has so much talent that Jennings had a hard time getting the necessary looks when it came to red zone scores. A player with as much talent as Jennings will not be out of the fold two years in a row. Look for similar touchdown totals we saw from Jennings in years past.

5. Larry Fitzgerald- No worries with Leinart in the fold. Leinart is entering his fifth year with the Cardinals and will be ready to answer the call.

6. Reggie Wayne- Played with Marvin Harrison and now will put up similar numbers year after year until he is 36 just like Harrison did. After Manning’s career is done and he is in the Hall of Fame, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a Harrison/Wayne thank you in his speech. Even if Manning did not have an off the field relationship with Harrison.

7. Randy Moss- The pressure is mounting in New England. The running game looks like it will be near dead last in the league and that Patriots are likely going to be without Wes Welker most of the year. Moss is going to have to show for the first time since he was a Raider how he can handle the intense focus of defenses. Welker took a ton of weight off his shoulders and now his second receiver is a former college quarterback.

8. Vincent Jackson- It’s amazing he does not catch more footballs than he does. It sure seems like Rivers and Jackson connect a heck of a lot more than the statistics show. Jackson may miss a few games for off the field conduct. That is the reason he is not a top five receiver.

9. Anquan Boldin- Boldin is a perfect Joe Flacco target. He put a lot of damage on his body as a Cardinal. If he can stay away from injuries, Boldin and the Ravens look headed for an AFC Championship game against the Colts.

10. DeSean Jackson- When the Eagles are on a national televised game you expect Jackson to make at least one or two big plays a game. He is a the “Prime Time” athlete of the NFL today. We do believe Jackson will have a bit more difficulty scoring touchdowns compared to last year, but his special teams play and yardage will help alleviate that.

11. Roddy White

12. Miles Austin

13. Steve Smith Carolina

14. Marques Colston

15. Sidney Rice

16. Michael Crabtree

17. Steve Smith NYG

18. Donald Driver

19. Jeremy Maclin

20. Chad Ochocinco

21. Dwayne Bowe

22. Hakeem Nicks

23. Santana Moss

24. Mike Sims-Walker

25. Pierre Garcon

26. Hines Ward

27. Chaz Schilens

28. Dez Bryant

29. Braylon Edwards

30. Robert Meachem

31. Percy Harvin

32. Mike Wallace

33. TJ Houshmandzadeh

34. Derrick Mason

35. Steve Breaston

36. Santonio Holmes

37. Kenny Britt

38. Lee Evans

39. Devery Henderson

40. Antonio Bryant

41. Mike Williams

42. Devin Aromashodu

43. Mario Manningham

44. Julian Edelman

45. Golden Tate

46. Austin Collie

47. Bernard Berrian

48. Donnie Avery

49. Chris Chambers

50. Kevin Walter

51. Arrelious Benn

52. Devin Hester

53. Josh Morgan

54. Demaryius Thomas

55. Jerricho Cotchery

56. Early Doucet

57. Louis Murphy

58. Eddie Royal

59. Anthony Gonzalez

60. Malcolm Floyd

61. Earl Bennett

62. Roy Williams

63. Devin Thomas

64. Laurent Robinson

65. Davone Bess

66. Nate Washington

67. Mohamed Massaquoi

68. Johnny Knox

69. James Jones

70. Terrell Owens

By Vidur Malik

The NFC East is full of young and talented receivers who look to be part of the new school of top wide outs. The Eagles’ DeSean Jackson, the Cowboys’ Miles Austin, and the Giants’ trio of Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks have all proven to be reliable sources for catches and touchdowns for their quarterbacks. The Washington Redskins should be able to join their divisional opponents in that category, with Devin Thomas.

The Redskins are going through a transitional stage, but after things settle down in D.C., look for Thomas to emerge as a playmaking threat.   His 2009 numbers (325 yards, 3 touchdowns) aren’t very impressive, but he’s got the physical tools to withstand the beatings that NFC East defenses give out. At 6’2’’ and 215 pounds, he can fit right in to one of the hardest-hitting divisions in football.

