Patrick Crayton - Dallas Cowboys
Terrell Owens is gone, Roy Williams is unproven as a WR1 and Jason Witten can’t be the target on every single play. Therefore, the Cowboys need someone to step into the void and produce some nice complementary numbers in their high-octane passing attack.
Crayton should be that guy.
There’s a lot of evidence to support this claim. He is a veteran receiver who is completely at home in the offense. The last time Crayton had to step up and fill the other starting wide receiver position (the 2007 season when he replaced Terry Glenn), he recorded 50 receptions, 697 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has caught five balls in a game 11 times over the course of his career.
Is he going to carry your fantasy team to championship glory? Let’s just say it’s improbable. However, you won’t have to draft him until the later rounds and he will more than likely outproduce several bigger name receivers taken before him.
Torry Holt - Jacksonville Jaguars
We live in a what have you done for me lately society and fantasy football is one of the worst offenders. Take away last season and all Torry Holt did was rack up eight straight 1100+ yard receiving seasons while adding 65 touchdowns and never catching less than 81 balls.
Yes, Holt is 33 and yes Holt has seen his touchdown production fall in each of the past three years but I am not ready to write off the potential Hall-of-Fame star just yet.
The key stat to look at when trying to asses Holt is his yards per reception average. In the first three years of his career Holt averaged 17.3 ypr. The next three years Holt saw his average drop down to 14.5. The past four seasons Holt’s average has dropped to 12.8.
Holt is no longer the player that put up 117 receptions, 1696 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2003 but it would not be a surprise if he were the same player that put up 93 receptions, 1189 yards, and 7 touchdowns just two years ago.
Kevin Walters - Houston Texans
Growing up in Texas and still loving all the sports teams from my hometown, you might think this is a homer pick. But as Bart Simpson would say, “Au contraire mon frère”. Bet you didn’t think I could work French into a fantasy football article, did you? It’s just all part of my charm. (That sound you hear is me patting myself on the back, thank you.)
Walter has had 800+ yards receiving each of the last two seasons with the Texans, and has caught 60+ passes in each of those years as well. In Steven Slaton, the Texans finally have a running game that defenses will have to respect. And with those defenses concentrating even more than ever on superstar Andre Johnson, this will be the year that Walter tops 1,000 yards receiving. He’ll score close to double-digit touchdowns. And finally, he’s a durable a receiver as they come. He’s played in all 16 games each season since 2004. He’ll accomplish that feat again this year.
Donnie Avery - St. Louis Rams
Although he only has twelve NFL starts under his belt, Avery is the unquestioned top option in the Rams passing game heading into 2009. He was inconsistent in his rookie season but displayed the big play ability to take over a game and has a resume including a 163 yard game against the Pats and also had nine catches versus the veteran corner duo of Walt Harris and Nate Clements in a game versus San Fran. Avery will be afforded every opportunity to post big stats for the Rams, and owners can hope for a 2008 Dwayne Bowe like breakout year.
Miles Austin - Dallas Cowboys
I am assuming Austin will beat out Patrick Crayton for the Dallas Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver job. Crayton is better in the slot anyway, which makes Austin a major longshot as my surprise selection. Roy Williams, in my opinion, is not a big-play threat and will be nothing more than a possession receiver, allowing Austin to replace Terrell Owens as the team’s deep threat.
Austin’s potential is one of the reasons why the Cowboys felt comfortable releasing Owens and why they did not make any significant offseason additions to their wide receiver corps. The 6-foot-3, 215-pouind Austin, who is entering his third season (hint, hint), has cut his teeth in the Dallas system with Tony Romo. Last season, Austin caught 13 balls for 278 yards and three touchdowns, so I am not exactly expecting top-10 numbers from him in 2009. I’d say 60 catches for 800 yards and seven touchdowns is a safe bet.
Chris Henry - Cincinnati Bengals
By the end of the 2009 season, Henry will be a starter in Ohio and emerge as one of the most intriguing options at wide receiver. Always a favorite of quarterback Carson Palmer, Henry claims to have reinvented himself by focusing on football and staying out of trouble. Always a superior athlete, the thought of a full season with Palmer is enough to warrant a late-round pick, and given the opportunity, Henry will be the surprise receiver of 2009.
Sidney Rice - Minnesota Vikings
It just sucks that Favre signed with Minnestoa. Since then, I've now missed out on grabbing Rice late in two different expert mocks. People are waking up to the Vikings passing game, even though it's for all of the wrong reasons.
I've been on record for the entire offseason that Sage Rosenfels is the Vikes leading passer by season's end and I'm sticking to it. At this point, he's actually capable of a better deep-ball (Rice's wheelhouse) than Favre is. Either way - even if I'm wrong - Favre is plenty capable and the fact remains Rice is numero uno on this depth chart. If he stays healthy, this forgotten name (13.12 ADP) will put up top 30 fantasy numbers when it's said and done.
Josh Morgan - San Francisco 49ers
With each day that passes without a resolution in the Michael Crabtree negotiations, it becomes more likely that Crabtree will not be able to have an immediate impact this year. The 49ers can't be happy with this development, but sometimes it's these types of situations that allow someone else to take the opportunity and run with it. And that is precisely what second year man Josh Morgan is doing thus far in training camp. The former Virginia Tech Hokie had a strong preseason last year before getting hurt early last season and was unable to recapture the momentum he had prior to the setback. But this offseason, Morgan has been catching the coaching staff's attention and will likely start the season as the 49ers top receiving option.
At 6'0 and 219 pounds, Morgan has enough size, not to mention the athleticism, to line up any where on the field and create separation. Last year, Morgan finished the year with just 20 catches for 319 yards. This year he could easily triple those numbers, which would translate to borderline number 2 wide receiver numbers. With an ADP ranking of WR45, Morgan presents a tremendous opportunity for fantasy owners to get significant value out of the number 3 or number 4 drafted wide receiver slot. At this point, the question for 2010 may not be where Josh Morgan fits in the 49ers plans, but where does Michael Crabtree fit in the 49ers plans.