Fantasy Focus – Wide Outs!

By Steve O’Reilly

In this segment of Fantasy Focus we are going to look at the top 5 Wide Receivers heading into 2010! Some names might surprise you while others you simply knew it was coming. You might even be shocked by a name not on the list! Taking everything into consideration, here we go!

1. Andre Johnson – Andre is quite simply the best Wide Receiver in all of football. He goes about his business quietly and professionally. To wit, he has asked for more money but still voluntarily shows up for the Texans Organized Team Activities. The things that jump out that put him tops on this list is another year with QB Matt Schaub helps and as we just noted, he wants more money. That means he is going to ball out and show even more that he can do what other Wide Receivers simply can’t! He is definitely, without a doubt, the 1st Wide Out taken!

2. Brandon Marshall – Yes, you might think this is a bit high for the Beast but I don’t. There are some reasons – First off Wes Welker is coming off major Knee injury and might start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list so he’s out at #2. Secondly, Marshall has a legitimate Running game for the first time in his career. The R&R Railroad of Ricky and Ronnie make Safeties stay honest and Henne to Marshall is going to be a solid connection. Brandon can and will stretch the field but look for more intermediate routes as the Phins stay mildly cautious with their young QB. Marshall has caught over 100 balls in each of the last 3 seasons and he goes to a better offense with a stronger armed QB than he had in 2009. He signed a big contract and will look to prove all the doubters wrong about him. Except for me, who doesn’t doubt!

3. Reggie Wayne – The guy who goes about his business quietly and produces nothing but numbers comes in at number 3. Reggie Wayne still has the best pure passer in the League in Peyton Manning and you know the production will be there. The 4 time Pro Bowler is coming off his 2nd 100 Catch season and the numbers for Wayne are consistent! He’s a gamer week in and week out and the Colts look for him near and in the Red Zone. Couple that with the fact that he’s started every game since 2002 and you have a guy you can really rely on in your Fantasy league. You can’t go wrong with Reggie Wayne!

4. Larry Fitzgerald – I know that Larry is in the Top 2 Wide Receivers in the NFL as far as talent and ability. He’s a guy that anyone would take on their team and usually the 1st or 2nd name taken when asked the question, “Who’s the best NFL WR?” However, the issue of QB play has to be asked and the loss of Kurt Warner is going to hurt Fitzgerald’s production, a little. He’s still the go to guy and still going to get his looks but the entire structure of the offense is going to change. The feeling here is that the Cardinals are going to run the ball more with 2nd Year RB, Beanie Wells. Hence the move for Alan Faneca along the O-Line. They simply aren’t going to throw the ball 50 times a game and because of that Larry’s production may slip. Couple that with the fact that Anquan Boldin is in Baltimore and now if I’m a Defensive Coordinator I roll coverage to Larry’s side and make the other guys beat you. He’s still a Top 5 guy but not at #2 where he would have been had Warner stayed another season.

5. Randy Moss – Let’s face it, the guy who will benefit most from Welker’s time away will be Edelman catching the underneath slot balls but also looking to see more balls come his way is Randy Moss and honestly, the guy can still play at a high level. But the biggest reason that we think Moss will have a monster year comes from the fact that it’s a contract year for Randy and Tom Brady! Moss and Brady are set to be Unrestricted Free Agent in 2011 and 2010 just may be their last chance to earn it big on the open market. Plus, it also helps that QB Tom Brady is a year removed from major Knee surgery. The 1st season after major surgery is always tough and Brady showed signs of that last season. This year however he should be good to go and Moss will benefit from it!