Thomas may end up getting owners more points than they might expect if they select him. He seems to be the only target on the Redskins’ offense who has not proven himself to be a consistent player, but with an experienced quarterback under center, and other receivers who will be targeted by opposing defenses, Thomas seems to have everything necessary for a transition from talented wide out to a focal point of the offense. Chris Cooley has shown that he is a top tight end, and if he can come back from the ankle injury he suffered last year, he can be a consistent option for new quarterback Donovan McNabb. Santana Moss still has breakaway speed, and can benefit from McNabb’s strong arm. McNabb’s past success as an Eagle should also help Thomas improve. Being in the same division as his old team, McNabb should be able to get Thomas accustomed to what he will see from defenses. That should be a big advantage considering the pressure that teams like the Cowboys and Eagles apply to offenses.

Thomas might not become the number one receiver in D.C. next year, but there is reason to believe his numbers will improve significantly from last year, and in a division with so much talent on both sides of the football, the Redskins will need players to step up. The defense has been reliable, and will be crucial this year, because of the weapon-heavy NFC East they will be going against. The Redskins’ offense will have to improve along with the rest of the division if they want to compete. If Thomas can become the NFC East’s next Miles Austin or Steve Smith, the Redskins will have a better shot at improving upon the 4-12 record they put up last year. All the tools for that to happen are in place, and fantasy owners should consider taking a chance on Thomas.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

One of the stunning rises amongst sleepers that actually came to life last year was Steve Smith. No not the Steve Smith of the Panthers who could not dispel Jake Delhomme’s horrid continuation of faltering. It was Steve Smith of the Giants. Anticipating his rise amongst the crop of Giants receivers was not predictable. While he backed up Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress he really showed no signs of being a starting wide receiver. Maybe it was the chemistry of having a player familiar with him that allowed Eli Manning to develop a natural rapport with Smith. Manning looked his way often to the tune of over 100 catches for 2009.

There are reasons to believe that Smith’s 09 season may be his all time high. As the season went on the Giants discovered they have a great young core of receivers. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham began to emerge after battling injury woes. They add a big play element that Smith does not possess. Coming off their solid years where they battled minor injuries, they should both be better prepared to handle a rigorous NFL season. Subtle things that receivers begin to pick up with the amount of talent they have will be second nature.

In years past Eli Manning was never a big threat for huge statistics. Last year was sort of a forced reckless attack with Eli’s arm for the Giants. They’re typically more reliant with their ground attack. With Brandon Jacobs ineffective while playing through injury and getting behind often, the Giants had to let Eli let it fly. They know that is not the approach they can have to get back to their winning ways.

Steve Smith was Eli’s safety net that proportionately would be the leader each game by almost two to one on any other Giants receiver. He actually finished with more catches total (107) than both Mario Manningham (57) and Hakeem Nicks (47) combined. That type of stark contrast is just not typical in this day and age of the NFL. Another key factor to look at is the Giants under utilized their tight end Kevin Boss. Boss did not have a horrible season from a tight ends perspective but we’d expect him to get a little more involved this year. A solid running game opens up the play action and streaks over the middle. Jacobs should be back 100 percent and that means Manning can have another threat to work off of over the middle.

Smith showed strong enough signs that he is a great possession receiver, there is no questioning that. Where we think he’ll lose a bit of luster is touchdown catches. Sure Manning did throw for 27 touchdowns and could equal or improve on that this year. It’s the guys behind him that worry us. Nicks (six touchdowns) and Manningham (8 touchdowns) did strong enough damage with touchdown receptions to figure they should only become a bigger part of the Giants attack in 2010. For the minimal amount of catches they had, dividing even an extra fifteen to twenty catches each would cause a significant fall for Smith.

When it comes time for your fantasy drafts it comes down to drafting Steve Smith as your second receiver, or banking on Manningham or Nicks increasing their play as your third or fourth receiver. For sure you do not want to have Smith as your overall number one but he’ll be safe as your second. The upside with Manningham and Nicks is tremendous. Expect a strong training camp battle to solidify that second wide receiver spot. New York has to be glad about one thing. They were able to shake off the Burress impact rants in less than a year. Their receiver core is young and going to be one of the strongest units in the league for some years to come.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

When you think of Syracuse football the first thing that comes to mind is, do they play football there anymore. The program has been in disarray since 2000. Long gone are the days of Marvin Harrison, Rob Konrad, Donovan McNabb, and Dwight Freeney. Talented players that use to commit to Syracuse are finding their ways to Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and other opposing conference teams. Attracting prospects and turning them from a blue chip to a stud is what Syracuse footballs main challenge has been. That’s harder said than done, and the program has stunk it up the past decade.

Last year the team regained some notoriety even though losing was still apart of the fold. They hired Doug Marrone former Saints offensive coordinator to take over head coaching duties. Then a laughable story at first in bringing in Greg Paulus to quarterback the team actually fared decent. Paulus had a rough go at stretches but brought fans back to the Carrier Dome to watch football, and had them in many games they could of won. Paulus has now worked himself an opportunity to make the Saints team after getting an invite to training camp.

A prime reason for Paulus’s ascent and climb throughout last year at Syracuse was because of wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams stretched defenses and gave Paulus a safety net of trust on any type of throw. Paulus could air out a median type of pass or the quick throw and Williams would not disappoint. How else could you explain a quarterback that was held for hardly any yards throwing including only 36 passing yards in the second half against Minnesota, to a week later throwing for 346 yards? That just doesn’t happen. Take a glance at the guy who ate up over 200 yards receiving with two touchdowns in that game, Mike Williams.

Williams had a tumultuous ride at Syracuse. While the team was being dismantled on the field, Williams showed a glimmer of hope for Syracuse fans. As a sophomore he caught a touchdown in nine straight games in 2007. That’s when the off the field issues begun. He was suspended for the 2008 season for academic reasons,  and had to rededicate himself by enrolling at a nearby community college. This type of story has happened to many of athletes and some just give up. Even with how embarrassing the matter was Williams got his grades up and showed enough for Syracuse to reinstate him for 2009.

Last year was going fine for Williams and it seemed as if he did not miss a beat. Talks around college football began to label him as a potential first or second round pick, and a top talent receiver. Towards the end of the season things began to unravel again for Williams. As Syracuse’s chances for a bowl exited the team also began to deviate from rules laid down by head coach Marrone. Players on the team including Williams had went to a casino in New York and been involved in a minor accident. That led to a suspension imposed on all the players. Instead of facing the suspension Williams decided to quit the team. With only a few left he figured there was no value in finishing out the year as he had plans to put his name in the NFL Draft anyways.

You could see why his stock slipped and why teams were weary in adding him to their team. Williams fell all the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round, but has every opportunity to show NFL franchises what they missed out on. Tampa Bay is going to give him a chance to win a starting job. The team has a lot of question marks especially offensively, and Williams will have his work cut out against opposing secondary’s. That’s nothing different from the way it was at Syracuse where teams tried to slow him down but couldn’t.

If Williams can stay out of trouble he is going to be a solid fantasy receiver in his first season. Tampa Bay is going to be down in a lot of ball games. That will open the door for Williams to get additional junk yardage and possible touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Out of the receivers selected this year Williams could end up being of the highest value right behind Dez Bryant. Call it crazy for a fourth round pick, but Williams has been bucking trends ever since he stepped foot at a Syracuse school that hasn’t seen his type of talent in years.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Randy Moss is at the top of most lists for one of the best receivers to ever play in the NFL. He came into the NFL with the placement tag of being a project with issues. None of that was seen from week one onward in 1998. He took the league by storm and had NFL franchise owners thinking what did I do not selecting him. Throughout it all though the issues that were highlighted on Moss negatively have bore existence throughout his NFL career. By him parting ways with his agent and his future with the Patriots in limbo, how will he perform in 2010?

For all three teams Moss has played with there has been a point where we have witnessed him slow down. Minnesota it came  With Minnesota it came with the unraveling of Culpepper and his injuries piled with his need to move on from the franchise. At Oakland he seemed to be in hibernation from the get go besides an opening day tease where he caught a long bomb against the Patriots. His 2006 season there will be like a great musicians lengthy career. Down the road they always release tracks that didn’t come out during their glory days because it just wasn’t top notch material then. That 2006 year was mixed in between twelve tremendous seasons thus far. When highlights of Moss are displayed of his illustrious career there will be few clips of silver and black footage.

With the Patriots Moss found the winning type of organization that brought him back to elite level. Last year though one game  was spotlighted that brought remarks out of Moss to shut down the media. A guy that is averaging well over double digit touchdowns on a yearly basis and pairs it with his yardage numbers deserves a downer of a game here and there. He is human, and expecting nothing but statistical excellence is what people have come to expect.

What ignites Randy Moss is winning not proving people wrong. He feeds off of winning as do most NFL players. We’ve seen Moss turn up an extra gear of speed to catch a deep ball, and we’ve also seen him short arm a throw and give up on routes. After last years disappointing season many believe the Patriots are an aged veteran team needing a reshaping. Moss surprisingly is entering his 13th year in the league and at this stage in his career it takes a concerted effort to be ready on a weekly basis.

The natural gifted abilities he has can not be turned off and on when he wants. He is in an eastern climate where it is even rougher on the body and muscles to get loose for a rigorous sixteen game season. He has on more than one occasion voiced that this will likely be his last season as a Patriot. The organization has not begun talks with him on extending a new deal and it appears that Moss may be right. Signing an athlete to a mega deal entering his fourteenth year would be hard pressed for a smart organization as the Pats. How will this affect Moss’s 2010 season?

Based on his past experiences signs are  not looking too good. In Moss’s last season with both the Vikings and Raiders they proved to be his worst seasons in the NFL. Those two teams were also the worst two teams he has had to play on in his NFL career. Even at that there are plenty of high profile athletes that have had great seasons on poor teams, just ask Andre Johnson. For a guy of Moss’s caliber a let down should not of occurred. Looking deeper into the situation those years was the fact that Moss simply tuned himself out physically and mentally. A deadly combo that turned him into a Jerry Porter.

When Tom Brady is your quarterback the excuses can not be formed. If Moss shuts down on a third team during his last year with hit than it will show his selfish nature. The Patriots will likely be a winning team unlike those other two franchise during those years so we do not see that happening at that type of level. Look out if the Patriots hit an unforeseen bump. When are projections for fantasy receivers come out Moss likely will be a bit further down on our list than most. Not drastically down but enough too make fantasy owners think.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Spread offenses with potent quarterbacks are love affairs to fantasy owners. Often times an owner with such a quarterback will try to double down their points by landing a receiver on that offense. Numbers used too evenly spread throughout the course of the year. In most of these offenses though getting consistency on a weekly basis from the second or third receiver has scaled back a bit. Out in Indianapolis is one of the more intriguing snapshots to try and figure out who will get the balance of Peyton Manning’s precision throws.

We know that Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark should be natural locks to stay of pace statistically of there prior years. Should we be so sure of that though? Receivers often decline out of no where and this is going to be Wayne’s tenth season in the league. At some point deterioration begins to happen and he will not be able to shake opposing teams number one corners with ease. For the Colts to allow Wayne to use his veteran tactics to stave off diminishing skills he will need to be able to rely on the Colts other receivers.

Folks have a little taste of what Pierre Garcon can do. He emerged last season when Anthony Gonzalez was unable to come back from nagging injuries. Garcon proved to be a big play target and was the home run threat Manning depended on. Speed is his best asset and he is currently slated as the Colts third receiver. We’d like to think that if Garcon improves on other areas as a receiver that he could surpass Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a steady possession receiver type that seems more suited for third down pass plays. When he was their third receiver a few years ago behind Harrison and Wayne, he was able to find space in zones for Manning to drop the ball into. As an every down receiver though that type of player is already on the field in Dallas Clark.

A good sign for fantasy owners that own the Colts receivers is that they’ll likely lead the league in combined trio production. The reason being is that their running game has been very poor over the last few seasons. Joseph Addai’s yards per carry continue to be dismal and last year was at 3.8. It’s hard to believe that the Colts running game has been this poor with the amount of audibles Manning is able to call at the line, and how he keeps defenses on their heels with play action. Their running game was towards the bottom of the league, but should spike up a little as the Colts will look to give Donald Brown more touches in his second year.

The battle for second receiver will be an interesting one. Austin Collie did fine in the third receiver role last year with over 700 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns. So those numbers will not be bad for either Garcon or Gonzalez, and should be upgradeable based on their talent. Fantasy owners want an every down threat though as you should.

We just can’t see the Colts keeping Garcon’s big play ability off the field. Gonzalez is coming off a year of injuries and is going to have to fend off Garcon who continued his great regular season with a monster playoffs. He caught eleven balls for over 150 yards and a touchdown in the AFC championship game against the Jets, and scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl as well. The situation is comparable to when a teams starting quarterback goes down and they find something better when that backup comes in and starts winning.

Of course the Colts could just use their spread offense more if the ground game stays stagnant, but they know their lack of a ground game hurt them in the Super Bowl. Garcon has better fantasy value currently than Gonzalez and it’ll likely remain that way. Look for Garcon who is in the third year of his four year deal, to build upon last year in hopes of working out a new deal before the final year of his contract.